Extracts From A.R.A.O.'s Letter from Coolgardie.

Feilding Star, Volume XVII, Issue 24, 27 July 1895, Page 2

Extracts From A.R.A.O.'s Letter from Coolgardie.

To " An Old Chum." Coolgardie, June 23, '95. Dear , I promised to wiite and " here you are." We had an awfully jolly trip over. I left R in Sydney, as he thought it hardly good enough to go further. I there met two or three fellows I knew in New ZealaDd and had a very good time of it. I have no time to describe my whole trip, but when I tell you 1 was seven weeks getting here you may imagine my time was not spent in sackcloth and ashes. We only stopped one day in Perth, and from there until we reached the " fields " we heard nothing but bad reports We were told that men were dying wholesale from fever, and many fellows at once turned back. This is the reason Coolgardie gets such a bad name. There is no doubt, however, that at times the fever is bad, for I believe at its worst as many as . fifty have been buried in one week- We left Perth at 3 p.m. for Southern Cross, fares 35s (second), 55s (first), We pass through country perfectly useless for agriculture, its formation being sand and granite. We stopped at several small stations en route. On stopping at one of them we were astonished to hesr a fine old Irish " lady " singing out " Now passengers come and get your ' bellies ' filled," as she politely expressed it. We accepted her invitation and entered a large canvass hut, where we bad a good " rough and ready " meal which only cost one shilling. We arrived at Southern Cross at five o'clock on the following morning. To give you an idea of the guards they have ou these trains I will relate to you an incident that happened. We were playing euchre, when suddenly the lamp went out, but as we had some candles we soon fixed a kind of patent light hung by string to the roof. We must have put it a trifle close to the ceiling for it gradually burnt a hole clean through the roof without any of us noticing it, when in came the guard for our tickets. He was so struck at seeing us calmly playing cards, wi'.h a hole three inches burnt clean out of the roof, that, instead of asking for the tickets, he simply let out a volley of oaths " that would make a club fellow blush," then slammed the door and we never saw him again. Oa arriving at Southern Cross, which has two thousand inhabitants, we pitched our tent and had breakfast. We saw several miners at work, but soon got sick of the place as it was blowing a hurricane and, as the whole place is but a sandy desert, you can imagine the rest, for our eyes were very sore and our tent was blown down. The next day we put our things in a waggon and started on foot to Coolgardie (distance, on 9 hucdrel and twenty miles). We had only got about two miles when the waggon capsized in a rut and WO had to reload. The waggons he Id about four tons and the charge is £17 per ton. They take about twelve days on a return trip. The drivers have to carry water all the way for their horses. In the rainy season they can get it on the rocks, but that is Stldom. The further you go the dearer things get, meals and beds 3a 6d each, drinks Is. Water is 3d per gallon, and meat Is per lb. The population here is now about thirteen thousand. The hotels are very fine, and you can get almost anything you want by paying heavily for it. Horsefeed is very stiff, chaff being 3d and oats 6d per lb, and to stable a horse for one night costs a note. Small loaf Is, butter 2a per ib, beer 9d and spirits Is per drink. Horses are fairly cheap, we having given £11 for a good pony, including pack saddle complete. Camels cost from £40 to £100. We have had some fine rain lately, so I e.xpect they will drop in price. A new rush has broken out seventy miles frptn here, and over two thousand have" left Coolgardie. Wo have decided not to go, as there appears to be some doubt about it. It is very likely ,we shall go to a place about two hundred and fifty miles further up. H had a row with his mates, and has agreed to join us. , I expect we shall buy six

ponies before we start. I think the prospects of Coolgardie are very good. Good-bye old man, I will write again.