Goolgardie Diggings.

Manawatu Herald, 9 October 1894, Page 2

Goolgardie Diggings.

Coolgardie (writes the - special commissioner of the Sydney Daily Telegraph) has been described by many writers as a patchy reefing field. There was never any other in the world. The richest goldmines often consist of patches — it is only the difference between a small patch and a big one. Much of its reef gold exists in pockets, Boma so small, as to be likened unto a ticket or watch pocket, others more resemble the pocket of an overcoat. When the history of Coolgardie is written it will probably be found that while it was distinguished by its shortlived mines, so it will be by- its permanently great ones. ' In other words, the field that has the greatest number of patches will also have the greatest number of dividend mines. As big as the Coolgardie goldfield is likely to be, it has been boomed ten times beyond its value. It is the same old game played in the same old way, and the same old tune will continue to be played until human nature changes— if it ever does change. Sentiment and sensa^ tion are the. life and" soul of goldmining. Every rich;' gbfdn^a^-^

feSaggeratea beyond its valiie. Mourit Morgan was at one tltiie tty tHe public assessed at 17 millions sterling, and hundreds of people were ruined in conseauence, NeverthelesSi ifc remained the trorld'a greatest goldmine, and it is doubtful whether' tO-Bay it is eclipsed by the best on the Rand. At the Londonderry there is n large outcrop of barren-looking Quarto, but it occurs on comparatively level country, and is solidity itself conlpared tfith the disturbed quartz blows on Bayley's riiine. There are tlo irodfltone leaders near the lode, Br riiakiiig mid it. The gold e*lat« in a solid chute, not on the hanging or foot Wall, on the side, or in the f middle of the reef, but running right across it* The gold in this lode looks as much a part of it as the streaks that one will see in a slab of marble. You feel at once, when you see it) that it has an abiding place 3 there-*-that it has come to stay. But, inasmuch as there is an end to all things, so there will be to this* It all regolvea itself into the question, "How long is the gold going to remain ?" Olio cannot help thinking; while it looks as if thy gold had taken tip its abode in ona mine, that you never know the moment it is going to leave the pih^r, I was not fortunate enough to see the Wealth of Nations dfsoovery, but I shall require a lot more definite news before believing that it eclipses the Londonderry. Up to the time of its discovery, I am quite certain the world had never seen its equal. Besides, too . y much has been made of the Wealth of Nations already, and when a great deal of publicity is given to a mine, the pessimistic mining man at once becomes suspicioits. ( So far the yields of Dunn's mine have never been set down in ounces. We have heard ol " breaking a camel's back with 4cwfc of gold," of " a million being in sight," of it being " richer than expectations," but we have never had the actual quantity definitely stated. The Londonderry owners tried to conceal their discovery, and the gold wa3 some considerable time in the bank before it transpired that out of one ton of rock — the first ever raised— they had obtained 4280z of gold, and that, subsequently, the tailings were treated for over 200oz, whilst they r had, in addition, over 2000oz in specimens in the log hut, and that all this wealth was obtained from a little hole in the ground in which you couldn't bury a cottage piano. What the Londonderry will prove to be, of course, no one can definitely Bay, but so far as it has gone it proves itself the most magnificent chute of gold found, not only at Coolgardie, but in any part of ' Australia, if not in the world. Would that there were a few more like it on the field. Others may be found in time— for all I know they may be already quietly working in some place or other. Its existence proves the potentiality of a field that Erior to its discovery was collapsing y reason of its " wild cats " and 41 dufferedout " patches. In a great many instances rich gold has been found on the surface caps of the reefs. Their richness has been «' trumpet-longued " throughout the colonies, but as soon as the patches die out they relapse into silence. In several other notable instances (he striking of a few rich specimens on Monday was blazoned abroad, whereas when they died out on Tuesday the fact was mysteriously withheld.