GABRIEL'S GULLY.

Otago Witness, Issue 2934, 8 June 1910, Page 81

GABRIEL'S GULLY.

PROPOSED JUBILEE CELEBRATION. Mr James Robertson, Mayor of Lawrence, has in hand a scheme for the celebration next year of the jubilee of the discovery' of gold at Gabriel's Gully, his idea being that for the period of a week there should be a reproduction on the historic spot of incidents that were characteristic of a mining camp in the digging days. " The old-time miners and their families who have survived until now are scattered," Mr Robertson says, " to distant parts of the earth; but when I was travelling a number of years ago in all the .Australian colonies, as well as in every part of the Dominion, I came in contact -with large numbers of them who expressed a desire to revisit the old spot to meet old friends, and who told me that if they should be spared nothing would give them greater pleasure than to spend a week's holiday in the jubilee year in the haunts of their youth. In order that this be brought about I was approached last year by an old fossicker of close on 70 years of age. who acted as a spokesman for others, and asked me if I would take in hand the business of arranging for a uiby.ee reunion. His words were these: ' You take the matter up and go alone; we give you a free hand. You know our feelings. We don't want committees to wrangle over which way it should be done. You will do us old folks a kindness by bringing us together for a week on the field of our early experiences, so that we can recount old-time associations and reminiscences.' After a time I agreed to take the matter in hand as he suggested." . There is a special appropriateness in the fact that Mr Robertson has undertaken to

carry out this project, for he was himself associated with the discoverer of the Gabrel's Gully goldfield. Mr Robertson thus mentions his pergonal connection with Gabriel Read : " Two or three years before the rush broke out my father, an old pioneer, settled within three miles and a-half of Gabriel's Gully. When I was a lad of about 13 years of age Gabriel Read, the prospector, arrived at our hut with a letter from Mr J. L Gillies requesting my father to direct him to where gold had been found a few months before by a native of Bombay named Edward Peters. My father having gone to the head station, and being likely to be away for a time, 1 went part of the way and directed Gabriel Read to where 'Black Peter,' as he was then call&d. had discovered gold. Mi- Read was an experienced miner, and he was not out many weeks before he made his report to the Government that he had discovered a payable goldfield. He started prospecting in May, and by June the mad rush of miners set in. They came from every part of the globe, and I, being the eldest son, was thrown in their company, and followed them then through a series of gold rushes, and have been associated with them more or less ever since." Qf the personal characteristics of the miners Mr Robertson says: "The bulk of the old pioneer miners were men of ripe experience, hailing from California, Bendigo, BaJlarat, Casrlemaine, etc. —men who ltad travelled and in travelling had rubbed off the rough edges of everyday life; men with large hearts who would share their last penny with their mates. They were thoroughly unselfish. Whenever any deserving oase was brought before their notice they would give of their gold freely. They would scorn the idea of a mean action In many cases, novvever, they resembled ' Jack the sailor.' It was a ease of ' come easy, go easy' with most of them. They were up one day or down the next. To make a long story short, they were speculators pure and simple, and, taking a survey .>f their circumstances now, in the most of oases they are not too well off. I have seen them in their palmy days, when they would contribute largely of their substance, and. speaking from, practical experience, even in the down grade of mining ventures, I can honestly and conscientiously say they would scorn to stoop to solicit aid." Mr Robertson proposes to make an effort <o ascertain the addresses of the miners of the 1861-1870 per:od »vho may bo able to revisit Tuapeka on the occasion of the jubilee, and he is in hopes that concessions in steamer and railway fares may be offered to them and their families to admit of their participating in the celebrations. It is his intention to apply for a parliamentary grant towards the defrayment of the cost of the reunion, and an appeal for assistance will also be made to all pel-sons interested in the project.