MINING INDUSTRY. 



-v30 



In addition to silver, the ore deposits also contain a fair percentage 

 of gold, a large percentage of lead, also copper and zinc. 



The following total yields, taken from tlie last rejmrt of the Proprie- 

 tary Mine, Broken Hill, from 'iOth NovemLer, 188(5 (the cominencement 

 of the Company's operations), np to tlie 2Stli XovemlK-r, I8'.t.j, being 

 nine years, speak for themselves : — 



Ore treated | 

 (gross) including Concentrates, 

 moisture. 



Flue dust. 



Ore treated 



(net) including 



flue dust. 



Tons cwt. 

 2,512,742 5 



Tons cwt. 

 53,748 8 



Tons. cwt. 

 26,604 17 



Tons cwt. 

 2,400,388 6 



Bullion 

 obtained. 



Fine silver. 



Lciul. 



Tons cwt. 

 289,336 17 



Oz. Tons cwt. 



74,276,090 287,061 5 



The profit of the company for the half-year ending 31st May, 1895, 

 amounted to £344,760 7s. 8d. This is certainly the principal company 

 in the Colony in connection with the silver-mining industry. Tliere 

 are other large mines at Broken Hill, such as Block 10, the Central, 

 the South Broken Hill, Block 14, British Blocks, the Junction, \\\\k\ 

 North Junction, and others, which are all producing silver in ]iayal)l(' 

 quantities. About 5,000 miners are employed on these mini's. I'ayaljle 

 argentiferous deposits have also been discovered in different parts of 

 New South Wales, some of which are now in actual work. Boorook, 

 in the Tenterfield district ; at Emmaville and Inverell, Glen Innes 

 district ; also in the Scone and Armidale district ; at Sunny Corner, 

 and other parts of the Bathurst district ; Lewis Ponds and other parts 

 in the Orange district ; also near Biualong, Grenfell, and other places. 

 In fact, the argentiferous area in the Colony is very extensive. The 

 greatest question of the day in connection with our silver-mining 

 industry is the successful treatment of our sulphide ores. If once 

 this problem can be satisfactorily solved then a large increase in the 

 production of silver may be looked forward to. Large and costly 

 experiments have been made to solve this vexed question, and littli' 

 by little one difficulty after another is overcome, and silver ores whicli 

 only two or three years ago wei*e considered as too refractory can now 

 be treated with a profit. Strong companies are now starting with 

 the sole object of buying and treating sulphide ores. The value of 

 machinery in connection with the Barrier Silver-mines alone is esti- 

 mated over c€l,000,000, and this machinery is still being added t<» 

 from time to time. 



Copper. 

 There is a large area of cupriferous formation in diffen-nt parts^of 

 New South Wales, covering an area of about 4,500,000 acres. Tin- 

 largest and most important lodes or deposits so far discovered arc ni 

 the arid part of the far west. Of these lodes Cobar has the most 

 important. The Cobar lode varies from G to 100 feet m width ; the 

 ore being of a very high percentage. The greatest depth so far 

 obtained is about 600 feet. Even at the present low price of copjier 

 the Cobar mine is dividend-paying. All the different classes of coj^pcr 

 ores have been met with in working this mine during the Inst twenty- 

 five years. But up to date the sulphides form the principal deposits, 



