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GREYMOUTH IN THE SIXTIES

(Continued) As shooting- has brought Cobden to mind, the following, incident is worth relating. Few old coasters, who do not remember the nbrtorious But-" gess, Sullivan, Levy and Kelly gangI remember Sullivan, quite well, and a most villainous scoundrel he was both; in appearance: and everything" else. He was the*'wr6st of the gkrig. Whilst they were on the Coast, there was residing and carrying on business, at" Cobden, a storekeeper, "Wed. or H. Dickie", the father of the pre--1 sent M.P. for Waimatev Like most storekepers in those days, he did a large amount of business in gold buying, the modus operandi being an arrangement with the bank, by which they obtained credit for cash lent. They paid- the diggers .for the gold with the cash and re-paid the bank with the gold, receiving a profit of course... The storekeepers visited, the difficult diggings or mining .camps wher they supplied tucker and bought i gold, : and as there were no roads, only tracks, they had to do all,. 0r most of the- journeys on "Shank's pony.' At this tim<rthcrc were many cligg'ng;. on the bench ;-ird terra's "'l-'^ ■ '' ' river (there was no Barrytown then) The present road from CnK'lr i »<:• beach Avas biiUfn track, there was a' wooden culver tfacross the swamp near the cemetery: ? Dickie as usual ope v day went up the beach to the different diggings taking with him a large sum' to buy gold. The gang, who always had spies out, found this out. luwas midsummer and the swamp was pretty dry. The gang got under the culvert and waited Dickie's return. When Tie got to the .end of the road at the beach . he suddenly thoug-ht of some business he hiad to transact- at the North Spit, further along the beach, instead of going home by the road, went along to the Spit, transacted his business and went straight on home by way. of a track from the spit along the river through Cobden Island, and the gangmissed him. Their intention was to do away with him and throw his body into the swamp. Had they succeeded the body might never have, been found and another mystery would have been added to those of the time. I remember old Gus Hildebrand tell ing us another yarn connected with the gang. The butchers used to go to Hokitika to buy' cattle brought over land from Christchurch,- and took con siderable sums of money to pay for them. Gus had been down 1 to purchase, and was on his return. It was a bright moonlight night with a very low tide and he got about 400 yards from the crown of the beach at the head of the hospital lagoon, the road came along the beach and around the head of the lagoon at the bathing sheds. He saw a fire in the flax on the crown of the beach, but paid, little attention until he saw a man come run ning - from ■ the ~ fvre down towards the surf as if to intercept him/ Besides most on the Coast had heard of the gang", and were suspicious of them but as nothing' had been proved against th. em, they 'had flot come with in the clutches .0 the law. It-instant-ly flashed into Gus's mind that the man "w|,s one of the gang who were evidently camped ,iri the flax. • Gus ran the spurs into his horse and got away. He reported the matter to" the police and some w'er sent out, but when they got there the birds had flown. Gus was always sure ■ it was the gang* rig-lit enoug-h, and .had they managed to stop him he wouud never have reached Greymouth. I remmber a skeleton being found , at Revell' s Camp, years after. , Nothing was known of the individual nor was there the slightest clue as to identity, and it was always suspectedhe was one of the gang's numerous victims: ■ In 1 85 5 a great gold ' robbery was committed on the London-Folkestone railway, and a man named Burgess who was implicated^ got 14 years trans. portation. I often wondered if h^ was the New Zealand scoundrel. | One morning the coach going across the head of the lagoon from Preston Road to the.beach^ was pulled up and a body completely nude was found. Nothing was evr known of it. :. On. Sunday's the chief places of recreation were first .the gardens at the corner of Coal Crek. arid the riverThey were very large and good, had tea kiosks, etc., they were owned by Peter Nelson and were well patronised. The "old man flood 5 ' in '68 took half the land away and rendered the gardens useless. The next .•place was Old Coe's, about three quarters of a mile along the Omotumotu Road. This was firstrate and convenient, besides being well kept. There were fine swings on the ' hill, and the place was .well tended by Mrs Coe and heir three daughter* ' Old Greyites will remember the old ' lady- Old Mr Coe predeceased her many years. He had a Jarge birck 1 kiln near the gardens, and supplied all and, sundry with that commodity. The late Jamie Brimbl'e Trussuth when a lad worked at the kiln for some years. Old Coe was one of the characters of Greymouth and afforded, great amusement at 'every public meeting-. , No matter; wha.it the Object of the meeting, he would start a long yarn about bricks." When the trainking wall for protection against floods was first mooted, he advocated it being built of bricks. If an astronomical telescope, marine engine, steam hammer 01 any other important -work of a similar kind were required, it must be of brick No public meeting- was ever a success ' without "Old Coe/' The old ladj and he were two of the best in Greymouth. The Grey-Brunner railway cut their property in two and pretty well killed them financially. They got compensation of -course, but I don't think they got anything like value for their property.-. The next recreation s lo imd wa«, laid out 'by Leathurds Bros. About rS7o they took up the block from Elmer' << Lane to Chapel Sheet, "cleared' most

of it -and started "Town Gardens." These were for many, years the place "par excellence." The Leathurds erected a theatre, gymnasium, swings and also constructed a lake. On holidays and, nights ; they had great displays of ■•■•jfireworks, jpnair'ifime naval I battles on the lake, etc. The place was afterwards purchased by the late Dr. Morice and cut up into building .■sections.; •;■'" ;; - "','.; ..."'■ /--: :: -' .. ■ : The chief. industry in the. sixties and seventies was of course, gbldmining. The beaches on account of. the vast number of water Taces which crossed and recrossed.. one .'".another,;/, was like a great spider welj. These races and the dams connected; Ayith them afforded the 6s 8d brigade large incomes on account of the numberless law suits in connection with them. s Coal was the next industry in importance. It was : brought dovvn.from BruaneJtqn in large coal boats, manned by three or fourNmen taken along side the differet vessels and the.;coal. ■shovelled into the holds. The boats were taken to Brunnert<>n hy means of horses with an^ outrider. .All Gargo was taken up the river by similar means save that the boats ! were smaller. ; . Many fine young fellows lost their lives from both coal, and cargo boats." Often the river contained large, snags, and when coming down the boat. would <' run on one of .these aond turn turtle, or: on going, up. the river the horses would plunge int<> a hole, and the; rider would be thrown and probably killed, and the boat would drift into the rapids and disaster would follow. '■■•-. The next' important industry- was timber. Watson and Wickes had a timber yard in Gresson Street, below Arney Street. They afterwards -iemov ed to the corner- of Boundary and Herbert Street, (opposite McLean's store). Watson sold out and the business was for years -carried on by the late E. Wickes; \yho timber • with. th e ": ironmongery trade. .. : ' Bathing was even more indulged in than at the present time. The- river bank from the viaduct round to the present railway sheds, was one vast shingle bed (save an "oasis" or two. along which were numerous large and deep ools of beautiful clear water and in which old/ and young disported, particularly on Sunday mornings . The • spring; board lagoon was not • even of as a.;. bathing resort in those days. Down near Blaketown was a favourite bathing resort?; The formation of the lagoon was quite different from what it is now. , ; . This reminds, me of the bridge. It had been erected about 1865 and had seen rouglit wear and tear, and 'n 1872 or was pretty rotten, "and very unsafe. • ; A boating party going beneath it, bumped strongly against one of the piles, , the tide 'at the time running strongly, and taking the boat at a good rate, the ..pile snapped and the ; 1 bridge collaps'&d; - Fortunately none -.of the boating ,party t consisting of , ; Mrs H.' Kenrick. (vvife of the Clerk of Court and mother of Mr G. Kenrick. 1 S.M.), and others were injured,, but ' their escape a rmiracle. If I re- . member rightlylMr^G. -Kenrick and, his . ■ brother were' of the party. Many , years afterwards old Captain Allar--1 dyce amused himself near the bridge -'by teaching- the youngsters to swim. ; ' It was he .who, taught H. and T. Perkins, Dr. Morice and many others. Very, few old Greyites who do not remember the captain, he. was the first harbour master and pilot. „ ; I In the sixties the Custom House did its duty in the real old style, when a ship got over the bar, away went the . customs crew in -their both with the j landing waiter* or other officer; they ihad a special bot and the/ crew were [engaged permanently and dressed in real man o' war style, brass buttons , and all- : In subsequent years a great swimming* ; resort was old Andy Fowler's, he was for many years a boat man- betweeii the North Spit and Grey- 1 mouth there were; in those days 50 or ... 60 boatmen plying for hite between ■ the North Spit and Greymouth and Cobden and Greymouth. Old* Andyj was a typical shellback id as atich at hofme s in or on, as out of the water.

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https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/GRA19131208.2.84

Bibliographic details

Grey River Argus, 8 December 1913, Page 7

Word Count
1,726

GREYMOUTH IN THE SIXTIES Grey River Argus, 8 December 1913, Page 7

GREYMOUTH IN THE SIXTIES Grey River Argus, 8 December 1913, Page 7

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