When Jack Cardigan strikes gold, he writes to his girlfriend Nora in Sydney to give her the good news. But he entrusts the letter to an untrustworthy friend, Ralph Blackstone, who poisons Jack in order to jump his claim. Nora catches wind of Ralph's villainy, and pursues him back to the mine, first by a speedboat across Sydney Harbour and then by racing his train in a fast car. In the goldfields, she finds Jack alive, and the two are reconciled both with one another and with Jack's gold.
A contemporary newspaper report highlights the difficulties in filming the race between Nora and the locomotive:
'An unrehearsed and exciting incident in connectlon with the taking of the films for West's Pictures of W. S. Percy's prize drama "All for Gold, or Jumping the Claim," took place in the vicinity of Springwood, on the Blue Mountains, Iast week. An arrangement had been made for a well-known stage beauty to drive a motor car at a rapid pace alongside the railway line during during the passing of a fast train, in order to complete one of the sensations of the piece. The operator (Mr. Barrett) had fixed his camera at a convenient point of view, and was enjoying a smoke while he waited for the scheduled train to arrive. An hour before that time, however, a shrill whistle cleaved the atmosphere, and, before he realised what had happened, a big Baldwin engine was tearing out in his direction. Then the truth dawned upon him, and rushing to his camera, he began to turn the handle vigorously, for on the road a cloud of dust told him that the race had begun too soon. The lady "chauffeur" was gripping the steering gear like something possessed, albeit her golden hair, rising and falling on the breeze, made a charming picture. On came the racers, the car gradually "bringing back" the locomotive. Passengers craned their heads through the windows and urged the driver not to be beaten by a woman. Just when the motor with a last bound nosed in front, the train disappeared in a cutting, and the most exciting struggle ever seen on the mountains was at an end. Ten minutes later the lady was having a champagne luncheon. The spirit of the chase had caught her, however. "If I had not passed him before I passed the camera I would have followed him to Bathurst," was all she said.'
Source:
'Motor v. Locomotive', Brisbane Courier, 11 October 1911, p.10.
