Patrick Wetenhall

The Gold Miners Patrick Wetenhall

Jim Sandy was sitting in an armchair in the sitting-room of his fathers house in Cockermouth, and in his hands was a printed paper, headed: ANALYSIS of Boring number 5, Carrock Fell. Date of analysis: 4th March 1969. Sitting in the other armchair in the room, facing him on the other side of the hearth, was his father, Arthur Sandy, the manager of the Leadthwaite Mine, while his wife, Susan, and Jackie Sandy, his fathers wife, were sitting on the sofa between the two armchairs. I see weve got gold included in this list of the elements present in the sample, said Jim as his eye ran down a long list of chemical elements on the left-hand side of the piece of paper in his hands. The paper was sub-titled: Elements present in sample: Average composition of rocks. There was also a second column headed: per centage weight. Yes, said his father. And I think, if I remember rightly, that the figure quoted there in that list indicates that gold is present in the sample in a proportion which is really not too bad, all things considered. Gosh! said Susan. So does that mean that you could at last be thinking of starting to mine gold at Carrock soon? Yes, I would say that it really does mean that! said Mr. Sandy. Were hoping to give it a go soon, arent we, Jackie, darling - if we can get the final permission we need before we can start mining operations?