1867
When the NSW Government wiped away its old gold mining legislation in spring 1866 and replaced it with a new regime, the change was tipped to usher in a new beginning for the State’s goldfields.
Out with the boom and bust settlements populated by transient mining communities. In with settled communities based around long term mining ventures needing both capital and labour to develop their resources. Then, as the ink was still drying on the legislative print, just such a community lined up as the litmus test for the new regime.
News of the discovery of a new boom field next to the Weddin Mountains broke in September and by Christmas around 3,000 people were present on the Emu Creek field in the process of building a new town called Grenfell. What happened next was undoubtedly THE mining story of 1867.
Left: The Albion Hotel in George Street in 1869. Courtesy Grenfell Historical Society.
The first indication of a thoroughly modern regime based around the primacy of law and order came at the start of January, when one enterprising gentleman took advantage of a legal loophole to threaten the whole stability of the new goldfield.
Owing to a delay in declaring Emu Creek as a gold field prior to the start of 1867, William Redman, a former member of Parliament and attorney of the Supreme Court, went and selected 100 acres of land in the middle of the field. He then informed all the miners that they were his tenants and he would charge them a levy on all the gold they recovered. This one imagines could have led to riots breaking out – but it didn’t.
1st February 1867
These actions ..”Of course caused a ferment throughout the whole diggings, for Mr. Redman had opened up a subject that not only interested the fifty or sixty men whose claims were on the selected land, but in its future application was of the highest importance to the mining community.” …”Luckily he has to do with an orderly lot of men, who, instead of taking the law into their own hands, have appealed to the resident magistrate, and a summons under the Gold fields Act has been issued against Mr. Redman for the trespass he has committed upon the occupation lot of one of the miners.”
1st February 1867
FREE SELECTION and gold-mining have at last been brought into antagonism. The case is simply this: The Government did not proclaim the Emu Creek to be a gold-field before the beginning of the present year. Prior to the proclamation, Mr. William Redman, an attorney of the Supreme Court, and formerly a number of the Legislative Assembly, free selected a hundred acres of land, within the boundaries of the gold-field. The spot he pitched upon was one known to be auriferous, for two of the reefs on it had been opened and worked, and several holes had been sunk on the alluvial land, which formed a portion of what is known as the One-mile Rush, and had bottomed on gold. Besides this other reefs have since been traced on the land. Mr. Redman, having made his conditional purchase, paid his deposit, and, I presume, got his permission to occupy, came down and told the diggers what he had done, laid claim to the reefs and alluvial sinking, and informed the miners that the land was now his, and that he intended to treat them as tenants, and demanded a share of the gold raised by them.
Of course this caused a ferment throughout the whole diggings, for Mr. Redman had opened up a subject that not only interested the fifty or sixty men whose claims were on the selected land, but in its future application was of the highest importance to the mining community. To allay this, Mr. Redman called a public meeting of miners for the purpose o discussing the whole question, but you, who know as well as I do this gent’s talking power, can fancy what a very small chance of discussion there would be when he got the first innings. And so, he having the first say, he kept it till it was time to go home and go to bed, leaving no one else any chance to answer him. His speech had really very little to do with the sub-ject they had met to discuss, for the bulk of it con-sisted of a history of his career in Parliament, and a narrative of his adventures on the several gold-fields he has visited in his character, now of attorney, now of gold-fields speculator, he did, however, quote the 13th section of the Lands Alienation Act, and argue in favour of his right to select land which at the time of selection was not in a proclaimed gold-field, though it might be in a defacto and discovered gold-field.
I took no notice of all this, because I had reason to believe that Mr. Redman was not really honest in the purpose that he put forward. I was deceived, how-ever, thus far, that whereas I thought it was all a piece of bounce on his part, and that he had taken this course only to add to the notoriety he has already obtained; I find that he really intends to stick to his selection, and to bring to bear all the engines of law- in order to attain his end. But I was right in coming to the conclusion that he was not honest in the professions he made to the diggers, and that he did not give the true reasons for the course he was taking,
He told the miners, at the offset, that he had selected the land in their interest, that he had long perceived this weak point in the Land laws, and that he now mooted it in order that it might be amended, and that the miners might not be made to suffer in other and more important cases. It would have been all very well if that had been his real object, or even if he had consistently stuck to it as his ostensible pur-pose; unfortunately, however, I heard him tell a very different tale only a few short hours afterwards to a small knot of squatters who had gathered. These innocent Corydons of the Western district stood round him open-mouthed, swallowing the words that carne so sweetly to their ears, as he told them that he was determined to try the question of the right of these miners to wander where they would over the face of this fair country, making a waste of the richest spots, and converting valuable pastures into a desert. Well, perhaps I should have thought none the less of him if that had been his object, and that he had fairly pitted the agricul-turist against the miner; but, alas! I could not fix him to that. A change again seemed to come over the spirit of his errant ideas, and, a few days after his stern denunciation of the diggers I heard him assure a party of officials that his real object in taking up this
Kind was to make it a private gold-field, to work it , upon a system of his own, and to show the Govern-ment, by the way in which he proceeded, how a gold-field was and ought to be worked. Even now I might have pinned my faith to him, if that had been his real object, even though it upset the two previous statements that had been made : but he did not stand to this, for he afterwards came out with what after all I believe to be the real object he has had in view from the first : ” The right was mine,” he said, ” as it was yours or anybody else’s, and I have exercised it. I’ve got the land, and I mean to stick to it, and to make the most I can out of it ! ” Of the four objects I have heard him propound, and I don’t know how many others he may have stated out of my hearing, I certainly think the last to be the one the most likely to be kept in view.
You will see, however, from this that I was justified in entertaining doubts as to this gent’s honesty of purpose, and, having those doubts, I had no desire whatever to add to that gent’s already large stock of vanity by assisting to place him, in the prominent position which he evidently desired to occupy. On this account I was silent, although the great guns of the local, Press opened a fierce cannonade upon him, the miners were savage, and the ancient demagogues of the Flat were dancing fierce defiance at him. Nor do I take the matter up now to argue the question either pro or con, but simply as a subject of history that is beginning to assume an imposing form, and that may possibly lead to serious complications should another gold-field be discovered and find the question un-settled.
Mr. Redman having had his innings, and having given no opportunity to the other side to apply, a meeting was called by the-dancing demagogues before referred to, the professed object of which was not only to have a go in at the free selection question, but also to take into considera-tion other matters connected with the gold-fields. Instead of fairly discussing the question which, goodness knows, was of sufficient importance to demand their whole attention, every man, had his little hobby that he pranced and capered upon before the meeting. One who had been the happy recipient of £100 a year as clerk to the only Local Court favoured by a grant of public money was most ener-getic in favour of the re-establishment of local courts, and, of course, of his office and salary. Another objected to one regulation- under which he had suffered, another to another, and so on. Only one or two of the speakers really dealt with the true question, for, as usual with the demagogue rage, every man was so full of his own particular little grievance that he had no thought to give to the general welfare. Mr. Reily-you may recollect him as one of the old Land League men argued very well against Mr. Redman, and, in my opinion, knocked the lawyer’s arguments all to pieces ; but it was somewhat annoying to me to find one of the earliest champions of free selection over the length and breadth of the land, without curb and without check of any kind, now coming in to argue against its application to areas that might possibly turn out auriferous. In fact, with the exception of this gentleman’s speech, there was so much rubbish mixed up, in the speeches, so much declamation against the Government, so much of the old stock nonsense about-the studied neglect of the mining interest, so much abuse of every-body and every thing a little higher in. the social scale than the speakers, that the miners who, though very much like children and liable to be hither and thither with every breath, have some little modicum of com-mon sense, were actually relieved when. Mr Redman made his appearance on the stage, and brought them back to the real subject they had met to discuss. Before he had talked to them five minutes, he had soaped them down to such good purpose that he had them, cheering him lustily, and many of them, in the face of the manifest insincerity of those who had insti-tuted themselves as their leaders, went away impressed in his favour rather than the reverse.
So much for the discussion of the matter, and now for the more serious part of the business. Mr. Red-man has had his hundred acres surveyed, enclosing in the area a number of claims on the One-mile Rush, two quartz reefs already worked and several others not yet opened. He has shut in many resident allotments, occupied by miners under the Gold-fields Regulation, has commenced building his house in close proximity to a rich reef, has set fire to some of the rough outbuildings erected by the miners, and has given them notice of his inten-tion to make them pay for the use of his land. He has done this in such a manner as to induce a breach of the peace, and he would probably have been only too glad if such had been the result of his behaviour, for he would then have placed the miners in the wrong, and would have regarded the fine that would have been inflicted, had an assault been committed, as a species of triumph. Luckily he has to do with an orderly lot of men, who, instead of taking the law into their own hands, have appealed to the resident magis-trate, and a summons under the Gold fields Act has been issued against Mr. Redman for the trespass he has committed upon the occupation lot of one of the miners. This case will be heard at the police office to-morrow, and I shall watch it with some interest, as the question involved is one of considerable import-ance to the mining interest.
At the same time I may say that, even if the law were as much with Mr. Redman, as I believe it to be against him, I cannot for an instant fancy that the Minister for Lands will approve of the conditional purchase; and this I honestly fancy is Mr. Redman’s own idea. “Were it to be allowed, we should have persons as unscrupulous as this gentleman coming in the moment a gold-field was discovered, and before it. could be proclaimed, and selecting all that was likely to prove the most highly auriferous.
Two of the four men forming the band of incipient bushrangers mentioned in one of my former letters, have been apprehended by the Cootamundry police with sufficient stolen property on them to ensure their conviction for highway robbery. One of them proves to be a man named Johnson, who was committed for trial here for an attempt to stab, but who escaped off the chain.
Everything continues very quiet here. No crime, no business, very little work doing, and not much gold-washing going on. The huts, &c, are beginning to thin out very considerably, and long gaps occur where recently there were continuous rows of resi-dences, huts, &c. The weather has been fearfully hot, with not the slightest indication that would give even the ghost of a hope that be much as a thunder shower was impending.
28th March 1867
As well as making an official complaint against Redman for trespass, the miners referred the matter to the Minister for Lands who advised them that …
“Under any circumstances, however, Mr. Redman had no right to touch the gold, or to allow others to do so, on paying him a fee or remuneration, as under the Crown Lands Alienation Act of 1801, minerals on conditional purchases are specially reserved.”
Round 1 to the miners.
28th March 1867
ThE following correspondence on the important question of Mr. Redman’s right to free seelect certain land in the Emu Creek goldfield has been placed in our hands.
“ Sir,-I have the honor, by request of a committee I appointed at n very numerously attonded publio meeting of gold minore and others, held at Gronfoll,on the 25th ultimo, to bring under tho no’ioo of tho Govornmont, a olrcumaUnae in wbloh it ia thought the publio, not only on this gold-Hold, but of the whole colony, havo a Tory deep Interest.
“ A short. time aftor tho dlecovery of gold at this place, and boforo It was proclaimed a golu-flold, somo mon we’re at work on a quarts reef, mining for gold, when a person of tho nama of Redman selected 100 acres of land undor tho 13:holauso of the Land Act, liking in,’ as part of auch solection, tho auriferous ground ‘thoio men oconpiod.
Mr. Bodman confonds that the Isnd, being on Crown lands not then proclaimed . a gold-Sold, lie could mako his conditional purchase and dispossess tho miners who woro at tho limo in occupation of their cíalos,
Tba quostion of I tho right of Mr. Rodman to bold this auriferous ground I is another-very important ono) for it ia obvious, if he oan do so, and prevent minors from working their olalma within the > selected land, then unless n new gold-field ia proclaimed al tho ¡inmediato timo of tho : discovery of gold, a few persons could fako up an im- mense auriferous tract, and dlotate their own term« to the miners who doslrod to work tho ground, I am oleo requosted lo bring another matter boforo voa sornowhal similar to the one abovo stated, end which has been lately forced on tho «.ttontion of tho minors of this locality.
It ls – as to what would be tho position of I tho: gold minor« supposing gold to be disoovsred outside the boundary of this gold Sold, and a poison were to free eoleot just outsido tho prospectors’ oluim boforo tho ground was occupied by minerp.
It is | highly.’probable that in a very short (Imbi’gold will bo found outside the boundaries of this gold-field, and tho I publio mind’’is much agitated at tho probability of speculative persons occupying largo traots of auriferous land by the means of free selection.
Tho miners deem tho two msttors I have boon instructed to bring before ?’Ou of the greatest possible importance to tho mining ntorost; and I have to ask you if you would givo tho subject your consideration, and favour tho commtitoo with your opinion of the Government as to what tho law roallv is on these two Doini*. – ,” I have tho honor to romain, Sir, “ Tour most obedient servant,
“E. A. ilAXIB. ‘ ..”To the HOD. tho Minister.for Lands,” .’
“Department of Land*, Sydney, Oth Maren, 1807.
“Mir,”-With referonoa to your letter of tho 4th ultimo, on behalf of a publia mooting o minera and otho», , hold . at Grenfell on tho 25th Janiiary last, respecting Mr. Rodman s (election of certain laid at that place, on which several minera arete at work, but before tho goldfield was proclaimed :
I am directed by ¿he Secretary lor Land», to inform you that, koforo Mr. Redmond selection can bs entertained, tho question as to tho ?alue of the improvements made on tho land before tho selection has lo be determined, and tho application is now under referont» to tho proper ofDoe for report on that point . “
2. Under any circumstances, however, Mr.* Rodman hod no right to touoh tho gold, or to allow others to do so, on pay lng him a fee or remuneration, aa ander I .tho Crown Linds Alienation Act of 1801, minerals on conditional parchases are specially rosorvod.
“ I have the honor to be, Sir, “ Your most obedient serrant,- . – “ MIOIIAXX. Ii’iTrrATnicr, “ToMr. E. A.Biker.” -Lachlan Reporter.
29th March 1867
To better understand the issues in play over the Redman selection case, it is valuable to read the letter sent to the Herald in late March outlining just what fundamental issues were at stake in the matter.
Given Redman’s standing as a pillar of legal fraternity it is not surprising that when he lost out in the first ruling, the matter ended up going through two appeal processes to the full court where it was heard by three judges including the Chief Justice.
29th March 1867
It appears to me that all those who havo hitherto written upon the subject of Mr. Redman’s selection of ‘a conditional purchase at Emu Creek, have overlooked the fact that lands occupied by gold miners, in accordance with tho provisions of the Gold Fields Act, cease to ba Crown landB from the date of such occupation, until they »gain re- vert to the Crown, either by forfeiture, or the expiration of the Miner’s Right, by virtue of which they are held.
The Gold Fields Act of 1861 (in force at the time tho selection in question was made) provides in the 5th clause -” That every miner’s right shall be in force from the date thereof to the 31et day of December then next, and shall during the said period authorise the holder to mina for gold upon any Croton lands, and to occupy (except as against her Majesty) for the purpose of residence in connection with the object of mining so much land as may be prescribed under the regulations, and every such holder shall during the con- tinuance of such miner’s right be deemed in law to be the owner of the claim which shall be occupied by virtue of Buch miner’s right, and during such con- tinuance as aforesaid, all gold being in and upon the said claim shall be deemed in law to be the absolute personal property of such holder.”
The sameclause is inserted in the Act of 1866. If this means anything it means that so long as the minor complies with tho requirements of the Gold-fields Act ho holds his claim by a special title equal to that of a fee-simple -he to the owner in law-and such being the case tho land he occupies ceases to be Crown land for the time being, or to be subject to the opération of the 13th clause of tho Crown Lands Alienation Act.
If the operation of tho Gold-fields Act is to bo restricted to proclaimed gold-fields of what value are the Prospecting Regulations recently issued. Your obedient servant, QUARTZ. . Sydney, March 27.
1st July 1867
The results of this appeal process saw the original rulings overturned in favour of Redman.
This decision was a most serious one as it effectively stated that until a gold-field was proclaimed, a miner had no legal right of possession to his claim, and that he was liable to be ousted at any moment by the free selector.
1st July 1867
Mr. Redman appeared in propria persona in support of the prohibition.
The case adjudicated upon by Mr. Dalton was one of trespass, in which tho complainant alleged that the defendant had trospaescd upon his claim.
It appears that on tho 18’h Docomber, 1800, Spencer marked out a pioco of land at Grenfell as a roBidonio, which he claimed to possess by virtuo of his miner’s right.
On tho following day Mr. Redman wont upon the earrie land and selected 120 acres, under tho 13th seation of 25th Victoria, No. 1.’
On the 20th of the same month ha paid his deposit under tho Act, and took a Govern- ment surveyor upon tho ground to roark out the ‘selootion.-
In marking oat this solootlon it onclosad the portion ot land claimed ky Bponcer. Spencer sum- moned Mr. Redmnu for tho trespass, and tho latter relied upon his right as a freo solactor undor tho 13th ola uso of tho Act, and ‘ pointed out that at tho time he mada lila selootion, the place was not a proclaimod gold- field, nor until oloven days thereafter, and therefore con- tended that his right ns a froo selootor wis superior to that of tho plaintiff, who merely clalmod by virtue of a minor’s right.
Tho magistrate, honorer, decided differently, under tho lit h cectlon of the Gold- fields Act of 1800, and under tba 10th and lil h sections of tho Regulations.
On tho 28th April Mr. Rodman moved, boforo Mr. Justico Hargrave, in Chambers, for on ordor upon notice, calling upon tho magistrate and tho complainant to show causo on tho 31st May why a writ of prohibition should not issue, on the following grounds : -’
1st. That tho magistrate had no jurisdiction to hear and dotermine tho ease, as tho titlo of tho defendant to tho land was Involved.
2nd. That dofondant’s free selootion, under 25th Vic- toria, Ne. 1, waa good and valid at law against com- plainant, and that the magistrats had no jurisdiction to dotormine a mnltor between a minor and froo sol oe tor.’ 3rd. (Struck oat) l’b.
That thero was no sufficient ovidence of tho complainant hoing tho holder of a miner’s right, or that any aufnehmt right had been iisuod by a duly. constituted authority; nor did .it appear that any regulations.bad boon mada as required by Bcotiou ll of tho Gold-Oalds Act, as to tho form, raod, timo, datop, places of iieue, and conditions thereof. Gth.
That tho complaint adjudicated upon was not one oontomplaled by the eaid Uold-OeldsTAct, which applies only to proclaimed gold-fields “
The cato was arguod before Mr. Justice Hargrave on tho 7th June, and tho order nisi was discharged, thereby confirming tho magistrate’s doclsion.
Tho dofendanr, I hore torc, gavo notice that on tho 21st June he should movo tho full Court for a prohibition on tho farogoing grounds, and ni BO on tho following groundi:-lût. Tbat the ground marked out ‘by tho said Brittain Sponoor as a residonoo claim was not taken from Crown lands.
2nd. That tho proclamation af a gold-Hold on’ tho 1st day of January last docs not nffoot privato ownorsliip of land free selected on tho 20tu day o D.ojmbor last. “
Mr. Rodman arguod tho caso Tory elaborately ; his object, as ho stated, being mordy to setllo tho point for tho boaeflt of both gold miners and freo selectors. In tho ovont ol their Honors doclding in his favour he should not nek for costs.
The Ouiir JOSTIGE said that he bolioved Mr. Bed man was right under the 18th seotion of tho Crown Lands Alienation Aot. Tba magistrate bad dcoldod that «although Gronfoll at tho timo waa not a pro- claimed gold-Hold, tho plaintiff had a statutory right that was good against tho solection of Mr. Redman; but ho (tho Chief Justice) concoltod that a miner in Ïnospoctlng for gold under section 0 of tho Gold-fields tegu’.atlon Act, could only prospiot on Crown lands ; it was no«or intondod that ho should go upon lands already cold or oontraolod to bo sold.
As soon as a man thad solectod under tho lDth sootlen of tho Aot, the land ceaoed to bo Crown land, Ho was of opinion that the prohibition mmt go. Mr. Justico HARORAVB entiroly dissented from the judgmont given by tho Ohlof Justice. Ho was of opinion that tbs plaintiffs minor’s right issued at Greufoll, WOB prior to, and better than Mr, Red man’s title. –
Mr. Justice FAUOETT agreed with Mr. Justice Har- grave, but was of opinion that the prohibition must go, beoause tho magistrate had no Jurisdiction to de- termino a disputo between a miner and free soleetor where a bona fido olaim to real properly was intolveaY The magistrate’s jurisdiction was ousted. Prohibition to go.
A feature of Emu Creek was the way it challenged the conventional expectations of a rush to a new field.
At Emu Creek the riches were always in the reef gold and panning up alluvial gold was what you set one of your party to do so as to cover expenses while the rest of your syndicate focussed on the main game – developing your reef mine.
Accordingly with the prospect of a long term venture opening up, many shopkeepers and tradespeople flocked to the new site to stake their own claim to the commercial success attendant on a rich new field. In this way the new town of Grenfell arose at the same time as the first mines were being developed.
1st January 1867
From the outset, Emu Creek was never a poor man’s field. Just the simple need to purchase water to survive amongst other things meant that …
“if a man have not a good capital to carry on with, he is certain to meet with disappointment; and if he have capital, he has a chance of success, but even then there is uncertainty at every step he takes.”
1st January 1867
Everything is in a complete state of uncertainty, and it is altogether impos- sible to say as yet what the result will be.
There are some two hundred claims on gold in the main gully, and from the wash-dirt passed from these prospects have been washed out, and have given a yield of from one to four -.unces of gold to the load.
Whether the heaps of dirt will average the same throughout is a question that can only be solved when the rain shall have fallen and given the miners a supply of water to wash with.
At present there is no water for gold washing nearer than Brundah Creek, seven miles distant, and the charge for cartage is twelve shillings per load, so that, ex- cept for testing the heapB, the creek has not been mode use of.
But, perhaps, I had better begin in the regu- lar way, by giving you something like a rough idea of the locality, so that you may the better understand the exact position of affairs. In the firet place, then, the title of the “ Weddin” rush ÍB a complete misnomer.
The spot is folly eight miles from the Weddin Mountains, and tho ranges from which the auriferous gullies start have no connection whatever with the Weddin Mountain. The main range is only a very in considerable one as regards height, and long, gontly sloping spurs run down from it, so goutly indoed that the fall in them is scarcely pBrcoptiblo.
Botwoen two of theso spurs lies what may bo called a gully, sinco that is tho namo usually given to the lowor space that lios between two hills.
In this instance thoro is hardly a pereoptible watercourse, the spurs on cither sido being so low, and the distance botweon them so great, that thoy Beem almost to sweep gradually down and join eaoh other in a fall very little off the lovel.
From the hoad of thç main range down to where the gully joins the Emu Crook is a distance of some thrco miles, and for about two milos of the distance tho ground has boon oponed and payable dirt boon obtained. About midway of the length of tho gully a vory extonsivo quartz roef crops out from the rangos on either sido. T
his was tho first reof discovered, and has boen named O’Brion’a reef from the discovoror. Higher up tho spur, and at distancos ranging from twenty to fifty yards, three other reefs havo boon opened, whilst three or four others are trace- able, oropping out of the ground.
At tho head of tho gully, whoro the descending spurs Btart from the main ranga there is a kind of apex or pointed hill from whioh other spurs descend, of oourso with gullios or valleys between thom. Ono of theso is the One Milo Bush, being, in fact, the next gully in succossion to that first opened. The apox or rounded knoll that crowns the heads of the gullios is ona mass of abrased quartz.
In many cases along tho crost of tlio ridge, the quartz roof stands up liko a wall in some places four feet high, lying between strata of Blato. The quartz reefs on tho spurs below run parallel to this main reof, in a lino very nearly east and west, and it is from the fraoturo or abrasion of theso roofs that the. deposit of gold in tho valley bolow has boon obtained.
As far up the valley OB holes havo boon sunk, tho run of gold has boen struok ; and as the minors havo pushed on boyond tho Uno of the reefs opened, the natural inference is that the main roef on the orost of the ridgo has contributed tho greater proportion of tho gold. There can bo no doubt whatovor about tho gold boing roef gold.
Tho first sight of it is sufficient to satisfy oven the adept that it is porfootly fresh from tho quartz that has boen its matrix. It is not in tho loost water-worn, but has all its odgos sharp and woll-definod. Thus, then, oomes the natural inforonco that by the abrasion of the reefs in question, at some comparatively rocont dato, the gold has been roleasod from tho quartz, and has been settlod down on the bed-rook in tho oontro of the gully.
This theory boing correot, it would follow that the heavior pieces of tho motal would bo found at tho upper oud of tho gully, and that as the run of the gold got lower down to the main orook tho grams would bo smaller and lighter, and tho metal bo moro diffused.
This has been shown to bo the oaso, for the holos that have bcou bottomed lowest down havo tho gold very Ano, and vory much diffused. But, then, following out this idea, it comes to this, that the gold will get finer and finer until, at last, a point will bo reached when it will cease to bo payable.
In this respeot these diggings differ from ordinary alluvial diggings, whero tho gold boing muoh wator-worn has beon carried along a consider- able distance and may therefore be oxpeotod to ho found over a largo aroa of country. Horo it is almost in situ, and I expect that by the timo tho large flat into which tho gullies opon, is reached, the run of gold will havo ceased. Even if this should bo the caso, there would still bo ground for the omploymont of a vory largo number of porsons.
At prosont some- thing like two hundred holes havo boon bot- tomed on the run of gold, tho run in somo cases being four claims wido, in others only ono claim wide. The waah dirt also varies in depth, boing, in somo casos, three feet and in others only one foot doop. Bosidos the usual grit, tho wash dirt contains a largo amount of broken quartz in which gold can vory oasily bo tracod, and whioh is carefully sot aside for orushing.
Precisely tho same remarks apply to tho second gully, or the one-roilo rush as it is termed, tho gold boing of tho samo chai-actor and the sinking oxaotly tho samo. Tho general Äli£^iLÄ2S!ÄSS8S^5fe ‘AnB’iüífyTs roaohod. At tho foot of the spur that divides the one gully from the other, tho town of Gron foll has beon laid out, Hore in all tho confusion of o new rush, stores, publio-houaos, and shops of every description have been thrown together in o long, Btraggling line ; and from the four upright posts that support a mass of boughs, along through tho various gradations of bag- ging, calico, and canvas, up to the regular timber odiiico, every speoics of construction that has over beon modo uso of upon diggings in tho hurry to moko monoy is to bo found hero.
On every side work is going on, and places of busi- ness arc being run up with tho greatest rapidity. Evory body Booma to havo tho most perfect faith in theso diggings, and certainly the pro spoots hitherto aro promising, whilst the pro- bability is that soveral gullies similar to thoso already opened will bo found, and will prove oqually as rich.
Tho great drawbaok, however, is the want of I water. The only standing wator is at Bundah Creek, seven milos distant, too far off to bo available for general use. The miners will consequently havo to mako dams, and storo tho water for uso. And then tho ground in this part of tho country is very porouB, and in wet weather is what is termed rotten ground-that is ground that it is dangerous to rido’ôver, as a horso will sometimes sink in it up to WB belly.
Woll, such ground docs not hold out rhuoh pro- mise for dam building, as unless the bottom bo well puddled no wator will ever bo retained. A good many dams have boon built, and_ applica- tions for others aro being mado daily ; but if my idea is correct, the first rain that falls will be useless, except in so far as it will furnish water for puddling tho dams BO as to make thom retain the water that may afterwords collect thoro.
This water quostion will always be a Borious one at those diggings ; for although in some seasons rain falls in immensa quantities, mothers there is not so much asa passing shower for months at a time. Dams próvido only a very precarious supply of -water for gold washing, ^and oven the most extensivo dam will be soon oxhaustod with the largo amount of wator consumed in tho washing process:
But oven supposing that water m abundance will bo stored in the dams how made or in course of construction, there may probably be many months to wait bofore rain will fall ‘in sufficient quantity to fill the dams; and in.the meantime tho heaps of -wash-dirt will have to He whero thoy have been grassed, and, no matter what may bo the amount of gold they contain, their hidden wealth will bo utterly useless to the miner.
The case then stands thus : Bofore ho can get any return for his labor, the minor will have ‘ to wait, supposing him to bottom on gold, for some indefinite period for rain, and in the mean- time will have to support himself as best ho can.
And another disadvantage that arises from tho dearth of water is, that prospecting is altogether out of the question. Looking at the diggings in this way, you will BOO that there is good causa for saying that everything is uncertain here. There is, no doubt, a good run of gold; but what the wash dirt will turn out cannot even _ bo guessed, for no approximation can bi arrived at in such caBOs. Nothing but a clean wash-up can enable a mon to judge of the value of his dirt. Then, again, the water supply is very uncertain j and should dry weather continue for three or four months, the consequences to the largo number of persons aBsembled here will be very serious.
From what I havo shown, there are now some 900 men on payable ground, whilst the total population is above five thousand. Bather a small per-centago, you will tay, to bo employed at remunerative work.
Well, there is no concealing the fact that this rush has been overdone. It would bo a very good little gold- field, as far as yet opened for about a couple of thousand miners, and thü> is about the outBido number that it will support. Hereafter, when rain has fallen, or when new ground is opened, OB wfll most probably be the case when the wet season sets in, the others might come in and take up the new ground. On this account, then, I would beg you to do | all in your power to prevent persons coming here, at all events until we have some definite 1 intelligence as to the extent of the field, and the probability of water being procurable
At present, if a man have not a good capital to carry on with, he is certain to meet with disappointment ; and if he have capital, he has a chance of success, but even then there is uncertainty at every step ho takes. There is not much work doing juBt now. Those of tho miners who havo their homos in Young, Forbes, and the neighboring towns havo gone off to spond Christmas with their families, intending to return. In faot, I novor remember being upon any diggings whoro the minors as a body have beon so hopeful as thoy show them- selves to bo hero.
15th March 1867
The need for proper investment was emphasised early on in the new year when the rough and ready dams thrown up quickly across creeklines were washed away in the first serious thunderstorm to strike.
Several took heed and set to work on much more substantial structures, while water diviners plied their trade seeking new wells urgently. Meanwhile miners subscribed £300 towards a hospital and £70 towards a church – social investments as well were a priority it seems.
15th March 1867
Everything is in a complete state of uncertainty, and it is altogether impos- sible to say as yet what the result will be.
EMU CREEK DIGGINGS
The miners here are now worse off for water than they were before the rain, owing to the circumstance that both Daleys and Woods dams have been destroyed.
They have thus been deprived of these means of washing water, too, so scarce at the springs that parties going there have to wait a long time for their turn, the well filling oily very slowly there is every reason to believe, however that the miners, improvident as they are, have this time received a very severe lesson.
The greater part of the dams I have seen lately are a vast improvement upon those that were swept away two months ago, whilst some of ti cm are reallv constructed in a very superior manner
There are a few in the old shiftless stvle, put up by men who have some eighty or i hundred loads to w ish, and want merely to serve their own turn Uliosc, however, who have put up good dams have ginned experience from the past, vv hilst they have at the same time seen w hat a splendid return their vv ork will give merely as a speculation
The charge, whilst t) e witter lasted, was £3 per week for each tom, and at one of the reservoirs there was, when the water gave out no les” than twenty toms
An income of £G0 per week is no bad return for a work that, t&kmg li hour nid m iterial, did not cost more than £ 159 to construct Ihe miners have perceived this, and, as a consequence good, substantial dams have now been erected Then again, when the water came, it found the men almost unprovided for a general washing
As I before told you, there were net rrore than twenty toms on the ground, and these cot Id not vi nh upon the aveiage more than 1200 oz por week Since the number of toms has been more ti an doubled and w ith tbc adv ent of ram w ashing vv ill be much more general than it was before, and the wetkli return of gold proportionately larger I very thing is very dull here
There is no business doing-no money m circulation, and business men who had, during the fortnight the gold was coming in so plentifully ataste of what was to be done when the n mcrs had money, are looking anviously to the skie**, and talking of nothing but the probability of a claude lhat probabihti is very small at present
Judging from the ground already opened, the inference is that runs of gold will be traced down Itoni the«e reefs into the alluvial ground below them I in nnxiousl) looking towards the Tit/roj for a prêt ural indorsement of this opinion, and if gold is found in the alluvial there, then the whole extent of this range, w Inch forms the northern vv itershed of the Ivcong, will be found to be more or less auriferous nnd all the flats hing below gold bearing roefi will contain good payable alluvial workings lhere area few partiel of men prospecting at the Iv gong below ?v llson s leased reef, which is very rich in gold, but is jet thej have strock nothing
Ever}thing 13 BO drv in all directions that there uro but small chances for prospectors carrjing out their work succe«sfull} lhere is no standing watcrmvwhere, and except where 1 well has been sunk there is no getting as much a» a drink during a day 1 lourney
Everything is therefore against the oj ening up of new ground it the present Hie Prophet e Leid has been at last deserted lho di tiples of the man of the divining rod at last lost fin li in lins, and after sinking to a depth of ->b feet struck work, mutinied, and refused to puf down the si nft an inch further, although the prophet entreated them to continue their work, and assured them that the rod still pointed fixedlj and pertinaciouslj down w irds
It is strange, at all ey ent«, that such deep ground should have been hit upon, and looking it the character of the country, which is pretisel} the sime as that of Emu Creek, it 1« a pit) that the shaft hns not been bottomed, as it n bj no means unhkel) ti at a lunof gold might be found passing don? the y alley, lhere have been a good manj pettj tent rob- beries latel)
Hie hangers on of the diggings are getting hard up, and being unable to eise the miners of cither gold nor money-since they possess > either, are compelled to turn their attention to an} little un considered trifles that maj be at hand, transportable mid convertible
Ihe police, however, have been down upon these gentry very smartl) “Whenever information has been given it once the offender has been captured in a verv short time, ind in most in- stances with the stolen property in his possession, md before he has had an opportunit} of parting with it Some half tlo7en of such pilferers haye been deilt with during the past week mcstlj pleading ¿mit), and consequently guing very little troable
A meeting for the formation of i hospital has been held heie, and 111 amount of noarlj £300 ha« been subscribed and promised If the Gov eminent w ould only put up 1 good slrb building, something like the pell e btirrncl s the) have erected, the monej 111 htmd would furnish the place ind keep nt gomg ii d the institution might be 111 operation in 1 month fron this time If the Government won’t tlo this it will be some three or four or ey en six. months oeloie there will be a building, and the cost of tending the silk will be thrown upon the Government, and the lockup be once more turned into a hospital There w is a meeting held last night for the con- struction of a Catholic Church here Ihe Rev 1 ather 0 Neil brought the matter forward, and a» a commencement £70 were raised on the spot Since I «ent down my telegram, at dajhpht this norning, mi additional l8 oz of gold has been in- cluded in the escort b) the A J S Bank, making the total 2078 07 in round figure»
17th May 1867
By May, sufficient rains had arrived to allow work to get moving on processing the gold and the results were spectacular. “It rarely happens that quartz mining assumes so prominent a position in the development of a new field so rapidly as this branch of mining has on this, and to my mind speaks well for the future stability of the now established town of Grenfell.”
17th May 1867
The escort which left on the 8th, conveying 8085 ounces, is the largest one since the palmy days of the Lachlan gold-field and is a promising instalment of the fulfillment of the predictions made of tho value of the gold field
…It rarely happens that quartz mining assumes so prominent a position in the development of a new field so rapidly as this branch of mining has on this, and to my mind speaks well for the future stability of the now established town of Grenfell.
There are now several various stages of development. Several have 2000 tons of stone raised, read} for crushing, others again have little work dono beyond slrip fung the reef along the surfuco and prospecting it I calcu ato thcro arc now 7000 tons of quarti to grass, waiting for tbo mill ?\ hilo on tho sulject of reefs, it H a matter fir surpn«o that machinen his not boen erected on this held long ero this
It is useless to «pcct that b} an} local effort ule quate crushing power will ever bo auppliod Iho co- operativo iriLciplo that ia so ndmirablo a feature in tho working oi tho Victorian mines will not mr j eira to cjme bo ever acclimatised m this coloni, the reooon why is well understrod by those conversant with gold fields life Cipi tabsts will not, under tho present s} stein of legisla ion for the gold fields,
nsk inone}, an! thi minora, with bul a very few excellions, aie opposed to compinies lhis results from ignorance, coupled with nn absence of public spirit
1 well reniemb r that, at one of tho meetinga hild hoi >, at which the m gTatory agitators aired their oloquoneo on Redman s development of the “ poor man’s blcssin¿, ‘ free selection, ono speaker, an intelligent quart/ reefer, was howled off tho platform becausa he advocated leasing and o operation
Tho same thing hnppenod in Vic toila , but tho gradual extinction of those jrofcsMonal gnovancc-n ongera, together with doar bought experience, will slow!} but surely bring about a chango Lock «t tho development of tho sjstem of “ company mining, ‘ in “ letona. By a return recentl} issued by tho Mining Department in tbnt colony, it appears thero wore at the clcst of 1SC0, 10S2 nuning companies, with a nominal capital of £19,477,1)11.
Iheru is no doubt that nany of these companies oro swindles got up to benefit the promoters onl), but tho great mojonty do undoubtedly benefit tho gold- fields, develop tho resources, and matcrnlly tend to give mat eolen} its (resent prominent position in the public mind.
Several machines aro talked of being removed, but it is to bo fcnrid that words, not deeds, w ill bo tho octy result of theso tulls Iho little machino of Kilpatnck’a, recently started to work, is steadilv crushing somo stono from O’Brien’s reef, and which will from present appearances yield about four ounces to the ton lhe weather is fine-old residents eiy unuaturall} 60 for tho month of Ma).
Grass is springing up iiltundantlv, and the tears of stockholders of being short of herbage havo evaporated lbo chango of temperatura his severely offec’ed tho public health. A groat man} aro down with a species of low fever, much resembling colonial fever in ita s)mptoms, and though few d10 from it, it cuts ft fellow up sadl). Tho cemetery baa now thirty -ono Claves in it, anil it would bo a gTeat improvement to it, and fir moro crodit ablo to our civilisation, tf it was fenced in, Whoso duty it ia to have thla necessary improvement mado I do not know, but it ia to bo hoped thit tho necessary outlay will bo authorised without delav.
21st June 1867
“Alluvial is going out of favour. Every young man engaged in mining considers it to be the correct thing to have a share in a reef, situated no matter where, so long as it has been named. These enthusiastic amateur miners are fair game for enterprising speculators and hard-up claimholders on duffer reefs.
The discovery of new reefs is now almost of daily occurrence, and activity in speculation is the result, sellers of shares being rushed by buyers.”
21st June 1867
Looked at as a gold-field, it does appear strange and unusual that the determined efforts made to find payable alluvial ground in the vicinity of the first discoveries have not resulted in success.
Much prospecting has been done, but as yet the only result is tho Frenchman’s Gully and tho Soven Mile, neither of which havo como up to popular expectation, especially tho latter ;
yot, despite this apparent want of succesi in prospecting for new ground, every ono you moy speak to of tho futuro havo full confidence in tho prospecta of tho field, and do indulge in talk “ of what it will bo by and bye, when crushing machinery is erected for reefs.
Alluvial is going out of favour. Every young man engaged in mining considers it to be the correct thing to hae a share in a reef, situated no matter where, so long as it has been named.
These enthusiastic amateur miners are fair game for enterprising speculators and hard-upclaimholders on duffer reefs.
The discovery of now reefs is now almost of daily occurrence, and activity in speculation is the result, sellers of shares being rushed by buyers.
Go whete you will, you will hoar geological discussions-a subject that practically is as yet a hidden mystery to tho majority of the debaters. Holdersof shares in proved golden reefs are being looked up to as bright stars in our social Qi marnent, und appentanees nt pieient go to provo that with the ndvent of more machinery’ will commence a lively timo for Grenfell. Tho fifty tons, from Ko. 2, on tho Lucknow ro;f, ai I ttated in my telegram, has yielded 131 oz , a yield far below what waa txpected by tho claim-holders, who fully ex- pected SOO cz. I (¡edited naming tho expected yield, feel- ing fissured that it waa considerably overrated, and would only tend to crcato distrust in the public mind when tho return of tho crushing would tnko place. Yet, n yield of 2 oz. 12J dwts. to tho ton, from a reef that is nearly seven feet thick, is a magnificent ono, nnd must bo concured a satisfactory trial of tho valuo of tho reefs on thia Held. Tho reef has been struck in tho alluvial workings, in the Main Gully, in two claims, north of whero it wat disco- vered n few weeks ago, it being considered a continuation of tho Homeward Bound llecf. The stone raijed looks re- markably well and shares are now at £100 that a few weeks ogo were bought for £20. During the inst week several owners of crushing machinery in tho Western district have visited tho gold- field and closely inspected tho reefs. They pronounce them highly tatisfactory, and thnt Emu Creek, as a rei (¡Kg district, has never bron equalled in tho colony. Arrncgcnients have, I am informed, been made by thom to remove suitable machinery at onco A machino is also being retnovid from tho Pinnado reefs to hero, so that it is possible that there will eventually be an ado-prate supply- of machinery nt tho disposal of tho public. Kilpatrick’s machinéis being increased from six to twelve stampers, and will bo ablo to crush about 100 tons weekly, ina’.ead of fifty aa at present. At the Seven Mile rush considerable activity prevails. A number of holes saflicient to provo tho value of tho gully ore being sunk, and aro expected to bottom in a few days, when tho future of their discovery, which causes so much excitement, will bo determined. At the Frenchman’s Gully a lorge number of shepherds still woud their way daily from the town, preferring this constitu’ional exercise over tho hills to that obtained by sinking a ehaft on tho claim on which they loiter about for two hours daily. Soma stringent alterations aro required in tho gold fields’ regulations to meet this nuisance, which is becoming worse tho longer it fa tolerated in its present form. The two men who stuck up Kelly’s store, at One Mile Gully, wero last week brought up nt the Folico Court. Tho hearing c f their caso occupied two days and a-r-nlf, and re- sulted in their teing committed fur trial. Considerable ability was exhibited by the police In getting up the case, it beiEg cno that was surrounded with many diffi- culties as to direct proof against tho offenders. It ia fortunato for the inhabitants of this gold field and society nt largo that tho small body of police stationed hero havo, nt nil tiroes, shown their ability to cope with crimo. Tho prompt apprehension of theso would-bo bushrangers will have its tile ct on thoee whose propensities may incline them to imitato the example set them, and prevent the spread of crime (hat inevitably would lead to murder. Tho two men committed aro not strangers to prison-discipline ; Maher, alias Kerr, is an old offender, nnd only c imploted a aenteaco in Bathum gaol a few week? ago; tho other prisoner rtjoicos in the hifctoric name of “Johu Shepherd”-u nama that (Ires not tend to difabtieo one’s mind of n prisoner’s guilt when placed in the dock. A sod illustration of tho want of tho schoolmaster and clergyman in tho bush was afforded in a caso heard in tho Court of Bequests last week. An intellige-nt-looking boy about twolvo years old, and who, evidently, for his age was well up in the ways of tho wtrld, was put forward us a witnets in n C-JSO in which d.umgos wore eluimcd for a sheep destroyed by dogs. Tho Bench very properly examined tho toy as t* his knowledge of the responsibility of on oath, and tho answers wem “truly de 1 ktable. The poor child had heard of a heaven and licit, could read a little, had never gone to church, had nover rend tho Bible ; and in answer to a question, “Did ho kuow what would happen to bim if hu told a lie? “ ho said puiourly nnd promptly, ns if he w.is answering correotly, “Yes, fir, I’d be put in chokey.” Thia benighted creature ia but a type of a largo class to bo found through tho pas- toral districts of the colony ; andthoso who refusa to aid in supporting tho spread nf tho Gospel and the extension of tho blessings of education throughout the length and breadth of the land will, I trust, ba able to rcconcilo their refueal with their duty to society nnd heir hopes of future salvation. In- stances havo como under my notico of sharp intel- ligent children growing up in vico and ignorance, who with proper facilities for educating them, would be useful citizens, and, instead of filling our gaols, would develop their energies in some suitablo industrial pursuit. Legisla- tion will not meet tho ditllculty unless thero is local support given to carry out tho details of any schenio that will tend to rtmovo tho cloud of ignorance that has boen allowed to gather over tho rising generation of bush natives. It t’s not the fault of these childron if thoy become inmates of our giole, or end a life of crimo and outrago on tho gallows. Piiscveranco is necessary in carrying out to a successful issue the social reforms initinted by tho Government last session, so thut their benefits will bo fully felt, and that no Judpe will be compelled, in a strict and hearty discharge of his duty, to utter such a speech aa that made by tho Chief Justice when sentencing the Clarkes. A third local nowspopcr made its firBt nppoaranoj o a Saturday lost. . Tho weather has boon frosty during tho past weok, but i chango ia imminent of a heavy downpour of rain. Much sick ness has been prevalent for eomo weeks past, but tho fros , seeas to have caused a material decrease.
One of the crucial problems of developing any reef mining venture was the problem and expense of getting the ore crushed.
Such infrastructure was beyond the means of the small claim holders and they hence had to carry their ore off to be processed. This could easily involve some distance and as a result you were very selective about just what ore got sent away for processing.
The good news for the Emu Creek field by mid winter was hence that “several owners of crushing machinery in the Western District have visited the goldfield and closely inspected the reefs. They pronounce them highly satisfactory, and that Emu Creek, as a reef mining district, has never been equalled in the colony. Arrangements have, I am informed, been made by them to remove suitable machinery at once to the field.”
16th August 1867
Hence one year on from the initial discovery of gold at O’Brien’s Hill, the town of Grenfell was well established and the Emu Creek field looked ahead to a prosperous future.
A significant feature of the field was the sheer extent of the quartz veins running across very large areas of countryside such that it effectively merged with the Burrangong field to the south to make a very large gold district indeed.
16th August 1867
The continued successful development of the Seven Mile Rush is having its effect on the prospects of this gold-field ~ there is less complaint of dull times amongst all classes there, and every one speaks more hopefully of their prospects than they did five or six weeks ago.
I visited the Seven Mile on Saturday last, and found a great alteration in its general appearances.
A street eighty-six feet wide has been laid off in a central position by the Police Magistrate, and is being rapidly built upon; frontages in fancy positions have been sold for what may be termed a high figure ~ considering the title of the vendor, and the prospects of the rush.
There are the skeletons of six buildings intended for public houses, and stores by the dozen are already erected, and doing a roaring trade in selling grog, evidently deriving more profit from their stock of liquors than from their stock of solids. Branches of establishments in Grenfell are being rapidly nailed together in order to increase trade, in fact all seems bustle and excitement, and exhibiting con- vincing proof of a strong confidence in the future of the rush. So much for business.
The mining prospects of the rush cannot reasonably be grumbled at, though those who have been disappointed in obtaining a claim on the “golden line” are anything but sanguine as to the payable character of the discovery.
But facts are stubborn things, as there is no disputing the existence of gold when successive propects give a yeild of over an ounce to the load. Claim after claim is being daily bottomed on pros- pects varying from 1/4 dwt, to 1 dwt. to the dish, with a depth of wash dirt varying from six inches to two feet. In the early part of last week a number of shafts that were sunk in an almost straight line below the last golden hole bottomed shallow, and duffers.
This startled many, but con- fidence has since then been restored by a succession of holes being bottomed on gold a few yeards to the north side of the shallow duffers. This success has caused the gully to be pegged out for a long distance ahead. Owing to the dull times that preceded the discovery of this gully, there is a pro- pensity amoungst the majority of those located there, as well as of those who pay a flying visit, to overrate the value of this rush; this weakness will lead to much money being ex- pended in the erection of buildings for which no return will ever be received.
this building mania which is prevalent with more or less intensity on all rushes leads to ex- aggerated opinions being formed of the value of these small discoveries, and errors are committed that could be avoided by the exercise of a little sound judgement.
I do not see any reason to alter the opinion I formed of the filed in June last. When I said it would probably afford employment to four or five hundred miners, add to this number the business people and camp followers, and the number will be about 800. This rush is precisely similar, in it’s pecu- liarites of formation, valu, and population, to what was known on the Burrangong gold-field as the “mile-rushes”.
A series of gullies on that gold-field were discovered one after the other, in a northerly direction from Young, com- mencing with what was called the six-mile, then seven- mile, duffer gully~ ten-mile, twelve mile, fourteen, sixteen, seventeen, and, I think, twenty mile.
These gullies all run east to west, and afforded employment for about 400 miners; they lasted about nine months, and yeilded from four to nine thousand ounces of gold each; the wash-dirt was patchy, both in quantity and quality, but, on the aver- age, paid fair wages.
On these workings there were usually four public-houses, a dozen small stores, and the usual miscellaneous collection of other business places. On the dis- covery of a fresh gully these buildings rapidly disappeared only to be re-erected a couple of miles further on, the change in their appearance being trifling.
The Seven-mile Rush is one of those outposts reproduced to the life, even to its humanity. The similarity of the formation of the un- worked country between the Seventeen-mile Rush of the Burrangong gold-field and the Seven-mile Rush of the Emu Creek gold-field to these mile rushes, is very striking, and there can be little doubt, that during next summer, gullies will be discovered that will connect the two gold- fields more closely than at present, though with interests widely different.
16th August 1867
In the process of establishing the new field, the spotlight had been placed well and truly on the new leasing system designed to encourage major mining investment by offering access to larger areas of the field than could be had via a miners right.
This proved a problematic introduction given it made it easier for speculators to lock up large areas of ground with little intention of actively mining them. The suggestion was made that only companies prepared to install their own crushing equipment should have access to leases.
16th August 1867
The seep sinking, which is about one mile and a half to the eastward of the Seven-mile, is but slowly progressing, owing to the labour required to sink a shaft such as is now being put down by the prospectors of this ground, who would not take such pains, if not certain to meet a reward when bottomed.
Many parties in anticipation of gold being struck in this shaft, have applied for leases. About forty acres is thus alienated, and I would not be surprised if when gold is reported, that there will be monster meet- ings held, at which the local staff of “tall talkers” will air their oratory, with what effect it is not difficult to foretell.
Apropos of this leasing system it is very defective, and these grievance-venders have some legitimate ground of complaint to expatiate upon. I mean on behalf of those whom they arrogate to themselves the right to represent. Sufficient care has not been taken to classify the ground that may be leased. The idea of leases is good and necessary to the economic working of our gold-fields, but no safeguards exist by which to protect the interests of the individual miner against monopoly.
By protection to the individual miner, I mean that ground which does not require a combination of capital and labour to overcome the obstacles necessary to be surmounted in extracting its auiferous deposits, should be exempt from leasing. It can be as economically worked under a miner’s right, while at the same time affording employment to possibly four times the number of miners, and ten times the benefit in a pecuniary sense.
The present systne will never come into general use. Is is true that a comparatively large num- ber of these leases have been applied for on this gold-field, but that fact is no criterion of the value of the system as an aid to the development of the gold-fields.
The greater part of these leases are the result of a spirit of speculation inseparable from a quartz reefing district, and a desire to obtain a larger area of payable reef than could be occupied under a miner’s right.
If the erection of crushing machinery was a strin- gent condition of quartz leases, litlle or no objection could, or possibly would, be raised by the miners, but when no such benefit is conferred, they will, I must confess, have strong grounds to complain of the monopolising tendency of the present leasing system.
Quartz reefing in the vicinity of Grenfell is assuming a large development. The first opened ref, such as O’Brien’s, Welcome, Lucknow, Lawson’s, and o’hers, still continue to yield “large quantity of quartz”, of more than average quality.
A new reef calle dthe Outward Bound, is attract- ing much attention. There are more claims marked off on it than on any reef in the district, they being as high as No. 16, on the north track of it. No stone has been crushed from it, but from its contiguity to O’Brien’s and the Homeward Bound, great reults are expected. the recent discovery at Brundah, The Surprise reef, is, so the discoverers say, looking as well as they could reasonably wish, as is a dozen other reefs, whose names are unnecessary.
It is a matter of considerable difficulty to attempt to predict the ultimate de- velopment of quartz minimg on this gold-field without being considered by these of your readers, who are not Grenfel- lites, as suffering from a severe attack of “quartz upon the brain”.
One thing is certain, that no such reefing district has ever been opened up in New South Wales. There seems to be no end of reefs here. Scarcely a day expires that does not herald to the quartz-struck inhabitants the discovery of some new lode of greater or less promise, and it would appear as if every hill and range was threaded with the golden veins.
There is hardly a hill but what shows more or less quartz cropping out the surface, and there is this favourable peculiarity, that most of the reefs found, inva- riably show the gold on the surface, in some few instances, glittering from the stone in the sun.
A large capital is now invested in this branch of mining industry, which will be doubled, ay, trebled, when sufficient machinery is available to crush up. The splendid yeild of 478 oz. from 150 tons, crushed from No. 1, north of O’Brien’s reef, has been much discussed, and the fortunate claimholders are looked up to as being lucky men. In this claim there is now about 2000 tons “to grass”, and with a reef six feet thick, the quantity could soon be doubled.
A ten stamper amchine, known as Mathieson’s, is ex- pected to raise the steam this week. The Excelsior machine, from Fundagai, has arrived, and will soon be up. The Brundah 2, C. Co.’s large machine is in the vicinity of Yass; but the wretched state of the roads will delay its arrival. Several other small machines are rumoured as being ready to move as soon as the weather takes up and permits of teams travelling. A
s an instance of the state of the roads in the vicinity of Grenfell, a well horsed team was five days coming eight miles, and in order to complete the journey, part of the loading had to be left behind for a second trip. The Government appraiser hasbeen here, valuing the town allotments. The valuation, though not generally known, has in many cases leaked out, and is considered as leaving no cause for further grumbling.
I never remember to have seen so much wrangling and ill-feeling exhibited about allotments as has been here. I feel certain that the in- crease of correspondence in the Land department has been something considerable, exclusive of many excited inter- views with the head of the department by dissatisfied allot- ment holders. Surely some simple rules for the laying out of mining townships could be adopted, and thus save much time and trouble to all concerned. the election of trustees and a treasurer and committee of management to the local public hospital passed off quietly. The opening scene of the movement to raise funds to build this hospital was a stormy one when com- pared to the closing scene of the election of the office bearers.
With the apathy peculiar to miners, only forty-five out of 197 subscribers of £1 and upwards took part in the election. The hospital has been erected and finished free from debt, and if the Government will grant the usual pound for pound subsidy, it will have a fair balance in hand to start with. The weather has been unusually wet. Rain has fallen in such quantities as to make the country surrounding Grenfell one immense quagmire, and no easy task to nvai- gate a vehicle through it. The sun, when it does show out, is enjoyably warm, and soon causes all to forget the dis- comforts inseparable from winter weather.
6th September 1867
Against this backdrop, the article which appeared in early September with a detailed report on the finacial structures and operations of the new field makes for rivetting reading.
It relates just how miners worked in cooperation with local storekeepers and other financial stakeholders. This was a system in transition – the miner on their own was irrelevant, but the rise of the formal incorporated companies role in mining still lay ahead.
6th September 1867
The escort left here on the 27th August, with 3084 ounces, being by far the largest amount of any gold field in the colony.
The excitement that the Seven Mile Rush has created during the past month has had the effect of suspending washing operations, and so lessening the amount of the escort-as a party work- ing a claim on any of the old workings can despatch some cf their mates to mark oil a claim on tne new rush, and so give them a double chance, or the party takes up a quartz claim and ono half work it, while the other half work the alluvial, and co keep the party m funds.
Moreover, many miners who would fossick in the old ground, or work with a will m poor ground, abandon all for the chanco of a golden hole m virgin giound. All these causes tend to suspend the production of gold, and make the average earnings of the population lower frr the time being than they really are
Even though the summer is fast approaching, and water may be naturall} expected to be scarce, especially far alluvial mines, the escorts about the new year will be far higher than at present, consequent on the large increase ot crush- ing machinery that will be at the disposal of the quvrtz reefers, whose heaps of quart/ aro assuming leviathan proportions, and the means of reducing them is eagerly looked forwntd to
The two crushing machines olearod up last week their cruthing of 210 ton» for claim No. 2 South, on the Lucknow Reef, thejield being 3G6 o¿ , being nnawaqe of 1,’ di to tho ton.
This stout was crushed in two lots, 106 tons at Kilpatrick’a machine j lelding 235 o/ , and 101 tons at Hannon and Co.’* maching j leldin» 131 o¿ , so that taking one lot with the other, the averago is a good earnest of a con retency for the owners of this claim Hannon and Co.’s machine IB now ciushing 100 tons from the prospect- ing claim of the same reef, and from the appeirance oí the I ripples of the machine the jield will be at least four ounces to the ton,
Ihe continued splendid yield of these largo lots .of quartz from diflerent lines of reef are a convincing proof of their value and permanency, and that tho first cruthing* were a fair test of the probable yield Of course all the reef now opened and being worked with more or less energy bj the owners, will not average so high, indeed, I know of BOir.e half a do/.an at least that will not pay “tucker” to those who aro now working them, and to the backers of these mon the loss will bo far greater, as their IGFS will not bo time and labour, but hard cash, which IB far more severely felt.
Ibis system of “backing,” as it is called, is being de- veloped to a very large extent, soino hundred of Dounds must le paid weekly bj this elias oi mining Bce.ulators, in many cases, I fear, with but a shadowy prospect of any return.
Ihe manuel in which this method ot investing capital IB earned on, though well understood on the diggings, may he lntei ealing to that poition of the public whoso acquaintance with the minutiic of the gold fields ia limited, and will, therefoie, illustrate one phasa of tho disease know as “ quart? on the brain “
A storekeeper, or ether person not actually engaged in mining, and m some few cases those who are miners, become partners in (Bay) a quart/, claim containing six men’s ground. Undor the regulations threo men can represent sis, until a crushing takes place, when, if pajable, tho full number of men must be at work.
Until; a crushing is obtained, three of the shareholders pay in half a man’s wages each to tho three who do work, the amount being generally about twenty-five shillings per week.
It will thus be” seen that when there are about forty reefs regis- tered, with claims on each, varjing in number from threo to twenty-one, thero must be a large amount of msnoy paid weekly in “backing”
In the great majority of claims there is little or no possibility of a crushing taking place for several months to come, and as the backers have, in many instances, been paying in for some mouthi baok, it will tcquiro o good cruehipg to repay thcui for their outlay ore they can think of pt* t osperi reefs will never pay.
Yet, despite all warning o*^ .^s” enco, the number of what aro teohnioally called “ Chu. ‘., (i. c. verdant backers), far oxoeeds tho chineas offered by »K professional roef-openers.
While on thhVsubject of “bankers ‘ [ I wouiu ^ieh to call tho attention of Mr. Wilson, *he Minielei for Lands, toa serious defeat in tho codo of regu- lations issued under bia fnitaed.’nto revision, by which no provision is mode to protect these baokers or sleeping share- holders in claims.
This speculative class are an important element in the population on this gold’fiold, .they being the real proprietors, as without their money tho (juartz rcofs cotila never have been developed as thoy have been.
Those men aro entirely at .the meroy of the share- holders who work (ho claims, una to whom the one pound five shillings a week is paid, and who havo been enabled by this money to prove the claim and find payable stone, seek, with (he aid of a confederate, to “ do “ their backers out of their share j the plan adopted is simple and ingenious, ‘and, unfortunately, too successful.
Having found payable stone, the working shareholder sbf ents himself from the claim for the number of days suffi- cient to render tho shares-that is, his own and his backers’ -liable to forfeiture ; the confederate-uko that of tho thimblerigs-comes as a stranger and jumps the deserted shares, and if his right ia disputed, tho magistrates inter- ference is invoked, and, by the aid of an elastio conscience, the shares aro declared forfeited, and the too-confiding backer sees his vision of a pile vanish never to return.
The abBent shareholder next day coolly returns,|and tho confede- rate ostentatiously gives him one of (he shares. Under the regulations as they now are, there ÍB apparently no discre- tion allowed to n magistrate in considering the faots of the forfeiture.
It has been decided hore (hat by tho working shareholder absenting himself, not only is his own share ‘ forfeited, but tho one owned by his backer also. ThiB is manifestly unjust, as the backer should not loso his share by a fault over which he has no control^ being unaware, in nine cases out of ten, of his representative’s absence.
To my mind he should ho served with a notice of his shaxo being non-repreBcnted, ero it is forfeited. This is a matter requiring a prompt remedv. ere the backers become dis gufitcd and close their pockets.
The Seven Mile is progressing favourably and oxpodi fiouelj’. Now that the claims along the load are being properly opened out by driving, the width and cha- racter of the auriferous deposit is becoming known, and a pretty reliable opinion can be formed as to tho yield.
About the centre of the Seven-Mile Gully, gold is now being worked almost threo claims wide. This width is not maintained beyond three or four claims long, when it again narrows to one claim. This is the peculiarity of the gullies of this and tho Burragong gold-fields, the richest ground being about tho middle of the gully, gradually boooming poorer downwurds till it runs out.
The lower end of the Seven Milo or Finn’s Gully, for a j’unction of tho two has net jet Leen traced, is looking remarkably lively, and holders of claims are very confident of their prospects.
Experienced miners say that payable gold will be traced downwards to Dalej’s dam ere the rush is worked ont. It is reported that gold bee been struck two miles ahead of Finn’s propetting claim, but no official report has as yet been made of such a discovery.
A hole has been sunk and Dotfcmed at about the samo depth as the ground in tho vicinity of Finn’s claim, and this is looked upon as a very favourable indication oi goia, proving as it aoes -tnat tno Bottom is level ana likely to retain golden deposiis. One thing is certain, that the country around the Soven Mile will be thoroughly prosj ccted this season, with a strong piobabihty of valuable discovenes
Arrangements havo been entered into by seveial parties to erect puddling machines at Daley’s dam, for the purpose of “ waehing up’’tho Seven Mile. The proprietor of the dam is to receive t wo shillings for every load put through the machines, and all sludge to be kept cut of the dam
Thero will bo no claim on tho rush that will prove such a “golden” one as this spec LaBt summer bali a crown a load was charged for washing, but owing to its distance from Grenfell-SIK miles-it was not much used The Soven Milo is not more than three milos from (hu- dam, and it is therefore certain to be patronised largely. 1 ho cost of cartage will bo not less than seven or eight shillings per load, a rather high rate for poor vvash-dtrt, to provi lemunerative Here is a “ leasing mama ‘ now verj prevalent During the past ten days, not less than one hundred acres have been applied for, principally m a locality known as the Deep SiLkiDg er Eureka Tlat, at the Tjagong, where some heavy [ rospecling bus been done w ithui the past five months It is contiilcntlj asserted that the prospectors have been successful, at nil events, it is owing to the generil belief m this report that io many leases have been applied for I intend visiting the locality this week, and will theroforo reserve any ex- tended remarks on its probable value for my next letter.
It would be but adding fuel to the fare were I to give any detailed report of the “ spurts ‘ of excitement that i cecur every week when a new reef is discovered, or some ur usua I j rich specimens aro obtained from those already rperfd “Plodding, easy going, business men, may beaeen mshir~ ni out on horseback in a frantic state, en route to the goldtn spot Speculative rubheans talk eloquently of the specimens from the Duke of Edinburgh lead, or the Sailor Punce reef or some such attractively-named lode Pestles and mortars are in great demand, these portable crushers being m Ihe “bar” of every public for the uso of customers.
Ihevpganes of thiB “quartzon the brain” are amusing, and luuBt be seen to bo really understood and enjoyed
The disease has spread to the drowsy town of Young, and its edict is to bo seen m the search DOW being made on the manj of the hills around that town for reefs, which, if eucccstful will once more galvanue lifo into thit relic of Ite fast An amusing proof of the peculiar enterprise of some of our population was offered by a case tried in the Police Court a few da> s ago
A man took a contract for building a stable at the Seven-mile, and having procuied the loan of « hotse and dray, ho coolly proceeaed to the opposite end ef ihe rush and carted away a hut, rccentlj put up, with which he Luilt the stable, and having got paid for it, he te ck ii horso without asking the owner’s permission, and made tracks into Grenfell on his way for another district Li foituna’ely ho attracted the attention of the police and was apprehended, not being able to satisfactorily account fcr the possession of the horse The result ia that ho is j now committed on the two charges of hut and horse stealing