WHO ACTUALLY DISCOVERED OUR GOLD FIELDS?

Otago Daily Times, Issue 151, 10 May 1862, Page 5

WHO ACTUALLY DISCOVERED OUR GOLD FIELDS?

To the Editor of the Daily Times. Mr. Editor,—Sir, in your issue, dated May 6, the letter of his Honor the Superintendent to the Council expresses so liberal a feeling, and sense of justice, as to induce me, through the agency of your widely circulated journal, to endeavour to detail a little of the private {ljstory pf pu.r gp]d fields, which I hope will be read with some interest by my fellow colonists a?id -our diaging population, who, in such matters, are great lovers of justice. Two, if not three years ago, a person commonly known as Black Peter, was digging for gold, along with some others, above the present Woolshed Diggings, atMr.W. Miller's station, Roxburgh. Those men could always make agood day's wages..When their funds were low or as the whim seized them, they used from time to time to resort to those diggings. Slack Peter, along with two or three mates, agreed to take a bullock dray and go to prospect some diggings Black Peter knew of over the Waitahuna., The expedition got as far as this river, when some dispute Arose, and all turned back except Black Peter and one mate. They crossed the Waitahuna, arid' tnrbugh some fault on their part, wasted the.ir time, and provision failing, had to return, without fhe' opportunity, of fully pyospqeting the ground. Such another expedition it was not easy for a man like Blaci Peter to fit out, and no one wquld believe his report of existence of gold fields. In February, ,1861, I opened the Bridg-end accommodation house, 'Tokomairiro, arid amongst other frequenters of my house was one who .had been mates on the Woolshed with Black Peter. I hoard him talking about this gold, and learning from this person, whom I shall call Jack, that there were a cradle and two puddling tubs belonging to him at Miller's station, as also a hut built by him for the purpose of shelter while on the ground digging, I obtained leave from Jack to use those necessaries, and he being himself employed in the bush at that time, I fitted out a person wmqs

John Fisher, aud dispatched him to take up bin quarters at. Roxbunrhfor a fortnightor so, with orders to prospect and ascertain if thf re really was a payable gold field. Fisher returned for more tools in a day or so, bringing with him some pennyweights of cold. Jack soeintr this re-wived aloiifrwith his mate on ["fiving the hush, n:id trying the' cold. In about a week after Fisher hsrl boon there these men went up to the Woolshrd, unil hefore long came down and obtained a lo'ip-toin to win-Is with. There were now lour men working hi'ie and making good wages. They found. tie first nujrgfct, which was Landed to one of our M.P.C's, by Mr. Miller. Mr. Beed called at my house about a fortnight after tbe man sent first by me had been working, and from there weut up to the Woolshed to see them. Mr. Heed returned in from nine to ten days irom that time, telling me that he also had discovered gold ; aud most liberally did Mr. Reed then make public the existence of a gold field. Mr. Reed has well deserved any remuneration Government has awarded to him: a long, weary weak ho must have had; his swag when he left my house was more suited to the back of a bullock than of a man. - The only question is, does no one but Mr. Reed deservo a little notice in the history of our gold fields —did' Mr. Reed discover the gold fields, or merely cleverly follow a clue already given 1 The story of Black Peter having found gold both at tho.Woolshed and somewhere about the Tuapeka was well "known iuTokomaiiiro. Did Mr. Reed merely deyelope this, or did lie without nny information within ten days in a wild country discover that which has caused so great a revolution in our Province. J. 13. L.

To the Editor of the Otago Daily Times,

Dhau Sir—l never read the list published at the. Post-office of letters detained for postage, "without noticing the names of a number of my acquaintances, many of whom reside in the country, and arc but seldom likely to see the proclamation in which they figure. Sometimes I take compassion on a forlorn letter, and send in a postage-stamp to its assistance. But there can be no need for all this delay; our worthy postmaster would, I know, be sorely concerned if he knew the consequences, to a friend of mine, and to myself, of his_ haying detained a letter three mouths, before returning it to the writer. The oversight or carelessness of a clerk might be. the primary cause of the mischief; but the rule observed in the Post-office cannot bnt aggravate it extremely. My object in addressing you now, is to suggest to the Postmaster that the rule, invariable in other colonies, be adopted here ; and that-letters posted without proper prepayment, be returned at once to their writers. This will benefit all parties, and save no little trouble to his clerks. ■ I am, Sir, yours, &c. , MERCATOR. Dunedin, May 7th, 1862.