LITERATURE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 6541, 9 May 1889, Page 1

LITERATURE.

"BANKING UNDER DIFFICULTIES."

We leprint some extracts from Mr freshaw*B interesting book, "Banking Under Difficulties," already noticed in a previons issue. Tha first extract tells of the narrow escape from lynching of .Reuben Waite, the storekeeper who was the virtual fonnder of Greymoutb. A number of Nelson miners had followed fcun to the Grey Valley, ©xpeoting to Btnka a rich field. At first they were disappointed, and seriously disousßed hanging the storekeeper. The. sequel is given I an hia own words : — Ijh^ NEABLT LTHCHED. day the whole crowd came down, camped near the store, so that I could r some as they passed the store cursing H^Hd swearing at me, while others said There waa a Dutchman who had to say, who stole a case of gin from Mf store that night. • This Dutchman came the store and said I was wanted outBide. He had been round the diggers' tentf) trying to incite them against me, and although the case had assumed a serious aspect, I could hardly refrain from laughing at the horrible attempt at the English language displayed by this man, more especially owing to the state of excitement into which he had worked himself from imagining that he was a deeply- injured individual. I had neither arms nor ammunition of any sort, for up to that time they were not •wanted on the West Coast. I went to the fire, a large one, which, by-the-bye, was toeing fed from coals that had bean brought down the river for the Nelson Government. It was rather an' exciting moment, as stepping outside the store, the thought struck me that my life hung, as it were, upon a thread-— that the weight of a feather would probably turn the scale either way. I was there standing accused, though wrongfully, of having wilfully brought a number of my fellow-country-men to an outlandish district probably to suffer want and ruin. I knew that nothing but self-possession would avail me, so I made the most of my position, and put my trust in Providence. I shall never forget the impression of that scene as it first met my gaze; the bright glare of the huge coal fire, the motley group of roughlyattired figures around it— some silent and thoughtful, others fierce and clamorous, with every species of anger and revenge visible on their countenances — the solemn and monotonous roar of the distant breakers, together with the surrounding mountain scenery in all its pristine grandeur, formed a romantic pioture, rude and wild in the extreme. There were a good many men round the fire waiting for me, and when I made my appearance they began to ask questions of me. I may aa well state hero that all the Maoris, men and women, wore . then close by ready to give me any assistance. There was no need to tell what they were armed with, but there would have been some bloodshed that night if the diggers had interfered with me. Some of the men had taken the potatoes out of the Maori pits at Teremakau. Tho fh'st . question put to me by the aforesaid Dutchman was, 'Yell, vot did you corse diss riyhvorP' t answered I did not cause the rush, and that I was in Nelson to get a small vessel to bring me to the Grey ; that I had called them all together in Nelson and told them that I was only going prospeoting; that I did not lead them to believe that I was going to a goldfield, but that, according to the letters I had received, I thought there was gold in the country, which I still believed, and that a proper trial would prove it. The next question put to me wsb by a Cockney —I am sure he was, for ho bo murdered the letter «h/ ? Veil, Mr Vaite, 'ow wud you like to cum 'ere without money and 'aye to starve as we 'aye to do ? ' My answer was, that I did not ask him to come ; he had pleased himself. * Veil, Mr Vaite, yon seem to treat this 'ere matter werry lightly, but hi thinks hits no joke to cum down 'ere and spend all vun's money and not git eny gold.' Tho i aforesaid Dutchman then spoke up again ' and said, ' Veil, poys ye vill take vot ye vants vrom Vaite's store, and ye vill hang him afterwards ! ' Just at that moment an Irishman whispered in my ear the words, •Cheer up, my boy, don't be frightened; you have more friends than enemies in this crowd.' " With that I felt I was safe, but just at that moment a man who had come down to hear what was going on, one of Mr ' John Roohforf b men,' fell down in a fit, close to my feet, and that put an end to the meeting. But I was still annoyed by the discontented, and the most of them brought back what provisions they had, with their picks and shovels, tin dishes, 4c., and I gave their full value for them." "One man, an Irishman, assaulted me one night, and tore my coat, and had it ao'fc been for two of his countrymen, who were friendly to me, I have no doubt I should have had everything smashed in the qtore. The two men referred to took him. away,- and gave him a good drubbing." " I shall ever feel thankful to a person named Peter Hawkins— now in Nelson — who* 1 happened to be in the store at the tin/e. A fellow had a bottle in hiß hand, abqnt half-full of Old Tom, ready to strike me\a blow on the back of the head ; Peter Btanred his hand by grasping the bottle, or perlhaps I should not be here now." «f The men who came down and were engraged in this business were now only walv^V&for a steamer to take thorn away, but were waiting, two parties witl^^^B patience than the reat, had penc^^^^Ba little farther up the country, w^^K^^mnd out a track which led them tt^^^^^Bfnstone Creek. Having by chance dfr^^HP"** researches discovered the fresh V*WQF°* men's feet they, followed them up came to the desired spot. I ■will now give an account of what followed. Plhey came into the store, and one of them (Michael Spillan) asked me when I was going to get my bullocks and dray down. I told him I was sorry to cay they vould fee down by next steaniei*. ' You ought to be glad,' he said; 'look hero, my boy, I have got this in a day with a diah off the bottom, of a paddock 6ft deep by 7ft square. They had 7oz 12dwt. The other party had Soz of the same kind of gold, and the earns as that which I had purchased from the Maoris. The parties who were waiting for the steamer came in, and, seeing the gold, could scarcely believe their eyes ; but when I showed them the Soz I had purchased of the Maoris, they wanted to know why I had not shown them that before. My answer was that they would not have believed me had I shown it to them. Then came a rush for stores again, and those f-~*rho had been among the grumblers I charged an extra price, as they hud compelled me to take back their stores and tools. From that time commenced the great rush which, up to the present date, has brought out of the earth forty tons of gold, and for which I was to be hanged because those first arrivals chose to call the expedition a duffer rush." THE SERVANT TROUBLE. "As an instance of the discomforts of the early days and the servant girl nuisance, a friend of mine, Mr 8., a wellknown magistrate, was appointed warden, Ac, of a certain goldfleld, and proceeded to the field' of his future labours, leaving his wife and family behind until he could secure some place for them to live in. He ■was successaul so far, and wrote to Mrs B. tffjoin him. The weather was extremely

wet. On Mr B.'b return from visiting some outlying district, the rain was descending in torrents, and on entering the house he found Mrs B. and her children in bed, Mrs J3. with an umbrella over her head and a tea-tray on her lap, as being the beat or about the only way to keep herself and the children from being drenched. Matters improved, however, after a time ; a better habitation was erected and a servant obtained. The latter was another trouble. One evening Mrs B. entered the kitchen and found the servant sitting on the knee of the sergeant of police. Making some remark, she walked out. Next morning the servant gave her notice to leave, and on being asked the reason, replied, ' Well, ma'am, I think you were^very rude to the sergeant last night.' A QUEKE BANK CXEBK. " Bank clerks stationed on a goldfieSd <k not, as a rule, save money ; their salaries will not allow them to do so. In the first place, on a rush everything is very rough; they are compelled through the force of circumstances to live at an hotel (so called). The billiard-room is the only place of resort; a game of billiards is indulged in, first for the love of the thing, then for drinks for the good of the house ; by-an-by lie is induced to try his hand at " pool ;" one thing leads to another, until he finds that his small salary is insufficient for his wants; getting into arrears, he borrows money at a high rate of interest, and, gradually sinking deeper into debt, till, in order to pay his debts of honour, he borrows some of the bank's money, no doubt intending to return it, when some day he ia pounced upon unexpectedly by his Manager or Inspector ; his cash is found short; he is dismissed from the service, or taken up on the charge of embezzlement and sentenced to a term of imprisonment. Bat there is an exception to this as to every other rule. On the West Coast-there lived a Bank clerk, who arrived at a time when things were very rough, and when fully half his income would have gone in board alone had he lived at an hotel. This he determined not to do. How was he to manage ? Where could he go P He soon solved the problem, overcoming the difficulty in this way : — He purchased a quarter of an acre allotment in a back street which was swampy, heavily timbered; in fact, a most inhospitable looking spot. On this he erected a oneroomed cottage, and in which he lived for several years. I did not make his acquaintance until he was leaving Hokitika, when I purchased his house and ground from him. When I went up to inspect it, I had a long chat with him. The cottage I found to be 10ft x 14ft. Facing the street was a door, a window on each Bide. These were pasted over with newspapers, which served the place of blinds. On tho left as you entered was a fireplace, which was full of pots and pans. Over the fireplace was a portrait of Eome relative of his, and other pictures, extracts j of newspapers, and — what struck me as ! strange — several pieces about misers. lv the centre of the room was an apology for a bedßtead. This he showed me ; it was nothing but palings ; no mattress, and very few blankets. Under the bed was a stock of potatoes and onions ; at the right of the fireplace a box containing a lot of very valuable books ; under one window a small table, covered with odds and endnCords were stretohed from one corner of the room to' the other, on which were hanging coats, trousers, and all sorts of wearing apparel; close to the back door an iron tub and sponge ; altogether as nice a litter as ono could wish to oee. He noticed me eyeing the place, and said, "It has never been cleaned out since I came here." He then proceeded to give me the reason for living in this style. " When I arrived hero," he said, "I found everything so dear; no place for a young fellow to live, but at a public-house, so I resolved to get a place of my own. I had no friends, and was determined to live sparingly, and save sufficient money, so that if anything happened to me I would have something to fall back on. I built the house, fenced the land, which I have trenched in places 10ft or 12ft deep ; cut down the tree 3, which have kept me in firewood. All my spare time has been spent on the ground. 1 worked at it from daylight to breakfast ; then I changed my clothes, and went to the bank. As soon as my duties for the day were over, I would buy sufficient meat for tea, and come home, changing my clothes, and to work again. If it was raining, I would not get wet by degreeß, but take a. header into the creek, and ° work away till dark. When I came in I would take off my wet clothes, have a sponge bath, and then have my tea. I knew no one, and went nowhere. I have been here for bis years, have got the ground into the order in which you see it, and am very sorry to part with it. I have gained my point. I was determined to save £1000, and have done it. My living has not cost me, on an average, more than 7b 6d per week." I was very much interested in this young man's story, in telling which he omitted to state that although living sparingly, grudging himself every pleasure in endeavouring to gain hio object, he never turned a deaf ear to those in need of charity. Several instances came under my notice, when he was asked to subscribe to this charity or that, and in the moot unostentatious manner put his name down for £1, £2, or £5, as the case might be, at the same time tendering hiß cheque for the amount."