a while back someone mentioned A A C Mason's autobiography "No Two The Same" and I finally got round to ordering a copy from AusIMM ( $50). Its over 900 pages and a few chapters about the Morning Star mine in the 1930's and 40's. Worth every penny if you enjoy mining history
There is a very amusing chapter about the A1 mine 1969 to 72 ( Mason was a director of Gaffney's Creek Gold Mine NL which reopened the A1 in 1969). Amusing because it recounts the antics of Mr Ken Wright, also a director of GCGM)who in 1980 ended up in jail for breach of Stock Exchange Regulations
the best bit though is this, when Mason was staying at Woods Point in 1969:
"On Sunday morning Brian Prothero drove down to the Mine and went underground to examine how the round had "come out". I was out in the front garden sunning myself when he returned. He pulled up at the front gate and opened the boot of his car and showed me a piece of the reef he had picked up from the "broken round" on No 18 level, which he brought to the surface and back to Woods Point to show me. It just fitted into the boot of the car. Brian was a big, strong man and had just enough strength to lift it into the boot, The piece could best be described as quartz, strung together with gold. It was a magnificent specimen and we estimated that it contained 400oz of gold"
It was from a conjugate reef intersection. Whether we are so lucky and Maxwells delivers such specimens( bearing in mind such specimens can sell for at least double the gold value) remains to be seen. But we are heading towards a likely conjugate intersection.
Bert Mason thoroughly enjoyed his time at Morning Star. He loved going down the mine each day to see what the last round had uncovered.
MCO Price at posting:
43.0¢ Sentiment: LT Buy Disclosure: Held
