From the recording REFUGE
Similar to The Door Sergeant, this solo provided a musical comedy style in its composition. Music in the Edwardian era captured the optimism, energy and good humour of the new century. In Salvation Army meetings, solos like this would have been sung to not only entertain, but to tell a message.
The Prospector tells a story about how in his younger days he broke ties with his family and set out on the search for gold. One day, he struck lucky but then, like the prodigal son he squandered everything. God heard his cry and pardoned all his wrongs and he sings heartly to the listener: ‘I've a goldmine that will never cease to yield a good supply, And it wasn’t found by groping in the earth.
Lyrics
Way back in days when life was young,
I dreamed of wealth untold;
And, breaking ties to which I'd clung,
Set out on the search for gold.
I pegged my claim, I staked my all;
Health and strength and brain,
With madd’ning thirst ‘neath blazing suns a fortune to obtain
Month after month I broke the ground,
Yet gold I failed to see;
Whilst other men the nuggets found
Defeat seemed to follow me,
Until it lost a yellow gleam
Caught the noonday sun,
My toil was over my fortune made the weary struggle won.
CHORUS
I've a goldmine that will never cease to yield a good supply,
And it wasn't found by groping in the earth;
It's a spiritual affair I opened up with prayer on the day I sought to know the second birth.
The love of God is my treasure,
Unstained unstinted in measure;
I can always make a claim tho’ mention of His Name
From the goldmine that I found when I was saved.
But though this wealth I dearly earned,
Sin robbed me of it all;
Till like the prodigal of old
I thought of my God to call.
He heard my cry, saw not my rags,
Pardoned all my wrong;
And now I'm rich in heavenly store, I sing this diggers song.