The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1892-07-21

had not been AZ the bonfire or had played .
ahFewd Ananias game displayed their pa-
pers At the supreme moment, and the com
missioner and his poliee and armed sol
dieFy marched back to camp rejoicing.
The miners lost no time In replying TO
this raid BY . declaration Of war. The
lone Exile Of Erin, whom fate had made
the John Hancock Of the Declaration Of In
dependence, was elected military dictator,
and for the space Of forty-elght hours, more
or less, signed himself Peter Lalor, Com
mandeF In Chief Of the Diggers Under
ArmA." An insurgent camp was pitched
On q height overlooking Ballarat, known
q Eureka HILL Horses. weapons, ammu-
milton, provisions and even recruits were
impressed by the simple edict Of Peter
Lalor," etc., and the hill was fortified By
means Of q baFricade and stockAde com
bined The work Of intrenching was under
taken IN a hurry and every hour added
some new device for obstTucting and harass-
ing the enem y's approach. As fast ~ they
could be procured slabs were imbedded at
one end, stakes were driven, ropes were
stretched. carts and other bulky obstacles
were overturned and tOAll was added earth
embankmentA. for the diggeFs hadn't for.
gotten their trade. The strangely com.
poeite iutrenehment enjoyed ephemeral no
toriety ~ the Eureka 6tockAde."
The warlike preparations Of the insur-
gents went on for two days and three
nights undistuFbed BY the government
The miners gave out that they would a.
sault the governors camp, but didn't do
L. Their equipment was the weakest part
Of the instruction. Many hundreds pre-
tended to bear arms, but shooting pieces
were scarne. and the majority had TO take
mp with rude pixies, made at q common
forge and mounted on slaves green from
the bush.
After four days Of the widest excite
ment and fatigning labor-counting from
the mass meeting Of Nov. 2o-everything
being ready for the grand struggle, Peter
LaloF's army took q notion about mid.
night Of Dec. to 60 to sleep. And 1t was
not q sleeping on arms, either. Tie men
stood vallantly 10 the barricade until mid
night, then made Oh 70 town, 70 their
huts, TO wherever inviting and comfortable
hsrths could be had. OF course not all
were 20 suddenly overcome BY drowainess.
The Commander In CHER and q handful
Of tFusty fellows. chiefly plkemen. how
ever, remained 70 guard the stOcknde and
perhaps give an alaFm Of impending danger.
Now the governors troops were real sol
J dieFs-regulaEs ~ that. barring few 20
1eemen, which e the same thlng-and at
half past . O'Clock on Dec. 3, when the
great army Of "Diggers Under Arms"
were also under their blankets, the gov
ornoris military underliuR led out . de-
taehment Of not quite 800 men and noise
lessly at0Tmed the stookAde on Eureka
! Hill General" laiUr and his old guard
were alert, and began 70 shoot with such
irons a. they possessed. The British buglO
dieFs rushed upon and over the barFicade.
dropping . score or more Of pikemen BE-
| tore The recall was sounded. The Gag Of
defiance to colonial tyranny was quickly
hauled down, over 100 prisoners, wounded
and unwOunded, were taken, and between
e0and 70 dead mineFs showed what might
have been bad not the bulk Of the digger
gone 70 sleep at time 20 inoppoFtuns for
he future Of the Victorian league.
LAloP escaped, but carried bullet 10 his
peFson that cost him an arm and 20 marked
him for life a. the leader Of the Victorian
gold Geld rebellion. There were prosecu.
tons for high TREASON and all that sort Of
thing but no conviction. and n general
amnesty resulted. The leader remained
n hiding until the affair cooled down. all
the time unrepentant and bewAiling the
untoLtnnate dEoG.lnea5 q bic army on that
momontoua mgrning. The mineFi eventu-
ally sent their hero with the empty sleeve
% parliament and be served term after
term, landing At last In the speakers chair
Of the historian commonA So much for
continent and that brief nicht tusAle In
defenso Of the Eureka etoekAde."
' OnoRoE l.. kILMER