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RANDOM RECOLLECTIONS.

TE AROHA GOLDFIELD. (By J. MoCOMBfIE.) The first gold find at Te Aroha affords strong evidence of the fact that you can as easily manufacture a silk purse out of a sow's ear as to make a competent prospector out of an ordinary individual.' In support of this contention there is not a single instance on record where either geologists or organised prospecting parties have ever made a gold discovery worthy of mention. All the "big finds" throughout Australasia have been made by individual prospectors— ont by rule of thumb methods, but by skilfully, patiently and consistently following up traces of tho precious metal until the source, or matrix of the float-, ing particles was located. Honi's Lode. After several months' surface scratching by amateur prospectors without any tangible results, it was decided by the owners of the pioneer claim to employ an expert prospector named W. McLean, who 'hailed from Ooromandel. This man located the lode within 68 hours of the time he started to search for it, and, aa a surface show, it was one of the best I have ever seen either before or since. The lode formation was about one foot wide, on the average, and, when the hanging wall portion was stript of country rock for a length of about 30 feet along its line, the ore exposed to view fairly glittered with gold, and the sight was a most attractive one. Some of the specimens broken out were worth as much as one ounce of gold to the pound of quartz, and the general ore was very high grade. One leading mining man described the "show" as being a veritable jeweller's shop, and the newspapers throughout the province of Auckland took up the cry, spreading it far and wide. The Soup Kitchen. Although the Te Aroha township, towards the end of 1880, was fairly well studded with "clout houses," the one that will live longest in my memory was a bell tent occupied by "Manukau" Jones and Harry Whitaker, who have both passed out" to the Great Beyond. These two men commandeered, from one of the river steamers, a kerosene tin which they converted into a stock pot. An abundance of bones were obtained daily from Jack Woods, the butcher, and Beuben Parr, who farmed some land in the neighbourhood, supplied the requisite vegetables. Every evening soup, both palatable and nutritious, was served out to all hands free of cost, subject to the consumers bringing in to the camp sufficient fuel to keep the pot boiling continuously. Just then the place was infested by a herd of Maori pigs, regular Captain Cookers with long snouts and lean bodies. Upon a certain moonlight night one of the pigs, more enterprising than his fellows, discovered the kerosene tin, which ho started to explore right away. After discussing the contents this pig found the tin had wedged itself tightly around his head. He made desperate efforts to release his cranium without tho desired results. Then he started squealing, while his companions chimed in with a loud chorus. This aroused the whole camp, and it was a sight for the gods to witness—a small army of scantily clad men running through the scrub in full cry after the pig, which finished its career in the Waihou River. Next morning, when mustering his stock, the Maori owner realised that one of his pigs was missing. Inquiries led to the loss being traced right home to the owners of the soup kitchen." The Maori went straight-to the bell tent, asked for 30/ as utu for the loss of his pig, and backed up his demand by a torrent of abusive language. His grievance was redressed by "Manukau" Jones, who fired him out of the tent saying, "D—- your pig, bring hack our stock pot.' The Fog Horn Club. There was one lot of tents grouped together, and these were occupied by a number of men who were well known as members of tho above-mentioned club. Two of them, who slept together in one tent, were credited with being the champion snorers of New Zealand, and there is no doubt that their joint performance on tho nasal organ entitled them to some credit. Whenever they were both in full blast the noise reminded one of a double cylinder engine when loaded bewnd its capacity, and close neighbours ISTtrred that the walls of the tent used to flop in and out with every breath of the sleepers. Eventually the snoring partnership was broken up by a paragraph appearing in one of the local papers. The substance of this was as follows: We are pleased to chronicle the fact that the abilities of two of our well-known residents have at last been recognised by the Government of the Colony- Messrs, — and — have been advised that they, are to be established on Tiri Tiri Island instead of the more expensive lighthouse j which the Government at one time contemplated erecting there. We are well acquainted with the gentlemen in question, and we know that their powerful nasal organs will be heard by passing ships miles away, and sound, we believe, is preferable to light where dense logs are prevalent." The Murder Case. Early one morning a young man who had ridden through from Paeroa, informed the police that he saw the body of a Maori named "Kingi" with his throat cut from ear to ear, lying by the roadside about one mile north of the township. Inquiries instituted by the iDolice led up to the arrest of a Russian named Prokoffy, who had only been in the place a few days. At the inquest it was elicited that "Kingi" and Prokoffy had been seen together at 10 p.m. the previous evening. At the scene of the murder there was unmistakable evidence of a desperate struggle. The fern for a circle of 20 feet around the spot where the body was found, was tramped down quite flat, and it looked as if more than two persons were concerned in the fray. | Circumstantial evidence was so strong i that a verdict of "wilful murder" was j brought in by the jury at the inquest , against Prokoffy, who protested his innocence right along the line. At the Supreme Court the case was so well handled by the late Mr. N. Brassey that the jury brought in a verdict of "not guilty," and Prokoffy was released, with the distinct understanding that ho was to leave the country at once. There is no doubt that Prokoffy acted promptly on this advice, because the relatives of the murdered man had already expressed their intention of squaring the account at the jirsi favourable opportunity.

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https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/AS19250711.2.154

Bibliographic details

Auckland Star, Volume LVI, Issue 162, 11 July 1925, Page 21

Word Count
1,115

RANDOM RECOLLECTIONS. Auckland Star, Volume LVI, Issue 162, 11 July 1925, Page 21

RANDOM RECOLLECTIONS. Auckland Star, Volume LVI, Issue 162, 11 July 1925, Page 21

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