RICHER THAN GOLD

Shannon News, 16 November 1926, Page 2

RICHER THAN GOLD

AN OSMUiIDIUM FIELD. WORKINGS IN TASMANIA. SOME LUCKY CLAIM-HOLDERS. SYDNEY, Nov. 4. About twelve months ago a rush set in ( for the newly-discovered osmiridium fields on the Adams River, in tho south-western corner of Tasmania, 25 miles away from the nearest township, Fitzgerald, which was only a township by courtesy. Diggers going to the field had to carry their swags over those miles of rough, precipitous country, a via dolorosa in wet weather. Yet in this time that little settlement at' Adams River, carved out of the virgin bush, has gained world-wide fame, for it has supplied the world with tho bulk of its needs. Tho metal is more precious than gold. It has commanded as high as £6O an ounce, though tho market level is down to about £l7. The settlement lies in a wild and picturesque part of the island, and for scores of miles around the country, was practically unexplored until the pioneers came upon tho first signs of rich washing's of osmiridium. The track from Fitzgerald winds around. wild hillsides, drops into swamps, and reascehds, runs along the edge of heavily-timbered and mountainous country, drops again into a morass, and on to tho edges of a swift running mountain stream. When the first diggers went there, the trip took a week or more. Eight months ago there were 1000 men prospecting at Adams River. Today only about 150 remain, but these are the “old-timers” who know the ropes, and who arc content to continue to rough it until they win the last ounco of metal from tho washings. When the first rush set in, the community became ono of the most lawless in tho whole of the Commonwealth, but to-day it is ono of the most orderly. One policeman is stationed there, and his job is a sinecure. The amusing part is that everyone caries a revolver, from real antiques to the most up-to-date automatic, but the custom is said to bo due to the influence of moving pictures, the American producer’s idea of the swashbuckling, revolver-firing miner. Many of the men on the field have made comfortable fortunes from the precious metal. One man is reputed to have cleared over £6OOO from his working in six months. One man worked a claim for four days, and secured 41b of the metal over £IOOO worth, It is difficult to estimate how much the whole field has returned, but calculations place the amount at between £250,000 and £500,000.