SAPPHIRES.

Waikato Times, Volume 119, Issue 19894, 25 May 1936, Page 16

SAPPHIRES.

AND notch DIAMO‘ADS. II I ON 1’“! QUEENSLAND FIELDS. | fi\\'ritten (or the Times.‘ i 5;. my.) van and Tomahawk_ Gullyr,ploo odd miles from Borkhamth l mu, Queensland may 00m“ ””0 ttmr‘ mvn ansin now that the Duke Of 1v?!1t and mi: Duke of Gloucester hm‘r' made ~..pphires fashionable for engagement :in s. i If) the late "eighti‘f-‘~ a boundary} ”may used to amuse himself h." Fnlish' :nz blue anrhgreen stones 1112'” he ac: 'lllC‘iillllY found while shootmz hlat‘k v-nr-iiutons and ti slm,‘ l‘l‘O’l‘th' who - :w them on the shelf «how the tire—‘l pg..." in ms hut. shmwrl tum ”Will “mu mil stat-tort me I'll-41 \‘i”“"i I‘ll-niltli‘l‘ simnhu'u ’i‘mn unit 'iuuu ‘ “IR“ '.:ilix. '43 1” 3” l“i]l‘\ mlvvnil] . ~ ”.. ..ptmn ..: \mnhu‘ I'll ”V‘l y:.--:.:t..wg~t til'llllll‘éil'vlflll linv. l i‘.‘ lltll ilzn inllll~i|‘.\ \\‘l‘ ""’W m“ h, m mp :hhlt'ltuh .w it: -" ‘i"""' . mu' “wk“ “..,“ i-illl .nv-l. .mi'i timltgh “H‘l'l‘ \\w - sni'." "1 "V’ 1'" “howl“ m' .l il’-V‘i~'lili l"‘|'>‘m>' 5‘3" uh; .1 Huh: than ‘-'l'|'iiii"“ “"’“f‘ I “a" thm‘v. ”H m... ;muuur .l million-”ix-tn 'i‘hrm \\m'r in“) or throw “‘lin I.) wt them. 'i‘lmw» mwii.‘ ““"'H'M nor» to .\mk :1 mm, 1» awn-aw ”I" “Hm.“ riirl. 1 nm nut _~c-t mm} null ”.‘. une~ 1 \\...~hml rullll" unv- vim! u..lhrrv‘-|. lm‘. that is .lhothm' rim?K ']‘\\o [MIL-lit diamonds and at one time. tlu- \\t-ulthivst NtDDhll‘e mine(miners \wru .lim unit Jack. They won, insi‘iidl‘dltlg t-ohbvrs but after a Saturday uiurtt‘s rurousoi. when they brought home their stores and the month" hm-r in Sapphire ’Towu, they always had it tight. And it was always over the some subject. as to who hought the most diamond tiarns for a fanmu» From-h actress of the Fallen Berglrrvs. l'wz'ts, .luck was the lirst to go to i'uris, but Jim made the rich—-t-st strike. Jack was supposed to have mmle L‘lOflUO and Jim £93,000. It \\.ls u \\'cll-lulown fact that both fell for the same actress. but Jack was l\\u years ahead or his rival. Both arrived back in Sapphire Town broke. When I was there they had a claim between them in Tomahawk Gully, and, it was on the way home that the arguments always started and the scrap look place. They Aware averaging about £7 a wash. and always expected to strike a new honazann and then they “are going to Paris again. There was a quaint public-an there who always reminded me of the cook lu Stevenson‘s "Treasure Isiand,"l \\iih his one leg and walrus mans-1 Lit-he. But except outwardly he and} " Long 'l'om “ had nothing in common. iI.- could never get. any girls to stayi at his pith and when I was there he‘ urted as barman, rook, and general maid. He \\us. so fed up with being understaffed that he made an unwrit—ir'n law that no one could have a serond helping. livery one was sup—posed to know this, but not everyone did. i i'EmE'llibPl' a padre who came in just as. dinner was finished one Sunday. He \\‘ds covered with dust. weary and rawnolts. lie demolished his platei‘ul of heel“ and potatoes in a law minutes. then pushed his piste m’er to me for a re-1111. Long Tom‘s leg was troubling him so i was giving him a hand. To stop an outburst of sulphuruus language 1 took the plate out in the kitchen. Long Tom's eyebrows went up and his moustache went stiff. “ Why." he roared. “ i‘ve no blanky dinner left myself. Tell him to get out. of here." Then he turned to his washing up. Diplomatirally I told the 'padrr. what Long Tom had said. “ But. boy.“ the said, ‘ that‘s my first. meal in three days. I lost my way coming from —" (mentioning it place on the Queensland western border). “ It's no good," I said, “ Ibut I‘ll pinch some biscuits and bring them round to your room at 3 o‘clock. The old iosser will the asleep 'by then." I was as good 845 my word and tihe way the padre fell on my neck. The Governor of Queensland wanted to sea the sapphire field. and wanted to stay at Long Tbm's pub. The aldede~camp was sent ahead to make the necessary arrangements. “What." sold Long Torn, ”stay at my pulb. he and his retenoo. Why hang it‘ that'ii be a bath a day for six men, and the dry season coming on. Tell his nibs i may as well give him the pub. I can «Nays got ill‘k‘l‘. the brewers will see to that—but water! I'Ve no arrangemruts “ith up abow, and Flu not Using my not“, supply in three weeks. Tell the tiowrtmr in L‘dlllp in the creek. it‘s dry." And the (‘.mrrnor did. . There was an old nrOspmtiur who al—uays huittrd for three gum-trees in a line. and tho ruins of an .‘rhoriginal's hurl; hump); nu .t hillork to the east ut' the Toumhmxk Gully itoud. In his dreams it imihr ai\\ays came and alumni him the Wave and squatted in Hunt nt‘ tho huiupy “as his luhra. passing who“ and blur and green .\qvhlut'cs truth Hilv h..mi to the Other. 'i\\i“v‘ i ii‘i"(i in help illill ilnd it. “ \\n it in: millionaires. hm." he. used 11l M). "\\ilt'il \\l' ithl it." For all | itunn he ”my in- huntinL: )ot. anti Will-Hm m-Inv tidy ill go ‘ltfll‘k llU\\‘ that Mi'ilhh‘x‘s iii't‘ t'tishiuuuhh- ngiu. _._—___“—