Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1893-12-21

-AsitFQii n Cor. Of fsc PcH AGa = Zs.,s'
This queer country OF ours Is q
prodigiOus lucky bag, out Of which
we are always fishing some surprise.
There is scarcely a nOmadic who has
not q horde Of red and blue and green
stones which be can not make up MS
mind to sell for the trihe offered by the
jewellers. lie means 20 go home some
day, and then be will get a price for
them. Meantime he carries them about
in little gold-dust bag, sometimes get.
ting wheed ed out of one or two by a
barmaid, or going ION the tangle" and
losing the lot Occasionally one sees
in breastpiu or ring tine sapphire,
vOuched for Us native; out the emeralds,
rubies, sDinels and almandines found
are mostly Of small size.
An the world knows the magnificent
opal from our White Cliffs, and an the
world will soon have an opportunity 20
admire the superb turquoise FOUND az
Herdi, in Victoria; we have pearl hsh-
cries; we have the biggest silver nine
ia the world. and gold reefs so rich that
drive Is sometimes described as "a
jewelers. shop" but surely we have nit
upon the gnOmes' treasure house when
We talk cOolly Of q mine with "a ton or
diamonds in sightp' There have been
such sentimental rumOrs Of late concern
ing the diamond fields OF Bingara, on
the Horton, Ga New South Wales, shat
we had grown callouSIy incredulous,
and are the more ast0nished 20 und
from the report OF a special commits
slOner, Just returned 20 Sidney, that
these rumors were less than the truth.
The diamondiierous tract is some
thousands Of acres In extent, and the
mine, the Monte Christie, already opened
up, belongs 90 one man. He has been
working 10 by himself, determined 70
prove it before taking the public into
his confidence, and that is why we have
heard so little of what is going on
there. Before describing the field some
account Of his career is due 10 this
Australian Count OF Monte Christie.
Mr.. captain by mining courtesy Rog-
ers Is o COrniShman, active and rsso-
lutte, but now over so years OF age.
After opening up tin mines in
Tava, Penang aud elsewhere he came
60 Victoria 10 the first flush Of its gold
fever, aud gained his colonial expert
ence in several ruShes.
His practical shrewdness was early
demonstrated. lie argued that instead
of following the alluvial gold should be
traced 20 IT'S matrix. Acting on this
conviction, in 1853 be opened in Waffle
Gully, Forest Creek, the first quartz
reef Ia Victoria, being jeered as mad
man for expecting 60 lind gold 10 lode.
His example was, however, quickly fol-
lowed, and then came the difficulty OF
extracting the gold from the cruelty
hard quartz The Captain claims 20
have erected the first QuartZ-cruShing
battery in Australia. By the by, home
people can not imagine what q daZ-
Elingly beautiful thing ia the sun Is
pure white quartz crushed. The streets
of Ballarat are mctaled with 20, and
make one think of that little surprise
the French King prepared for his mis-
tress, when be had the park avenue
spread with salt. Capt. Rogers acted
As manager TO various mining COM
panies, till in 1876 he was appointed eX-
pert 70 a Sydney syndicate. He was
sent 70 report on Bingara as a gold field.
1t struck him the country was likely
for gems, and he resolved 20 return at
his leisure and prospect it.
Ii was not for eight years after this
that "leiSure" moments came, but be
had not forgotten. He came all the
way from Ballarat in the adjoining col
ony, and after TWO months prospect
ing, found a lead which averaged three
carats % the load. Although az this
time there was uncertainty as TO the
market value Of Austrian diamonds $50
called), some spectators at once Of
fered $500 for this claim. IL was
probably this want OF definite knOwI-
edge about the stone found here that
Induced Rogers te accept the Ofer-a
proceeding he soon regretted, as the
purchasers made a ring and took up
agaFy acre 0g fanondiierOus country
10 the district Here again the Cor
nishman's innate shrewdness stood him
in good stead. He alone knew the
trend Of the country aud the dead work
needed 20 develop 10. he argued tnaJ
some OF these mining leases would il-
evitably be forfeited, owing 20 non
comDliances with labor conditions So
he waited. His foresight had nos de-
ceived him. As tho leases fell through
he lodged his application and secured
them, always keeping his eye steadily
on that big plum, the Monte Cristo
block He waited five years before
this last lease was obtained.
Then be went 20 work all alone,
sometimes not seeing another human
being for months. He sunk a shaft
timbered it, filed bags with the dirt
below, climbed 20 the surface aud
hauled them up. He drove the cross
cut on two levels, and sunk again
r,fr hrr nv-f
died cement. How man OF his age
could have done this work uuaided is s
marvel; but OF this drive be washed ff
teen loads for yield Of Q, lS9 diamonds
and proved the drift to be the com
mencement of a deep lead. After thiS
he sunk an air shaft, which was de.
stroyed by flood, and before he could
get another one completed he succumed
20 bad air aud was laid up for sis
months. As soon as he Uas able tC
work again he followed up this drive
with q tunnel 200 feet to test the eX-
tent of the drift, sunk a third shaft
aud from this one opened up shallow
level so rich that be christened it the
Bonanza.
So, far, although sending parcels OF
gems 20 London, Capt. Rogers has KEPT
his own counsel, but now, having proved
his property. be iovite6 experts 10 visil
&c. aud very much aStOniShed they were
They found that this dsuntess OctO
gedarian had with his own hand accom-
plished The work Of opening mp great
mine, displaying such cOnsum mate judg
ment that the upper level offered room
for 200 men 60 start blocking; that the
drift had been traced % within $50 feet
Of It's matrix (Which crops ont on an ad'
iacent hilD, and sufficient Of the &C
feet laid bare 90 yield a ton OF diamonds