The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1886-11-20


entered heartily into the effort t,
effect his release.
Joe Dyson had not been idle
He went through the street stirrin;
up the people " to get his pal re
leased" as he explained. Merchant
and many respectable citizens
joined in the movement, and afteI
eight days of the most cruel pun
ishment Harry once more breatheC
the glorious air of freedom.
Joe Dyson warmly welcomed his
friend, and their experience of Mel
bourne being so unpleasant, they
shook its dust from their feet ant
secured seats in the coach en- rout,
for the gold field of Ballarat.
1t is easy to imagine the chagrir
of the pompous "nincompoop'
magistrate at the reversal of his
sentence.
However, the popular voice
elected him to a seat in the legis-
lative assembly of Victoria, repre-
senting the city of Melbourne.
The reader can judge of this leg
islator's capacity by the fact that
he once recited the apostles creed
for the Lords prayer, on a wager
of 60 with fellow member.
Arrived at the" diggings," Harry
and his mate procured licenses
and set to work. Luck smiled
upon them on the fifth day and
the glittering metal showed itself
plentifully.
For two years the men worked
together in the neighborhood of
Ballarat. Dyson, falling in love
with a pretty barmaid and subse-
quently marrying her, Dissolved the
partnership, and Harry started to
visit other diggings. He arrived
at Castlemaine safely, and worked
Forest creek, where he lost nearly
all he had mad. Forest creek was
a very rich gold field, but luck
somehow or other seemed to have
deserted our hero. Nine out of
every ten diggers working on the
creek made pile.
Harry left Castlemaine and trav-
eled to Bendigo, or Landhurst, as
it was called. At Landhurst he
was again unlucky, and only
stayed there two months. He
then made for the "Ovens dig
gings at Beachworth, and worked
there for some time, still with his
usual unlucky spell upon aim.
Almost penniless, he left this place
with his black mare and a few days
rations, for the "Omeo" diggings
in Gippsland.
The journey from the "Ovens !"
TO "Omeo" was then one of the
most difficult known to diggers.
1t was through that chain of
known as the Australian
Cordilleras. One large mountain
in particular, called the "Jibbo,"
Dn account of so many horses re-
fusing to pass it, had to be assembled
and decended; and the decent was
more than the ascent, for the whole
face of the mountain was covered
with loose shale.
Men and horses would slide
lown as if they were decending a
glacier.
At the foot of the mountain on the
Gippsland side lies the Gibbo Greek,
md this leads to Finerston Creek,
On which are the Omeo diggings.
After several days hard labor, dur
ng which he encountered many
privations, our hero arrived at Finer
,ton Creek. He at once set to work,
and. on this occasion, with better
success. Gold and precious stones
rewarded him for his indomitable
Harry worked at "Omeo" for a
Iong while, and although he lived
freely, he managed to save large
amount of gold and collect a num-
Der of Precious stones.
He made the acquaintance Of
another digger whose name was
Thomas Take. Take marked a
claim along side of Harry's about
twenty yards away.
Thomas Take properly speaking
was not digger, although he worked
occasionally at his claim. Take
was a stockman or vaquero, and
on several ranches was with the
writer. He came to Gippsland from
Van Dieman's Land, to which
island he had been sent for his
good. Although long
man, he had succeeded in
making his escape in a whaler, and
vessel landed him on the coast of
Gippsland.
So Take got work as helper on
one of the sheep ranches that
abound in this country. In course
of years he became a noted BUSH
man, with a great knowledge of the
surrounding country. His passion
for the wife of comrade resulted
in an elopement, and he made his
way to the Omeo diggings with her.
Here, the woman found others