STORIES OF EARLY DIGGING DAYS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXVI, 9 April 1934, Page 2

STORIES OF EARLY DIGGING DAYS

HOW A NUGGET OF GOLD WAS LOST (By “Jo.”) An old digger squatted besidq the river washing tho sand by the river s edge, but why, we could not guess, for lie knows that gold is not found in the sand at File edge of the river. On being questioned lie replied by asking if avc had met a stranger on our Avay doAvn. We had—a young man avlio was looking slightly disappointed. The'old digger spoke. “Well, I aiu afraid it is gone, but come and have a cup of tea, and I shall tell you the story.” We followed him up a steep bank to a small slab hut in Avhich a fire avus burning and the kettle Avas singing. A feAV minutes later avo Avere enjoying & cup of tea and listening to the digger’s story, Avhich Avas this: — “A feAV hours ago a young chap called, and lie appeared extremely interested in gold, asking numerous questions until 1 enquired if ho Avould like to Avash a dish. He jumped at the chance, so 1 led him doAvn to my claim, and filled the disli for him, at the same time slipping in a small nugget, Avhich I had found a feAV days ago, to ensure that lie would not bo" disappointed with his wash. It took him about an hour to Avash that dish, and in the meantime I picked away at my claim, waiting to near his exclamation of joy Avhen he found the nugget. At last he rose and came toAvards me, holding out the dish. He Avas very stiff Avith bending for so long, and said that gold digging Avas too much like hard Avork to him especially Avhen you did not get anything. Speechless, I stared at him in amazement, and then peered anxiously into the dish. My nugget Avas gone. Soon after ho said good-bye and I Avatched him out of sight. It must be sixty years since 1 started digging, and this is the first time ever I have knoAvn anyone Avash the gold out of the dish. And if that is the type of man avlio expects to make a living at gold digging to-day, then I Avish him luck.”

TEACHING “NEW CHUMS”

In the early days of settlement in this district, when it was necessary to take all food out to the valleys by means of pack horses, it Avas customary, as the earliest comers put it, to teach “nerv chums” a lesson. Here is one "of ■ them:

There was a ci'OAvd of us starting to build a bridge across a small creek, and about ten o’clock a big poAverful man came down the bank towards us.. The Avord Avent round “a neAV chum.” He introduced himself, and asked us to have morning tea with him, as it Avould save us boiling our billy. We accepted and he Avent back to his camp to prepare for our coming. Usually these “new chums” came into the valley Avith about enough tucker to last a couple of days, so among us Ave agreed to eat him out. Some ten minutes later Ave Avere all seated, and eating hungrily. As fast as our host cut bread Ave ate it, until only the crust of the loaf Avas left, and then, thinking that he had come to the end of his store, one of my cobbers said in apology, “I am afraid, Mr Ave have eaten you out, but we Avere so hungry that Ave \vere not thinking Mr replied, “No, it’s quite all right, go ahead, eat as much as you like, I still have ten loaves, and they are all a fortnight old.”