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Old Jack Ryan.
DEAR "Non-Com."-I first met "Old
Jack" Byan when he came to Pil
barra in 1889 with an old horse and
sulky. He was born in Victoria seven
years before gold was discovered
there in 1851 so had alluvial digging at
his finger-tips.
He was most methodical in his methods
and very secretive, seldom mentioning
whether he was on gold or not. Old
Jack camped up the creek about three
and a half miles from the store known
as the Top Camp. An old man and
his two sons had sunk the well a short
time before he arrived and a number of
men were camped near the store.
Early in 1890, the Ashburton rush took
place but Old Jack did not go. The
old man and his sons came back and
applied for a water right but Jack ob-
jected and his objection was upheld.
I went to the rush and later took a
trip to Sydney but was back on the Top
Camp in 1891 and Jack was still there.
He was on gold only 20 yards from
his door but had no pegs in and any-
body coming round was carelessly told,
"Oh! Set in anywhere you like."
At least six or seven men went up and
I told Jack to put pegs in. The new-
comers did not peg separately but agreed
to divide anything they found. A few
days later one of them got a 28oz. slug
and separate claims were hurriedly peg-
ged.
Not long afterwards Jack Harris and
Dick Kanaah got a 297oz. slug on Ryan's
boundary.
Ryan never said what he was getting
but secretly wrote to the Warden at
Marble Bar requesting an escort. About
a fortnight later there was great sur-
prise when two mounted troopers rode
up to»the store to inquire for John Ryan
of Top Camp.
About half the residents were present
when Old Jack was introduced. He
brought out a gin case and placed on it
first a 130oz. slug, then another of 128
oz. and one of 90oz. The balance of
rough pieces brought the consignment
to over 500OZ. "Well," said Old Jack. "If
anything happens to that, I still have a
little left."
Harris and Kanaah were both Fre-
mantle men and they bought houses for
their sisters, and were on other diggings
up here.
In 1898 I met a Victorian on the train
going from Cue to Mt. Magnet. He
asked if I ever met Jack Ryan and told
me that he had died a short time be-
fore whilst prospecting for tin.
J.L., Roebourne.
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