MINING DEAL

Greymouth Evening Star, 31 May 1935, Page 12

MINING DEAL

LEADS TO FORTUNE

SYDNEY, May 21

Mr. W. G. Lawler, a young English man, who arrived in Sydney yester day by the Monterey, stated that with £2O he made a deal in Fiji that led to his fortune.

Mr. Lawlor said that he brought the original Laloma claim for £2O, not knowing what, it was worth, and eventually sold it for £lO,OOO, plus 30,000 fully paid up shares in the company ; which was floated to develop it. ■ Mr. Lawler said he knew nothing about mining when he first went to Fiji. He had earned his living in all manner of ways in the various parts of the world, including the job of a professional dancer. “1 went to Fiji six years ago from New Zealand, and eventually became hotel proprietor. Before the gold boom began two years ago. I engaged in prospecting, and learned a little about the geological topography of the islands.

"When a fellow hotelkeeper, wlio was an original claim holder on the Tavaua field, expressed a wish to dispose of his holding, consisting of 200 acres, 1 said that. I would take a risk and buy it. 1 paid £2O for the property. I prospected it for about 12 months, and obtained sufficient gold to finance developmental work. The Theodore group, which controls the central areas of the Tavaua field, then offered me £ 10,000 and a tenth share in the company floated to develop the Laloma claim. I understand that the tenth share to-day is worth about £60,000." Mr. Lawler said he was on his way to Melbourne to sectiro his interest in the company, and later he would visit England to see his parents.