PIONEERING DAYS.

Waikato Times, Volume 104, Issue 17482, 16 August 1928, Page 9

PIONEERING DAYS.

MR I. COATES’ NARRATIVE. RETURN TO AUCKLAND. SALE OF FINE GOLD. Mr Isaac Coates, of Hamilton East, continuing his narrative of his experiences in the early days of settlement, writes: — In my last Mr Atkinson and myself hed left the Thames for Auckland, bidding farewell to the New Zealand goldfields. I forgot to mention that when I left Kennedy’s Bay to go to Auckland for the ingredients I required to treat the Maori chief’s scab-infected sheep, I took with me ail the fine gold we had gathered. I took it to the Bank of New Zealand, and the manager told me that I could go and see the process the gold had to be put through and on completion of same I would be paid- In the first process the gold was melted into a ball; then the man bored a bole in the ball, as he said, to test the quality. He then weighed the hall on that weight. The thought struck me afterwards who got the gold that was bored out, as it was not weighed with the hall. I do not think the bank got it.. There would be nearly half an ounce; perhaps It. was the man’s perquisites. The money I received was equally divided among the four of us. But when Atkinson and myself left Kennedy’s Bay we gave what gold wo then had to the two married men. Atkinson and myself parted in Auckland. and I have never seen him since; but about 20 years afterwards two of my daughters went on a visit to Mr and Mrs Close, who at that time were farming near the Bay of islands, and they there met Mr Atkinson, who had been in business in Russell and done well—better than goldmining.

The day after my arrival in Auckland I called to see Mr Brook-Smith, and there met Mr Thornton, wfto had only arrived in New Zealand a day or two before from St. Petersburg. Mr Thornton was a Yorkshireman, as were all the members of the firm, Thornton, Smith and Firth. I was told that the firm was dissolving partnership and Mr Firth was taking over the milling business. The milling establishment in Lower Queen Street was to be sold, and Mr Firth had selected a site for a new roller mill on the newly-re-claimed ground and was about to take a trip to the United States to gather all possible information as regards the up-to-date roller flourmills. Mr BrookSmith, whose health was not very good, was retiring from business and going to England. My first move was to buy myself a riding hack- I attended the horse sale at Buckland and bought a plain-look-ing horse, but it seemed strong enough to carry me and turned out even better than I thought it would. I was recommended to stay at a boardinghouse called Porter’s, near the establishment of Close Bros., Victoria and Queen Streets. There 1 first got acquainted with Nathan, who was born near Richmond, a few miles from the village of Gagles, where I was horn.