MINER TO MAGISTRATE.

Auckland Star, Volume LVIII, Issue 208, 3 September 1927, Page 10

MINER TO MAGISTRATE.

A VARIED CAREER. ;j Ml. J. W. POTKTQV. Stt MONTHS VACATIOX. One of the feature* of Efe in the'! colonies is tin opportunities are,' afforded to men who viS take idraatage of them to xeuh a higher level of life .than that to which thev were horn.' An apt illustration is Mr. J. W. Pojnton, who, after Monday pert, starts* del a six months vacation, which was doe'" to hint as ha had not taken 'a holidav for the past thinea jean. A represenlaM tin of the "Auckland Star" had an in~l teiteLing chat with Mr. Pom tan npas hi* past career, which should aerre as a rtinmlns to ronng men to »ftn high.] Born at Syaetoa, Victoria, on Decern-1 ber 11, 1661, Mr. Povnton caste across' to the Bloff two Tears later'with his parents, his father being tie iate Mr J Joseph Pojnton. The famDv went to: the West Coast. The father walked from Matanra to Dunedin, from .Offistcfanrch to tie West Coast. Mean-! while the famflj Bred at Lirercareill mitil 1867, when jfcbe fathef aeet for them. ■ Srf attended school' at htcnargill," said Mr. Pojnton, "but when we! moved "to ~the~Weft" Ooast there was no •ehool to attend, aa we were at the Xew River. I had thns time to sfcodv birds and plants for the want of other •ehoofing, and that had a good deal to ®y later paving- nroch more attention to tke aeMntific side of "those mhjerta*

x ATbuilhß. j "When I tu 12 yean old, I vtat goldmining. I bad a miner's right issued to; the age; of 16 I vent tmdergiound goldmiaing •J on the West Coast, and was the start of my i»fcfng for geology, which I have siiiee studied; from a more fdcntifie aspect. After 10 y**M goldmining, 1 nioe up my to be a doctor, and ■while studying for that profession, got a knowledge of physiology and drags, which I hare often found of use in my duties as eoraoerJ It was meeting Sr Robert Stont on the; West Goart when he was Premier, that caused me "to turn to the law. He appointed me : a justice af the peace, and ' *• fit me -for my duties I started to study law. It was before -the matter, of a stnrtmt passing in the law was handed over to the Umreroty. Then the jnriges attended to it. 1 passed the general knowledge examination at Hokitika in 18SS. In March, ISB9, I started to' study for the lavekamina§md -passed successfully tfce folSeptember.- I practiced my proia Wellington tffl May," 18R5. [ was appelated Stipendiary MagisKve yean later Mbßc Trustee under

the ateniMßa cf tbe B. X Seddna, ud after ««nrW fn tkb was m»h secretary for tk Tsmmj of Mi«— f it Sutler*. Then my h»lft broke daw.# Back t» the Bead. la 1811 I vect to |aad «« afaScari at Fihtcsta Kaft, sad in 1815 -was transferred to Aarikrto» I Lave (sis n nularf After catting tt Gfieiroxjf* I start ist ■a*' mmrfht TasaiiOß. I I haTi beo iaiomed is practically'd 'scasstifie subjects, and is r-mrhrwaa 1 may sit that tie on ~3»» Wat ;Coa*t ieie na of a splendid i\pa. Of ;Cooraa tier were jeaHv impmens of saahood, as cm tie gold&ifc tbe weaklings fall by tbe *it. Goli- , miner* sau be men of resource, as tkf .■are tbeai own. W■ engine*#*; that nataraSy bas tbe effect of —»* them self reliant."