THE EARLY GOLD DAYS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5581, 3 June 1896, Page 4

THE EARLY GOLD DAYS.

[By Young Digges in " Canterbury Times."] |7hen, in 1865, gold ivas found in payable quantities on the "West Coast, a great rush set in, and towns soon sprang up all over the country. Thousands of men were soon working near Hokitika, and there were several splendid claims. One man, who went by the name of " Silent Tom," is supposed to have cleared ,£IOOO in six •weeks. But soon hundreds of men left Hokitika and went to the rush at Jones's (now called Eoss), about sixteen miles south. This place soon became an important diggings, and a party of Irishmen working in Donnelly's Creek made «£SOO a man in six' weeks. Another large party of thirty men made .£6O a week each for four months. Soon, however, the shallow ground got worked out, and the men had to start working the deep ground, but as they could not make more than .£lO a week many left. But still better things were to come, and it was reported that gold was being found in large quantities in Okarita, a place sixty miles south of Hokitika. A great rush immediately set in, and men working on the seabeach cleared a few thousands a man in three months. The Okarita Eiver was also very rich, some splendid rough gold bemg found in it. The Three and Five-Mile, on the south of Greymouth, were also soon rushed, and some of the miners got excellent returns for their trouble. A party of Englishmen cleared .£IOOO a man in six weeks, at , the Thr e»-Mile. Mr Cocklane, the celebrated Irish piper, kept a hotel there and was well patronised. The late Bishop Vyard visited the Five-Mile, and .£SOO was collected for him in a few hours. Kanieri, Bimu and Waimea were rushed about the same time, and in each place there were some grand claims. But it was not the miners who made the most money in those days, it was 'the hotel and storekeepers. Reckless men would work in the wet and rain for six days in the week, and perhaps they would get ten ounces, and then they would spend it all on the Sunday A Those were days of yips and downs. I know a man who had not a sixpence until he struck it rich on the Okarita beach, and he made .£I7OO in a few weeks, but he spent it all shouting champagne: for his friends (champagne was rather dear at a guinea a drink) and at the end of six weeks he was locked up as a vagrant. Provisions were also very dear; meat could often not be had at any price, bread was 2s a loaf, but there was always plenty of water. A noted man in those days was "Dublin Jack," who was a pugilist; his victories were numerous, but, in the end, he was defeated by a man who went by the name of "Heenan." Early in 1866 Mr Hunt came with the news which caused a great rush to Bruce's Bay j steamers were chartered and vessels were loaded with cargoes of provisions for the new El Dorado, but when the men arrived there they found that there was no gold. A large crowd followed Hunt into the bush, but he escaped from them. The diggers returned to camp, and had their revenge by destroying and scattering "the storekeeper's goods in all directions. Mr Warden Price was on the ground, but was powerless, as the men were frantic. Sick at heart some of the diggers returned home by land, and others by sea.\- T heard "Hunt got up this rush .to revenge himself on the diggers for ill-treatment previously at Greenstone. Gillespie's and Sandfly Beach were rushed by this time. Close to the latter some parties went up the Waiho River, where some splendid rough gold was discovered; but on account of good news from Brighton, Charleston and Addison's Flat thousands returned back. Addison's Flat, although not the best goldfield, was the most prominent on account of the battle there. It came about in this way :— A large crowd was marching from Westport, flying . Orange colours and singing party songs, a party of Irishmen attacked them, and thus the fray began. The battle did not last long, the banners were torn to pieces, and the. processionists routed. Some of them went to Westport, and made great preparations to have a fight with the Fenians. But Mr Commissioner Kynnersley advised them not to interfere with the Irish party, so they withdrew their cabars, and peace was restored. The largest casino on the Coast was built in Addison's by a syndicate, but it was a complete failure. . Previous to this, Charleston was in full swing, there were about ninety hotels in the town and suburbs. There was a small harbour in Charleston, but it has long since been filled \xp with sand coming down from the diggings. Brighton (originally called Fox's) is twelve miles south of Charleston, and was once a very rich diggings, so also was Razorback, which is further south.. Westport is about twenty miles from Charleston, and is by far the larger town of the two at the present day. Gold was first discovered in the Buller River by Mr Roohfort,: surveyor, he also discovered the coal seams at Mount Rochfort, near West-. port. There was a big rush- to Caledonia Terrace, a few miles from. Westport, and some' Glasgow chaps made i>3ooo,a manGerman, and Giles Terraced , -.are north of Caledonia, and they were also very rich. Early in the seventies the first reef was discovered in the Reef ton district, by Mr George Walsh, and was called the Ajax. It cost .£16,000 to bring and put up a battery at this mine. Several other reefs were soon afterwards discovered, and a large town sprang up, and Reefton will, in a short time, be the most flourishing town on the West Coast. "* v