The daily morning journal and courier., 1904-01-29
THE NEWEST TOWN ON EARTH

Remarkable Growth of Mt. Morgans, in Far Away Australia.
 Nine years since Mt. Morgans was an unknown waste in the Australian desert The nearest town of any size was weeks away, and the journey full of peril. None set out on 1t without long preparation. and of those who started, taking stare and compass as their guide, the bones of several lie still in the bush around,
 Tonight, says citizen of the town in a letter to the London Mail, go up to my room from the regular five course hotel dinner, and switch on the electric lige to write this article, It is hard to realize that. even now. one is on the very outskirts of civilization. We have luxury untold; abundant water, both for washing and drinking. The furniture of the room would not discredit Maple, and possibly came from him. I must draw down my blind to shhut out the glare of the cleo tric arc lamps in the street below.
 Mt Morgans brides ieself on being the newest town, worthy to be called a town, on earth.
 Population, 1000. Two fire brigades, a brass band, water supply, weekly newspaper. There will soon be rail- way station, for the line from the coast is being laid as quickly as hands can secure sleeper to sleeper and rail to rail. Until the locomotive comes we have to be contented with the old fashioned coach and four. There are three churches--Anglican, Wesleyan, and Salvation Army. The number of hotels cannot give, but they must be counted by the dozen, for the business of liquor merchants is a profitable one in Westraila The streets are broad after a manner that London might en- wy, and run in straight lines and at right angles. Atop of the hill stand out the works of the gold mine on which the town depends.
 The making of town like this is not without interest. At first any man can pitch his tent anywhere, but after time the government takes a hand. Thus, when population grew, the gov- ernment warden declared that Mt. Morgans would be made township, and first corners could stake and se- cure quarter-acre residence claims. There was general holiday, and each man stood around, his arms full of reg uation pegs and mallet. At given moment a whistle was blown, and ev- eryone rushed to peg out his claim. There were many fights during the next hour and then it was found that the best claims were begged 20 times over, each applicant ready to swear that his pegs were in first. It lay with the warden of Mt Margarets, eight miles away, to decide. "The claims must be restaked," he declared. Scar cely were the words out of his mouth befare the entir assmbly rushed out to- ward the new township.
 The town strang up. As man grew rich, tents gave way to weather-board- ing. Mt. Morgans grew, while the neighboring town Margarets declined. Then the wohle town of Margarets transferred itself to Morgans, houses and all, for a weatherboard house can easily be removed on wheels. A Post Office and inland revenue office appear ed, and Morgans to-day feels itself se- cure. Men are bringing their wives, and there is a schoolhouse open.
 Beer was formerly shilling drink, but the miners struck, and after hot fight forced the publicans to reduce it to sixpence. Thirst at Morgans is a very real thing, for we lie on the edee