LOST NOTES.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIII, Issue 4461, 1 September 1922, Page 2

LOST NOTES.

REMARKABLE FIND. A very strange incident took place at Paeroa last week, and it is doubtful if anything of the like ever happened before, or may ever happen again. It appears that a man named Mark Anderson, employed by the Public Works Department, and residing in one of the Government huts near the banks of the Waihou River, acquired tihe methodical habit of substituting newspapers for a tablecloth, and as one paper got soiled he placed another on top, repeating the process until such time as the sub stitutes got too bulky, then replacing thenr by others. This mode of Operation had been done on several occasions but nothing unusual took place. On this particular instance he decided to have a general clean-up, and commenced by rolling up the discarded newspapers in a bundle and throwing them into the river. He then started to put other portions of this hut in order About two hours after his work was completed he suddenly d’scovered that amongst the discarded newspapers there were seven £5 bank notes and his post office deposit book. Mr Anderson immediately rushed to the edge of the river, but ihe could see no trace of the missing bundle. He then went along the edge of the river for a distance of about three miles, and, giving up all hope of finding the money, returned to his but. On the following evening Mr W. Mons, employed by the Public Works Department as launchman, was returning to the Public Works wharf after taking stores to the men, and on the opposite side of the river about two miles from where the papers were thrown in a large pumpkin floating in the water caugiht his eyfe. He immediately hove-to to secure it, but found on examination that it was hollow in the centre. Just as he was about to proceed on his homeward journey his eyes rested on a bundle of papers, also floating in the water, but found on examination to be of no value. Just as lie was about to make another start for home he saw what appeared to be a note-:book and six pieces of paper floating in the water, all within a radius of eight or ten feet. These he immediately secured, and they turned cut to be the post office bank book and six £5 notes, with the result that Mr Anderson is once more in possession of all his £5 notes with the exception of one.