A Cornish Gold-miners Family Christmas 1899

[tinpan]

In the year of 1899

Mother was busy putting the finishing touches to a feast of Golden turkey with all the trimmings. There was smell of starch and that of coal heated iron.Sunday bests neatly pressed and laid out on the table in the corner. Father did cut his tabacco with his new silver knife after a good feed of scobie bread and pease [pea soup] With a smile on his face, thinking "no shift at the gold mine tomorrow." Even the mighty 400 pound stamper hammers of the local crushing battery lay silent.The children laughed and drank coloured sodas from the the new Coolgartie cooler. After they sang songs of joy in ready-ness for the morning church service. Tomorrow is the "LORDS DAY" Soon silence fell upon the house hold except for the bell from the old milk cow called "Gerty'

The pic of are items i have picked up around the local hard rock gold mines that belonged to many cornish families who lived and worked in Long Gully. Soda bottles, irons cow,bell match safe and silver knife were cleaned by a friend in antque restoration.Enjoy your Christmas all

tinpan

 

[tinpan]

hi all tomorrow i am going back to the site and show some pics of amount of stuff thats lays around these old hard rock mine sites. You will be blown away This section of the gully you have no hope of using a md of any kind

tinpan

 

[creskol]

Very nice post, Tinpan .. Beautiful site and beautiful relics.

 

[deano]

Now that is one cool looking bottle, WTG on some nice finds!!

 

[jewelerguy]

those are great finds. very cool bottle.... I've never seen one like it before

 

[Mr Tuff]

sweet pocket knife!!! MR TUFF

 

[ANTIQUARIAN]

Great story and great post tinpan!
Love the look of the silver knife, but my favourite is this silver plated match safe!
Hope you had a great Christmas downunder mate!

Cheers,
Dave

 

[wavecrazed]

What is that oval round iron looking thing? I found one and how does it work? thanks.

 

[pakeha63]

Love the old marble bottles. Found a few in New Zealand. The old iron brought back a few memories. My family has two like that at home

 

[Mackaydon]

Image 1258 looks like a 'sad iron':
http://www.patented-antiques.com/IRONS/IRON-PICS/WRITTEN/SMALL-IRONS/IMG_1862.jpg
The sad in sad iron (or sadiron) is an old word for solid, and in some contexts this name suggests something bigger and heavier than a flat iron.
The iron trivet is also one cool looking piece.
Don.....

 

[JUNKYARD DOG]

nice finds tinpan. I think I heard you swinging that bell. Thats a big one man.
good luck and take care... JYD...

 

[tinpan]

nice finds tinpan. I think I heard you swinging that bell. Thats a big one man.
good luck and take care... JYD...

Thank all, Well i don,t want to hear any bells today. LOL I was driving yesterday so no drinks for me and had to wait to get home. Got home late and polished off half bottle of rum. I dont feel well this morning.

tinpan

 

[birdman]

Killer post,awesome saves.

 

[ANTIQUARIAN]

Thank all, Well i don,t want to hear any bells today. LOL I was driving yesterday so no drinks for me and had to wait to get home. Got home late and polished off half bottle of rum. I dont feel well this morning.

tinpan

You crack me up mate!!!

Happy New Year to you,
Dave

 

[Zodiacdiverdave]

Tinpan, man those cod stopper bottles are in great shape. Most were smashed back in the day by the kids for the marble so they are indeed rare to find. I have found a few diving but they don't come out of the ocean in that good of shape.
Loved the store of the gold miner.
ZDD

 

[tinpan]

Tinpan, man those cod stopper bottles are in great shape. Most were smashed back in the day by the kids for the marble so they are indeed rare to find. I have found a few diving but they don't come out of the ocean in that good of shape.
Loved the store of the gold miner.
ZDD

hi Does the tidal rift of sand and salt water slow ware the glass surface ? I my location the vast amount of holes, shafts ,opencuts ,became self - dumping holes for locals. often buried by the dozen with other house waste of the time and slowly covered by clay washed in by the winter rain. I recent years the wetest seasons on record. Flooding has washed these dumps open and please help yourself. With 5 soda companies in the area in that time .These bottles are considered a common find. Yes as you say local kids did smashed them to obtain the glass marbles.

tinpan

 

[Woodland Detectors]

hi all tomorrow i am going back to the site and show some pics of amount of stuff thats lays around these old hard rock mine sites. You will be blown away This section of the gully you have no hope of using a md of any kind

tinpan

Must be difficult running around all that iron with the GPX huh?

 

[tinpan]

hi all tomorrow i am going back to the site and show some pics of amount of stuff thats lays around these old hard rock mine sites. You will be blown away This section of the gully you have no hope of using a md of any kind

tinpan

Must be difficult running around all that iron with the GPX huh?

yes i don,t bother with the dumps yes to much rubbish and open cut and shaft of hard rock mines never have much gold around them . The ore was graded so only poor tailings.

tinpan

 

[Tigger]

Love it all! The match safe is in great condition! I have a special fondness for cowbells tho - I go out on my front porch and ring one on New Years.

Does the trivet have a design on the top? You can tell it's old by it's tall feet. Neat irons too.
Tigger

 

[California Girl]

Another nice find. Great pictures. Love it......