FRANK GARDINER.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 322, 5 December 1888, Page 4

FRANK GARDIN ER.

j As a sequel to the amur-ing tfcory that bah been making 1 fcho rounds of the colonial presi with regard to this worthy, and the romantic story ot his daughter and her tortune, a little sober truth may not be uninteiesting to Australian readers. Frank Gardiner, from the first day ho landed in San Francisco until the day he left it did no good for himself. His first job was as a b irman in a saloon. This position he left to open a small saloon for himself, which he named 'The Twilight' situafed in Kearney-street, near Broadway. It was a small dingy place of two rooms, and (Jardinei never did auy good in it. A few months was enough for him in this place, when he descended to a more sa'oon hanger on, living goodness knows bow. One of his chief places or resort was a tumble °ailors' lesorb on Broadway, near the wharf. On Ihe days when the Australian mail steamers arrived. Gardiner was always on hand, eagerly scanning the features of the passengers as they lauded. He told his confreres mo.°t extraordinary stories of the large amounts of money he had buried in certain localities in Australia; but, strange to say, those localities were not in New South Wales. By degrees his stories became to be believed, and a kind of a joint stock company wa* got up in San Francisco to come over to Australia, and dig up the wealth. Eventually a wellknown Irish - American agitator, *\vibh a handle to his name, pee out- for Australia, accompanied by Gardiner, to unearth the booty. This happened four or five years ago. It is needless to say they were not successful. The agitator arrived back again in San Francisco, minus the wealth, and Gardiner stayed behind in Australia, and ii still in the flesh ib no doubt here now, amusiug himself with reading the stories that are being printed concerning his career. While in San Francisco Gardiner gave no trouble to the police. His great dream was to get back to New South Wales. He never had enterprise enough to work for money sufficient to pay his passage to accomplish that end ; but' what he lacked in enterprise he, made up in subterfuge, Full particulars of Gardiner's career in San, Francisco, and his "mariner of leaving the country, are readily given to in A quirers by the San Fi'anci"co detective force, — * Sydney I} veiling l^ys.'