"AULD LANG SYNE."

Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 253, 26 October 1931, Page 2

"AULD LANG SYNE."

WAIHI OLD BOYS FOREGATHER

MINING THR.LLS OF-EAR^

"GRAND OLD MAN".;CHEEB^

(From Our Own Correspond^

m WUHt'a^, A gathering, which will hi m . v took place at old identities connected with +T, iea industry of the Upper first reunion of the Waihi Old Bbi a ciation, visitors coming from A^iV 880 ' Thames, Paeroa, w££*J*»*. places. The Mayor, Mr, W. Jfrtifi* who is president of the 1 ' sided over a large and ance An apology for,absence S* cexvedfrom Mr. A t M.% a owang to the illness of hi sw jf e "^ A notable feature of thp ™+w V the presence of fe W s fe g > Waitekauri, one'of the original * to open out the famous StL its outcrop in 1878. MrSSiH now 79 years of age, k stiK' Wh ° '* for gold at Waitekauri. stated that he did first prospector on the Martha Hin ? e he did claim that he wasX C Uut who iound payable so ld in thV* m lode and "stayed with it." * $V :fe ; was also emphatic in his sfciAmi.. JQw Mr. H. tbe wonderful. Talisman lode J3g£*

! When Horsemen Rushed the -jjjj^ l gave a brief sketch of the Ssg# of thei.Ohinemuri goldfield,-dfal& March 1875, when tha OhihSfffcfi was official to declared open Z' % E warden, Colonel Eraser, at JVlacto^ 6 which at that time was a caX fc some 1600 souls. ; At a excited men on horse and &oS2 the river and made for the.prwpeK clann on the side of the. Kaianfffi Mountain. It was a- wonderful sdcXi according to eye-witnesses. ; * 7"^ Referring to the discovery•:' of tu famous Martha Lode at Waihi, th e ckir man described the early 1878 of Messrs. J. McComhie andS&£ and W. S. Nicholl and R. Mar& M that connection. Mr. McCombie and hk mate had sighted the outcrop on>thl Martha Hill when in the Waitekaufi dktrict workinor east, and Mr. Nkhb'l y his first sight of the Waitekauri dsfcr'ct and the hills of Waihi showing 'iffil.l outcrop of the famous lode-from the Te Aroha Mountain, in the vicinity of-ffMcl' he had been prospecting. r* >:

The speaker mentioned the fact; that the Waihi mine; which had'piwed one of the greatest of- the -world's frbld. ducers, had, in its earlier stages, ken condemned on several occasions h experts.

Another Waihi' Needed, In proposing the toasi of "Mie.(Mimining Industry," Mr. Colihv; Mason, chairman of the Ohinemurd County Council, struck a hopeful note, but thought that the Government should" "be .more liberal to prospectors. He denied the assertion that in this respect there were no good men available.- ."— - . Mr. J. G. Cornes, _ assistant manager of the Waihi mine, said what.the country needed at present was another■'■; .Waihi. (Applause.) " ' . Messrs. Nicholl and Milnek responded to the toast proposed 'by the chairman, Mr. Nicholl, who was referred to.as the "grand old man of the .mining,' industry," received a great reception when he rose to speak, and at'the, close of function he was'' accorded -cheers'':; and '-musical honours. ,' • ' Intei'spersed with the toasts was,an enjoyable musical programme,;.-and the highly enjoyable gathering -broke-up-.frith the singing of "Auld Lang- Syne." *