EIGHTY-FIVE YEARS AGO

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26980, 15 January 1949, Page 6

EIGHTY-FIVE YEARS AGO

FROM THE FILES OF THE ©taqo TDatln Himes ; DUNEDIN, JANUARY 15, 1864. “The fortnightly escort arrived in town yesterday afternoon and brought gold from the various goldfields as follows:—Queenstown, 37060 z sdwt; Arrow River. 17760 z lOdwt; Dunstan. 53360 z; Mount Ida, 22130 z lOdwt; Mount Benger, 1930 z lOdwt; Tuapeka, 1858 oz; Waitahuna, 848 oz; Woolshed, 3950 z sdwt; West Taieri, 8990 z 6dwt; total. 15,7660 z 6dwt.”

“By the latest accounts from England we are informed that arrangements had been made for the embarkation of the 4th Battalion of the •Military Train Corps and detachments of other troops designed for New Zealand service Three transport vessels were fitted up in the Victoria Dock, and had been inspected by the military authorities at Woolwich for the reception of the troops; a large quantity of stores was packed and ready at the Royal Arsenal for shipment, from whence it w'ould be forwarded when the vessels were ready for sea.”

; “A new custom in connection with the local sales of wool is announced. Hitherto the producer of wool has had to submit to private sale, or, as is most commonly done, to send it Home .through a merchant on consignment. The fortnightly sales which the auctioneers propose holding will give the runholder the opportunity of selling his wool outright at the highest rate that competition can secure him. There is not likely to be a lack of buyers, since wool is deemed to be a safe article to be for the purpose of remitting.”

“ Information of a most disastrous accident has reached us by the Titania from Bluff harbour. A quantity of smuggled goods was supposed to have rieen landed from the brig Grecian on Stewart Island. The Custom House officer, Mr W. Parker, employed at the pilot station, Bluff, Mr W. Fordham, and his mate, known as ‘ Bill Friday,’ started in Fordhams’ boat to make inquiries. They had not proceeded far before a squall struck the boat, which overturned and sank immediately, carrying one of the three men down with her. Another very shortly after the accident screamed loudly that he had been bitten by a lhark, and he, too, was lost. The third, with the aid of one of the boat’s thwarts reached the shore after swimming about a mile. His name has not reached us. Parker left a wife to mourn his sudden loss.”