The Vinita weekly chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1902-1905, 1904-04-07
An INGENIOUS EXPLORER.
Incidents of Interest IA the Hazard-
Gus Career of n Famous AUS
tralian Pioneer.

There was a jubilatlon in Queensland
on the last birthday OF the Grand Ol6
Man of that state He Is the Hon.
Augustus Charles Gregory, So years old,
and a resident Of Australia since he
was ten. He win be, says the New
YORK Sun, remembered as one of the
greatest explorers Of the continent.
All the maps OF Australia showing
the routes OF the explorers who solved
It's mysteries mark tne tracks Of Greg
ory through north Australia. through
the inner part Of west Australia and
along the southern edge OF the desert.
He brought 10 light important regions
that were flt for settlement and are
now among the prosperous parts OF the
commonwealth, though II was long
supposed they could not be turned to
good account
During the many speeches In his
honor on his birthday much was said
about the remarkable inventive genius
which stood him in good stead at crit
ioai periods during his explorations.
Clocks were few and far between when
he went 20 Australia
Young Gregory decided that his par
ents needed a clock aud when he was
IA he made one out Of such materials
as he cnuia pick up and It kept good
time for eight years When he was rs
he built the first flour mill in Queens
| land. forging All the ironwCrk for Il
from old bedsteads and exploring the
mountains for millstones, which he
picked up and fashioned with HIS own
hands from the granite near his home
He was scarcely more than a hoy
when he designed the apparatus for the
first revolving light on Rotnest island.
where a lighthouse was needed for the
safety OF shipping His contrivance
worked without a hitch for 80 years.
till II was replaced by a larger one.
During his explorations he discover
ed bed OF iron ore In western Aus
tralIa. fused some OF the metal In a
blacksmIth's forge. turned II into steel.
made a penknife blade Of II and mount
ed Il on n handle Of kangaroo bone.
Some officials expressed doubt that II
was bona fide production. but Greg
ory was able TO prove that the steel
was actually the product OF western
Australia ore.
When his chronometer got out Of or
der he was able 70 repair It In the des-
ert and continued the observations in
which Il played an important part. Not
a few Of his astronomical determlna-
tions Of geographic positions have
stood the test Of later observations
One day when he was travelling IN
the vast desert plains he decided that
his provisions we're too heavy for his
party TO carry ana yet every ounce of
food was needed lie set 70 work 10
reduce the weight while preserving the
nutritiye qualities
He found that he could greatly re-
duce the weight Of his salt pork by
melting II. He also discovered By ex-
perimentation that rho four he turned
into biscuits welehed more than the
biscuits
The bright idea occurred 10 him If
making meat biscuits So he mixed
-four with melted rorly and timed beef
The biscuits turned ont well and
weighed only about half as much as the
meat and -four aeuarately.
These are onlv 2 few ~ the many
wavs IN which hls Ingenuity and ready
resource contributed 70 tho complete
success Of his enternrisss He was for
many years surveyor general n
Queensland. and IN hIs neacefnl old
a~e ali 8fefrafla delights 10 honor him