The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1910-03-19
HARVEY LUCAS SENDS DIARY KEPT
DURING THOSE AWFUL DAYS
He NEARLY LOST HIS LIFE
Was Saved by his chums Ability to Handle
Rope With Dexterty Is Coming
Home.

ford, an EscanaDa boy. The two were
to make tour Of the world. Together
they crossed the Atlantic and travelled
through England and invaded the con
tinent. A difference arose between
them and they separated. Clifford
soon returned home but Harvey per
sisted Ia his travels; formed new al
liances and by pushing insistently for
ward never giving in under the most
far az Australia in which country he
has spent nearly two years at different
occupations.
Harvey is now in the Narrabri dis
trict Of New South Wales a great
ranching district of that great sland
continent One OF the most dsasterous
floods In the worlds history recently
occurred in that district of Australia
and Harvey was right in the thickest
Of the fray. He barely escaped with
his life in one attempt that he made
with companion to relieve some III
fated people Of the district
Mr.. Lucas is keeping a diary of his
travels and has sent us that section Of
it dealing with the flood for publica
tion.
Tarriaro Homestead,
Narrabri District
N. g. W.
Mr.. Thos Conlin,
Editor Diamond Drill
Dear Sir AS you have by this time
probably forgotten my very existance.
this letter will naturally come as q
surprise have no opology to offer
for It. II is only natural that one
should think sometimes OF old friends,
and IL is my own fault IL have allow
cd any of mine TO forget me. tor
have been miserabls correspondent
during the three years have been
away
II has often occurred TO mo that per-
.haps you and others. would be-inter
ested in an account of some OF the
things have seen ana experienced in
my wanderings. hut beyond few let
ter 10 very close friends, ths results TO
date have been absolutely nil. have
come 10 the conclusion that letter
writing is disease. or ~ least habit.
which have never cultivated
My Chicago mate. Harry Major and
I Ia. tk,a "A satw t,t
since we came down from the Opal
Fields at Tightening Ridge last No.
vember and 10 is the best bit of Aus.
traila we have struck yet had in
tended giving you an account of our
life at the Ridge. for il was full OF in
forest. Just now can do no more
than promise IL 10 You at some later
date suffice TO SAY that we gained
heaps OF experience and some opal
some" may be printed in small type.
Since we landed in this part OF the
country we have had dip into nearly
every thing that presented itself i'm
Guiding harvesting fencing. clearing.
burning off and trapping as we'll az
sheep ranching and shearing Rather
medley of occupations 10 have take
on in such short time. but they were
mostly contracts and short jobs, aud
we have done very we'll so far The
district IN very thinIy settled and is
mostly given over to wheat farming
and large sheep ranches. stations
M they are called here aud very proc
porous looking district at any time Of
the year but looking extremely poor
just now. as we are recovering from
the effects-of the most disasterous flood
In the history Of Australia No doubt
the foreign cables In the home papers
recorded the fact at the time. that we
were having damp time of II and il
was dam1s The "blacks' shake their
heads ana say that Il was nothing to
! the foods their grandfathers told them
abont. but the oldest record OF the
white people show nothing 10 equal &C.
The people In and about this district
were the worst sufferers for we received
the full beneht OF the food and Tar
riaro Homestead was the scene of much |
excitement and confusion I should
have liked 10 forward You copy Of
the local Narrabril paper, containing |
full account Of what happened. but
could not obtain one as only limited
number were printed and they sold like I
hot cakes. In the absence OF ID. a few
extracts from letter which ] wrote at
the time might interest you | had