THIRTY YEARS AGO.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXX, Issue 5373, 11 January 1929, Page 2

THIRTY YEARS AGO.

ITEMS FROM OLD FILESINTERESTING DISTRICT PARS. The following items from the “Gazette” of. the first week in Janu-> ary, 1899, have been cjippejd at random :— On the occasion of the opening of the Thames r.ailway the Hon. A. J. Cadman stated that the Government had purchased a property known as the Piako Swamp, and intended having it drained, with a view to the encouragement of small Settlement, but a considerable area of it had not been put through the Land Caurj;. The “Gazette” of January 7, 1899, learned that no time was to be lost iin carrying out the project. Mr Hazard, GW-i ernment surveyor, would pay a visit of. inspection to see what could be done in ordejr to drain 100,000 acres at the Thames, end of the swamp, which would be cut- up into small farms. It was proposed to establish a fishing village near, the mouth of the Piako River.

The- Paeroa market report and advertisements of January 5, 1899, show the following prices: Peaches, to 4d per lb ; plums, Id per. lb; potatoes, 3s 6d to 5s per cwt; Derby tobacco, 5s 4d lb ; butter, lid; flour.6s 3d for 501 b ; tailo.r-made suits, £3 3a; hats, Is to 8s 6d ; boots, 4s lOd to 255,

The Ohinemuri mining boom having passed its 'flush and the Klondike rush and the Reefton fields being the sensation of the moment, yarns of flhe discovery of goldfields were prominent. In a lecture be, fore the Royal Colonial Institute the Agent-General for Western Australia told) of the discovery of the Mallina goldfield. A boy, picking up a stone; to throw’ at a crow, observed a speck o.f g old in it and reported it to the resident magistrate. The magistrate was so excited at the; news that he telegraphed to the then Governor and stated that tihe lad picked up a stone to throw at a crow, and in his excitement omitted to aay “and saw gold in it.” So the Governor wired back these words: “What happened to the crow

The N.Z. Talisman Gold Mining Co.’S crushing for. 22 days of December. 1898, was valued at £2691. During the year the yield was; £27,199.

The Crown Mines treated 2152 tons of ore during December for, bullion valued at £4176. The output for 1898 from this mine was valued at £190,128. The Komata Reefs crushed 280 tons; for a of £llOO equivalent to £3 18s 6d per oz. For the period December 10-23, 1898, the IWaihi Gold Mining Co. crushed 3701 tons of quartz, the return of bullion being £11,879. During the year .1898 this company produced bullion to the value of c,ver a quarter of a million —to be exact, £253,304, which is no less than £109,264 more than for the total returns for the, previous year. The Waiifij Silverton mine for 20 days’ work in December, 1898, yielded £lOBO.

V/aikino looks very busy about 9 a.m. and 2 p.h. Being the junction of the main Wailhi and IVaitekauri roads, it is nothing unusual to see as many as 60 horsey and 8 coaches, as well as. waggons, carts, etc,, there at one time.

For the year 189'8 there were 28 births, 52 deaths, and 158 marriages registered at the Paeroa post office.