I was recently a guest speaker on the wonderful Sunday evening radio program ‘Remember When’ with Harvey Deegan. It was great to chat with Harvey and to talk about the three websites that I have on the history of the people and places of the WA Goldfields. When we were talking about the blog, I said that there are nearly 1500 stories on there now, and it would be impossible for me to pick a favorite. However, Harvey ended up giving me a few moments to think of two stories that I thought were my favorites. One happy and one tragic! Well, when caught on the hop, I selected the following ‘happy’ story which has always been a favorite of mine. I first published it in 2013 and have re-posted it a few times since then. Apart from the sheer farce of the story, you can see exactly the same thing could happen today with young men out for a day of fun. What do you think??? I will post the second story I picked next week.
From the Western Argus Newspaper 24th January 1905
Coolgardie 17th January 1905
Sydney CONDER who was admitted to the Coolgardie Hospital last Thursday suffering from snakebite is in a serious condition. Condor saw a rabbit enter a burrow and thrust his arm in and was bitten on the hand. His ‘mates’ scarified the bite to such an extent that there was a great loss of blood, which combined with an overdose of alcohol, he being a teetotaller, has completely prostrated him. He was made to swallow two bottles of brandy while coming in from Red Hill where the accident occurred. His mates managed to keep him awake with a whip.
Kalgoorlie Miner 1 February 1905, page 6
SNAKE BITE AND FIRST AID.
Bearing on the case of Sydney Condor now lying in Coolgardie Hospital suffering a recovery — partly from snake bite, but most from first-aid remedial measures — Condor has long ago recovered from the bite, but one of the remedies, which with the best of intentions was applied ‘ad lib’ has left him without the use of one of his hands, which will, says Dr. Webster, be useless to him for some time. This was caused by excessive and injudicious scarification of the hand which was bitten. He was also given an abnormal quantity of alcohol, which to a teetotaller as he was, was not beneficial but rather dangerous.
Note: As there is no death registration in Coolgardie for Condor we can only presume that the unfortunate fellow survived his mate’s ministrations.
Moya Sharp
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