EXTRAORDINARY "PLANT" OF SPECIMENS.

Auckland Star, Volume II, Issue 584, 23 November 1871, Page 2

EXTRAORDINARY "PLANT" OF SPECIMENS.

About a fortnight ego, a young man, residing at tho Temperauce Hall (Smulu's Building), undertook on his own accord to clear out tho well. After bailing for a long time, and the waler getting low, be descended into the well, and was proceeding with tho work when lie struck the bucket against something hard, and found it was a piece of quartz. Cunjsitv prompted him to wash it; —and, to his joy and astouis'iinent, he perceived it to be richly studded with gold. " Putting on a spurt/ he fished out some more specimens with gold in them, and very rich. The question then was, had he struck a rich reef? or, was it onl) " salting ?"—the conclusion came to was the latter. Now comes the strangest part of the business. On Tuesday night, silent as graveciiggevs or as " resurrection" men, the original depositors camo to lake up fcheir ''plant," and it appears they searched about till they found a bucket, then with the aid of a rope (which they left behind as a trophy for the police), the well was duly emptied—as indications show—and after hours of toil one of the unfortunato " planters" was lowered down, and sent up some of the bottom, —but no specimens. Imagination enables us to guess the rage, disappointment, and solemn looks of the poor fellow and his mates—no specimens. Perhaps they took it in turns to go down to make sure; —the result was a 1 the same— sold, completely sold!— Thames Advertiser, November 22.