The Mobridge news. [volume] (Mobridge, Walworth Co., S.D.) 190?-1917, 1909-11-12
A GREAT COLD SCARE
When the Yellow Metal Was
First Founu In Australia.
AFRAID or The CONViCT&
The Enaisr Government Tried to and
Did For Time Suppress the News
Because IL Feared a General Upris.
ing In tho Colony OF Criminals

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
jealously kept from spreading The Sc
cget Of this reticence lay in the pres
ence OF the army of convicts which
then composed the balance Of tho pop
ulation Had gold panic broken out
il was feared that a general uprising
OF the prisoners would take place.
Nevertheless the drst gold found IL
Australia was by conyicts. In 1914
near Bathurst, New South Wales. The
llscoverers gathered together quan
tity quite sufficient to lead them to bo
lieNe that they had found u gold mine.
bat when they reported what they con
sidered their good fortune to the keep
c. he. instead OF undertaking to rec
cnmend them for pardon or easing
their hard labOrs in any way, threat
eacd to give them all Il sound foggiug
IL they ventured again to say a word
about The matter or to spend any more
tine picking up gold. The next lind
was made ON the Fish river in 1923
not far from the spot where the con
vets had come across it nine years be
fore This news, being reported to the
authorities, wQs also ordered sup
pressed Within the course OF the next
two years finds we're SO frequent that
the London government began to take
aaat interest in the affair. But the
feet that another region of the yellow
u0tal might be at the disposal Of such
q might seek was kept rigidly secret
til in 1926 dramatic incident pre-
G lded all possibility of further So
cecy.
\ convict was discovered with rus
& Of gold in his possession When
q xed how he had come by the metal.
/ said that he had picked 1t up In The
bash. lie WAS cautioned and told thai
tia authorities had no doubt that he
I'd stolen the gold. but the prisoner
eutly held 70 his original tale. Al
9Th he was taken out and severely
now no doubt that the man told the
tuth. After this, although the public
vas every now and then keyed up to
rteat expectations by some reported
ind, no further veins were discovered
rutil 1889. when Russian nOblemar
lound q .loh deposit in the Blue noun
ins. The British government again
ecaIne fearful Of the consequence OF
sch news upon a colony OF cOnvicts
ana ordered the matter suppressed
t sufficient people had heard Of It TO
] ep the story alive ana give credence
i3 such rumors as arose from time to
tme 80 matters dr1fted on Time
gnl time again bushmon. shepherds.
convicts and surveyors picked UP small
nuggets and brought them to the cen
ters OF population, but at that day peo.
( PIE were nothing like so keen on gold
mining IS they sur -quently became,
aAd the subject Of gold in Australia
was not pursued as one would expect
/ II to he.
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 q rate never
dreamed OF, awakened a thirst for
I prospecting all the world over In
every part Of the earth men went out
with pick and pan, hoping to come
across the precious metal.
/ When the news Of California's for.
tune reached Australia, many took
ship to Americas shores. and among
these was Hammond Eargreaves, an
Englishman, native of Gosport, who
had emigrated IT, New South Wales IN
1889 In Australia be engaged in
farming without much profit and was
among the FIRST to rush for California.
On reaching the auriferous region the
niSt 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
ne ever return to Australia He work
cd Tor something like couple Of years
In California and then set sail for New
South Wales. Returning. be Of course
carried In his mind the thought that
perhaps there might be gold In Bath
urst and when hs landed be set to
WORK to make thorough search.
Before this. however. he had made
the acquaintance OF William and James
Toms and ]. Fl. u Lister, who were
nn' 'ous TO prospect for gold HaS-
gTeNves taught them how to use pick
aHo pan. the dish and the cradle-in
Ya't. gave them practical IL rough
education into the mysteries Of gold
and gold bearing rocks and gravel.
These men struck out, and in Aprfl.
1891. the three pupils re urned t. their
do rlister, and 10. IN their pookets
they carfi.4 gold to the amount OF
TOUR ounces! Hergresvcs. knovin- tbs
hopes. took this gold and full direc-
scns to the proper quarter. The news
went forth, the rush began. rtch finds
were made. and Hargreaves was hail
&c as the discover~r Of gold in Aus