Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-03-21

started under the guidance of Gordon
to find this modern Pactolus.
After journeying over the ranges
they reached a creek where the gold
was supposed to be; but their first
days Investigations were very dis
couraging, for the stone they crushed
yielded little gold. At night a tropical
downpour of rain set in, and all the
gullies and creeks became flooded and
ran in torrents. so they had to seek a
place of safety on the mountain. Next
morning, as the rain continued, they
We're in such a sodden and disheart-
ened condition that they decided to
make their way back, but this was
difficult because of the foods. There
fore they moved to higher ground,
swimming across creeks and climbing
up the steep sides of ravines, and at
last reached a spur of the mountain,
where they found a Chinaman's hut.
In this shelter they made fire, dried
their clothes, and ate hearty meal.
After the rain had cleared off, one Of
I the brothers, accompanied by Gordon,
determined to prospect around the
neighborhood to see if any gold coulC
be found there. When they had gone
distance off-Morgan saw a big black
boulder which he thought had some
gold in it, so he broke a piece off and
put it in his pocket He also noticed
that all along a reef there We're similar
stones; ard, without telling Gordon of
his discovery, he broke pieces off,
and on his return showed them to his
brother. who was still resting in the
hut.
Leaving Gordon in the hut, the two
Morgans went down to the nearest
water hole. where they crushed and
washed the ore. and to their surprise
and immense gratficat ton found that
these pieces of boulder yielded, as they
said, more gold than stone" On ex-
ploring the country around, they
found that the whole mountain side APP
peared to be of the same kind of gold
bearing stone. The discovery was kept
from Gordon. as his family still owned
some of the land: and after having the
ore assayed in Northampton, the
Morgans bought the Gordon's land for
the paltry sum of 81 an acre, and
afterWard secured the rest of the land
on similarly easy terms. Thus the
Morgans became the owners of this ia
nous natural tumulus of buried
wealth, this wonderful Australian Ell
Dorado.
The mountain, which was formerly
named the Ironstone Mountain, was
now called Mount Morgan, after it's
discoverer. Soon a small company was
formed and registered; and the BROTH
ers Morgan. with one or two others
who had secured shares, began mining
operations. The richness of the stone
was unparalleled, and the news OF
this discovery was soon wired over
the world. Spectators in many
countries felt the throb of new
sensation. and the share markets be-
came mercurial with excited buyers
and sellers; rings were formed, and
no small amount of suspected jobbery
practised shares rose to enormous
prices, then fell far below their value,
and thus many were ruined; there
were lawsuits over adjoining claims,
and supposed questionable transac-
tions occurred: fortunes were made
and lost and regained; but amid all
these variations Of speculation and for
tune the wonderful output of gold con-
tinued. Since 1882. when the discovery
was made, over two million and a |
quarter ounces of gold have been OBJ
tanned. and the latest reports issued
by the company state that for some
decades at least there will be no
diminution of the steady yield of gold |
which has been so long continued. |
Even when the mountain is levelled, |
gold will be found to considera BILE |
depth beneath ifs base