50 YEARS MARRIED

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume 58, Issue 4128, 29 April 1949, Page 5

50 YEARS MARRIED

EARLY DAYS RECALLED MR & MRS B. GWILLIAM POPULAR PAEROA COUPLE On Thursday, April 19, the residence of Mr and Mrs Ben Gwilliam snr. in Wood street, Paeroa, was the rendezvons of many relatives and friends who gathered to celebrate the golden anniversary of their wedding. Mr and Mrs Gwilliam were maried in St. James’ Church, Lower Hutt in 1899. The three-tiered, artistically decorated cake was cut by Mr and Mrs Gwilliam amid toasts and musical honours. A remarkable feature of the occasion was the presence of one bridesmaid, Mrs C. Hayward of Feilding, and the groomsman, Mr Llewelyn Gwilliam of Rotorua, now in his ninetieth year. One bridesmaid was unavoidably absent. Many beautiful gifts and flowers were on display. Besides personal congratulations the 60 telegrams and telephone messages received during the day and evening testified to the wide circle of friends enjoyed by Mr and Mrs Gwilliam. Arriving at Whangamata In responding to the main toast, Gwilliam reminiscently recalled the occasion when as passengers on the “S.S. Waitangi,” he arrived with his young bride at Whangamata, which at that time consisted of one hotel. He had a small home ready eight miles liack from Whangamata, at the site of the “Luck at Last” gold mine, with which he was connected. There were no roads to or around Whangamata and it was necessary to ride horseback along a pack track to their two-roomed home, the bedroom ■only having a wooden floor, whilst the kitchen and scullery were earthen.

Mr Gwilliam the wails consisted of round flP®® Mt * n ground and covered With and roofed with iron. Food was nfljtiy tinned and fresh meat obtainable Wy when time could be spared to shoot 'n Work in Mines Mr Gwilliam has had a long association with gold mines in New Zealand. He worked underground at Waihi bedTore'moving a second time to Whangs Ahaata,.where, just prior to his marMo surveyed the road from the Last” mine to Whangamata. of machinery, for the erection If the battery, could not be -undertaken until this road was completed. While this road was being formed he put up a "rise” to bring down the water necessary to supply the battery. u While I was cutting out the ‘tail race’,” said Mr Gwilliam, “ I noticed on the point of my pick what I thought -was a piece of thin rope. On examination I found I had driven the pick through the top of a detonator, of what in mining language is called a ‘miss-fire’. Had I struck the detonator half an inch lower,” he continued, “there would have been no golden wedding, for underneath were sixteen plugs of gelignite.” Karangahake Activity After assisting in the erection of the battery, Mr Gwilliam was in charge of the cyanide department and the crushing mill, in the old crushing days. Hhe remained with Berwick Moreing and Company, the London owners of the mine, almost to the closing of the battery, when he was transferred by the company to Karangahake . Here, he contracted for the excavation of the Talisman battery site. During that contract the season was the wettest in memory and Mr Gwilliam confessed that consequently he was heavily in debt. Disgusted by the failure he dissociated himself from mining meantime and contracted to work on the formation of the railway between the Karangahake gorge and Waikino. “No doubt many people have noticed in the river, at a bend about a mile or less on the Waikino side of the tunnel, two small stone piers and have wondered as to their past purpose,” said Mr Gwilliam. “ Tliese are the remains of a small bridge across which I took a horse and truck in order to work the railway cuttings.” Met President Hoover This contract enabled Mr Gwilliam to pay all his debts, buy the house in which they were living and pay for his schooling at the School of Mines, Karangahake. Mrs Gwilliam well remembers her husband’s final pay under this contract. Besides receiving his usual pay, she watched him place a sovereign under every article on the table set

for tea. She smiled happily. She knew this meant their most difficult days were behind them. His old company, Berwick, Moreing and Company, at this juncture asked him to take charge of the cyanide plant at the Talisman battery and about this time also, he was able to give desired information of the “ Luck at Last ” mine at Whangamata, then closed down, to Mr Hoover, general manager of the company, on a visit paid to Karangahake. Mr Hoover in later years became the president of the United States of America. Long Hours Worked Mr Gwilliam remained with the , Talisman battery for several years, and watched it pass into new hands. He commented that it was not unusual to work a thirty-six hour shift smelting bullion over four big coke j fires. On such occasions Mrs Gwil- j liarrf or their young son would bring his meals over to him. He also found time to study at the School of Mines where he passed several examinations and obtained certificates. Mr Gwilliam’s next position was as general manager of the New Waitekauri Gold Mining Company. From there he went to the Golden Cross Gold Mining Company and when that closed down, the Gwilliam family moved to Paeroa. Reference was made to the important role Mrs Gwilliam had played in their fifty years of married life. She had proved the mainstay of the family. Mrs Gwilliam had spent her life helping others, as many people in Paeroa and districts knew. Her main interest throughout her married life had been church work. The greatest tribute to her was paid by her husband, when he emphasized at their gclden wedding anniversary celebration, “ If I have any regrets, it is that I did not marry ten years younger.”