ONCE UPON A TIME

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3173, 25 August 1917, Page 7

ONCE UPON A TIME

\ A TALE OF OLD-TIME HOKITIKA.' •Mr; "JRi A. Wright, .M J., is. quite an adept at telling stories to smalj- boy 3. He'told a good one to tho boys of the new Salvation Homo at Island Bay on Thursday ane'nt the value of obedience. When-he was a small boy ho lived tri tho W<®t Coast, in Hokitika, which time/all- tho world was rushing there to get the gold that pas in tho ground. In/those days men without any'skill at all could make a pound a day with a cradle, which' threw off the ea-rth and allowed, the gold to sink to tho. bittom of the cradle through a falso bottom. O.n one occasion a ship arrived off tho port.,crowded ■ with men, who were anxious to' get ashore to make their fortunes, but. tho weathor was very Tough and the sigipls told the captain that tho bar was.'unworkable. The men, feeling they, were wasting Valuable time, pleaded with the captain to take tho vessel • in, but ho was determined 4 to run no risks. Thoy then asked to bo allowed lo row ashore in one of the ship's boats. At first the captain refused the request, but the inen .woro so insistent that at l.:st, after.warning them of the danger and that ho took no' responsibility for their rash act, allowed thom to lower the boat and leave for tho shoro. There were twelve men in tho boat When the beat reached the broken water she capsized; ten men woro drowned, and Lnly two were saved. The whole tragedy took place before the eyes of hundreds of yeoplo who wero watching on tho shore. Of the two men saved ono happened to get his hand or finger foul of the boat's rudder, and was thrown aslioro with tho brat; tho other was saved by a dog. It was a fine big, brave dog, which wont into thq wafer and pulled, out ono of tho men from a wafory grave. As a reward for that act the Jlokilika Council 'solemnly decided that tho faithful animal mod never again wear a collar, nor need his owner pay a dog licence.