Click on images to enlarge
5 October 1905
Frame Fletcher(https://fionasuniverse.com/tree/Cudgegong%20Valley%20History/individual/X1633/Thomas-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 FLETCHER1
.