MOANA NOTES.

Greymouth Evening Star, 20 July 1918, Page 2

MOANA NOTES.

(Our Correspondent.) THE WEATHER. The heavy fall of snow which is covering- in a white mantle the lowlying hills surrounding Lake Brunner, though presenting a spectacle pleasing to the eye, is not contributing to the bodily comfort of the dweller or worker in these parts. Those whose occupations take them out in the early morn and dewy eve have goad and just cause for complaint. Bushmen in particular are not experiencing that continual picnic which someone said was their lot; the cold icy rain and piercing wind of the early, part of the week was keenly felt by them, and the subsequent heavy frosts, followed by line clear days, proved a more pleasant change. AILMENTS. As a result of the weather conditions quite an epidemic of colds, coughs and other ailments is prevailing, and in some households several of the inmates are laid aside at the one time, consequently the patent medicine chest in the local stores is .receiving unusual attention in the demand for remedies. ACCIDENTS, A couple of rather nasty accidents occurred at the Lake Brunner sawmills this week, and though they were rendered somewhat painful through the coldness of the weather no serious results are anticipated. While tailing-out, Mr. Tom Holly had two fingers on his right hand severely crushed through being jambed with a. fiitch. He was medically attended, having had several' stitches put in, and will be unable to follow ln's occupation for some little time. Mr. C. Penhalluriack also had two ringers injured through being caught in some machinery which he was operating. His injuries, also necessitated several stitches and he will be incapacitated for a, while. EDUCATIONAL. The mid-winter holidays are now ; drawing to a close. It is expected , that the schools in this district will . resume about Monday next. Thevacation is much more appreciated by \ the scholars and teachers than by ] many mothers, numerous pairs of . muddy fet tramping in and out all j day long being not altogether relish- ,_ ed by materfamiliasi. The attend- '< ance at the local school is not as s large as it has been, owing to the \ fact of several families having left j the district. However, future pro- ] spects appear somewhat bright, as re- c cently there have been one or two ~ new arrivals. Last week our popular ] station and postmaster was advised T '•Both doing well." Another son — c hearty congratulations ! <.: FOR KING AND COUNTRY. t c The Otira. lino is still contributing t towards upholding the tine record s achieved for supplying fit men for h the fighting line. At the Medical r Board sitting in Greymouth on Wen- p nesdar last a further quota, wore e classed A and ordered to parade on s October 9th. e PRIVATE JOHN NOAKES. x Some months 'aero there appeared in your columns: a, story concerning a, New Zealand soldier in France who ' had formed a great friendship with a private in a Highland regiment. ' Ther spent their leave together, and it was noted that the Highlander, who " was a married man, shared the par- ' eels which he received from home . with the New Zealand friend; and later, in writing to his wife, the large-hearted Celt requested that she send two parcels .one to be address- *?' ed to his friend. Instead, however, she handed the request to a young P lady relative with the result that the ! Nov; Zealander afterwards regularly received parcels accompanied by '

During the winter evenings your time may .be" fully occupied by calling at Reid's book arcade. Mawhera Quay, where you will find gamss of all Uin'd s for young and old. Snakes and ladders, ludo and draughts, both much interesting games, may be obtained for 9d each. Visit the shop and see for yourself. —Advt.

bright and cheery letters, and when a fortnight's leave was due lie arranged to cross to Scotland and spend it with his friends- Unfortunately, a day or so before that leave was granted, he was mortally wounded, and died in a military hospital, his last act being to make ai will leaving a. thousand pounds to the young lady who had befriended him. From facts since gathered, this story appears to be either ui coincidence or to relate to a soldier who at one time worked as a bushman on the Otira line. In the infancy of the sawmilling industry here large areas of silver pine bush proved a profitable endowment to the mill-owners and afforded lucrative employment to bushmen in the production of sleepers for railway works. Consequently workmen were attracted from many parts by the glowing accounts of the good money to be earned, and at every mill could be found a fairly large camp of hardworking, rough but large-hearted

squarersi. In one of these- camps was a young man still in his 'teens, • IT who, through his quiet, reserved disposition and gentlemanly manner, stood o-ut conspicuous in the crowdHe declined all invitations to indulge in the amber nectar, and the nap school knew him not. He made very few friends, but the ones he made were friends for life. When his day's toil wag over he busied himself with his camp arrangements, for he "bached." as did everyone else in those strenuous times. Perhaps some of the older school of bushmen may remember him. His name was John Noakes. He was by no means an expert squarer, but he did his work well and made from ten to a dozen sleepers during the day, at a shilling for singles anil tenpence for doubles, and appeared quite contented. John Noakes, however, was not quite as contented as he appeared ;, it had occurred to him that if he could only discover a patch of silver pine bush in a. suitable locality he could make much more money delivering his sleepers at a, railway station, as the price at that time was about 2/0 each. So he resolved to set out one day, with that purpose in view. It was in the month of July when John Noakes started out. on a clear frosty morning, carrying only a liberal ration of bread and meat. No one elswas astir, as it was Sunday, and with tiro first peep of daylight he crossed the tramway bridge over the river, and commenced hisi journey. Taking a direct line across the flat where the squarers worked, he reached, after two or three hours' walk, n. small narrow track, which he followed for a good many miles and reached a large creek which he knew flowed to a railway siding, and would be an ideal stream down which to float sleepers. He then set out to trace the stream towards its source, and after several hours' travelling without success, he found the day wanimr and was on the point of retracing his steps when, glancing over Ids shoulder, he descried some little distance away the familiar bushy tree tops that he was in quest of. Hushing gleefully forward, he commenced exploring his find. It was certainly a splendid piece of bush, and there seemed to be a large extent of it, us he wandered here and theer, sinking to his knees in the velvety mounds of moss. But it was getting late and he must return. Where was the creek'.' Try as he may he could not find it: nothing but moss and silver pine; and there came to John Noakes, youth that he was, that awful feeling of loneliness that lias been felt by Stronger men on realising that they were lost in the bush. ' Bracing himself up, however, he resolved to make the best of the

situation, and as darkness set in lie succeeded in lighting a fire, and he felt very thankful that he had taken some provisions with him. Next morning he made a start to find his way out- The sun was obscured and "afforded him no assistance, and no hills could be seen, so lie endeavoured to find a. water course, which he would follow persistently until he found his way out. After some time lie came on a tiny trickle which lie followed for several hours until it increased in volume to a fairly large stream. The silver pine bush had disappeared and the pround seined very rough and broken. On a, little eminence overlooking the stream could be seen a, small clearing in the bush and, thinking it might indicate some habitation, John Noakes started to investigate it. Sure enough, it had at one time been a, camp, and its owner seemed to have left somewhat hurriedly. .Scattered about were various tools and camp utensils almost completely consumed with rust; the poles of the tent were rotten and the canvas had completely disappeared, and marking the spot were the bones of a human skeleton. On making this discovery lie hurriedly turned to leave the place and, running down a, small gully, he came on an old diggers claim, and so concluded that the skeleton was that of a. miner of the early days. He noticed that theta.ilraco was in a fairly good state ot' repair, though overgrown with scrub and in looking about picked up several pieces) of 'gold. Not wishing to spend another night in the bush, he continued his journey downstream, and arrived at the railway, not far from where ho started. He returned again in a few days' time with prospecting tools, and working up the tail-race .secured upwards of two hundred pounds worth of gold. He subsequently took up the ground, and camping in the locality, worked out n, very rich claim, frequently coming in to" town with several hundred pounds' worth in his possession. On finding that he was in mining parlance "duffered out," he removed to another district, where he resided until he enlisted at the outbreak of

the war. But this is how Private John Noakes was enabled to leave a. thoui sand pounds to the bonnie Highland lassie who befriended him, but whom 1 it was destined he should never see.