A HARDY PIONEER.

Press, Volume LIX, Issue 17936, 3 December 1923, Page 8

A HARDY PIONEER.

ADVENTURE OP EARLY DAYS RECALLED. (SPICIAIi TO "TEH ?KK,") HASTINGS, December 2. Th© nam© of William de Blaginer© Compton, a victim of th© bridge accident near Taihape, will b© familiar to many old residents of Canterbury. Mr Compton was a pioneer of th© province. H© was on© of Ashburton's early poundkeepers and filled that offioe for a very long period. H© was also engaged in prospecting and other occupations and was regarded as a very useful man in the back country and amongst stock. Th© episod© which resulted in Mr Compton" s being presented, with a gold medal by the late Hon. &. J. Seddon, mentioned in the Taihape telegram, occurred about 1894. An elderly prospector named Duncan had 'been in the habit of spending th© summer in th© high country beyond Methven, returning to civilisation with th© advent of winters cold and snow. That year h© failed to return by the time the change in the weather mad© lif© in th© open in that region precarious and much anxiety was felt by his friends, who feared that some mishap had befallen the old man. Their representations caused th© officer in charge of the Ashburton polioe to Bend out a rescue partjj for which an experienced leader was required. Th© choio© fell upon Mr Compton, who very willingly volunteered to embark on what was considered a risky enterprise. Th© expedition in the ©n3 consisted of himself and Constable Morgan, of Methven. They stracE Thmcan's trail and followed it under the greatest difficulty, th© country "being "by that time deep in snow. Eventually after a long search they found the object of their quest in a snowbound shack, alive 'but in th© last stages of exhaustion. They began the more difficult task of retracing their seeps with their helpless burden. They accomplished the task successfully and reached Ashburton again after an absence of several weeks and Duncan recovered under ireatment. Th© Mayor of Ashburton convened a public meeting fo steps to recognise suitably the meritorious work of Mr Compton and Constable Morgan., and they were presented with an illuminated address and a purse of sovreigns each, Mr Seddon adding gold medals to th© citizen's gifts.