Below are transcripts of various newspaper reports on the “Denmark Gold Rush of 1898”.
They clearly show how important the country thought the find was and then the disgust when it was shown to be a hoax. They also show vividly the difference in journalistic style compared to current times.
The articles are arranged from first reports, to denouement and demonstration of a hoax to a final 1941 report of the whole story in “The West Australian”.
“The reported discovery of gold at Denmark: A visit to the claims (by our special reporter)” from The Albany Advertiser Saturday 23 April 1898 is especially entertaining.
First Reports
GOLD AT DENMARK – On Thursday last four workmen from Denmark applied to Mr. E. C. D Keyser for miner’s rights. One of the men stated that he had obtained £3 worth of gold by dollying from 40lb. stone. The gold was discovered a short distance from Denmark. Mr. H. Smith, manager for the Jarrah and Karri Company, had been so impressed by the discovery that he had also taken out a miners right.
GOLD AT DENMARK
The Albany Advertiser (WA : 1897 – 1954) Saturday 12 March 1898 p 2 Article
GOLD DISCOVERIES AT DENMARK.
RICH SPECIMENS.
In Saturday’s paper we published particulars of a gold find at Denmark. The discoverer in that case was a man named Riley. He is said to have got rich stone and on dollying got a fine yield. Now another man named Allen, an axeman in the employment of the timber, company, has made another discovery, but has not yet made known the locality. In his spare hours he used to go prospecting and at last was successful. He brought in specimens showing free gold. Indeed the specimens if found at Coolgardie would have created something like a sensation. He dollied some of the stone and in a single dish got about 4 pennyweights of gold. The gold is coarse. The stone is brown and very similar to some that is found on the fields of Coolgardie and Norseman, and it shows both fine and coarse gold freely. One piece of whitish quartz shows a large blob of gold. The specimens were shown to Mr. E. F Millar and he requested Mr. Allan to follow him to Melbourne in order, that the particulars of the discovery may be placed before Mr. C. G. Millar. It is probable that while in Melbourne Mr. Allen will arrange for capital to develop and work the property. The find we may add is on the estate of Messrs. Millar. On many occasions in past years colours of gold have been found in the streams in the district. We make the above statements with reserve because we cannot find anyone who has seen the claims. If correct, the discoveries are of the most important character.
GOLD DISCOVERIES AT DENMARK RICH SPECIMENS
Since writing the above we have seen Mr. Allen with regard to his discovery. He informs us that he discovered the gold during his prospecting operations in his spare time. He came upon it in the shape of loose quartz lying about, and on inspecting specimens found that they contained gold. The formation is loose, and he believes that it is porophry. Several different kinds of quartz are in the lode. From his long experience as a miner, he is of opinion that it is a true fissure lode, and that it will prove payable. He communicated with Mr. E. F. Millar regarding his discovery, and Mr. Millar told him that it would be better for him to go to Melbourne and arrange with Mr. C. G. Millar as to the taking up of a claim. Mr. Allen therefore left for Melbourne yesterday by the s.s. Rockton, and expects to be absent three weeks. He informs us that he believes it is better to make an arrangement with the owners of the property prior to taking up ground, as without the support of the owners difficulties always arise in mining on private property. So soon as he arranged with the Messrs. Millar he will return, take up the ground he requires, and make public the full particulars of his discovery.
The Albany Advertiser (WA : 1897 – 1954) Tuesday 15 March 1898 p 3 Article
ANOTHER GOLD FIND.
EXCITEMENT AT ALBANY.
Albany. April 20.
Considerable excitement has been caused here by the discovery of a gold-bearing reef near the Denmark sawmills. The reef, which outcrops for 130 yards, is 30 yards wide and specimens have been exhibited which show gold freely. The find is situated four miles from the mills on Crown lands, and it is stated that “color” has been found by washing sand in the neighborhood of the reef. A number of claims have been pegged out and there is a great run on miners’ rights. The reef was found some time ago, but no work has been done on it yet, the finder believing it was situated on Messrs. C. & K. Millar’s freehold land. He has been to Melbourne to make arrangements with them, but on his return he discovered that the fund is outside the boundaries of Messrs. C. & E. Millar’s property.
ANOTHER GOLD FIND. EXCITEMENT AT ALBANY. Albany. April 20
Chronicle (Adelaide, SA : 1895 – 1954) Saturday 23 April 1898 p 25 Article
NEW GOLD FIND IN
WESTRALIA.
A REEF IN THE SAND.
ALBANY, WEDNESDAY.
Considerable excitement has been caused by the discovery of a gold-bearing reef near Denmark Saw Mills. The reef, which outcrops for 130 yds, is 30 yds wide, and specimens show gold freely. The find is situated four miles from the mills on Crown land, and colour has been found by washing the sand in the neighbourhood of the reef numbers of claims have been pegged out, and there is a great run on miners’ rights.
NEW GOLD FIND IN WESTRALIA. A REEF IN THE SAND. ALBANY, WEDNESDAY.
Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners’ Advocate (NSW : 1876 – 1954) Thursday 21 April 1898 p 5 Article
The Denouement and Exposure of the Hoax
THE REPORTED DISCOVERY OF GOLD AT DENMARK
A VISIT TO THE CLAIMS
(BY OUR SPECIAL REPORTER)
When, the songwriter penned “Gold! gold ! ! gold ! ! ! I love to hear it jingle” he expressed a sentiment of universal application. There is nothing in this wide world that so stirs the imagination of men as the discovery of gold especially if, it be made within easy reach. We have had our gold rushes in this colony and we have been all interested in the news from Klondyke, but never in this district until the other day has any discovery had the effect of setting the blood of the people tingling. For two or three days it seemed that we were about to come under the influence of a local gold boom with its feverishness and its race for claims. The story is well known of how some weeks ago a mister Allen an employee at Denmark had discovered gold near the scene of his daily labours and how he had undertaken a journey to Melbourne in order to come to terms with the Messrs. Millar, because he believed that his Klondyke lay within their territory. At that time he showed rich gold – rich enough to set the colony on fire – and told a plain unvarnished tale of how he had made the find. Well, he returned to Albany three weeks ago, and for a while nothing was heard of his movements until this week, when it was found that he had taken the postmaster at Denmark to his claim and shown him the golden hole and produced the precious metal under his very eyes. This further harvest of gold spread quickly round, and soon claims were being hurriedly pegged on the line. The fever had set in, and it was even reported that all the men at Denmark mills had thrown down their tools and started in active business as miners. Things were rapidly coming to a head, and I took the first opportunity of seeing what foundation there was for this local gold rush. Train was taken on Wednesday afternoon and the great public interest in the report was evidenced by the fact that the train that afternoon took to Denmark a number of prominent Albany men. Some of the party had provided themselves with miner’s rights and were apparently entering upon the adventure with feelings of fluctuating doubt and confidence. They had all seen the stone and the gold and were satisfied as men could be that if the same stone could be found in the Denmark district the time had arrived for a boom and for a “rush”. There was quite a small crowd on the platform to see the Klondykers away and as the train moved from the platform a cheer was raised. Whether the cheer was kindly meant or not is a matter open to investigation and discussion; at the same time there were few on the platform who would not have liked to have been of the party bound for the new Eldorado. I have since heard of citizens who gnashed their teeth as they pictured to themselves the members of our party pegging out rich claims and of others who had very broken rest on Wednesday night on the same account. It seemed, to me that there was in that cheer a spirit of compromise or rather of double facedness. If the Eldorado proved all right then the cheer could be put down to the desire of worthy citizens to acclaim the bold adventurers who were on a mission closly (sic) allied with local patriotism, while if the field prove a duffer then it was a cheer of defiance? We all felt, I think, that that cheer could not be rightly interpreted until after the event! We sped along towards the golden shores, of Denmark, hopeful in the main, yet with narking doubts to give variety now and then to our sensations. A philosopher could have analysed each of us on that trip. There were the sanguine who were firm in their desire to regard cheerfully the prospect of the fateful morrow; the pragmatic, who vacillated between the evidence of the gold that had been seen and the doubts as to its truth, and the rank doubters who claimed that as good reefs had never been found in the district so far, it was simple evidence that good reef would never be found there. It was dark when we got to Denmark, and as we neared the township the humming saws and the many lights indicated that the people had not quite succumbed to the gold fever. A number of men who were not on the shift – the mills work night and day with only two hours interruption – were on the platform as we landed, and most of us would have given something to know exactly what they thought of our mission. The gold fever touches all and it was impossible that these men had been indifferent to the charms of the beautiful specimens that had come from the golden hole situated, as it were, at their very doors. When later we began to move about among them I found that few of the Denmarkites were confident as to what line they should take. Gold is so eccentric and is found under so many different conditions not provided for by writers on geology that even the most experienced hesitate and hesitate again before they will declare where gold is not to be obtained. Here was the beginning of a gold boom with people rushing – if a journey by the Denmark train be called a rush – to the new field and who, also were apparently sensible men pegging out claims with eager haste to get near to the Reward claim, and in these circumstances it would not have been in good taste for outsiders to condemn. We found one experienced man at Denmark in Mr Grant, who is one of the goldfields delegates on the Mining Commission. He has gone straight out to the new field and pegged before looking as is the cautious habit of prospectors; pegs first, inspection afterwards. He had put in his pegs for four leases and had then looked to see what he had got. When I saw him he was very doubtful and advised a policy of caution, adding that he would give his final decision the following day. This was ominous; still a gold rush is not the place for plain sailing but a piece which is troubled with many currents of opinion, of prejudice, and of evil passions. A gold rush is a great test of belief in human nature. There are cautions questions asked, searching looks exchanged and an attitude adopted of each man for himself. One listens to the opinions of others but says to himself in his heart “I will believe only my own eyes”. All the evening the gold find was, of course, the subject of discussion and the result was eminently unsatisfactory for it was not easy to make the evidence coincide. However we decided to wait for the morrow and see for ourselves. It was arranged that all the party should start out at 6:30 in the morning on the log train and that the prospector, Mr. Allen, should act as guide and we all were resolved not to be late. I had a suspicion that there were some who hoped to get there in time for the exhilarating task of pegging the matrix of millions. There was certainly a feeling of unrest, perhaps of anxiety as to the “early bird” business, and the midnight watch had long gone by before bed was sought. That I am not exaggerating as to the zeal of each member of the party to get a square chance for fortune, a little incident will show. Our band of the adventurers, who had been relegated to the railway carriages for sleeping accommodation, discovered that a member of the party had obtained a comfortable bed, and straight away they decided to bid him good morning. They found him sleeping the sleep of the just, and rudely arousing him, told him to hurry, as the train was just going. They retired to their berths in the train, and in an incredibly short time they saw a frantic man issue from one of the houses with coat and vest in one hand, and collar and necktie in the other. He raced madly down the street in his desire not to miss the first train for Klondyke, and caught it, with just three and a half hours to spare. His disillusionment, which came later, does not belong to our subject, and we give the incident as only a beautiful illustration of the effects of gold fever. Take away the golden vision; he would have looked at his watch. Whether the gold fever was accountable for the next event I cannot say, but when a man has it he scarcely belongs to himself. It had been arranged that the whole party should proceed to the new Klondyke by the log train, but only a section turned up at the starting point, the rest being, as an alleged humorist once said, conspicuous by their absence. Rather than take a mean advantage of the rest of the party even in the race for prospective millions, those who kept the appointment allowed the log train to depart, though they had all stood ready some minutes before the signal “right away” was given. The cold morning air had abated the fever, perhaps, but it returned with great force when it was found that “the rest of the party” had boarded the log train half a mile from the township. Now I know that all sorts of plausible explanations will be offered for this remarkable circumstance, but I feel sure they will be “received with a haughty stare”, as they say in the yellowbacks. The belated gold-seekers were not soothed either by the remark of one of the workmen on the train as it was steaming away, “There goes the White Shoe gold rush.” This insulting remark had reference to the fact that one member of the left-behind group besported white canvas shoes; the remark was not considered very appropriate. However, a trudge brought them to the scene of action, after wandering two or three miles on the wrong track. I was of this “claims with honour” party, and it was with feelings of curiosity that I approached the early birds, who for some time had been answering our cooees. The fever, it seemed to me, had to some extent subsided. They were not rushing about pegging jewellers shops, but were listlessly standing and sitting – a melancholy group in the bed of the creek. They hung their heads, and had not much to say, but one replied to a question that he had got good specks in a dish which had been washed by Mr. Allen. Here again was ground for revival of our hopes. We pushed on up the hill on the far side of the creek bearing to the left and came in sight of a tent which we were told was that of the discoverer. The tent looked businesslike. Above us on the hillside among the trees we saw several groups of men indolently watching one or two workers. There were I suppose 30 or 40 men on the claim but they were chiefly mute and watchful. The boom was fizzling. I looked about and saw the ground strewn with pieces of milky quartzite apparently as innocent of mineral as a potato. There was no sign of the brown quartz containing free gold which was among the specimens brought from Denmark to Albany. There was only this white rabble. A Denmark man said of it that if it were in big enough blocks it would make good tomb stones. We were not looking for tombstones, though we had dead hopes to burn. Here and there holes had been dug a depth of a foot or so and the bottom was hard clay. Even the discoverer who was working at the root of one very particular tree had bottomed on hard clay at a depth of less than a foot. This is a wonderful tree although only a common red gum. Gold has been got all round it within six inches of the surface. It has been chosen from among the thousands of trees in the forest to spread its genial shade over lovely gold. Gold was got there in that tiny space weeks ago and also every day this week and yet a barrow would hold all the stone and earth that have been disturbed. What is more, the gold was partial to persons and marvellous to relate some of the specimens – so experts declared – had been through the dollying process and yet no dolly had been used on this new field. Dish after dish was skilfully washed in the creek below without result, except in certain cases. A remarkable test was applied to one of the dishes. The topmost handful of stuff – there is no better worn for it – was taken off and set aside and the rest – that is nearly the full dish – washed without a trace of gold being left. Then the handful was washed, and twelve or thirteen good specks of gold were found in the dish. A mining expert might be able to explain these things as they can explain to their own satisfaction most things relating to mining, but I could not offer to deal with such a problem. This remarkable test was explained to the discoverer of the claim, but Mr. Allen offered no explanation. We came to the unanimous conclusion that a field that was so eccentric in its habits, and so given to legerdemain, was not worthy of our further attention nor of the support of the public and back to town we hied. Though we brought back no gold we returned with the feeling that we had done good service, for do not the scientists say that there is value in negative as well as in affirmative information.
THE REPORTED DISCOVERY OF GOLD AT DENMARK. A VISIT TO THE CLAIMS.
The Albany Advertiser (WA : 1897 – 1954) Saturday 23 April 1898 p 3 Article
AN ALLEGED GOLD FIND.
PERTH, Thursday.
A committee of investigation, which proceeded from Albany to the alleged gold find at Denmark, returned this afternoon much disgusted.
AN ALLEGED GOLD FIND. PERTH, Thursday.
The Age (Melbourne, Vic. : 1854 – 1954) Friday 22 April 1898 p 6 Article
THE ALBANY GOLD FIND.
The committee of investigation which proceeded from Albany to the alleged gold find at Denmark, returned this afternoon, much disgusted. They proceeded with Allen, the discoverer of the alleged find, to the spot where spade was put in, with favourable prospects. A large number of others tried, however, and failed to get a color. Allen, who is a member of the Salvation Army, said he had been led to the spot by Jesus. Sergeant Stokes went out with the prospecting party yesterday afternoon, and brought back a bag of non-auriferous earth, which may form the basis of a prosecution.
THE ALBANY GOLD FIND.
The Goldfields Morning Chronicle (Coolgardie, WA : 1896 – 1898) Friday 22 April 1898 p 3 Article
WEST AUSTRALIA.
THE DENMARK DISCOVERY.
ONLY COLORS OBTAINED.
Albany, April 21.
A number of residents of Albany, including mining experts, visited the reported gold find at Denmark and returned this afternoon. They report that the find is a fiasco. Colors only were obtained at one spot, and there were no traces of gold in the quartz tried. They express the opinion that the specimens shown here were not found in the Denmark district.
WEST AUSTRALIA. THE DENMARK DISCOVERY. ONLY COLORS OBTAINED. Albany, April 21.
The Advertiser (Adelaide, SA : 1889 – 1931) Friday 22 April 1898 p 6 Article
WEST AUSTRALIA.
THE DENMARK DISCOVERY.
ONLY COLORS OBTAINED.
Albany, April 21.
A number of residents of Albany, including mining experts, visited the reported gold find at Denmark and returned this afternoon. They report that the find is a fiasco. Colors only were obtained at one spot, and there were no traces of gold in the quartz tried. They express the opinion that the specimens shown here were not found in the Denmark district.
WEST AUSTRALIA. THE DENMARK DISCOVERY. ONLY COLORS OBTAINED. Albany, April 21.
Chronicle (Adelaide, SA : 1895 – 1954) Saturday 23 April 1898 p 13 Article
WEST AUSTRALIA.
THE DENMARK DISCOVERY.
ONLY COLORS OBTAINED.
Albany, April 21.
A number of residents of Albany, including mining experts, visited the reported gold find at Denmark and returned this afternoon. They report that the find is a fiasco. Colors only were obtained at one spot, and there were no traces of gold in the quartz tried. They express the opinion that the specimens shown here were not found in the Denmark district.
WEST AUSTRALIA. THE DENMARK DISCOVERY. ONLY COLORS OBTAINED. Albany, April 21.
The Express and Telegraph (Adelaide, SA : 1867 – 1922) Friday 22 April 1898 p 3 Article
DISGUSTED PROSPECTORS.
The committee of investigation which proceeded from Albany to the alleged gold find at Denmark returned this afternoon much disgusted. They proceeded with Allen, the discoverer of the alleged find, to the spot where a spade was put in, with favorable prospects. A large number of others tried, but, however, failed to get a color. Allen is a member of the Salvation Army, and he said he had been led to the spot by Jesus. Sergeant Stokes went out with the prospecting party yesterday afternoon, and brought back a bagful, which, however, contained no auriferous earth. This may form the basis of a prosecution.
DISGUSTED PROSPECTORS.
Kalgoorlie Miner (WA : 1895 – 1950) Friday 22 April 1898 p 8 Article
A FRUITLESS “RUSH.”
ALBANY, Thursday. — A number of residents of Albany, including mining experts who visited the reported gold find at Denmark, returned this afternoon, and report the find is a fiasco, colors only being obtained at one spot by the party, and they could find no traces in the quartz they tried. They express the opinion that the specimens shown here were never found in the Denmark district.
A FRUITLESS “RUSH.”
The Daily Telegraph (Sydney, NSW : 1883 – 1930) Saturday 23 April 1898 p 11 Article
GOLD NEAR ALBANY.
Some little time ago there was a report in the pipers that gold had been found at Denmark, some thirty miles from Albany, and no little excitement was created thereby. Last week it was reported that a gold-bearing quartz reef had been discovered four miles from the Denmark Mills. The reef was stated to outcrop for 180 yards, and was 30 yards in width. Several claims have been pegged, and there was considerable local excitement, as the find is on Crown lands. The original discoverer of this new “auriferous belt” was a man named Allen, who afterwards went to Melbourne ostensibly to float his claim. He has now returned, and the denouement is rather surprising. A committee of investigation which proceeded from Albany to the alleged gold find at Denmark returned on Saturday afternoon much disgusted. They proceeded with Allen to the spot, where a spade was put in with favorable prospects. A large number of others tried, but failed to get a colour. Allen is a member of the Salvation Army, and he said he had been led to the spot by Jesus. Sergeant Stokes went out with the prospecting party, and brought back a bagful, which, however, contained no auriferous earth. This may form the basis of a prosecution.
GOLD NEAR ALBANY.
Norseman Times (WA : 1898 – 1920) Wednesday 27 April 1898 p 3 Article
A 1941 Report of the Whole Episode
DENMARK “GOLD FIND.”
Episode of Timber Days.
(By R.G.)
From the very early days of settlement at Albany and its back country the rural areas have been the mainstay in regard to production, residents generally paying scant attention to the possibilities of latent mineral wealth being within their reach. Isolated instances are on record of prospecting ventures in search of oil, coal and gold, and some of the old-timers have retained to a remarkable degree their belief that at some future date. Albany will experience a welcome commercial revival following the opening up of a veritable “bonanza,” or the discovery of extensive coal seams or oil seepages. That their faith will be duly rewarded is the fervent wish of well wishers of the richly scenic endowed port, now passing through a lean period in her long history.
DENMARK “GOLD FIND.” Episode of Timber Days.
In the closing days of March, 1898, a report of the discovery of gold reached Albany, through official channels, from Denmark, then the hub of the timber milling industry pioneered by Millar Bros. Sergeant H. Stokes, of Albany, outlined the “discovery” in a letter to Police Sub-Inspector A. Lennon, of Perth, in the following terms:— “It is reported that gold has been found at Denmark River this week by two men, who obtained a miners’ right at Albany on September 10, 1897, and who had been prospecting near the Denmark sawmills, off and on, since having been successful in finding gold. On Monday last, about four miles from the timber mill, they obtained, by crushing some mullocky stuff consisting of quartz and rubble, about three-quarters of an ounce of gold. Two other men also obtained miners’ rights for the purpose of prospecting near Denmark River on September 11, and since Monday last four other rights have been issued to four men for a similar purpose. There is no doubt whatever that gold has been seen by several persons and there is no secret made of its finding, but the exact spot is not generally known yet.”
The news of the “find” quickly percolated through the timber camps, and was excitedly discussed around the camp fires, over which the stately Jarrah and Karri trees towered as guardians. Many of the mill hands had drifted South from the Coolgardie fields, and were ready to pit their knowledge, backed by hard cash, that the Denmark terrain held little prospect of finding payable gold. Others, not so well versed in mining lore, were just as sanguine that the prospectors were on “a good thing,” destined to convert Denmark from a timber camp to a mining field able to vie in richness with those outback, which had sent thousands of Eastern Staters rushing West in quest of the elusive metal.
Albany was also agog with excitement, and residents were soon heading West to Denmark by every available means of conveyance, in order to obtain first-hand knowledge of the reported discovery, which foreshadowed such a change in their fortunes.
Sub-Inspector Lennon, whether from desire to appease his own curiosity, or imbued with cold-blooded officialdom only, was quick to act. On instructions from him, Sergeant Stokes made an official visit to Denmark, and he recorded his impressions in the following letter to his superior officer, in Perth under date April 21, 1898:—
“I proceeded to Denmark River by the 4.30 p.m. train to report, for the information of the Commissioner of Police, particulars re the reported find. On the morning of April 21, in company with several other persons, I proceeded to the scene and arrived there about 9.30 a.m. I found about 20 men on the spot, and I asked one of the men for permission to take some of the rubble from the spot where it was stated that colours of gold had been obtained. This he allowed me to do, and in company with the postmaster at Denmark, who had accompanied me, and this man I went to the spot. The man made it his business to be there first, and was plainly seen by the postmaster and another man to put his fingers into his vest pocket and sprinkle “something” on the spot. My companions searched the surface and found a small colour of gold, which I secured. Several of the party washed dishes of dirt and obtained colours from rubble taken from the spot pointed out. Several other men washed rubble taken from close by, but failed to obtain any colour of gold whatever. I examined places round about and, in my opinion, and the opinion of others present who professed to be authorities on mining, there is no indication whatever of gold being there. All expressed the belief that the gold found had been placed there. The whole thing is a hoax. The reputed ‘find’ is on the side of a rubbly sandy quartz hill, near the river, about 3½ miles distant from the Denmark mills, and on the north side, just about 200 yards distant from the boundary fence, and on Crown lands.”
Thus was the story of “a find” exploded, and Denmark for many more years continued to give attention to the forest wealth with which the country side was so liberally endowed by Nature.
The West Australian (Perth, WA : 1879 – 1954) Monday 16 June 1941 p 9 Article Illustrated