[Editor: This article, regarding the theft of gold-laden wash-dirt, was published in The Bendigo Independent (Bendigo, Vic.), 16 October 1903.]
Theft of golden washdirt.
Tarnagulla, Wednesday, October 15.
During Saturday night or Sunday some thief at the Nick o’Time rush entered the claim of Messrs. Hatt and Claridge, the prospectors, and dug out a load of the best wash, from which the proprietors have been obtaining some exceptionally good returns during the past week or so.
One of the party was at the claim on Sunday, but not suspecting a theft, did not descend the shaft. However, the heavy rain that fell on Sunday evening obliterated all traces or tracks, so that there is not the slightest clue to the perpetrators.
The same thing happened at the Waanyarra rush when it was in full swing, but no trace of the thieves could be found.
Source:
The Bendigo Independent (Bendigo, Vic.), 16 October 1903, p. 1
Editor’s notes:
claim = (in a mining or gold-seeking context) an area claimed for the purposes of mining; an area of ground which has been denoted, marked off, or staked out for the use of a particular miner, mining partnership, group of miners, or mining company
Messrs. = an abbreviation of “messieurs” (French), being the plural of “monsieur”; used in English as the plural of “Mister” (which is abbreviated as “Mr.”); the title is used in English prior to the names of two or more men (often used regarding a company, e.g. “the firm of Messrs. Bagot, Shakes, & Lewis”, “the firm of Messrs. Hogue, Davidson, & Co.”)
wash = [see: washdirt]
washdirt = (also called: wash, wash-dirt, wash gravel, wash-stuff) dirt, earth, or gravel containing gold; dirt, earth, or gravel which is considered to be worth washing for gold (“washing” is the process of cleansing or sifting gold from washdirt)
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