FABULOUS MINE IN WEST AUSTRALIA

Rotorua Morning Post, Issue 5279, 16 December 1946, Page 7

FABULOUS MINE IN WEST AUSTRALIA

TRAGIC HISTORY OF VAST GOLD SBAM. The discov^ry, oii a barren plain 400 miles north of Perth, of a jreef of gfold rich beyofnd the dreams of avarice, opens another chapter iit the mining history of the Goldexi West. Seene of the luck strike — one of the richest gold finds for many years — is a desolate mining lease flanked by a low range of hills, at an inconspicuous ghost down on the map called Day Dawn. * '-It is the site of the once-famous Great Fingall mine which, hefore it closed down before the First World War , paid shareholders £1,500,000. But only a few years ago geologists considered- it was "not worth .two boh." The search for the f abulous new reef has heen crowded with miraeulous good fortune only after years of disappointment and tragedy .Of the original syndieate, three men have died — one violently. To-day the syndieate consists of an Aus'tralian publiean and storekeeper, Jack Green, now ill in hospital, and 10 Italian miners and prospectors. But they have broken out 1000 tons of ore which is expected to yield them £80,000. Better even than that, at the 350ffc level of their small mine they have struck a pipe in the smoky blue quartz which contains 130 ounces to the ton. ton. ?.ix tons of this "jeweller's shop," as they designate "it, now lies under guard in the old gold room of what was once the manager's house at the Fingall Mine, where m-st of the nien are living. Situated at Day Dawn, which is three miles from Cue and seven or eig'ht miles from the Americanfinanced Big Bell Mine (which, paradoxically, is 'mining on of the lowest grade properties in the Q-tate), the new mine is known as the Mountain View. Originally the syndieate working the new mine consisted of seven Italians — Frank Marriotti, Albert Bianchi, Henry Brega, Pasquili Vantonio, Robert Muradca, Ron Ricci and Louis Arrigoni. They took over the mine in 1941 after having worlced some years with moreYr less success on the Lalce View Mine at Payne's Find, in the same g-oldfields as their present rich strike. From there the party went to the Moyagee Mine. This was a good pi*oducer, too, and they took a few thousand pounds of gold out of it 'before an inrush of water foreed them to abandon it. They sought to try their luck at Day Dawn on the Mountain View lease which had been worlced spasmodically since 1920 by prospectors who occasionally crushed rich but small parcels. The new owners decided to sing to 280 feet, and when they put out of a cross-cut they struck good values. To maike sure these values persisted they went down another 70 feet. High values were eneountered most of the way, and at 350 feet they uncovered a reef which to-day is yielding exceptionally rich ore. Wlhen they first came across it they were astounded to see the quartz holding free gold in lumps visible to the naked eye. They expected just a small enricbment, for which the Fingale Reef was noted, but to t'heir surprise they have already broken out six tons without any signs of the richness fading. But before they reached this stage they were forced to seek outside financial help. They had paid £5000 for the mine, and for a time it seemgd that laclc of capital would force them to forfeit the claim. At this stage they hawked the "show" in the district, but most residents, who divide their time between mining and pastoral 'interests, were sceptical. Then Mr. Green, who had helped some members of the syndieate at Payne's Find, decided to grub stake them and help them with development. For this help he took a quarter interest in the syndieate which to-day, under the narne of the Day Dawn Options, has 1300 shares. Mr. Greens' original outlay is said to have amcunted to not much more than £100, and eve'n before this rich patch was uncovered the party had divided the proeeeds of ©rushiijg worth more than £80,000. At the 'mornent, however, Mr. Green is a siclc man in the Dahvallinu Hospital. The original syndieate has also changed. Bianchi has died and two1 other ftalians who were admitted later — Ancniazzi, who has also died, and Scresini, who was killed while working in the mine — have left their interests to their widows. Michele Corbo and Frank Roccisano have also been members of the syndieate during the last two years. / * Some members of the syndieate are no longer engaged in active mining, so that, besides the working members, 10 miners in all are employed. During the war, proeeeds from crushings could not be distributed as the widows of some of the dead partners were in Italy. But since the war ended they have learned of their bereavement and their riehes. For rich the Mountain View is beyond the dreams of any miner's E1 Dorado. The first crushing the party took out in 1942 gave only 785 ounces from 951 tons. Next year they did better and got a'taste of what sweets the mine might contain, 512 tons giYing them 1586 fine ounces. The next year saw 1481 tons going 2723 ounces. This was followed in 1945 by 1495 tons returning 7745 fine ounces. Their last crushing, made early this year, yieMed 1639 ounces from 873 tons. It is probable that the rich ore now under daily guard may not be crushed at the Cue State hattery, three miles away, until after Christmae. And so it seemed for timd that the mine was not worth two boh. But Mariotti, who had been prospecting for many years in the northern" fields,

was, liike most prospectors, always hopeful. The syndieate has sueceeded because of his pertinacity and Green s timely help. To-day Mariotti lives in retirement at Fremantle, a simple man despite his wealth. Other members of the syndieate have no plans for the future. They think that they may retire and go fishing or farming. But at the mornent they are determined not to leave the lease until the riehes* have run out. To-day, in the ghost town of Day Dawn, which once had 7000 people, a breath of the town's rich past comes back as strong arms empty the skips of ore, which is sometimes almqst pure gold, for dumping in the old 'gold house. The manager, Mr. Arrigoni, small and dapper, believes that the full exent of the lease's riehes is not yet known. Perhaps for the syndieate the "best news of all is the fabt that except for the gold tax the finders themselves will not have to pay any income tax ( on the result of the crushing.