spent a little time there in completing arrangements to go to the fields. When he arrived at Hall's Creek he was very much impressed with the country. There were not many miners on the ground, but Mr. Cohn equipped prospecting parties, obtained a public house license, and opened a general store in conjunction with it. Prospectors whom he sent out discovered several properties, and he was one of the first to erect machinery on the field. The Rising Sun battery, which he had erected, was, with the mine, afterwards sold to Messrs. Dalgety and Co., acting on behalf of an English syndicate. Mr. Cohn was manager of the company, but resigned because he had expressed dubious views with regard to its future. He remained on the Kimberley Goldfields for five or six years, and during that period was once speared by blacks, and on two occasions contracted fever and ague; the last time, his life hung in the balance. When he left Hall's Greek, Mr. Cohn intended to return to New South Wales and settle in Sydney, his principal reason for leaving being that he did not think gold mining could be made to pay there with white labour. He arrived in Perth when the Yilgarn goldfields had been in progress but a few months. Meeting with the late Mr. J. H. Monger and Mr. Alexander Forrest, M.L.A., they advised him not to leave until he had had a look at the Yilgarn field. Mr. Cohn followed this advice, and after inspecting Southern Cross he determined to stay there. He was appointed manager of mines for a prominent syndicate, and eventually took up the work on the Central, being the first to discover the rich chute of gold which brought this property with a bound before the public eye. After holding the position for eight months, he relinquished it to start in business as a contractor, forwarding agent, and aerated waters manufacturer. He built the Club Hotel and many other properties, each of which proved highly remunerative to him.
Always an early riser, Mr. Cohn one morning witnessed a sight that would have been a feast for the eyes of Midas. At five o'clock on the morning we refer to he met Arthur Bayley returning from his now famous find at Coolgardie, he being the first to receive authentic news. Bayley approached with his two horses. Suspended from one of them were two heavy bags, and he asked Mr. Cohn to "feel" them. "What's in them?" queried Mr. Cohn. "Gold!" said Bayley. "How much?" said the astonished questioner. "Six hundred ounces!" was the quiet reply of the Coolgardie pioneer. Then the two sat down on the ground beside the horses, waiting for the bank to open, so that the gold might be safely deposited. Bayley recounted the incidents leading up to his rich discovery, and gave Mr. Cohn a lot of valuable information which he was not slow to act upon. When the telegraph office opened in the morning, Mr. Cohn wired the news of the find to Mr. A. Forrest, and gave all particulars concerning it. Acting on the information he received, Mr. Cohn organised teams and men to proceed to the field. Men and teams were ready next morning (Sunday) and a week after the first equipage reached Coolgardie. On the route plenty of water was found in the rocks and wayside "soaks." A month after despatching the teams, Mr. Cohn set out himself for Coolgardie, and on arrival formed the opinion that it was one of the best auriferous areas he had ever seen. He therefore acquired several properties on behalf of his syndicate. Meantime the "rush" had set in, and when tenders were called later on for mail delivery Mr. Cohn became the successful tenderer and opened up the first legitimate mail service, under the style of Cobb and Co. Still keeping up his contracting, he erected a number of wayside inns on the road to Coolgardie, and in that now rapidly-expanding centre built the first hotel, to wit, the Club, in Bayley Street. Mr. Cohn also claims the honour of building the first hotel in Kalgoorlie, also called the Club. In Dunnsville as well—the township founded on the site of John Dunn's sensational Wealth of Nations discovery—Mr. Cohn erected the pioneer hotel, and at Niagara he has erected several properties. Early in the history of the Coolgardie and Kalgoorlie fields, he acquired a considerable amount of town-site property.
On one occasion, when the excitement of the Wealth of Nations discovery was at its height, Mr. Cohn drove Messrs. Forrest, Hassell, Monger, Marmion, and Crossland—the original syndicate—to the scene of the find, and they were on the spot forty-three hours after leaving Perth, although the railway only ran as far as Southern Cross. He made special arrangements for the trip, and let out all his drags, buggies, &c., for the outing. About three years ago, Mr. Cohn sold out his interests in the coaches running from Coolgardie, but since then he has been the biggest mail contractor running to and from the fields. Out of eleven mail contracts let by the Government this year (1896), he secured eight. He has mail coaches running to Menzies, Niagara, Yerilla, Lake Darlot, Bulong, Kurnalpi, Esperance, and Norseman. As a contractor he erected the telegraph line to Dundas, and he is now engaged in the construction of the overland telegraph route to the South Australian border, a very large undertaking, involving the use of over 500 camels and the employment of 60 men. Outside the firm of Faiz and Taigh Mahomet, Mr. Cohn is the largest camel proprietor in the colony, owning over 600 "ships of the desert." In 1895 he lost over 10,000 through camels dying, and he has had considerable trouble with the Afghans, who, he states, are none too careful in their treatment of beasts owned by white men. The camels are used extensively in carrying goods, &c., and have done an immense amount of work for Mr. Cohn.
As a mining expert Mr. Cohn has had an extensive and successful experience in reporting on properties and recommending purchases, and every one has turned out well. He holds very large mining interests, and what with his forwarding agency, aerated waters business, mail contracts, and his public duties, his life is a busy one.
Mr. Cohn was gazetted a J.P. in June, 1895, and his decisions on the bench have given general satisfaction. He has always taken an interest in public matters. He has been a member of the Council at Southern Cross since its inception, and for the last two years has occupied the mayoral chair. He is also chairman of the Southern Cross Roads Board. He is a warm supporter of Sir John Forrest, and speaks highly of the uniform courtesy and kindness he has received when dealing with the Government and the officials on public business. He is a member of a large number of racing clubs in Western Australia, and is also connected with several agricultural societies.
Mr. Cohn has now amassed a comfortable competency, but his success in life came not without the reverses of Experience's "fiery furnace." He deserves credit for the work he has accomplished in Western Australia, and, though he was not born in it, he is one of its most solid and consistent supporters. He is a well-known figure on the goldfields, and the correspondence which reaches him on public matters from out-of-the-way parts shows how well he is liked and how thoroughly he is in touch with the mining population.
