THE EARLY DAYS.

Thames Star, Volume XIV, Issue 4585, 14 September 1883, Page 2

THE EARLY DAYS.

(To the Editor of the Evening Star.) Sib, —In to-day's Herald I see that at , the bankruptcy meetings of W. A. Hnnt, the debtor, he claims to be the first goldminer on the Thames. I beg to contradict such statement. la the first place I might inform you that the late Walter Williamson, Jos Smallmao, and William Middletou wore prospecting down on the Thames some months before either Hunt, -Coble'y, Clarkson, or. White came down. I was one of eight of the deputatiou who waited on the Elon. Dt Pollen, then. Deputy-Superintendent, asking him to declare the fiald open—that being after the meetings held at the British Hotel ia Auckland, when it was stated to be an alluvial field vtfith prospects of 2iwfcs to the tin dish. I condemned the place as an alluvial field, and told the miners at the first meeting in Shortland that it was a quartz-paying district, and I prored the same when I took some rubbly quartz and got 21dwts 1 in a tin dish. When I shewed it in Shortland and Auckland the public laughed at me, and would not believe it was gold. At the same time Hunt and Go. were offering to sell a shara for fire pounds, and could not manage it until I crushed a parcel for 58ozs 2dwts in Mrs Woods' yard in Hobson street^ with appliances made by Viokery and Masefield from my plans. Wow, sir, he has made away with a little fortune in sixteen years, and ke or somebody else thinks the Government is going to give him £5000! Don't they wish they may get it.—l am, &c, AYictiiiS,