The San Francisco call., 1896-03-03
G. R. Painter Tells of the Strange
Rush to the West Australia
Camp.
WATER HAULED ON TRAINS.
Men Go Prospecting With Camels In
stead of Horses or Burros-Coro.
mandel Mines.

G. R. Painter, rich mine-owner of the
Coromandel Peninsula, New Zealand, is at
the Russ.
He has recently been at CooIgardie, West
Australia. He says that Coolgardie, while
a booming camp, has many serious draw
backs that people at distance can scarcely
understand. So many men rushed in that
now there are more than are needed, and
lots of them are trying to get back home
but can't, being out of money.
Then the country is so barren and deso-
late that it may be considered the jump
ing-off place of the world. Huge camels
go to and fro, bearing freight and carrying
the outfits of the prospectors. A camel
for miner is as indispensable as burro
is for our miners in most sections of the
Sierra and Rocky Mountains. He says
that usually six prospectors will go
together on their trips and take two
camels.
The canels have succeeded horses al
most entirely, and horses are so rare that
they are scarcely to be seen. At the same
time camels are being raised there SO as to
supply the continued demand as the coun-
try develops. The scarcity of water is the
cause of the relegation of the horse and
Water is worth cents bucketful at
Coolgardie, said he, "and a good well is
as good as gold mine. A year ago water
was worth Is cents bucketful. There are
lot of big European companies operating
mines there, and they take their water in
by train loads.
There are cars built on purpose to hold
water. 1t is brought from hundreds of
miles away across the desert. 1t is very
hot in fh hat part of Wast Auatra1ia and G
it is sandy, too, no animal is fitted for
habitation there like the camel. They can
eat the sagebrush, too, and other shrubs,
that horses can't. A camel there is worth
$40, or $3.50.
"For all it is such an inhospitable coun-
try gold is there in large quantities and
the railroads are being extended in every
direction. They are building miles every
day.
MY own mining property is on North
Island of the Coromandel Peninsula, n. H.,
sixty miles northwest of Auckland. To
get there YOU go by steamer across the
Hauraki Gulf. There are some big quartz
mines there, the richest being the Waihi,
an enormous property, which l came
within fifteen feet of striking myself, and
consequently l am a little sore about it.
The mine has $50 stamps working, and
the owners are putting up $50 more stamps.
! The mine was discovered only year ago.
Its dividends are enormous. l own the
extension of the Waihi and extensions Of
some of the seven or eight other proper
ties OF the Waihi group.
'There is an opportunity for California
to do big business with New Zealand and
Australia if it can manage to get the
freight and passenger fares reduced lit
tie. We need mining machinery and
many other things you have got here, but
we can get them for rather less from
Europe than from here, though the dis
tance is far greater.
This being the nearest place, and where
we can get the best and in the shortest
time, we would prefer to buy here. There
| is an important trade that may be got by
California from the Antipodes If it will but
reach out for it"
Mr.. Painter says the Vrawera country,
about 100 miles from Auckland, held hith-
erto exclusively bv the blacks, is soon to
be opened up. He thinks it may prove as
rich as Coromandel or, possibly, Cool.
r1i