The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1899-07-26
A GREAT GOLD SCARE
WHEN THE YELLOW METAL WAS
FIRST FOUND IN AUSTRALIA.
The English Government Tried to
and Did For Time Suppress the
News Because 1t Feared a General

News Because 1t Feared General
Uprising at the Convict Colony.
The history Of the discovery of gold
in Australia makes peculiar reading in
these days, when the mere suspicion of
gold in district, however close to un
inhabitable regions, will cause rush.
Gold in Australia was discovered-one
might almost be pardoned for saying
first discovered-many times. Bnt the
news Of the earliest discoveries was
ijealously kept from spreading The Sc
cret Of this reticence lay in the presence
of the army of convicts which then
composed the balance of the popula-
tion. Hada gold panic broken out it
was feared that general uprising Of
the prisoners would take place.
Nevertheless the first gold found in
Australia was by convicts in 1914,
near Bathurst, New South Wales. The
discoverers gathered together quan-
tity quite sufficient to lead them to be-
lieve that they had found gold mine.
But when they reported what they con-
sidered their good fortune to the keeper
he, instead If undertaking to recon-
mend them for pardon or easing their
hard labors in any way, threatened to
give them all sound fogging if they
yentured again to say word about the
matter or to spend any more time pick
ing up gold. The next find was made
on the Fish RIVER in 1898, not far from
the spot where the convicts had come
across it nine years before. This news,
being reported TO the authorities, was
also ordered suppressed. Within the
course of the next two years finds were
so frequent that the London govern
ment began to take great interest in
the affair. But the fact that another
region of the yellow metal might be at
the disposal OF such as might seek was
kept rigidly secret until in 1926 dra-
matte incident precluded all possibility
Of further secrecy.
A convict was discovered with a mug
get of gold in his possession. When
asked how he had come by the metal,
he said that he had picked it up in the
bush. He was cautioned and told that
the authorities had no doubt that be
had stolen the gold, but the prisoner
stoutly held to his original tale. At
length he was taken out and severely
Aogged in public as thief. There is
now no doubt that the man told the
truth. After this, although the public
were every now and then keyed up to
great expectations by some reported
find, no further veins we're discovered
until 1889, when Russian nobleman
found rich deposit in the Blue noun
tains. The British government again
became fearful of the consequence of
euch news upon colony of ccnvicts
! and ordered the matter suppressed. Yet
sufficient people had heard Of it to keep
the story alive and give credence to
such rumors as arose from time to time.
So matters drifsed on Time and time
again bush1nen, shepherds, convicts,
surveyors, picked up small nuggets and
brought them to the centers Of popula-
tion, but at that day people were moth
ing like SO keen on gold mining as they
subsequently became. and tbs subject
of gold in Australia was not pursued as
one would expect it to be.
The discovery of gold in California
changed all that. Those rich fields,
panning out their golden store and 6ll-
ing the Golfers OF lucky individuals and
governments at a rate never dreamed
of, awakened thirst for prospecting
all the world over. In every part Of the
earth men went out with pick and pan,
hoping TO come across the precious
metal
When the news of California's for.
tune reached Australia, many took ship
to Americas shores, and among these
was Hammond Hargreaves. an English.
man, native CT Gosport. who had emf
grated to New South Wales in 1882.
In Australia he engaged in farming
without much profit and was among
the first to rush for California.
On reaching the auriferous region the
first thing that struck him was the sim
ilarity of the geological formation in
California and Bathurst, Australia,
and there and then he made up his
mind to inquire into the subject should
he ever return to Australia. He worked
for something like couple of years in
California and then set sail for New
South Wales. Returning. he, Of course,
carried in his mind the thought that
perhaps there might be gold in Bath
urst, and when he landed he set to
work to make thorough search.
Before this, however, he had made
the acquaintance of William and James
Toms and J. H. o. Lister, who were
anxious to prospect for gold. Har-
greaves taught them how to use pick
and pan, the dish and the cradle-ln
fact, gave them practical if rough
education into the mysteries Of gold
and gold bearing rocks and gravel.
These men strucJ; out, and in April,
1861, the three pupils returned to their
old master, and, 10, in their pockets
they carried gold to the amount of four
ounces. Hargreaves, knowing the ropes,
took this gold and full directions to the
proper quarter. The news went forth,
the rush began, rich finds were made,
and Hargreaves was hailed as the dis
coverer of gold in Australia. In reality
he had won the title. for it Was his
knowledge that first educated the
Tomses and Lister, and it was his
knowledge again that sent them in the