THE PARTING KNELL.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13894, 4 May 1907, Page 4

THE PARTING KNELL.

DEATH OF AN OLD DIGGER. (Communicated by Ro. Caiirick.) Tom Onllen, who died, or, as he himself would have put if, "panned off," at Coal Island, Preservation Inlet, tho other day, was amongst. tlie last remaining of the old school of Otago 'diggers. He will lie iroro widely icnieinbevcd ill conjunction with Ihe name of his old mate, Jim Clark, as "Tom and JimUullen ami Clark — shaiing each others* fori tines and misfortunes— especially the latter, —had spent a lifetime together (the obituary notico says JO years, but 1 have reason fo believe that it extended considerably over,that period). It. is hardly possible, for me to treat tho subject in strict accord with its sad surrounding.-". Deceased was a* septuagenarian, and had been roaming t.he Olago goldtields from lima immemorial. Although he was slightly bent down and enfeebled by age, his pluck and endurance remained by him io tho last. I speak advisedly when I say so, having visited him at his "diggens" on Coal Island within (he'last two weeks. He and his poor old mate "Jim" were engaged "taking out n onddock of stuff," and they were full up of the subject of removing certain heavy boulders and buildiiig a dam to store t.he surplus water. It* was an instructive lesion in self-reliance and indomitable courage, which, considering their roip'eetivo aires and surroundings, rendered itself all the more impressive.

Cullcn was, as mi.iht he supposed, a man rude of speech, ami some of his adjectives would scarcely lia-ve adorned the doctrines of a Diocesan Synod. Still, tlrev were not tho tiltliv, piwent-dny type, but tho purer profanity of the Root! old digRinj With all Ilia rudeness, he was a l;indly-di'no e, v! "Mieinc old fellow, and

lons as iu l had bit or drop ho would sco no 0110 want. Years aso In 1 made a rise on file West Coast and ho and dim invested in n small dram-shop' or shanty. The dicing: fratenntv floe!;cyl round him to a mail, and tin; sin-nlir-- <mt pretty well run out. Interrogated next morning us to the pecuniary proceeds of the niirht's level?, ho philosophically replied (hat his customers were a roi.tiiiijont of poor diver.' chap; down in their luck, and had not a stiver to bless themselves with. That, of course, put a veto on the public-house enterprise, and was the first and last occasional which he made an effort to wall; outside the beaten lof the difrt'er. It is in no hilarious mood that I recite these _ union- 1 exnerieuces. lmt eimnly in illustration of life in an epoch of Zealand history which is now rapid!v >"din<.r awny into the shadows of the past. This ilemice ?«vers one of its few sustainiiifl" links, i-nd it is in no rash spirit of prophecy that I predict that More lonpt tho last of thorn vill have yielded lo the tensions of time.