The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1905-09-21
MOUNTAIN Of COLD
s22,OOO,O0O Already Taken
From Mount Morgan.
10 SIMILAR FORMATION
A Mountain in Queensland Composed
Entirely Of Gold cre.-soId 81
Poor Herder for IS an Acre
Fortunes msde By It for SUISSE.
Guent Owners.

IDS Of .l45,0GO had been paid on
stock OF the Mount Mining Com.
-. Thus far the lucky sharehOid.
in this company have received
ore than s22 100000 in dividend.
The richest gold deposits were
found at the top Of TIE mountain. and
until the top had been quarried away
the dividends amounted TO more than
100000 a month. The sensational
returns ceased several years ago. and
since then the company has been pay
ing regularly sl45.O00 month. and
seems likely 70 continue 10 do so for
many years. for the entire mountain.
as far as can be ascenained. consists
Of gold5earing ore Of uaiform rich.
ness.
Mount Morgan In the southeastern
part Of Queensland. Australia. is prob.
ably the most marvellous gold mine
ever opened. There is pathetic as
well as romantic interest in its his.
tory
Years ago the mountain was owned
by poor herder named Gordon. who
eked out a rrecarious existence hy
keeping a few score Of cattle He
had fenced in the mountain and
strip OF the plain around it. established
his residence there and fulfilled all
the conditions necessary to make the
property his homestead.
The few people who came to his
little cottage wondered that he had
chosen so uninviting a spot for the
pasteuring was poor and little OF the
soil was adapted TO cultivation. He
said, however, that he had plenty OF
water, and that consideration had in.
duced him to settle there.
One day two brothers named Nor.
gan came TO Gordon's cottage at night
fall and sought his hospitality. It
was the custom in the bush country
to make AL travellers as comfortable
as possible, and Gordon welcomed
the strangers and set out his best
store for their entertainment
They were experienced prospectors
and were looking for gold Indications
AS they were chiefly interested in
ming, Gordon told them about his
ountain. He said that he had OBJ
rred curious green and blue stains
over it, and he would not be sur.
ised IL il contained copper
he excited the curiosity Of the Nor
N brothers, who next morning exam
med the mountain. A shower during
the night had wetted the rocks. and
one Of the brothers observed indica.
tions Of gold that fairly startled him.
They said nothing, but pocketed a
few specimens Of the rock and went
on their way. They had discover
ed the richest known spot on the
globe.
A few weeks later the Morgan broth
ers again appeared and offered TO buy
the land from Gordon at s. an acre.
He thought IL was a good offer and
decided to sell At that time the Nor.
gans had no idea of the enormous
value Of the mountain, though they
were confident that it would pay
handsomely 10 work II.
Gordon drove his cattle away to an
other freehold, and a few years ago
II was reported that he had died in
poverty. He lived long enough TO
know the value Of the prize that had
slipped through his hands.
A battery was needed to treat the
rock, but the Morgans did not have
money enough to buy the necessary
plant They therefore offered a half
interest in the property TO a resident
OF Rockhampton for $4,000, the
money to be invested in machinery.
He said it was too great risk for
one man to take, but he found three
other men to go in with him, each
investing $4,000. There were thus
six men in the enterprise, the Morgan
brothers owning half of the property.
Five years later each Of the six men
was a millionaire The stock is now
more widely distributed, though i. is
In comparatively few hands. Tie
mine has made a fortune for every
one concerned in II.
It was found that the methods nee.
essary for mining and reducing the
ore were unique, as no similar forala-
tion or quality OF ore had been discov-
cred elsewhere. Original methods
were therefore devised for working
the mine.
At the foot Of the mountain there
is now thriving town. and the whole
district has been transformed by the
great expenditures Of the company.
The place where poor Gordon's cattle
found scanty subsistence is row
marked by the luxurious homes CT 2
few very rich men and the cottages
OF an army Of workmen usually r1m.
bering 1900.
Biologists believe that they have
discovered how this mountain OF gold
ore came TO be formed. They say
that the occurrence Of the gold Is due
to a former thermal spring that
brought up the precious metal with
other mineral substances, chiefly silica
and iron, in solution and precipitated
them at the surface.
In this way the wonderful mountain
was built up and the whole of II Is a