Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-08-05
THE MINING OF GOLD
Resources Of Australia Have
Been Hardly Touched.
ITS MINERAL FUTURE
VICTORIA THE wEALTHIEST OF
THE STATES.
Rich Discoveries in the Kimberley Dis
trict and the Coolgardie
Fields.

Fields.
Australia in half a century has produced
gold to the approximate value of s., 1899.
900. and as yet the mineral resources have
not been opened up to any appreciate ex-
tent. This information is contained In
report to the bureau of manufactures De-
partment of Commerce and Labor by John
Merrill, vice consul general at Melbourne
Mr.. Merrill says that the mines of Austrai-
asia are Incompatible and that the coun-
try has great mineral future.
Victoria the Richest State.
"Of all the Australian states" he says.
the richest in mineral wealth is Victoria.
where the whole surface may be said to
be auriferous, while at the same time there
are agricultural and pastoral resources
without equal. The climate is exception
ally fine and suitable for almost any consti-
tuition. and II American capital. with the
undoubted energy of the American people.
were found here. the country would go
ahead In the mining industry and larger
market would be opened up for American
mining machinery. The government geolo-
giSt or this state, who was for many years
government geologist in South America in
forms me that of all countries he has seen
this one has the best lodes and the great
est future ahead
Rush to the Gold Fields.
In its earliest days large portion of the
country was taken up by pastoralists who
devoted much Of their time to sheep raising
and the production Of wool About 1850
many. finding their prospects gloomy, gave
up their land in order to try their luck in
the gold fields of California Some of these
returned rich, but many others were unsuc-
cessful. Their experience, however was
turned to good account later on in the OPEN
ing up of the gold fields of Australia. where
the conditions are similar to those of Cali
forn1a The bush fires in 1851, which devas-
tated the country for hundreds of miles and
left thousands homeless, We're another in
centive to the gold diggers, and it was
about this time that the first notable dis
coVery was made in quartz rock at Clunes
victoria, and afterward at Buninyong and
Ballarat. From that date all classes of the
community We're seized with the gold fever
and made general rush to the fields where
they were assisted in the search by num-
bers of immigrants who poured in from al
most every quarter of the globe.
Nugget Worth $4s, 900.
In the state of Victoria. at a place near
the city of Ballarat the production in the
early days was marvellous; from a tubful
OF dirt there has been extracted gold to
the value of thousands of pounds The
nuggets found were almost fabulous. and
one alone, the Welcome nugget, which was
found in 1888, was sold for over 10000
tsiS.665). Licenses to dig We're issued for a
nominal sum, and by this means men were
enabled, with small outlay. to make con-
siderable fortunes. Most of the attention
was given to alluvial mining At that De-
ROD the methods We're very crude; in most
cases the stone was valued for the gold
visible to the naked eye, and crushing was
quite unknown. Later on, however. some
enterprising men took to crushing the ore
and separating the gold by washing
The fields mentioned are in the state of
Victoria, but the mines in the Bendigo dis
trlct are at present the largest producers
In Victoria with Ballarat second. Some
idea of the richness of the gold fields can
be CLEANED when it is stated that about
half of the product of Australia has been
from the state of Victoria alone
Now Expecting Reward.
A great deal of deep lead mining Is being
carried in the state, one of the princi-
pal mines being at Moolort Plains. midway
between Bendigo and Ballarat The COM
pany working 1t has already expended sew
eral hundred thousand pounds. and is now,
1t Is anticipated, about to reap it's reward.
The extent of the property is several thou
sand acres. Many of the deep lead mines
are paying dividends. but at present only
small part of the state is worked In this
way. The lodeS in the mines are the an
clent water courses or underground rivers
and in many cases are deep. The depth is
obtained by boring. and when 1t is ascer-
tanned a shaft is commenced. If there is
much water In the drifts. large pumping
plants are necessary, and the shafts vary
according to the requirements. The meth
DDS of tunnelng and the routes which the
tunnels will take must be known, so that
they will not interfere with adjacent mine
nriyilaPa n nj barS In
of the surface mines dredging is carried on
extensively and with a great measure of
success.
The New Chum railway, Bendigo. Victo-
ria is the deepest gold mine in the world.
The lowest workings down to
ALSO feet, and there are many others in the
same district over 1900 feet deep. The
mines in this part of the country are of
the saddleback formation and will live down
to unlimited depth and carry payable
gold.
The Coolgardie Fields.
Western Australia was. for a long time
considered one OF the most backward of
the states. until the first important discov-
cry of gold was made in the Kimberley dis
trict about 1882; but it was not until 1892
that it's prosperity fully started at the
discovery of the Coolgardie gold field, to
which there was a rush from the different
states, and fresh discoveries were made.
The fields have increased wonderfully,
among the principal being Kalgoorlie,
Mount Margaret district, which covers over
10000 square miles; Pilbarra over 80 900
square miles; MurchisOn. 10000 square
miles and many others of similar size It
is estimated however that the principal
gold fields in this state cover about $50 900
square miles. The mining towns in west
ern Australia are supplied by water
through pipes under government control by
what is called the Gold Fields Water Sun
ply Scheme. 1t cost the state some mil
lions sterling, and the length of the pipes
from point to point is 300 miles
Many of the mines are supplied from this
source and are charged shillings Cpd
for every 1000 gallons of water used but
even at this price the advantages are great
where the inland rains are few and far be-
tween, and where the water obtainabIe IS
often brakish and unfit for working fine