Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1908-06-16
A GREAT GOLD SCARE.
When the Yellow Metal Was First
Found In Australia.

When the Yellow Metal Was First
Found In Australia.
Gold in Australia was discovered
one might almost be pardoned for say
ing first discovered-many times. But
the news Of the earliest discoveries was
jealousy kept from spreading. The
secret Of this reticence lay in the
presence of the army Of convicts which
then composed the balance Of the pop
ulation. Had gold panic broken out
1t was feared that a general uprising
of the prisoners would take place.
Nevertheless the first gold found in
Australia was by convicts, in 1914,
near Bathurst New South Wales. The
discoverers gathered together guam
tity quite sufficient to lead them to be-
lieve that they had found gold mine,
but when they reported what they con-
sidered their good fortune to the keep
er he, instead Of undertaking to rec
ommend them for pardon or easing
their hard labors in any way, threat
IL they ventured again to say word
about the matter or to spend any more
time picking up gold. The next find
was made on the Fish river in 1923,
not far from the spot where the con-
victs had come across it nine years be-
fore. This news, being reported to the
authorities, was also ordered SUP
pressed. Within the course OF the next
two years finds were so frequent that
the London government began to take
great interest in the affair. But the
fact that another region Of the yellow
metal might be at the disposal Of such
as might seek was kept rigidly secret
until in 1925 a dramatic incident pre-
cluded all possibility Of further Sc
crecy.
A convict was discovered with a
nugget Of gold in his possession. When
asked how he had come by the metal,
he said that he had picked it up in the
BUSH He was cautioned and told that
the authorities had no doubt that he
had stolen the gold, but the prisoner
stoutly held to his original tale. AT
length he was taken out and severely
fiogged in public as a thief There is
now no doubt that the man told the
truth. After this, although the public
was every now and then keyed up to
great expectations by some reported
find, no further veins were discovered
DNNan In
found a rich deposit in the Blue noun
tains. The British government again
became fearful Of the consequence OF
such news upon a colony Of convicts
and ordered the matter suppressed.
Yet sufficient people had heard Of 1t to
keep the story alive and give credence
to such rumors as arose from time to
time. So matters drifted on. Time and
time again bushmen, shepherds, con-
victs and surveyors picked up small
nuggets and brought them to the CEN
ters Of population, but at that day
people were nothing like so keen on
gold mining as they subsequently be-
came, and the subject Of gold In Aus
tralia was not pursued as one would
expect 1t to be,
The. discovery Of gold in California
changed all that. Those rich fields,
panning out their golden store and fill
ing the Golfers of lucky individuals and
governments at a rate never dreamed
of, awakened a thirst for prospecting
all the world over. In every part OF
the earth men went out with pick and
pan, hoping to come across the pre-
cious metal.
When the news Of California's for
tune reached Australia, many took
ship to Americas shores, and among
these was Hammond Hargraves, an
Englishman, native Of Gosport, who
had emigrated to New South Wales in
1882. In Australia he engaged in farm
ing without much profit and was
among the first to rush for California.
On reaching the auriferous region
the first thing that struck him was the
similarity OF the geological formation
in California and Bathurst, Australia,
and there and then he made up his
mind to inquire into the subject should
he ever return to Australia. He work.
ed for something like couple Of years
in California and then set sail for
New South Wales. Returning, he Of
course carried in his mind the thought
that perhaps there might be gold In
Bathurst, and when he landed he set
L..
Before this, however, he had made
the acquaintance Of William and James
Toms and ]. H. o. Lister, who were
anxious to prospect for gold Har-
greaves taught them how to use pick
and pan, the dish and the cradle-in
fact, gave them a practical II rough
education into the mysteries Of gold
and gold bearing rocks and gravel.
These men struck out, and in April,
1851, the three pupils returned to their
old master, and, 10, in their pockets
they carried gold to the amount Of four
ounces! Hargreaves, knowing the
ropes, took this gold and full direc-
tions to the proper quarter. The news
went forth, the rush began, rich finds
were made, and Hargreaves was hail
ed as the discoverer Of gold in Aus
tralia. In reality he had won the title,
for it was his knowledge that first ed
ucated the Tomses and Lister, and 1t
was his knowledge again that sent
them in the right direction.
NEWS FROM SENATOR TILLMAN.-
There will be general interest in the
report as to the physical condition
and trip of Senator Tillman, who is