The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1895-09-24

Mr.. @. has been to the newly
discovered gold fields of Austria
liza and returned Wednesday, the
18th instant, to Challis, where
he has spent great deal of his
tune for the last few years.
Everybody was glad to see him.
He gives a description of that
part of the world which is quite
different from our American
mining regions. The districts
that he visited most are in the
Northwest part of the continent
of Australia and are without liv-
ing springs or rivers. Of course
there can be no wash gravel beds
in which gold can be found.
What little placer or allivial dust
could be found must exist in the
rough, craggy state the same as
is found close by the Virtue lode
in Baker county, Oregon. The
quartz mines in Australia, many
of which are very rich-so rich
that one who visits them would
hardly venture to relate the full
account of their degree of rich
ness for fear that those who
have not seen the rock would
think it q tabled account, as com
pared with other quartz at home
which lie in granite and porphy-
ry and slate in q fat barren
country of red soil This color
there, as in other places, is sup
posed to come from the iron ele-
ment in the native rocks; and in
this decomposed matter lies the
native milled gold, or what we
term placer, in many places very
rich.
Water can only be obtained by
condensing or digging, from 8 to
30 cents per gallon, as it was
formerly on our American des-
erts by the drink or gallon. And
there is nearly thousand miles
of this desolate region with no
vegetation except low tree
, known as M,tlga, similar to the
lunches CT Mahogany in oul
Idaho mountains. Not a blade
of grass. Everything to subsist
upon has to be shipped in.
Prices of living by the meal oil
week are not far different from
our mining camps-remarkably
cheap for SO new and rich a land
in gold.
The continent is SO large thai
immense portions of the interior
are as unknown as they were be
fore the first discovery by civil
zed man. From one point, Cape
} Levin, to another cape point,
direct, ships go out of sight Of
land; indeed, those two point;
are a thousand miles distant from
} each other. We learn from Mr.
J G. that Australia is a more Elk
tensive country than Americans
) have an ide of. So extensive
that it will eventually be AN in
dependent nation without doubt
In going MIR. G. shipped from
: Vancouver, B. c., to Sidney
} 1900 miles fare 800; from Sid
ney to Melbourn, 600 miles 80. so
1 from Melbourn to ADELAIDE 60'
5 miles; from Adelaide to Alban,
i400 miles; from Albany to Free
t mantle 400 miles-through far
/ $3.50 to $30-time 16 days
This is the port and shipping
point for the Coolgardie mining
, region, which is 300 miles inland
Coolgardie is the center of vas
| mining region, although Their
/ is mining going on for 1900 mile
) North, up the west coast. From
Coolgardie Mr.. @. and company
) hired camels to go and examine
the mines on the South for abou
$50 miles, for which they had t.
pay each $40 trip. They are
/ the most available means o
J travel and transportation there
g as they can travel, if need be, |
/ thousand miles without water
a although about 800 is neare
their natural capacity at 10