THE THAMES GOLDFIELD.

NZ Truth, Issue 59, 4 August 1906, Page 7

THE THAMES GOLDFIELD.

REIMNiSCENSES FROM THE EARLY DAYS.

O'Kane's Luck.

(By C.W.)

j Among the army of sharebrokera who, j 3 with the advent of the great boom, had . started business on the Thames, none . occupied a more enviable position than , Michael O'Kane. Before the place was \ opened as a goldfleld by that intrepid L prospector, Hunt, the Maori half-caste, , O'Kane had been a gumdigger, an occu- ] pation rarely tackled by the golddigger — , not because the life is hard and laborious, but because it does not offer \ those chances of making a big rise which are always open to the men. on a goldfield. The gumdigger leaves his camp m : the morning armed with a tomahawk and long steel spear and carrying a bag, and [ as he goes along he prods the spear I through the deep moss into , the soft ground below. If he meets with an obstruction he can tell by practice whether it is \ stone or gum, and if the latter he kneels down and with tomahawk and hands clears away the moss and evil until he reaches the coveted article. When that spot is exhausted, he leaves to look for 1 more, ' until the sinking sun warns him ' to return to camp. After tea he begins % | cleaning, so as to prepare the gum for ' market, and generally the scraping bf'tbe knives may be heard m a guindigger's ; camp till far into the night. t Such had been the life. , of Michael O'Kane; but since he had settled on r the \ Thames a, great change had come over ' his fortunes and general appearance. Provided with a little capital that' he had carefully hoarded, every venture which he touched turned out trumps, and soon he gained the reputation of being a shrewd, level-headed man of business, •. to whom many turned for advice. Just before the Caledonian proved the rich chute he had bought 100 shares from a dairyman at £5 each which, 'before a month passed, were worth £20,000. In fact, fortune smiled upon O'Kane, and he felt easy and comfortable with his prospects. He employed now two clerks and Occupied well furnished offices, where a regular stream of callers kept him busy all day. \ One afternoon the clerk announced that a digger wished to see him, and was told to admit him at once. It was "Billy the Ram," a character well known on the Thames and on most other goldfields since the days of Bendigo. He was a swarthy, lithe little man of uncertain age, and had acquired . his Resignation owing to the habit, he had of butting his opponent like a ram when engaged m any of those fights so common on the dig-, gings m the early days:. I had' met' him before — it was at Sandy Creek on the Ovens— where one morning he came aJong with his bluey on his back, taking a de- , tour through the bush, evidently with the intention of avoiding a shanty where he owed a score. The shanty was kept by a big Irishman— Big Con— and his supposed wife, Biddy, and was on Saturday nights a scene of wild revelry. Billy thought to sneak gently away, but some' tvaltor. had given him away, and just as he passed, our claim Biddy spotted him. Calling out to her mate, "Here the bgoes,";, sho rushed down the hill 1 and at-tacked-the little man, using frightful language.' The latter found that h,e would have to face the music, and, dodging the blows of the virago,. he, laid "(lqwn his swag and awaited events'." A crow^ quickly^ gathered as Con appeared on life scene; a 'ring was formed, and'*' ..when- .the two stripped and faced each other the' difference m size and weight was striking and ludicrous in* the extreme. Con .at once forced the fighting and hit out, boldly, but his terrific blows fell on air, as Billy, nimble and active like a cat, cleverly avoided them. This went on for ten minute 3, the crowd cheering and ever increasing, when Billy, quick as lfghtning, leaped forward and with tremendousforce buried his head m his opponent's stomach, felling him. like an ox. Con rose puzzled and punting, and again tried to reach the little man with his hands, but without result, and presently he was j again knocked down. This mode of fighting continued for half-an-hour, the big Irishman being again and again hurled to 1 the ground— the crowd approving lustily —when he declared himself beaten, shook hands with Billy and invited him to the j shanty for a drink. The little man left without further, molestation and without settling his score. Such was the man who now came to interview O'Kane. He was received cordially, for men like that could give valu- ' able information. On this occasion, however, Billy came on a different errand, for he had a share for sale. Being one of a party of four they held a claim high up. on' the mountain. They had- sunk and driven on a big lode, which only occasionally showed gold, but the adjoining claim, which had been floated at a big figure, had struck a rich chute, that trended directly into their property, and would be met by his party to a certainty. He could not go on any longer, as he was supporting his old mother m Victoria, who was now m a , low condi- j tion, and he had to go to her. O'Kane j noted down all the particulars and dismissed his visitor, requesting him to call m about a week. Billy was there true to time, but no sale had been effected. He called again but the answer was ever the same, and thus a month went by. One morning he came rushing into the office excited and streaming with perspiration. "You have not sold that share, have you ?" he exclaimed. O'Kane eyed him keenly for a time without replying. "You are m a flutter, Billy. Sit down and collect yourself and tell me what's up," he said at length. "Flutter he hanged I He struck ' very rich stone this morning. Took out half a ton of specimens. The show is splendid, and of course I shan't sell now." "Well, now, this is unfortunate. I am so sorry. Had you only come an hour earlier 'i. "What, you dog, you sold it ! Sold iti have you ?" and jumping across the table j he seized O'Kane by the throat, and cdni r I nieuced belabouring him with his kriuckr ' les, when two other men hurried into the office and rescued the broker from the hands of the infuriated miner.. It was j some time before he could be induced to i view the matter m a reasonable light, ' but at length he accepted O'Kane's choque j for £400, less commission, gave the j transfer, and left the office. Shortly after Micky O'Kane stepped m- ! to a cab and drove to the foot of the! Brown spur. The day was hot, the j track leading up the mountain uneven i and studded with sharp boulders. Ho j was panting and perspiring freely, but nothing could daunt him m his determi- ; nation to see the golden stone. After : nlodding upwards for an hour and making frequent inquiries, he at length reached the mine. Here he found a shaft sunk, with windlass fixed and a few tons of unpromising looking stone alongside, but not a soul was stirring. He shouted .;• no one auswered. He cooeyed ; the echo •responded. . At length he noticed a tent m the distance on the edge of a gully and made towards it. Looking through tho open door, he espied an individual re-' cliniug on a bunk and reading a novel, to whom he introduced himself, after ascertaining that he was one of Billy's mates. ''Well, my man, and how are you getting on here?" "Oh, not getting on; at all ; going to sliug it." O'Kane was I slightly staggered, but went on : 'IY/ou I need keep no secrets from me, you know, ' for I bought Billy's share this morning, and just come to look at tho specimens you took out last night." "Specimens ! Specimens !" roared the man m the bunk. "I have only seen a few specks since I came here. You can have the whole claim, if you want it, for nothing !" : Poor O'Kane ! He collapsed completely

and turned very pale. This was too bad. j He diti not mind the few hundreds, but to be outwitted and taken down by a common digger,, that is what galled him and made him sick at heart. Sitting down on the edge of a rock he pondered long over tho rascality hidden m human nature, and endeavored to hit upon a plan which would silence the dreaded | talk about this affair, his reputation as a | shrewd business man being m danger. i But it wna all m vain; it was sure' to leak out and had to be faced. t The shrill whistle of the Golden Crown i on her departure for Auckland reverbera- , ting through the chasms of the mountains put an end to his reveries and warned him that it was time to go. Slowily retracing his steps down the rugged mountains, his. knees aching with the unwanted exercise, he was utterly heedless of the grand picture spread out before him. On the one side the magnificent firth of the Thames stretched away m the distance, its surface rippled into wavelets reflecting the last rays of the setting sun until caught on the summits of the faraway black mountains ; on the other, alin'ost under foot, a busy town, looking as if built of cardboard, dotted ; with tall, smoking chimney stacks and numerous crushing mills, the regular beating of whose stampers, mingled with a continuous buzz, struck faintly on hia ear. But all was lost on Mickey O'Kane. •, He wag afraid to meet anyone, and gladly stepped into his cab, arriving l m time for dinner at' the Occidental. Billy was never seen on the field again. , It was some six years after when I met O'Kane again, and this time ia N.S.W., and in- . totally altered circum-' stances. I was going to a rush near the old Bushman's, when about noon I saw a flock of sheep iv the deep shades, and tying niy horse to a .tree I sauntered over to-' the shepherd, whom I noticed reclining under a currajong. To ruy greatest surprise, the shepherd turned put? to be Mickey Q'Kan©. We, had a long and interesting yarn." He told me that on the Thaniies 'his v cheque would have been good for £50,000 at .any time, but since that unlucky deal m Billy's mine everything went against him. , Shares m . tie j Caledonian fell and never recovered, and then,— yes then, he had come across «. woman, and such a woman ! and that finished him. He was, however, quite Contented and perhaps ns happy as when he dealt m thousands. And thus we parted, ,