Broad Arrow—Menzies—Rich Mines—Lady Shenton—Luncheon in the
Caverns of the Earth—Hon. H. J. Saunders—Welcome Tea and
Cake—Native Murder—A Lost Prospector—Cake of Gold—Box-seat of
the Coach—Mount Malcolm—Gold Escort—Windmills and Fresh Water.
I went back to Kalgoorlie this time by train, the railway having now been
open over twelve months; stayed at Wilkie’s Hotel, opposite the station,
and found it most comfortable as well as convenient. Wilkie Brothers, who
were the successful tenderers for the Coolgardie Railway (which brought
them a profit of £300,000) own this hotel. The next morning I set out for
more goldfields, and arrived at the Menzies after an interesting journey
through various small townships, Paddington and Broad Arrow being the
best. There are some large mines at Paddington giving excellent returns.
Broad Arrow, a very nice little place, has lately been the scene of an
alluvial rush, and the usual population of 300 was quickly increased
to 3000. There are a post-office, four hotels, several stores, and a
good many shops, as well as some nice dwelling-houses. It is now a very
thriving place of some importance and a scene of bustling activity.
Shops which a short time ago would not let at any price now command such
rents as their owners scarcely dreamed would ever be possible. There
are several very rich claims which have bottomed on rich gold; in fact,
gold is everywhere. The extent and value of the golden ground can only be
conjectured. One claim, called the Blue Duck, was exceptionally good; so
is the Maltese Cross; while the Bird’s Nest is a veritable golden hole.
The names of these claims struck me as being very peculiar; another rich
one, owned by men who, until they struck this, had had a continued stream
of ill-luck, is called the Battlers’ Reward, and indeed they richly
deserved their splendid find, the gold from which stands out to the wash
in halfpenny-weight pieces.
Farther along the line is Bardoc, from which place much rich gold has
been won. It was at Bardoc that an accident recently happened in one of
the mines, a poor man being killed by five tons of rock falling on him.
Twenty-six miles before we reached Menzies was Goongarrie, which a few
years ago made a great sensation in the mining world.
[Illustration: Part of Lady Shenton Battery]
Menzies was the nicest small mining town I had seen. There was a
wonderful air of prosperity about it. As I walked up the principal
street it seemed almost to say, “This is a good place,” and the people
were extremely kind to the stranger in their midst. Until quite recently
Menzies was one of the “back-block” towns, only accessible by coach from
Kalgoorlie, a distance of 90 miles. The people in what we Australians
call coach-towns always seem more genial and warm-hearted than those
who can pop into a train and be whirled along to the metropolis, and
Menzies only having had the train service recently has not had time to
get spoiled. I think it is because of their isolation that people in
these places, as a rule, hail strange faces with more pleasure than
others do. There are some very nice houses in Menzies, and the hotels
are especially good. The Grand Hotel (I can speak from experience) is a
model of comfort. A very well-built post-office and court-house adorn the
town, and there are many other substantial buildings in the place, which
is, no doubt, a most important centre of business and industry, and
which has made great strides during the last twelve months, especially
since it received a new impetus from the advent of the railway. The
town is literally surrounded by mines, not only of gold; copper has
been found near in lodes of 50 feet wide, that bear 5 dwts. of gold as
well as 60 per cent. of copper. Menzies is quite a young town, and is
named after Mr. Menzies, the explorer, who, in 1894, went prospecting
from Kalgoorlie to see if he could discover any more Kalgoorlies. After
travelling some weeks he discovered some rich “shows,” and telegraphed to
the syndicate, of which Sir George Shenton and the Hon. H. J. Saunders
are head, to that effect. Application for ground was made and accepted,
and works afterwards commenced, with what success may be imagined from
the results of that noble mine the Lady Shenton, which, since 1897,
has paid 12 dividends of over £88,000, besides expending large sums of
money on machinery, &c. The Lady Shenton Mine occupies 36 acres of land.
There is a splendid electric-light installation, both on the surface and
underground, at the main shaft as well as in the crushing-sheds, and
in many other places where it is useful. The total output of the mine
is 97,278 ounces of smelted gold, exclusive of gold from tailings and
concentrates, the latter sometimes giving a very high percentage of gold,
since as much as 327 ounces had been taken from 73 tons when I was there;
14,000 tons of tailings were awaiting treatment. Some time ago, when Sir
Gerard Smith visited the mine, luncheon was served to the visitors in the
300-foot level. I happened to be at the Lady Shenton Mine at “crib” time,
and after “crib” the miners went out with their football to have a game
before beginning work again. They were fine looking specimens of colonial
manhood, and seemed thoroughly to enjoy their friendly game.
The sleeping tents of the miners are some little distance from the mine,
but there were several dinner tents close by. The men form themselves
into little parties of five or six, taking it in turns to act as house
boy, or, as I should say, tent boy. In the day time the menu is cold, and
looking at the stock of tins of preserved meats (elegantly termed tinned
dog), fish, jam, milk, cake, and vegetables, it is easy to see that
they do not neglect their meals. Why should they, since they are in the
receipt of high and regular wages?
The next large mine is the Queensland Menzies, from which there have
been large returns. There are some other first-class mines from which
great things are expected. Four miles from Menzies is Kensington, where
there are more good mines, also two splendid breweries. I next travelled
across the country for about four miles, all alone, with only the pony
I was driving for company; but happening, with my usual luck, to strike
the right track and not get lost, I came to the Four Mile, where there
is a little township (small settlement), and a magnificent mine called
the Menzies Consolidated. There are 120 men engaged on this mine, who
form quite a little colony by themselves. There is a fine tennis court,
where several of the officials of the mine were enjoying a game. Mrs.
Strickland, the sub-manager’s wife, insisted on getting tea and cake for
me, and seeing that my horse also was refreshed after the heat of the
day. On my way back to Menzies by another road, a metalled one this time,
I passed many prospectors and dry-blowers, who all seemed quite satisfied
with what they were getting. When I got in sight of Menzies I took a
short cut through the Bush, and found I had to pass through abandoned
alluvial diggings and several shut-down mines. I was glad to get back
again on to the hard road and to Menzies, for the shades of night were
falling fast. Next morning I learned from the paper that a murder had
been committed by natives and the body found near Kensington the day
before. I must have passed quite close to it, and am very glad I did not
see it. Many crimes are committed in these remote parts, the perpetrators
of which are never discovered. A long-standing mystery has just been
solved: a man named McInnes disappeared about two years ago; he was known
to be a thorough Bushman, and fora few days no notice was taken of his
disappearance. However, as he did not return search-parties went out to
look for him, but he was never found. Shortly after his supposed death
his brother came from Victoria, took charge of his affairs, and vowed
that he would never leave the colony until he had solved the mystery of
his brother’s disappearance. This has apparently been done by a blackboy
named Tiger, who found the skeleton of a man at the Bullarchi Rocks, 12
miles off, and Mr. McInnes, the brother of the missing man, being sent
for, identified the remains as those of his long-lost brother. The poor
fellow had evidently, in Western vernacular, “done a perish,” like so
many others, in the course of searching for gold.
An extraordinary meteor was witnessed here a short time ago. A
magnificent ball of fire shot across the heavens from the north-west to
the north-east, leaving an almost straight trail of light behind it. At
the head of this trail of light appeared a ball of fire, which became
gradually diffused around the luminous trail or meteor in convolutions
resembling the movements of a serpent. For some moments the display
bore a likeness of a pillar of light with a serpent twined around it.
Gradually this semblance was transformed into the figure of a man
standing upright, with his arms partly spread and his hands clasped.
This form grew gradually into an attitude as if the figure were about
to spring, the head and shoulders being inclined forwards and the legs
slightly drawn up, and in this attitude it remained till the luminosity,
gradually becoming paler, was absorbed in the silver light of the
breaking day. Altogether the phenomenon lasted from 10 to 15 minutes.
[Illustration: MESSRS. A. FORREST AND J. DUNN ON A PROSPECTING TOUR]
To the west of Menzies is Mulline, where there are some very rich mines.
Mr. De Baun, of Perth, has a mine there from which he recently brought
to Perth a very nice little cake of gold weighing 447 ounces, valued at
£1700. Then on the east side there are Yerilla, Pendinnie, and Eujidine;
here the Nita Mine, lately called the North Fingall, has recently had a
fine crushing. At Pendinnie, 120 miles from Menzies, a find lately took
place, and the scene along the road was a repetition on a smaller scale
of the rush to the Boulder a few years ago. Camel and horse teams crowded
the way, and everybody was smitten with the feverish race to get to the
promising spot; nothing stupendous has yet been found, but the place is
good and fair results have been obtained. The Waihi Mine, about 32 miles
from Menzies, is one of the latest sensations, and promises to be of
great value. Much of the stone is being broken out, showing rich gold,
and, on being tested, gave results from 6 to 20 ounces per ton. Although
only discovered in October 1900, the lucky prospectors in November were
offered £20,000 for the mine by a syndicate, and since then a company has
been floated and over a hundred thousand shares taken up.
I went on by coach to Mount Malcolm from Menzies. Certainly there was not
much but sand and scrub to be seen in the way of scenery. We arrived at
Niagara, the end of the first 30-mile stage, quite ready for dinner at 1
o’clock. This little place did not present a very attractive appearance;
in fact, it was most remarkably dull looking. The mining district of
Niagara is scattered, but there are some good mines about. After the
60-mile coach drive I was very pleased to see the lights of the little
town of Mount Malcolm appear, which is the most typical mining place I
have ever seen. As I strolled down the one street in the morning I said
to myself, “I am indeed getting away from town life, and shall now see
real mining business to my heart’s content.” The coach journey is indeed
terrible, the road being almost one sand patch, and the horses having to
walk a great part of the way, so the sooner the railway comes the better
for all parties concerned. There seemed to be some grass growing about
Malcolm, which was quite a fresh sight for me, and I am sure a boon for
the horses and their owners in these parts, where fodder is so expensive.
Then the beautiful supply of fresh water is a blessing to every one,
and a great aid to the development of the country, the work of digging
for gold being rendered so much easier than in the sterile wastes of
country where water is scarce. Mount Malcolm might almost be called
Windmill Town, on account of the windmills over the wells; nearly all
the public-houses and many private places have their own water supply.
The gold escort had just gone down, taking the month’s gold to Perth.
I saw it start from the post-office, which is quite a nice large one
for a mining township. The warden’s offices, or court-house, are nearly
opposite—such a funny place!—just two Hessian tents with bough-sheds
built over to protect them from the sun. (A new warden’s office has
since been built.) There is no lock-up here, so any one who misbehaves
is chained to a small tree not far from the court-house and left there
all night. This seemed to me a custom more fit for the barbarous dark
ages than this enlightened century. A little while ago a man was chained
up for being intoxicated. It appears he woke from his tipsy sleep in the
night and felt very thirsty. He tried to get the chain off his leg, but
could not. The tree they had chained him to that night did not happen to
be firm enough in the ground, for he pulled and pulled until he got it
uprooted, and then made his way down the street to an hotel, dragging
chain and tree after him, and with his blanket fluttering in the wind
made night hideous with his cries and woke the whole town with his noise.
As the authorities could not give him a month under the tree for this,
they packed him off in the coach next morning to the nearest gaol.
There are not many mines in the immediate vicinity of Malcolm. The
Richmond Gem was under exemption, also at that time under a cloud, but it
had been a good mine, and will, no doubt, recover itself. Another large
mine about half a mile out is the North Star, where very good results
have been obtained. There are many men employed here, and on Saturday
nights they come into Malcolm and make the little township lively. A
novel procession passed up the street while I was there; it was a new
engine for the Malcolm Mohr battery, drawn by 14 horses, and caused quite
a flutter of excitement. Malcolm was comparatively quiet, as there was a
rush to Mertonville, 18 miles off.
The ex-Premier, at a recent visit, said that when he was last in the
district, 30 years ago, he stood on and named Mount Malcolm, and in
those days never thought that it would be the centre of a great mining
district. On the earlier occasion he was at the head of a small exploring
expedition sent to see whether the reports of the natives that white men
had been murdered there were true; it was thought that these white men
might be members of Leichhardt’s expedition.
During my stay at Mount Malcolm I was shown many really beautiful
specimens by the managers of some of the principal mines. Many of these
were from deep levels, and would, I am sure, much surprise many people
who are sceptical about the richness of the mines in these parts. I
received some very pretty little specimens, souvenirs of my visit,
which I shall always value very much. There is no lack of money; every
one appeared to be well off. The following story may serve to show
what a lucky miner will sometimes do after he has had a good crushing
or found some good specimens. A man who had unearthed a nice slug—30
ounces—in the Lake Way district came into Malcolm for a spree, and on
one occasion, while drinking “not wisely, but too well,” he upbraided
the Hebe behind the counter for wiping the glasses with an old towel.
The delinquent pleaded poverty as an excuse, and straightway the accuser
threw down ten sovereigns and suggested the purchase of a new towel.
Another man at another township, who had a splendid claim, and had taken
over £2000 worth of gold from it, has now not a penny, because every
time he realised on his gold he immediately spent the whole sum in the
hotels. As there are but two of these in the township, they have made
good profits from this man’s mine. When he has spent all his money,
the hotel-keepers put him into a cart and drive him out to the mine to
recover himself. After he has done so, he usually sets to work for a
month or two, and unearths some more nuggets for another spree (drunk).
Shortly after breakfast a few friends and myself drove to some nice
gardens a little way from town. Although the weather was very warm,
everything was delightfully fresh and green, the flowers were smelling
sweetly, and the vegetables a perfect picture. What a blessing is
plenty of fresh water! Any quantity can be got here by digging a
well, and the experts from the Goldfields Water Supply Department,
who were here recently, say that the country between the hills is
really a subterreanean reservoir extending for miles. We drove on to
the Mount, which is five miles farther away. A splendid view of the
surrounding country for fully 30 miles is obtained from the Mount. The
Trigonometrical Station here is very interesting. We had lunch on the
very top of the hill, and returned to Malcolm in good spirits, having
passed a most enjoyable day.
Daseyhurst, 35 miles from Menzies, is a coming goldfield, and North’s
Consolidated Blocks, owned by Mr. J. H. North and Mr. W. E. Millar, may
yet rival the fame of Great Westralian Mount Morgans, of which mine these
gentlemen were the pioneers. Mr. North has recently successfully floated
a company in London to further develop the North Consolidated, and we
expect to hear great things in the future from this promising mine.
[Illustration: Merton’s Find, Mertondale]