Mine at Laverton
CHAPTER XXII
Laverton—Excitement among the Miners—Bachelors and Grass Widowers—More Souvenirs—Lucky Discoveries—Erlistoun—Lost—Eagle Nugget—Euro Mine—Hospitality in the Bush.
The coach to British Flag, or Laverton, turned out to be a large kind of conveyance with three open seats and no cover; consequently, as the day had been hot, I was glad when we drove into the township at 8 o’clock in the evening, for I was fairly tired out. Every one in the place was looking out for the mail, which only goes up three times a week. Several gentlemen whom I had known in other parts of the colony were here, and having heard that I was to arrive by this coach, were waiting to receive me, and three pairs of stalwart arms were held out to help me down. I was escorted into the hotel, and from the time I arrived until I left was the recipient of so much attention from the numerous and kindly fellows as to be almost bewildered.
The very comfortable hotel was kept by three bachelors, one looking after the hotel business and the other two after the store which they also own. Wages up here are very high: cooks get £3 10s. per week, and two young women, one of whom acts as housekeeper, while the other attends in the bar, were receiving £5 per week! Another young woman was making a small fortune by washing and mending the clothes of the gay bachelors, who, having plenty of money, do not mind what they pay for work done for them. The whole of the country seemed to be a vast auriferous area, and thousands of miles of rich country higher up yet are absolutely unprospected.
Horses being very scarce, I was indebted to Mr. Campbell Shaw for the use of his horse and buggy during my stay. Mr. Shaw drove me out to the Augusta Mine, of which he is manager. This little mine is very rich, and had just been bought from the three original prospectors for £2500 in cash and 1300 shares. There was no battery there as yet, and so the stone raised was taken to the Hawkes Nest Battery, 9 miles away, every morning by a 60-camel train, the camels returning at night for their next morning’s load. The country around is really pretty, and from the hill on which the Augusta Mine stands you can see the houses at Mount Morgans, 20 miles off, through the clear air. Some very fine specimens have been sent from this admirable little mine to the Glasgow Exhibition, and I was fortunate to get some myself. The camps here were all very neat and tidy, and yet there was not a woman on the mine, all the men being bachelors or grass widowers. I intended to go down the shaft, but there had been an accident the day before, and two young men had been injured—happily, however, not very seriously—so I thought discretion the better part of valour and did not go down. As no women were at the mine I volunteered to do a little nursing by putting cold bandages on the injured men’s arms, and making them nice cool lemon drinks, for which the poor fellows were very grateful.
Going back to Laverton, just as the sun was setting, I thought the little township looked very flourishing. It is wonderful how quickly these places spring up! A few months ago only a few tents marked the spot which then was called British Flag. We stopped at Dr. Laver’s old camp and surveyed the little township with wondering eyes, and two lucky prospectors coming up gave me a pretty little nugget they had found that day. These men had previously struck a patch in an abandoned shaft near where they were camped a few miles out. They thought they would go down and look all over it, and did so with such perseverance that they found a leader. Following it up, they discovered it to be 18 inches wide, and eventually came across a rich pocket from which they afterwards took £4000 worth of gold.
Driving into the township we went down to the post-office, not a Bush one, but really a nice building. As it was the mail night all the folk were there waiting for their letters. Most of the shops and houses are built of galvanised iron, and are very hot during the day; but this drawback has to be endured, for the place is in the Mulga country, where the trees are very small and only fit for firewood, and the distances are too great to bring timber from elsewhere. The Western Australian Bank had a very nice place; it was one of the best buildings there.