REMINISCENCES OF THE GOLD RUSH

New Zealand Times, Volume LII, Issue 12250, 23 September 1925, Page 7

REMINISCENCES OF THE GOLD RUSH

GOLD COACH GUARDED BY MOUNTED POLICE MINERS FIND A SACKFUt WHEN MEN LIGHTED PIPES WITH NOTES * Recollections of the gold rush days of the ’sixties in Central Otago are always of thrilling interest, and many incidents of those exciting times have been recalled by a particularly valuable find of old photographic negatives which have been laid on one side for many years. They came into the hands of a Wellington young man, who has been working in Central Otago for the past three years. At odd occasions he had rendered service in the evenings to an auctioneer, and when clearing up a corner of accumulations one day a large number of whole-plate negatives came to light. When prints were made it was found that they were pictures taken on the goldfields of Central Otago in the early ’sixties. The negatives have yielded excellent prints, and include pictures of the old coach which used to convey the gold to the treasury bank in Dunedin, the Clutha, and Kawarau rivers, showing the scene of operations, a miner’s hut on the bank of the Molyneux river, and dredging work. Some stirring yarns of big finds of gold and other incidents had also been gathered', and these were verified, or supplemented, by an old Wellingtonian, who himself spent a considerable time on the fields searching for the precious metal which made fortunes for many and ruined others.

ENORMOUS WEALTH In the first quarter of a century after the discovery of the goldfields over 40 millions sterling were added to the capital wealth of the Dominion, and,an enormous sum has been added to that m the past 40 years. The early finds had a very disturbing effect on the minds of many of the early colonists, some of • whom forsook their farms in the hope of getting rich quickly. Not all were successful, and a number went over to Australia to the

goldfields of New South Wales and Vic. toria. It is not established that they returned with much gold, but they brought back mining and prospecting experience which stood them in good stead in Otago. The Maoris soon realised the value that the settlers plaoed on gold by the seals, signets and medals they wore, and they told the white people that gold was to be found in the Matau or Molyneux river. Then Gabriel Read came on the scene as the finder of the first paying deposit, securing seven ounces in ten hours in a spot which became known as Gabiiel’s Gully. Now and again men would hoax the public with news of a big find, bu,t short and sharp punishment was meted out to the offenders, some of whom had their hair cropped and received a dozen or so lashes into the bargain. "Hold-ups” would take place occasionally, and one notorious character named Garrett was reputed with his

gang to. have held Up IS people. TheTo was a typical stage coach, a picture of which is reproduced, which used to convey the gold to the Treasury Bank in Dunedin. It had a guard of military and mounted police, and' on one occasion, towards the end of 1861, it conveyed in one consignment 74,000 ounces of gold which, at £4 an oqnce, would be worth round about quarter of a million sterling.. It is recorded that the coach, in spite of its armed guard, successfully ‘‘stuck up” and robbed on one occasion.

SACKFULL OF GOLD There are .still survivors of the early ’6o’s who remember the sensation created by Hartley and Riley, when they walked into the bank at Dunedin with • a sack containing 871 b weight in gold. These made their fortunes, and the spot became known as Hartley’s Beach. Other finds included 401 b in ten weeks, a ‘‘now chum” party got 1101 bin a little over a month. It was a memorable year, for over 332,000 ounces of gold were exported in 1862. It must not be imagined that the i miners had an easy time of it. Oftentimes they were working 'in the gullies with snow all round, and fuel was to scarce that fuel ooet as much as 7s 6d a bundle. Food was also very dear, if flour at Is fitl lb is nny criterion, while mutton would realise £3 and £4 a carcase. • -

SPIRIT OF RECKLESSNESS There were occasions when the miners became absolutely reckless in the excitement of newly-found riches, and men who had placed their gold in the bank and drawn notes on their credit would, out of a spirit of bravado, light their pipes with £1 notes. So also they would play quoits and games of chance for amazingly high stakes, and it is recorded that in one instance £IOOO was the stake in a game of quoits. Another man who earned his living on the goldfields by keeping a store in a shack in the mountains once ordered 100 bottles of champagne at £2 n bottle, and afterwards went by the name of “Champagne Bill.” Deeds were attributed to some characters which would not bear the light of day, but some miners including Chinamen, did disappear and were never heal'd of again. The remains of the shack occupied by ‘‘Champagne Bill” still stand near the little place known as the halfway station on the railway, although it has been almost obliterated by the track. Towards 14-mile bend in the Molyneux river are the remains of the old paddle-wheel dredge. Tho first man to commence operations therefound a little heach, and in order to try out the locality as a prospect, lowered his bucket into the river and pulled, up what appeared to be a mass of dirt. He washed it, and that pailful of dirt yielded him enough gold to take him home in comfort. He pegged out a claim and did well. Hartley and Riley started their prospecting along the river, and on one occasion found it at a very low ebb. They saw gold in the bed, and after puddling a short time secured about £7O worth of gold. They took this l to Dunedin and persuaded a number of mates to return with them to work the find. On reaching the spot the river had returned- to normal and no signs of gold could be seen. “In with ’em. It’s a hoax I” was the cry of some of the enraged men, who were convinced that they had been brought pn a fruitless trek. They were very threatening in their attitude, so one of the pair divested himself of his _ clothes, dived to the bottom of the river and came up with his hands full of dirt. This was washed and was found to contain a considerable percentage of gold. Their wrath appeased, they set to work and made valuable hauls. This claim was worked twice more and yielded -payable results. Hartley’s beach became one of the most famous gold areas in the' world. FASTEST RIVER IN THE WORLD The epot where the Kawarau and Olutha rivers join is known as "Waters Meet,” when it becomes the Molyneux river, the .fastest in the world. Even the Clutha river, before the meet, is dangerous for some distance up on account of its rapid speed. In the early days a man, who was known to he a very strong swimmer, dived in with the intention of swimming to the other -side. He was caught in the swiftly flowing waters ana his body was recovered miles below. Even at Alexandra bridge it is very dangerous, although the feat of swimming across ’has been accomplished, hut it is possible to stand on the bridge and hear the swirl of the shingle and Boulders as they. are carried along on the bed of the raver. “KICKING THE BUCKET"* The term, “kicking the bucket? is generally understood, hut not everyone knows the origin of the expression. ,It originated on the goldfields, when miners, disheartened by their lack of success and their losses, would stand on their bucket, put a rope round their necks and fasten the other end in the roof of the shack., s.nd then kirk the bucket. away, leaving themselves j to perish miserably at the end of the ! rCpe TWENTY OUNCES PER TON About ten miles'from Cromwell was the Bendigo quartz reef, which tvan owned by a man named Logan, ‘who later died in Australia in impoverish ed circumstances. The reef, during the time of its existence, about five years, yielded mere gold per ton than any other gold rear in New Zealand. Some of the quartz yielded as much ns 20 ounoes per ton, and one ounce per ton is considered a paying proposition. The ’ reef then petered out, and although numerous drives were made to try and find the lost lead they were never successful. To-day only the skeletons of buoken dredges, cradles, and shacks remain scattered about the country, and along the river banks, together with vast areas of tailings, heaps of stones and clay banks, to remind one of the days of the gold rush to Central Otago. _ There is a eoheme for recovering gold from the Kawarau. river bed now in operation, and' to which optimistic 'reference was made by a Minister in the House of Representatives a few days ago. Whether the scheme will be la success remains to he seen.