Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1908-06-03
A GREAT GOLD SCARE
When the Yellow Metal Was
First Found IL Australia.
AFRAID OF THE CoNWCTs.
The English Government Tried to and
Did For Time Suppress the News
Because It Feared a General Upris-
ing In the Colony Of Criminals.

Inc En9tSn government trteu TO and
Did For Time Suppress the News
Because It Feared a General Upris-
ins In the Colony Of Criminals.
Gold In Australia WAS discovered
one might almost be pardcned For say
ing first discovered many times But
the news Of the earliest discoveries was
jealouSly kept from spreading. The Sc
cret OF this rcticence lay In the pres
cnce OF the army of convicts which
then composed the balance OF the pop
ulaton. Had gold panic broken out
it was feared that general uprising
Of the prisoners would take place.
Nevertheless the first gold found in
Australia was 10y coavicts. In 1914.
near Bathurst. New South Wales. The
discoveries gathered togc,hera guam
tity quite sufficient TO lead them to be-
Iieve chat they had found a gold mine.
but wheo they reported what they con-
sidered their good fortune Co the keep
err he. Instead of undertaking TO rec
oMmcad them for pardon or easing
their hard labors in any way. threat
ened TO give them all sound fogging
Il they venturcd again to say word
about the matter OF 20 spend any more
time picking NJ 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 10 the
authorities. was also ordered sun
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 bc at the disposal OF such
as might seek was kept rigldly secret
until in 1895 n dramatic incident pre-
cluded all possibility OF further Sc
crecy.
y convict was discovered with n mug
get OF gold In his possession. When
asked how he had come by the metal
he said that he had picked q Up I'm the
bush. He was cautioned and told that
the authorities had no doubt thar he
had stolen the gold, but the prisoner
stouty held 10 his original tale. At
length he was taken out ana severely
logged 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 M 10
great expectations 10y some reported
find. no further veins were discovered
until 1899, when = Russian nohleman
found rich deposit IN the Blue noun
tains. The British government again
became fearful of the consequence OF
such news upon 4 colony Of convicts
and ordered the matter suppressed.
Yet sufficient people had heard OF Il TO
Keep the story alive and give credcnce
10 such rum0rs rs arose from time IN
time. So matters drifted on. Time
and time again bushmen. shepherds.
convicts and surveyors picked up small
nuggets and brought them 10 the cen
ters OF population, but ut that day peo-
pie were nothing Ike 50 keen on gold
mining as they subsequently became.
and the subject Of gold in Australia
was not pursued as one would expect
it TO be
The discovery of gold in California
changed all that. Those rich fields
panning out their golden store and ill
ing the Golfers Of lucky individuals
and governments at a rate never
dreamed of, awakened thirst for
prospecting al the world over. In
every part OF the earth men went ont
with pick and pan, hoping to come
across the precious metal.
When the news OF CaIfornia's for
tune reached Australia, many tool,
ship to Americas shores. and among
these was Hammond Hargreaves. an
Engiishman, native of Gosport. who
had emigrated to New South Wales in
1882. In Australia he engaged I'm
farming 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 ur his |
mind to inquire into the subject should |
he ever return to Australia. He work |
ec Tor something like i couple of years |
In California and then set sail for Now |
South Wales. Returning. he of course
carried In bis mind the thought that |
perhaps there might be gold in Bath
urst, ana when he landed he set TO
work to make thorough search
beicre this, however, he had made
the acquaintance of William and James
Toms and ], II. .. Lister. who were
anxious TO prospect for gold. Hor.
greaves taught them how to use nick
and pan, the dish and the cradle-jn
TACT, gave them n practical If rough
euucas on into the mysteries of gold
una gold bearing rocks and gravel
lhese men struck out, and in April.
'ool, the three pupils returned to their
old master, and. 10, In their pockets
Lhey carried gold to the amount of
Iour ounces! Hargreaves. knowing the
ropes took this gold and full diroc-
ions TO the proper quarter. The news
went forth. the rush began. rich ends
we're made. and Hargreaves was hail
"a as the discoyerer of gold i'm Ans
ralia. In reality he had won tho titIe
or IL was his knowledge that first OF.
icated the Tomses and Lister. and II
was his knowledge again that sent
senl In the right direction.
Duty Is what goes most against tho
srain, because In doing that we do
MY what we are strictly Obliged 70
ma are seldom much praised for it
IL