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1905
31 August 1905
THE SALVATION HILL.
A FEW REMARKS FROM MR. FRAME FLETCHER
TO THE EDITOR.
Sir, -Yours of the 17th instant contains a par. about mining prospects at Salvation Hill, Gulgong. Less than 12 months back you printed it Damnation Hill, with a big D too, and a disease called Fletcheritis. If telling the plain truth is a disease, I confess I've had it all my life, and trust to its lasting to my end. The born liars (Gulgong has its share of such pests), need not fear they will over catch such a complaint. Truth telling I have found, at times, more than awkward. Three times have I cabled to London as manager of companies that I had suspended all operations on my own initiative, not waiting even to write even, thus cutting myself off from very liberal salaries from the jump. I cannot imagine any of these born liars, and worse, ever suffering from this complaint. To date no one has followed in my footsteps where I have worked, and found payable gold left by me. This is the naked truth, despite the stream of lies and venom so freely vomited up by those born liars, whenever they thought they had a mug whom would believe them. Those born liars freely and openly expressed their opinion that Fletcher, having no resources, could not, or would not, give the Salvation Hill show away, judging me by their own dirty low standard, the fact being I had already written Mr. R. G. Gibbon, the managing director, to come up at once, "as we were simply burning money." Present operations of this notorious spot - this sink hole for money - give me much satisfaction. God's mill grinds slowly, but it grinds small, and in the near future the truth must come out. This sinkhole has been more than well tried for some 10 years, and by many unfortunate men. A cash outlay to date of at least £3000, and much lost time by many triers, shows a yield of certainly under 100ozs of gold. I challenge proof of 50ozs, and I'll throw in the 3oz or so now in the toy shop window here. I have read lately about 4dwt and 2dwt assays, also 11oz assays, but the bulk tests will beat the present engineers. Bulk values are talked about, always were in past days, but getting same is another matter. The engineer of the missing link Co., after 8 months labor, brought forth a 5 ton crushing - result, about 1dwt per ton. "But that's alright, dear boy, all my gold is in the tailings," and there it stops. On starting for London I was handed a Mines Department assay of 4lb of ore, reputed to have been taken from this sinkhole, showing a result of 72oz 14dwts of gold per ton, and I still hold the Gulgong paper with this wonderful assay result, as it was truly called. The wonderful part to me now is, having the road clear (and if it is in the water £20 will take that out), that time should be wasted over 4dwt, or even 11oz stuff, when there is 72oz 14dwt ore waiting resuscitation. That's a nut I do want to see cracked1
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14 September 1905
Mr. Frame Fletcher and the Salvation Hill.
To the editor.
Sir, - In the issue of the Mudgee Guardian of the 31st August, I note that Mr. Frame Fletcher is at it again, trying to disparage the Salvation Hill mine. It's no use, Mr. Fletcher, all you can say against the mine will not mar its prospects, or deter the present syndicate in their effort to prove its value. If you were taken seriously by anyone in the district, as an authority on mining, there might be, a show of your damaging the chance of the mine being proved, but, fortunately for legitimate prospecting, no one takes you seriously, or cares one iota for your opinion about any class of mining.
You say that no one has ever followed in your footsteps, and obtained gold in any of the mines that you managed. Quite right. It would be hard to imagine anyone foolish enough to follow in your footsteps, say, at 44 Black Lead for example, where you put down a shaft at least 600ft. off the lead, proving your ability to find water. Further, it is a fact that, in Rouse's Three Mile paddock, a machine of dirt proved payable after the pumps had been drawn, and the shaft had been dismantled. It would be a pity for the district if anyone did follow in your tracks, and pursued the same peculiar methods of management as you did at the Salvation Hill mine, and other shows. There is one thing certain, Mr. Fletcher, you took particular care that no one should examine your workings after you left, for you carefully destroyed all chance by dismantling the shafts. You tried this game on at the Salvation Hill mine, but, thanks to a wise provision in the Mining Act, which prohibits the removal of ladders, skids, timbering, etc., from a mining shaft, and the fact that a Nemesis, in the person of myself, was on your track noting your every move at the mine, you were very properly forced by the Mines Department, to replace all ladders, skids, etc., in the shaft.
Mr. Fletcher states in his letter, that present operations at this notorious spot gives him much satisfaction. If this is one of Mr. Fletcher's truthful statements, then why was he so eager to destroy the shaft? The attempted destruction of the shaft, Mr. Fletcher, certainly does not go to show that you were anxious to see any further mining operations carried on at the mine.
Mr. Fletcher challenges proof of 50 ounces of gold ever being got at the mine. Well, at the risk of being dubbed by Mr. Fletcher a born liar, I can possibly assert that I know of 55 ounces of gold being got by the late James Heddle and Thos. Parker, and that I was on the mine several times while the ore was being dollied, and saw the gold bearing ore being taken out - about two tons - from which the gold was obtained. If Mr. Fletcher wants any further proof well let him enquire at the bank, and elsewhere in town, where the gold was sold. Mr. Fletcher's remarks, re born liars, I treat with the contempt it deserves. His London letters to more Salvation Hill business certainly do not tend to confirm his statement that he is a paragon of truthfulness. He that 72oz. assays, that was a genuine assay, Mr. Fletcher, but it would be interesting to know whether it was the assay, or the £75 paid you by the syndicate prior to your trip to London that most concerned you.
Mr. Fletcher states that he wrote the managing director to come up at once, as they were simply burning money. I quite agree with you, Mr. Fletcher. You did nothing else from the start of your operations at the Salvation Hill mine but burn money. The salary (£8 odd per week) that you were in receipt of for supervising the work of one shift of men at the start of the work at the mine amply proves this.
Mr. Fletcher's query as to why the present syndicate do not take out that 72oz. ore is simply ridiculous. Any party of men who would give away two-thirds of a mine where there was any bulk of ore that would go 72oz. to the ton, simply to provide capital for developing the mine, should be within the walls of a lunatic asylum, where such silly questioners also should be. - I am, etc., ROBERT W. HEARD2
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5 October 1905
Frame Fletcher in Defence.
TO THE EDITOR.
Sir, - Kindly allow me to show the public how matters stand between Heard and his party and myself. In his letter to you, dated 14th September, 1905, he dubs himself "Nemesis" (caps himself), so let him wear it. Re 44 and his statement I sunk 600 feet away - from where? Deeply feeling the responsibility, I sought for aid and advice. Gave the late W. Thompson £10 for plan of old workings, got from Sydney last report from Hawkins to his board, and went over the ground with several reputable miners, Pat Sweeney, T. King, of Home Rule, amongst others who worked there to the close - this before breaking surface. "Nemesis" Heard's opinion was not sought; why should it be? Let the cobbler stick to his last. All opinions varied; I bottomed on the load, and sunk through 14ft of worthless drifts. Treated separately, it yielded 2dwts. gold for the lot - about 20 loads. I drove 600ft. across this lead, and treated hundreds of loads for practically no gold before going up. Years after, indeed, by the persistent yarns - lies(?) - of men of the Hilton-Heard class, others actually got up a diamond drill, and tried for 12 months to find values. Their results, like mine, were worthless, and yet these men avowed I had passed through and left behind payable gold, did not know gold when I saw it. etc., etc. (although in 1899 I was working underground in Ballarat, and later on in Bendigo). At and below 44 the lead is exhausted. Finis 44.
Re that wrecking: None know better than "Nemesis" Heard that this charge is false. Under instructions from Director Gibbons, I did remove ladders and skids only, but finding that, during our stay in London (12 months), now rules were passed (we should have applied for permission), I replaced same; two shifts took them out and four shifts replaced them. So much for Heard's blather about shaft wrecking. "Nemesis" says he saw Parker and Hoddles getting 55oz. gold out of their pot-hole simply, and I can inquire and find out where they sold it. "Rats!" I could find the North Pole quicker. Parker (I knew him well), a "hard case" as we all knew, sold out his share, a 12th then, for £2 soon as he got the chance; he started this boodle, but quickly left the baby to others. If "Nemesis" Heard thought me the failure he now tries to charge me with being let him explain why, when G. Wait's comet in 1901 blazed across our horizon (years after I left Gulgong) he sent me a newspaper containing a report of the wonderful assayed 72oz., which he now again assures me was genuine. I don't doubt that, "Nemesis," but I much more than doubt the source of its origin, also a letter begging me to come to Gulgong and see the principals finishing up with "We are the lease holders, and can do as we like." I came and found funds exhausted, water up in shaft and no chance of inspecting where this 72oz. ore was reported to have been taken from a vein still continuing down there, but consistent were the words used. Fully trusting these lease holders, Messrs. Clarke, Waite and "Nemesis" Heard, I agreed to go home, but stipulated for my ship expenses in advance. No funds being available, it was agreed to increase the shares then 18, to 20, to find me £75. I waited nearly a month, eventually on strength of my promise to go, a buyer, through my efforts, was found, and £70 handed me, the syndicate not spending 1s. I stood up in London for 12 months to a week, and in the teeth of the Boer war, succeeded in arranging Working Capital of £5000, with a reserve of a farther £1000. Only two New South Wales gold companies were floated that year in London, and this was one of the two. Had there been any justification, this £6000 would have been expended. The most careful search for values failed to find any. The best assay I got was under 4dwts per ton, and very little of that, last assay from deepest part returned gold, silver, copper - nil. On receipt of my cable from London, "I have succeeded," 15 adjoining acres to syndicate's area were taken up by Hilton and party. First night I reached Gulgong I had to listen till 12 p.m., whilst one leaseholder held forth and expounded on the benefits that must accrue to the syndicate if I bought up this 15 acres; if I was very prompt I might get it for £200 to £300; but if work there started, and they meant starting quickly, the price would be double. Of course, my informant had no interest in this 15 acres, but as a shareholder in original syndicate, he advised me to act at once. This 15 acres is now known as the Golden or Missing Sink. My refusal to create a billet for Heard's son (I really had no use for him), and my prompt exposure of there being no values in the S. Hill mine (it was before my time, indeed, well tried for all time) I found "Nemesis" on the warpath for my scalp. To get me removed from the Hill he went the length of writing Gibbons that "The company could not prosper with me in charge. I did not understand it, and all Gul gong knew I was a better judge of whisky than quartz." Shame on you, "Nemesis" Heard is a man of the world, and Gibbons knows I'm a fair judge of both, and got home later on. "Nemesis," when he told him in the street openly, "That if he stood on a stack of bibles as big as that (pointing to the Bank of New South Wales) and swore the 72ozs. of ore came out of the syndicate's shaft he would not believe him." "Nemesis" makes the open boast he means doing me all the harm he can, and will hunt me from the district - as the French say. We shall see. Others prepare the mud-balls, which "Nemesis," a willing tool, throws in hopes some stick, so I'll tell him. "Nemesis" stands not only for vengeance, but retribution, and retribution is up alongside Heard and party now to-day. Re my letters to him. I challenged him before and again, and do now, to publish them, but mind they are genuine. Parker often tried to get me to back him in Surface Hill, and used to show me and others very rich sulphides he got there. These are the same as the reported 72oz ore - showed no visible free gold. Now Parker left this specimen ore behind him, I'm certain. Where is it now? Could his spook (fancy Tommy's spook) have protected this ore (it was about 72ozs. stuff) anywhere for others to discover? Thanking you in anticipation. - Yours, etc, FRAME FLETCHER3
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