You know we talk about what good books we have read and need to read. But there is a wonderful pack of yarns in the old newspaper articles from time to time i wish to share some with you, such as the one below. cheers Jemba.
STRANGE BUT TRUE. PROSPECTOR'S NOISY GHOST.
'Macquarie Digger,' who vouches under his proper name for the truth of the story, writes to the 'Guardian': Some years ago the writer and several other men were doing some alluvial mining on the Macquarie River.
It was in the month of July, and was in the midst of a drought. The Macquarie River was dry in some places for a quarter of a mile, and numerous diggers were working in the bed of the river. The writer and the others mentioned made a rough and ready camp on the bank of the river and under a mountain with huge rocks and caves. Some tents and lean-to constituted our habitation. The sleeping apartment of each was about a foot deep of oak and green leaves on the ground. Close by the camp a gully ran up into the mountain, and down this gully came the yet unsolved mystery. One bright moonlight night, some where about twelve o'clock, when all the camp was asleep, including three dogs belonging to the men camped, and which would face anything, the awfullest shrieks and piercing sounds I have ever heard were heard from down this gully. The first thing we know was that
the three dogs foil into the camps head over heels on top of us, and nothing we could do would persuade them to go out again. We got out and about but could see nothing, although the country was clear. We waited a while, and then as all was silent we went back to bed. We threw the dogs out several times, but nothing whatever would persuade them to remain outside. The disturbing and awful sounds were so often repeated and became so pronounced that unable to solve the mystery we packed up and left the place.
Some months later an old man who was down close to this particular place looking for bees' nests was going up a big creek where he knew of a spring,
to see if there were any bees drinking. Walking along a small green patch near the creek he was surprised to see a good Cossack boot laced up. It struck him as being strange that tins boot should be in such an out of the way place. Taking his axe from his shoulder he cut the boot across the instep. Imagine his surprise to find, the bones of a human being's foot within. He looked up the creek a bit further and found the skeleton of a man, a prospector evidently who had been dead a considerable time. Beside the skeleton was the man's swag, and a tin pannikin' close to his hand. , It was supposed that he was making to the spring already mentioned, and when lie got there found it dry arid perished for want of a drink. Now by going up the gully where .we continually heard the weird sounds pawing over a hill it: was not far to where the skeleton was found. I often think that what we heard were the cries of some disembodied . spirit. Others camped at the same place after the old chap's body was found and heard nothing and were never disturbed. Readers can form their own opinion on the matter, but we were compelled to quit our camp and find another, after which we were never disturbed. '
Wellington Times (NSW : 1899 - 1954) View title info Thu 28 Oct 1920
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/141605281?searchTerm=ghost of a prospector
I liked that one. :Y:
https://collections.slsa.sa.gov.au/resource/B+16567/29