Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-08-14

Bendigo (sandhursO gold fields of Aus
tralia BaIlarat and Bendigo proved to be
the richest finds, and the richest aurifer-
Gus bed the world has seen. For more
than three years after the first discovery
of gold on the field "toe-pick miners walk
ed the valleys and the rayines hunting for
nuggets on the surface; perhaps on no
hundred fields in the world were 80 many
and valuable nuggets ever found than on
these neighboring fields of Ballarat and
Bendigo, in the colony of Victoria.
'-Toe-pick miners We're those without
tool or pam who simply walked about the
field and picked up the yellow pebbles
they could find them among the sand
and stones which they scattered with the
tees of their shoes. They kicked for gold;
strange to say, they were highly rewarded
for their silly effort-silly from a miners
standpoint. A singular example of the luck
OF these toe-picks was a young lover
who had heard the marvellous stories of
gold at Ballarat. He was new chum,"
but he had a sweetheart. One morning he
bade her fearful face goodbye, picked up a
big lemonade bottle, and left Geelong for
the fields. sixty miles up in the Black Hills,
promising her that he would return and
marry her as soon as he had picked up
the lemonade bottle full of nuggets, which,
he assured her. wouldn't be much longer
than it would take him TO walk there and
back.
n Bottle Full of Gold.
Reaching Baliarat the young enthusiast
began kicking the stones and dirt about in
search of his treasure. No more earnest
or persistent miner ''dished'' under the rod
of Mt. Buningyong. where the rich find
was first made He had no tent, SO he
sept in the open. with his bottle in his
clutch. Week passed in ard out On the
sixth Sunday he walked into the home of
lis sweetheart, ard handed her yellow
lemonade bottle. The virgin nuggets made
1t yellow. 1t was full of gold $1,000 worth
The couple married, and upon this founda-
ten built their fortunes in Geelong, where
Trey now live. unless the old home yearn-
irg has drawn them back to their native
heath in England. Facts like these set the
public mind mad.
In less than eighteen months from tho
sensational find at Buningyong, 10000 peo-
pie tented on the Ballarat field, picking
dishing or kicking for gold. From that
day! in 1854, until now there have never
been less than 10000 miners On the field
There are now nearly 100000 people in the
city of Ballarat living on the hundreds of
miles OF drives beneath it, the Band and
Albion claim alone having nearly 100 miles
of drives. and shafts nearly 1900 feet deep.
So mad was the rush and so eager the
crowd that no one thought of taking time
10 build house. For years-until the
alluvial country was immeasurably turned
over or pegged into fixed claims and the
Bendigc rush diverted the stream-the
city of Ballarat was a camp of white tents
The first brick chimney was a curiosity
1t still stands.
The gold escorts which brought the fabu-
lous treasure into Melbourne gave that loo
miles of country the aspect of military
patrol Every tongue told of the new Eldor-
ADO but no one told of the suffering and
chasrin of the unlucky ones, and no one
found his head cool enough to figure on,
the loss an alluvial field was to the coul.
Try. Men foolishly sold their farms. stock
stores, boats. jewels. or whatever and
rushed pell nell TO this excited canvas city
falf prepared, and either ate and tramped
out their gold in search of more gold O,
Rad 1t mercilessiy taken from them
A Million "a Day.
The cost Of living in such an inaccessible
place was, all told, about $50 per day. Thu.
10000 miners were putting 100000 6
day In the ground and taking out less thar
100000. But no one thought Of that Mel
everywhere were making rich finds. and tn,
gold escorts were carrying away larz,
amounts Of gold These were infiammab l.
facts. which lured q new batch. and paint
ed new yellow hope to the erstwhile un
vrrck