THE SPORT OF CHANCE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 14226, 24 November 1909, Page 9

THE SPORT OF CHANCE.

Those who believe in the doctrine advanced by Herbert Spencer that our lives are all mapped out with "mathematical precision" are not likely to have much faith in what is called luck; in fact, they will doubtless maintain . that there is no fiuch - thing.": It is, of course,; a safe doctrine to advance, being capable of neither proof nor disproof. It is the fatalism of the natives of the East. . The Arab finds immeasurable consolation, and maintains a mental equipoise, from * such philosophy. If anything goes wrong with him he sums it all up in one ; pregnant expression " M'leeh !"—which embodies a whole chapter, of reassuring fatalism. It says, "It can't be helped; it was to be. Don't worry; it doesn't matter —nothing matters." And ho doesn't worry. ■ . SILVER.; . • These thoughts rise in one's mind upon reading the report of the prosperous condition of the La Rose silver mine, in the Cobalt district of Canada. This mine was discovered by what most persons would call chance, but what devotees of Spencer would probably regard as pre-ordination. •Anyway, its discovery, was quite unexpected, and forms a very romantic little story. It was found in 1903 by a' French-Cana-dian named La Rose — its title — was a humble blacksmith at the time, working on a railway, in the Cobalt dis-trict-referred to. One day •he left his forge, to get a little fresh air, and, while taking a stroll, noticed a piece of rock, which had recently fallen, glistening in the 6un. ' More out of curiosity than anything else, he picked it up, and discovered by its weight that it was mineralised rock. He had happened on - a very Tom Tiddler's ground ! Since then the mine has rendered between fifty million and sixty million ounces of silver.

Many such profitable finds have from time ;to time been made under equally fortuitous circumstances. For instance, it wats first made known that diamonds existed in South Africa through the medium of - the - juvenile pranks of a small child belonging to a Dutch farmer. The child was amusing itself by collecting pebbles near the river adjacent to the farm, when its mother noticed one which was rather brighter than the rest. It was transparent, and the woman, in her unsophisticated mind, thought it might be something more than an ordinary pebble. Well, it was, for it turned out to be a diamond of great value! But there was nobody about there at the time who knew it. The woman showed the "pebble" to a neighbour, who spoke about it to somebody else, who in 'turn consulted a friend, and so by degrees it reached the hands of Bishop Iticard, of Grahamstown, who, having carefully tested it, pronounced it to be a diamond. . The rest is history, not unstained with bloodshed. What a fascinating doctrine for the Spencerites! Thatsmall child of the, simple Dutch farmer was pre-ordained to be the innocent instrument of years of subsequent profitable enterprise, unspeakable rascality, and colossal sacrifice of human life. Z ' OPALS. - Another curious " find" was that in connection with the opal. One day the writer of these lines was discussing the subject of orecious stones with Mr. Streeter, the famous jeweller, when the latter introduced a large pieco of ironstone, in the centre of which glistened a beautiful opal; the stone had been cut through, and the contrast of the gleaming rainbow . gem against its dull brown "setting," as it were, wag most striking. The following interesting little story was told concerning it: A son of Mr. Streeter, while located in ' Australia, was bidding farewell to a comrade, ; who, on horseback, -was about to' denart "up country." As the horseman broke into a canter, young Streeter ; with a shouted " Good luck picked up a stone which lay near and threw it playfully after his chum. It struck sharply on the ironwork of the saddle and split in two. As it did so young Streeter noticed that it gleamed in the sunlight, so, out of curiosity, he picked up one half of it, when, lo ! in the very heart of it there appeared a beautiful opal! That was the first time it became known that opals might be found in ironstones.