RICHER THAN GOLD

Taranaki Daily News, 17 November 1926, Page 11

RICHER THAN GOLD

AN OSMIRIDI M FIELD WORKINGS IN TASMANIA. Sydney, Nov. 4. About twelve months ago a rush set in for the newly-discovered oamiridium fields on the Adams River, in the southwestern 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 swage 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, lias gained world-wide fame, for it has supplied the world with the bulk of its osmiridium needs. The metal is more precious than gold. It has commanded as high as £6O an ounce, though the market level now 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 the first signs of rich washings of osniiridium. The track from Fitzgerald winds around wild hillsides, drops into swamps, and re-ascends, runs along the edge of heavily-timbered and mountainous country, drops again into a morass, and on to the edge 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 tho ropes, and who are content to continue to rough it until they win the last ounce of metal from the washings. When the rush first set in, the community became one of the most lawless in tlie whole of the Commonwealth, hut to-day it is one of the most orderly. One policeman is stationed there, and his job is a sinecure. The amusing part is that everyone carries a revolver, from real antiques to the most up-to-date automatic, but tlie 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 tho field have made .comfortable fortunes from tho precious metal. One man is reputed to have cleared over £6060 from his working in six months. One man worked a claim for four days, and secured 41b of tho meta), over £lOOO worth. It is difficult to estimate how much tlie whole field has returned, but calculations place the amount at between £250,000 and £500,000.