Western Star AND WALLACE COUNTY GAZETTE. PUBLISHED Every Tuesday and Friday. FRIDAY, APRIL 9, 1920. THE MAGIC OF GOLD.

Western Star, 9 April 1920, Page 2

Western Star AND WALLACE COUNTY GAZETTE. PUBLISHED Every Tuesday and Friday. FRIDAY, APRIL 9, 1920. THE MAGIC OF GOLD.

In the early history of Australia and New Zealand, one fact stands out prominently—the discovery of gold did' more to induce immigration than anything else. The desire for gold urged men 'll! great crowds to the lonely places. It was an impulse that took no denying and was altogether irresistible. In 1849, by thei merest, chance, gold was found in California, and found, too, by an Australian, a man from New-South Wales, Hei was deepening a mill race, when he saw in the water glowing particles large enough to pick with his fingers. He knew that it was gold, but he did not know how to win it, andi ha.d not an old Georgian miner been there, the discovery might even have lapsed into l obscurity. Before 1849 there were only a few thousand people in California. But the news of the discovery sent a living stream! rushing west, their eyes burning and glowing in the desire for the wealth which they believed would lie at their feet when they reached the new land. ’ In 1851 the Australian returned to New South Wales, and set out for the country which he had had in his mind’s eye all .through bis Californian wanderings. Away beyond the Blue Mountains he struck a creek. Scratching the gravel of a schistose dyke which crossed it at right angles, he dug up some wash-dirt which panned out very rich. He proved about seventy miles of country to be goldbearing, he saw ten thousand! raised in a week to the surface, and he called the place Ophir. He received ten thousand pounds for his discovery. Thereafter the Australian diggings became the magnet which scelined to bo attracting the whole earth. All over the country towns sprang up as if by magic, and not only at the site of the first rush, hut in Victoria, where the wealth of gold soon eclipsed that found in New South Wales. In a little over a month, from, one locality alone, gold of the value of over half-a-million was won. Of course, in those days gold was easily found. In many places the precious stuff simply lay on the surface in what .are called nuggets. Even today not far from Bendigo big nuggets are being found. O'ne would have thought that arouud Bendigo, at- least, every inch of ground had been prospected. and fossicked out long ago. From Victoria the gold-seeker very soon found his way over to New* Zealand, and the discovery at Gabriel’s Gully had the same effect on Otago as Hargreaves’ find had on New South Wales in 1851. People poured in from all directions, 'and soon there were thousands at Tuapeka, Duustan, box’s (now Arrow), Shotover, Mata ura, Nokomai, and) Switzers, followed by the development of the Wast Coast diggings and those in this district —Round Hill and Orepuki, But the riches of the alluvial claims were exhausted in a few years, and now, with the exception of beach and a few cases of isolated 1 one-man claims, alluvial mailing is carried on by hydraulic sluicing companies. The last finds out west. —those at Waiau mouth and Preservation—petered out in a short time, and (awning never was in a more quiescent state during the past fifty years. The numerous cancellations of mining rights at Orepuki is a silent testimony to the decadence of the industry in this district, and one wonders whether a mining revival is possible. The old prospector seems to haye disappeared from the scene. There are one or two living, but their, working days are over, and the lure or gold does not appear to have seized hold of the younger generation. There must be gold in many places that have not been thoroughly prospected. The world was never 'more in need df the precious metal than at the present time, and with the disappearance _ of the hardy, independent prospecting digger, sonic inducement should be offered to make it worth while for i strong, active men to devote their energies to the search for uer de-

posits of gold. These cannot bo exhausted. Fresh discoveries would be a good thing for the Dominion.