THE STRUGGLE for THE STANDARD.

Cromwell Argus, Volume IV, Issue 174, 11 March 1873, Page 6

THE STRUGGLE for THE STANDARD.

Suspense and anxiety prevailed to a considerable extent in the minds of the inhabitants of Carrickton and its vicinity, during the greater part of last week, as to the residt 'of the Warden's decision upon the question of which of two parties should become the lawful possessors of a quartz claim known as tie " Royal Standard." Intensity had been given to this dominant feeling through the exciting and somewhat amusing circumstances occurring in connection with the pegging-off of this now celebrated claim. After the fact became known in Cromwell •on the evening of Thursday, the 27th ult., that the. claim had been thrown open for public occupation, and would become the property of anyone, owning a miner's right, who should first mark off the ground, a slight •«ommotion was observable in the Court-house, and shortly afterwards a horseman might have been seen leaving the township, with Carrick Range and expectation plainly depicted in his countenance. He had considerably the start of another horseman, who, undismayed at his lesser chances of success, went gallantly forth, like a good and loyal soldier, to win golden fame in this fight for the "Royal Standard."

Ascending the hill by a shorter but more ■difficult route, and by carefully eluding the ■observation of his rival, or rather, I should say, preventing identification by the assumption of a mien and deportment foreign to his nature, and by his easy-going manner of riding whilst in sight, the latter by his tactics and strategy completely deluded his opponent, and arrived on the coveted ground, if not before, at least as soon as his unsuspecting foe, who, unaware of number two’s propinquity, and feeling conscious that fortune had favoured himself, was not acting with the same promptitude which he would have displayed had he been aware of the contingency. Finding the coast clear, time and opportunity were not seized upon with that eagerness which the circumstances actually warranted. But ocular demonstration soon convinced the hare that the tortoise had reached the goal, and was intently occupied in a work calculated to thwart his designs and subvert his overweening confidence, if immediate dispatch were not used by him. 'On seeing the inadvertency of the hare, the tortoise, coming out of his shell, sent a “ laugh loaded with a purpose” across the gully that lay between them, which was responded to by a speech of uncurbed plainness. Fearful of being out-generalled, the hare then spurted frantically, but through excitement and chagrin acted in rather a purposeless manner. ° For the decision of the Warden was to the effect that the grey mare had proved to be the better horse in this instance; and the claim was consequently granted to the first discoverer of the lost lode, who, I think, fairly deserves the success he has

gained. Tt may be thought that I am extolling the deeds of one man so as to cast a shade of obloquy on the other. Apparently, such is* the case ; but censure or satire may be productive of some good, even by exposing the negligence and remissness of men, especially when their failings involve others in losses and difficulties as well as themselves. A man may hold a good hand, and yet be euchred by his opponent through playing his cards in a carelessly confident manner. It is impolitic to be cock sure of anything before the consummation has been effected ; so is it imprudent and incautious to contemn an adversary before you have had a proof (and a good one, too,) of his inferiority. The cry of the French soldiers at the commencement of the Franco-German war was, “ To Berlin! To Berlin >” which by implication conveyed the idea that they considered the Germans but a slight barrier to the fulfilment of their wishes. But how soon were they overwhelmed and routed by the wary, watchful Prussians, and made to chew the bitter cud over their self-sufficiency and impotence ! This affair, however, should not engender any ill-feeling between the two competitors. Certainly, the one who had the advantage throughout the race, but failed to make use of it, has no cause for complaint, or reason to bo chafed at his adversary’s better fortune, for he had a generous opponent, and one who gave him two good starts. For, although it is not often the case that a start is given at both ends of a race, —being to a certain extent anomalous, —yet in this case it really happened. The start that the rider of the black horse received on the Garrick Range, however, instead of encouraging, in reality perplexed and bewildered him. Astonishment, for a time, so engrossed his faculties that he failed to use the precious moments towards the accomplishment of the object

which required the concentration of all his energies. A Scotch lassie, once, after listening to the lamentations of a rejected lover, told him plainly that his want of success was entirely owing to his being “owre lang o’ speakin’.” She had taken up with a more forward lover —one who was not such a laggard in his coui’se of wooing. Somewhat similar in effect was the upshot of the struggle for the possession of the “Royal Standard” claim : with this difference, that the unsuccessful one in this case was “ owre long o’ acting.” Garrick Range, March 8. Prospector.