ROMANCE OF THE COOLGARDIE GOLDFIELDS

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 136, 30 May 1908, Page 4

ROMANCE OF THE COOLGARDIE GOLDFIELDS

In the history of gold-digging and gold-finding ninny a romantic and tragic, story is to be found. 1-Yw uf these stories, however. possess more interest- than that of how the famous I'oolgardie mines, in Western Australia, were discovered in 18IC—mines which have since yielded millions of pounds' worth of gold. Luck played a great part ill the discovery, but it was the reward of perseverance. In April, 18U2, two Victorian miner*, named liavlev and Ford, struck out for the Xorth-Kast of Australia, hut after travcrsiiiL' 230 miles they lost their horses and had to turn hack. Equipped with fresh horses, tlwy started again on wlut proved to lie a long, tedious, and futile jouruoy, for once more they were forced to turn back—tliis time for want uf water. The third attempt won them lame and fortune. First thev found that which to them was more precious than gold—namely, water. They found a natural well. | known to the scattered tribes of that far-awav country as "Coolgardie.'' Pitching their camp Wide 4lie well, they turned their horses out to feed ami started prospecting the county around. Ford picked up a half ounnee nugget, and before night- they had gathered in over twenty ounces of «n>U!/| !u<- or three week-' more shrhi'•** perii 11 \v;h ivwiuit'il wilii over two hundred miner*.. J'.y this lime fund -upjpli-' !m<l jjfiwu out, :-o, keeping i Immr own '-.-tin el llieir di-rover-ies. 1 In-v ivt nrin d t<> ri\ili.»a t ion. l;i Id in ;l fIV-.1l (if pl«i\ i-iollr. a 11*1 ||.l-.tl'ir<l Im''U I'l Kl l)n|M'lo. Within a few da\-> of (liiir return lliey li.ippened upon the ne|" ilinl ina«l'» (. thai weighed they pieked out ironi m cup of I hat )'.)'* in ;i few hours upwards of ZWht-A. of I>ay]e\\ earning .mloz. of <>ohF journeyed'hark to tln* nearest mining town, e\hil>ili-d his Mini lo i!i<» .Mining Warden, put in a rlaim for n lease of tin- land on which tiii-. marvellous discovery liad been made. and hurried off lo llie field a;rain wiili ;i party Hint numbered l."> 0 men, K'-ide-- eoiirin'-, ;llld llolSes. a till Jill the paraphernalia of pl'o-pe<l .llld c.tnipilll;'- In ilieii' wake ill collide ol time i-.ime ;_M.]d -erkrr- ill handled- and thou *.ind-. From Itayley and Fold'- mine tl'.ere was taken in the iir>t nine years ol il- hi-torv I'U.OHOoz. of <rold. valued at U.VU.OIHI.' Almost as svnsatioiial as C oolir-tr(li<* win- tin* b>ndoiiderry and Wealth of Nations "find*." The l/nidrmderry was discovered by n party of nnsumvssful pro-port <>rs on their way hack (0 f'OolTwo of 1 ln-iii pirked up some ii' h hearing >perimen-. After a -r'll'rh till' Olllerop oi il reef w.l- - iroin which in ihe rour-e of a few day-, fhi-v look mil from -I.OUMo/. !o ."».oiioiof ir<dd. From the rap ol the Wealth of \ation-, reel'. L-old >'• th" vali'" >d' \\;w acHired in a f«-v: day-.