The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1910-01-22

n1clpallty natcned IRON .
dozen stale eggs ever t.
overcome the handicap OF Its
malodorous beginning and achieve a
position of responsibility. Yet that
epitomizes the history Of the begin
ming of Broken Hin. the great silver
camp of New South Wales. the worlds
greatest silver camp In fact, although
Cobalt would fain usurp the title.
This is how It happened: One day
In 1884, when the first of the Broken
Hill mines were still a discouraging
prospect and camp yet without a
name, a man drifted that way, looked
over the ground and made up his mind
that there would soon be other strag.
glers along, and that these would
want to eat So he hunted up the
prospsctors and offered them dozen
eggs for monopoly of the restaurant
privileges on their lease. Eggs were
rs scarce as the proverbial hens teeth
In that section Of the bush country,
and the offer was hungrily accepted.
Thus was the commercial life of Brok-
en- Hill inaugurated. and the first
business venture launched. Never
was there worse beginning. Nine of
the eggs we're gone past all hope of
redemption, and the other three we're
open to grave suspicion; but the bar
gain held. Thus 1t happens that the
city of Broken Hill. with present
population of 10000. and recorded
silver production of 5000 100000, was
Matched from a dozen eggs that were
at for nothing but the Encouragement
of incompetent transformers.
OF the worlds bonanza mines, few
have given better account of them
selves than those of broken Hill.
Think of mining region in which sill
ver-lead ores are quarried in open
cuts, like sandstone or granite or
brick clay. and where one remarkable
mine, the Consols, has vein (albeit
n narrow one) that yields ores that
are 95 per cent, pure silver! The
Broken Hill Proprietary is the largest
silver producer In the world today;
and in the 25 years that have passed
since the Barrier Gas the argentiferous
lode is called) was found, its mines
have paid more than 500, 100000 in
dividends They have yielded silver
10 the value of $500, 000, 900, to say
nothing Of ship loads of lead and zinc,
and no inconsiderable quantity Of gold
and copper, and there is more high
grade ore "in sight today than at
any time In the past Yet the Broken
Hill mines are rarely mentioned in
the newspapers. and the average
American probably does not even know
the name of the great silver-produc-
fng lode to which New South Wales
owes It's prosperity and the major
part of its population. as well as the
commanding position It occupies in
fhe worlds metal markets.
tie Discovery an Accident.
Like most of the worlds great
mines. the discovery of the Broken
Hill Barrier illustrates the proverbial
Tuck Of fools and tenderfeet." and
points no useful moral of deserved
reward OF expert knowledge. In 1869
Charles Rasp left his old home In Ger
many to seek his fortune. Apparently
he didn't find 1t in hurry. for in 1884
nc was only boundary rider"-and
that is bush country euphemism for
sheep killing time and ambi.
ton on one OF the dreariest stretches
OF salt bush and mulga bush that even
New South Wales Afforded. The coun-
Try roundabout had been prospected
before, and was believed to be barren
Of valuable minerals. Patrick Green.
. store keeper Of Menindie. with a
party OF experienced miners and pros
pectors. had hunted for copper on the
very spot where the city Of Broken
Hill now stands, as far back as In
1874. but found nothing that looked
Gpod TO hf-e. Then. In 1889. Charles
Nichols went IN search Of whatever
~ nckle goddess Of the mines might
- q 70 bestov. walked over the
1Dot Vhero 4 now bcAtcd the main
G>n(f q the 'n1l1o that Yields one-six-
1l<h os ~ Vpfl4,s annuc1 OUTPUT Of
Gly>e, peG9e6 claim ~ Vcr1e 4