MARRIED ON 50

Hokitika Guardian, 27 December 1933, Page 7

MARRIED ON 50

SEEKING GOLD IN THE JUNGLE A WHIRLWIND COURTSHIP

The story of George Herliliy, the only son of a former lieutenant-commander of the Royal Navy, who with .about twopence in his pocket was, to use his own words, “sitting on a million,” was told aboilt a year or more ago. As was to be expected, more has been heard of him. From Anserma, Colombia, South America, comes the hews thaw be has married.

Herliliy’s romance is as thrilling as was his fight for his gold mine. The million of which he was sitting may not have matured, but his whirlwind court-

ship which has ended so happily is as refreshing as his determination to stick to his “stake.”

Criticisms of “degenerate modern vouth” go by the board when young Herihy’s story is told, say the Sunday Graphic. Blefore he was 18 he ihsisted on leaving the School of Mines at Camborne to join the Public Schools Batallion. After the war he returned to Camhome and later went to Colombia, South America, as a gold mining surveyor for seven years. Due for home leave, Herliliy gave it up to join another man seeking gold in the heart of the jungle, 27 miles from Saragossa, .South America. He said he was positive tjiat the mine spelled his fortune, But things went wrong. Food and money ran out ond the rainy season came on—so lie wrote home: “I’m Bitting on a million and I won’t shift until I have got it.”

The story is continued in a letter lately received from Herliliy. “I have just, got married,” he writes, “on ten cents, about double my capital oh the mine, but of course that was necessary, as there is double the risk.

“On the mine last year I managed to get sufficient to pay the peons (Labourers), and also most of the outstanding accounts, but could get no further credit. So I obtained a temporary position with a gold dredging company, where, after a few months’ work, I managed to pay the few outstanding accounts and found myself the possessor of about £SO.

“One afternoon in blew an Englishman. We agreed that 1 should pay his expenses and go with him to Chile and try to get his money out of the country, and then return and work my . mine together.' We travelled across Colombia and eventually reached California. There I met a charming young persou whom I had met for a few* days in 1928.

“Two days later T found that 1 would have'to deposit 200 dollars for 'iiy companmi. anl mvselt to get vi ned’ for .Chile. 1 did not Lave the ;.mo"oi sr my companion went on alone to Chile. Thinking that my companion, who had gone. to Chile, would soon be back with' money, I proposed to piy girl friend on the' roof ■of the hotel. The following: day 'I rushed around seeing priests, bishops and what-nots to obtain a special, license. I was afraid, terribly afraid, that my financee might change her mind,‘but I fixed it up so that we cpuld. be married in the cathedral at Calj. When I told her of my arrangements she pointed out that she had only, promised to marry me—some-time-soon) I told her that I only understood the ‘soon,’ not the sometime,”

And so George Herlihy was wed—with fid in his pocket. He is still sitting on or sticking to that mine of his, still certain of his million, but in the meantime, because of his romance, he. has taken a job with a well-known South American in Anserma. His mine, however, is still calling him. Perhaps he will yet drag that million from it.