EIGHTY-FIVE YEARS AGO

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27384, 9 May 1950, Page 6

EIGHTY-FIVE YEARS AGO

FROM THE FILES OF THE ©tago ©ail? Writes DUNEDIN, MAY 19, 1865. Our correspondent, reporting from Mount Benger under date April 29, says: “An increase in population is perceptible and I am informed that more gold has been offered for sale, particularly from the Pomahaka and that direction, during the week.” - The usual fortnightly dscort arrived 'here yesterday afternoon, bringing down the following quantities of gold:—Queenstown, 9980 z; Arrow River, 5440 z; Dunstan. 11330 z 15dwt; fylanuherikia, 1031 oz sdvvt: Dunstan Creek, 9580 z; Hamilton. 13390 z: Hyde, 3430 z; Tuapeka, 15260 z; Waitahuna, 6620 z; Woolshed, 188oz;—total, 87230 z. An official report from the Arrow, dated April 29, says: “The Crown Range is once again covered with snow and winter appears to have regularly set in. The miners are busy preparing for the winter campaign by repairing water races, huts, etc. The fact of many of them having been thus engaged during the past fortnight will account for the rather small escort this time.”

. ■ The Taranaki Herald of the 29th ult. contains the following:—“ Intelligence was received in town/on Sunday morning last that one of the Mounted Corps, Joseph Hawke, had been shot by the Natives at Stoney River the previous afternoon, and that another man named Jury, a private in the 43rd Regiment, was missing. Great was caused 'in town thereby, and at noon some 20 of the Mounted Corps, under the command of Captain Mace and Cornet Johnson, accompanied by some of the townspeople, started for the spot. The body of ,Hawke was found pierced with numerous balls, but the other missing soldier has not been found. Two 'horses were also killed.”

We stated a day or two ago that Martin Tracey, who was recently a constable at the Dunstan, had been stopped on board the Hero, which was about to leave for Melbourne, in consequence of £750 in £lO notes having been found in his possession, the suspicion being that the bulk of the money might have been the proceeds of the rbbbery of gold at the Dunstan camp <in November last. We understand that the statement we made as to the amount of money was erroneous, and that although Tracey had a bank receipt for a large sum. he has most satisfactorily explained its possession as the result of years of saving, and that there is not the shadow of reason for attaching suspicion to him as regards the robbery. His detention is to be regretted, but we believe that he will not be pecuniarily a loser therefrom.