THE GABRIEL'S GULLY CATHERING.

Evening Star, Issue 14573, 23 May 1911, Page 4

THE GABRIEL'S GULLY CATHERING.

(Continued from page 6.) DIGGERS' REMINISCENCES. LAWRENCE, May 23. Heavy frost, was experienced last night, and to-day broko fine, and the weather is just the thing to suit the day's plans, it being arranged to take the pioneers to all parts of the district. All the traps available were secured, and the old chaps were given every facility to find tho site of original claims. Amongst the visitors is at least one who has the distinction of being tho partner with Gabriel Head. I refer to E. W. Hardy, of Kurow. Ho was the only man in the celebrated gully for the hour or so when Read took to the authorities his report as to the finding of gold. Hardy is away to-day visiting his brother, a farmer, ten or twelvo miles off. A sample of tho chance meetings which this gathering has brought about ramo •under my notice this morning. Robert Cotton, of Waipori, and Henry Harraway, of Dunedin, have known one another casually for many years, but it was not until to-day that they found oil, as the result of a chat in the street, that they waic fellow-passengers on the Lighoi lg from Melbourne in 1861. That vessel carriul 727 passengers, [0 stowaways, and nearly 100 of a crew. Two ot!< ;r vessels the Oscar and Empress., stalled from Port Phillip the same day as the Lightning, all sailing within an hour of each other. They came over in a gale of wind, and were often in sight of each other. The Lightning was the first to anchor at Port Chalmers, but the other two vessels were so close up that it wa-s a question as to which would land passengers first, and a £IOO a side bet made at the start was drawn by mutual consent at the Heads. As the Lightning approached the harbor she was met by a small steamer, which ran close and conveyed the news that 30,0000/. of gold had just been brought in by the escort. There were not more than 200 or' the Lightning's crowd fully sober that night. Harraway was tho first man ashore from her. He was in a hurry to get something to cat. Four thousand men arrived that day. Patrick Gleeson, long a resident in Hiiwke's Bay, but now belonging to Parnell (Auckland), is one of the real old identities, with vast digging experiences. Ho is now a wealthy man, and is building in High street, Auckland, a ten-storey building that will be the champion skyscraper of the Dominion. But he says that, ho finds the greatest pleasure in this visit, and in looking up old friends. Ho landed in Ballarat in 1853, and was the lad who fetched Dr Sutherland to see Peter La lor when he was wounded in tho Eureka .St''l'kadc light. Gleeson came over by the Aldinga on her first trip in September of 1861. he and two mates taking up a 40ft claim a bit higher up the gully than Gabriel Read's. The pinking, he says, was' about 6ft, and ' one man had Jo bo continually baling with a tin dish. T'hero Mas plenty of water for working their sluice boxes. They sold their gold to tho Bank of Now South Wales at £3 16s 6d and £2 YJn per ounce. The Union Bank was ako operating at the same time. Gloesons party worked out their claim in six weeks, and got a tidy bit of gold, but knew at the time that thoy did not got more than lialf of it, their'appliances being inefficient. He says the miners of tho gully wore a sensible, orderly lot, determined to keep things quiet.' If an odd blackguard tried to impose on a weaker man tho others would toll him to etop it. There was a fair amount of drinking, but the weather was cold, and men needed something wann ; and as they worked hard it diil them no harm. After tho claim wa,s worked out Gleeson bought an interest in tho first tail race constructed, at Tuapeka, and he lias had the happiness of meeting one who was engaged on that work. Simon Fahoy. who is uow somewhat infirm. They recognised ca-eh other at once, and Fa hey declared to the bystanders that Gleeson was the .strongest man at a lift he ever saw. This tail race had to do abandoned. An agitation was got up for a. storm-water channel. Tho Government authorised that project, and Major Crokor declared that the <onstruc(ors of that channel had the right to pierce the race. This spoilt tho race. Glec-on then went to the Hartley and Riley ru-sh. and stayed there twenty, one day*, and. returning to Tuopeku. found that- on the expiration of the fourteen days for which his claim hud been protected ithad been taken up by one Cranlev. Glee,irrm then prospected the Pomahiika Ranges and Nokoimii. and .struck good gold at the hitler place. This lasted him till the West Coast rush. Me. was at llokitika and Grey-mouth before any buildings wore erected at eithei place, lie then prospected the diggings now called Jones. Afterwards he wont to Arahura. then to Wcstroit with the famous Red jack, and c-übsoqnently got gold at Nobbs and Dnfl'eiK Gleeson is still an active man. full of Tcimniscejiccs. He says it is one of his happiest- experiences to revisit Gabriel's, for it y;;w iheio he learned to respect the miner, and since then he hai; never turned one of these away if a good turn m.'is .'X'oded. SOBRIETY AND ('(IMPORT. Ais confirming my previous message that the gathering is conspicuously orderly. J may mention that the constable on duty l:ust night says that not only were titers no arrests but- he did no! .see one man under the influence, as the phrase goes. It may be urged, as a partial explanation, that Ttiapeka is under No-license. This is quite uue, but those who want a- nip can generally find where to get it. The principal ec.uee of the general Fobriefv is that the men are voluntarily and customarily sober. I had ;t ch.it this morning with Mr H. L. Darton, a member of the Organising Committer, who lies, had a deal to do with tlm billet'iig. Ho tells me tliat tho Committee originally expected to have to provide for 200, but to be on the safe .side they made preparation for 500. ft. was a good job that they did this, for some brought ladies, and casuals were so numerous that whoa ali were housed last night only twelve beds were left. So far as Mr Darton knows, those were the only unoccupied beds in the place. The billeting is in hotels, boarding and privaie houses, etc., and the Committee had to get possession of four stoics and lit- them up, <-o as to complete the required number of 300 beds. Thev hired 168 stretchers with beddim: complete, and saw to everything so thoroughly that the old men all had (he comfort of a, good fire to go homo to, and any who were not quite st-.ong coidd have a hot-water bottle too. I made an extensive inquiry this morning, and have eveiT reason Hi believe that the billeting scheme is a tunic success. The men are apparently quite satisfied. They do not pay the persons in charge, not even the landlords of hotels. All payments are made to tho Committee, who are regulating the charges, so that no one, however poor, .shall" find the cost excessive; and the Committee will out of the common fund pa.v the landlords, etc. Thero is a common rate of Is 6d for all meals and beds. The scheme is to place rich or poor on ihe «i>me level as to the class of accommodation supplied. On every hand I hear great nr-iise as to the work of Messrs J. C. Erowne, B. Winn, H. L. Darton, and others in backing up the mayor. EVANS FLAT DIGGINGS. _ I dropped acroffi a man this morning who was able to tell me about tho beginnings of the Evans Flat diggings, hard by. Black Peter, as ail know, found gold on that fid. but could J..ot work it on account- of tho water. 'The first party to 'take tin a claim there consisted of James Ho"kms, W. Schroeder, Jack Brower, and R. "Ferguson. Then another party set in, these being Harry Griffiths and a. Hungarian known as Louis. The third party consisted of Honry Giesog. Harry Blackbum (since drowned). James Ilaughton, John M'Bain (now dead), and Jamep M'Ken. zic. This crowd started to work in- 1863, and overcame the water difficulty by erecting a. big water wheel worked by the race. The sinking was shallow and tho gold good. When they worked a full week they could make £9 to £l2 per man per week. This n-round w.\h> subsequently reworked several Jones*, as was tho cape in Gabiials.

MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS. Benjamin Gilmer, clerk to the Parnetl Council* wires his regrets that he cannot join his old mates in their celebrations. James Sibbald, from the Lindis Pass in M'Kenzio County, walked thence- t» Roxburgh, and there learned about the celebrations. He set out at once to walk to Lawronco. and arrived yesterday hale and hearty. That is a sample of the hardy men now assembled. Sergeant Higgins says that with all this crowd there is not a bad "egg" in the district. Amongst the ancient diggers is ,T. E. James, eigh'lv-six years of ago. looking leas than sixty. " Ho came to Wellington in 1842.