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.

and Did For II Time Suppress the
News Because 1t Feared N General
CFrining 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 MI.
inhabitable regions, will cause a rush.
Gold in Australia was discovered-one
might almost be pardoned for saying
first discovered-many times. But the
news Of the earliest discoveries was
Jealously 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. Had gold panic broken ont 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 ahey reported what they con-
sidered sheir good fortune to the keeper
he, inetead Of undertaking to recon-
mend them for pardon or easing their
hard labors in any way. threatened to
give them all sound fiogging if they
ventured 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 yeavs before. This news,
being reported to the authorities, was
also ordered suppressed Within the
course of the next two years finds were
30 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 euch as might seek was
kept rigidly secret until in 1895 dra-
matte incident precluded all possibility
OF further secrecy.
A convict was discovered with 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 oft and severely
fogged in public as a thief There is
now no doubt that the man told the
truth. After thie, although the public
were every now and then keyed up to
great expectations by some reported
find, 10 further veins were discovered
until 1889, when q Russian nohleman
found rich deposit in the Blue noun
tains. The British government again
became fearful of the consequence Of
euch news upon a colony Of ccnvicts
and ordered the matter suppressed. Yet
sufficient people had heard Of 1t to keep
the story alive and give credence to
such rumors as arose from time to time
SO matters drifted on. Time and time
again bushmen. 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 the 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 aad GIL
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 1889.
In Australia he engaged in farming
without much profit and was among
the first to rush for California.
On reaching the auriferous regj the
first thing that struck him was tie 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 dieh and the cradle-in
fact, gave them practical if rough
education into the mysteries Of gold
and gold bearing rocks and gravel.
These men struck ont, and in April,
1861 the three pnnila returned tO their
cid 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