STORY OF A GOLD CHAIN.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 6501, 16 February 1882, Page 3

STORY OF A GOLD CHAIN.

During this week the finding of a valuable gold chain at Otahuhu has been advertised in, the “ Auckland Star,” and the discovery of the owner has revealed a story certainly very remarkable in its way. Just twenty yeais ago Mrs Miller, of Otahuhu, was returning from Church one Sunday morning, wearing this par-, ticular chain, which was a fine specimen of Italian work, having been purchased at Malta in 18(8. Somewhere between the church and Mrs Miller’s bouse the chain was dropped, and, though diligent search was made, no tface was discoverable, and with many regrets and heartburnings on the part of the owner was given up as irrevocably lost. On the 22nd of last month David Murphy was walking along the road about I*2o yards from where the old church at Otahuhu used to stand, and in the watercourse at the'side saw something shining amongst the gra'S. The something proved to be a chain, so discolored and valueless in appearance that the finder thought . it, was made of brass. It reposed in a small hole exactly similar to the inside of an egg-cup ; and the revelation of its where-; abouts was due apparently, to recent rains; and the eating away of surrounding grass by cattle. Not a lint was # distorted or broken, and altogether the indications pointed it to having lain undisturbed for a long time. David Murphy, deeming his find to be worthless, sold it to a friend for a shilling ; and the buyer for some reason or other got a chemist to test it, and thus proved it to be fashioned of the precious metal. Murphy, on bearing this! was not unnaturally dissatisfied, and indisposed to let such treasure slip out of his hands ; and so, after some difficulties and much angry; argument, the matter got to, ; thef ears of the police. Constable Graham, at Otahuhu, obtained possession ot “the' chain, and set about making inquiries’ all round the neighborhood, with small; expectation, however, of finding the owner.; His belief was that it had belonged at some former period to one of the officers of the camp, past the site of which theroad runs, lu the course of his investigations Graham arrived at Mrs Miller’s, and asked if’ she had heard of a good gold chain being lost.; The good lady replied in the negative, and, then a few minutes laler her own loss ofj such an article flashed across her mind. To ; relate the story was perfectly natural ; ; what else could be suggested ,by what .the; constable had said ? A description of her; chain was also to be expected, for it had hap-: poned to be of a somewhat uncommon con-; struction. It was quadruple j and in the; centre it had a movable plate engraved with; flowers. Kemarkably enough, so had the chain; which Constable Graham carried, and then; taking it from his pocket he inquired if Mrs; Miller recognised it. She did; it was her lougj lost treasure. |