A PATRIARCHAL MINER.

Otago Witness, Issue 3801, 18 January 1927, Page 7

A PATRIARCHAL MINER.

(See Photograph in This Issue.)

There can be few, if any, older practical miners in the Dominion than Air Harris, who, at the age of 85, recently retired from the management of. Burnweil coal mine at Saddle Hill, which he opened up in 1900 and has carried on since that date, he having purchased Auchmedden township, on which the mine was situated. The township was laid off by Air Ogilvie, surveyor, in the' early days of Otago province. ’ In 1852, at the age of 12, Air Harris -went to work in the Crosshouse mines at Kilmarnock, Ayrshire, with his father, who, with his grandfather and greatgrandfather, were experienced coal and ironstone miners, and had resided many years at Ambank, on the River Ayr. Leaving London by the ship Afermaid, Air Harris arrived at Lyttelton in 1862, when he was engaged by Air Edward Walker, manager for Holmes and Richardson, contractors for the LytteltonChristchurch tunnel, in which he worked for four years, having charge of a shift of face workmen most of that time All t;he drilling was done by hand labour, and blasting powder was the .only explosive used. The rock was hard but free working, and in places the edges cut like glass. There were some fine natural caves in the rock, as though made by the hand of man. The caves were usually full of water, which ran /for some time after.

Air Harris then went to sea for a time on coastal vessels, and in 1868 worked at Brunner coal mine under Air Taylor, of Greymouth. That year he came to Green Island, and was employed at Walton. Park coal mines, under Air Andrew Pollock, manager. He then went to Serpentine gold diggings in Otago, whera he was engaged in quartz mining, and, later returned to Saddle Hill and prospected the quartz reef there by driving and shaft sinking. Ain Harris brought up a family of 16, the youngest son being killed in' the Great War, and he has 56 grandchildren, and 12 great-grandchildfen.