AM INTERESTING FIND.

Otago Witness, Issue 3764, 4 May 1926, Page 35

AM INTERESTING FIND.

(F-rom Our Own Correspondent.) AUCKLAND, April 29. An interesting find has been made by some workmen who are - demolishing the Oddfellows’ Hall, erected 71 years ago, just off Queen street, and prepanug a 3ite for the new theatre. The contractor was told than he would come across a bottle containing coins and newspapers such as are usually deposited under the foundation stone of a building, and when the workmen reached the most, likely place a sharp look out was :cept There, sure enough, a bottle was found, inside of which was a damp bundle of paper and about a dozen round pieces of metal, all blackened ant. some covered with verdigris. Unfortunately the cork that had been used was apparently not of goed quality. It had decayed ami allowed the damp to get at the contents. A little ruotung of the coins revealed a half-crown, a florin, a shilling, two tiueepennvbits, a sixpence, a half-farthing, and something that was probably a farthing before it had corroded. There were also several very small coins not more than a quarter of an inch in diameter. Most of them were sc corroded that it. is now impossible to say what they were, but one of them wa3 evidently struck in commemmoration of the birth of Princess Alice, daughter of Queen Victoria, and another refers to the marriage of the Queen and the Prince Consort. Tire money :3 dated from 1842. two years after Auckland was founded, down to 1846. There were no gold coins, not even a half sovereign, but n rob ably m 185 - - theie was not a great deal of precious metal in circulation The wonder is that 74 years ago the Oddfellows could find enough money to out up a building which would last unti 1926 When dried out the newspapers oroved to be a copy of the Southern Cross of March 17, 1859, a copy of the New Zealander of the following day, and * two copies of *Ko te Karere Maori" ("The Maori Messenger ) printed in Maori and English in parallel columns. These old journals were wrapped in a piece of parchment which, although it had turned to a rich coffee colour, is stil as tough as the fresh articlo The string round the bundle fell to pieces when touched, &nch the journal* themselves were little better than oulp. Here and there, however, the print has remained singularly clear, not&blv a part of an article in the Maori journal. For a long time the Oddfellows’ Hail was the centre whore ell important gatherings and festivities were held, so it is not surprising *o find that the first Mayor of the infant city laid the foundation stone, and no doubt he handled the very bottle contain ing these interesting <ld mementoes which ha 7.3 once more seen the light at the end o» 74 vears The Mavor in 1852 was Mr Archi bald Clark, the founder of the present firm of Messrs Archibald C‘irand Sons The first council, which was elect**! in 1851. was in office only for one veer, after which there was no M-vor U"til the passing of the Municipal Corporations Act, over 3D years later.