Butte semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1886-1890, 1889-05-15
A GOLD MINER rs YEARS.
THE REAEARKABLE TRAVELS IND
LIFE OF EDWARD HALP1N.

@-r[aHRE
since 1852 He Has Wandered From OF
Mining District to Another in Scare
of the Precious Metal, and at Tim.
Had Plenty Of Gold but Nothing to Ea
That truth is often stranger and mo,
interesting than fiction is strikingly illus
trated BY the picturesque career Of an Irish
man who arrived in Stubenyille, Ohio, Lac
week. Twenty-six years Of his life of 8,
nave been spent IN digging for gold in for
eign lands. He has followed no other pur
suit, and says that il he were young be be
lieves he would live his life over again ia tn,
same free and easy fashion.
Edward Halpin, for such is his name. i
ia and grizzly, apparently of q rugged
constitution and an iron frame. There j,
a irankness about his address akin to til,
simplicity OF a sailor. He is quiet and onl,
induced to relate his experiences by re
peated que~etionings.
His family lie remarkable in more ways
than one. He is one of tWenty.one chill
dren, all OF the same parents and all Iiy
ing. One of his brothers had thirteen chill
dren, and another eight. He was neye,
married. OF his W brothers and sisters
eight are now in Africa and one in Aus.
tralia. About fifty relatives, all told, are
now in the mining districts about Butte
City, Montana, wherein he is thinking of soon
going.
In 1862 he left his home in Waterford.
Ireland, and sailed for Australia by the
steamer Great Britain. From Melbourne
a party OF gold-s6ekers soon found their
way inland and commenced work Upon the
alluvial gold fields. Three years were
spent there. Then word CAME Of the dis.
coVery OF gold In, paying quantities off the
coast OF New Zealand. A party Of sixty
made up their minds that gold could be
found off the coast OF New Zealand.
In November, 1855, they star ted and
were landed upon it's western and wild
oas at q point where now stands the
thriving little city OF Greymouth. They
some rifles, and all were equipped with
picks, shovels, a tin dish for pannIug out
the gold and an adse. In the way of pro.
visions they had some tea and sugar, bacon
and flour. They also had some tents.
Usually their beds were made of the boughs
trees. Taking UP their picks and going
from the beach into the bush and striking
them into the earth. they almost immedi.
ately found paying signs OF gold.
BY means OF a magnifying glass they dis
minute though abundant particles
Of gold in the sand and soil along the
streams. This they turned into sluicss and
guided over the porous leaves of the cactus
placed for the purpose. The
ine gold would lodge in the pores Of the
whichthey afterward gathered care
up and btirned, and in che ashes would
then find the gold. This original adapta-
zion Of primitive means was the idea of one
Of the men whose name Halpin cannotnow
recall. 1t served them well.
In about q month from the time OF their
the English government heard o,
their gold discoveries (the first found upon
5he west coast), and Immediately sent out
provisions and established stores, assum-
ng general supervision of things, and
every miner d license fee OF % a |
year, which is now reduced to $1.5O. The
active presence Of the English government |
an Advantagein many ways. Strangers |
began to flock in, and Halpin and his |
pushed rapidly into the interior; |
water courses and across country as
veil, being DESTROYS Of keeping ahead OF the
'ush and getting the cream of the diggings. |
In their haste they left ex.
Ciu Ohiy par Uidlly ucfclOpcus Il
Then followed q life. were its history fully 1
old, which for it's novelty, romance and
would, in the eyes OF most Of the
eaders OF this column, rival in interest
Genes depicted in the pages OF a ''Swiss
Robinson" or a Robinson Crusoe."
nwenty-three years long in this land it
asted. With but few and occasional ex.
tptions his tent was bis cover AID the
his bed. 1t was a common thing
luring the earlier part Of this period for
hem not to know the day OF the week or
month. Sometimes two days would
'ass without their having any food, and
,et with plenty of gold in their pockets.
Perhaps the streams would be swollen and
he horses unable to reach them with the
expected provisions. They used to shoot
he wild pigeons, which made excellent eat
ny. The native New zealanders lived very
argely upon fish. These natives they
found inoffensive and harmless if
reated decently; and seldom if ever did
hey have any trouble with them:
During all OF this periods Halpin says, he
annot recollect having a sick day, but
here was one time when, owing to his get
ing a steel splinter in his eye, that he went
o the settlement and was treated several
1onths, losing his eye, however.
1t became q custom non the miners TO
reak off work and go to the settlements
Or a weeks holiday at Easter and Christ
las. During these intervals the English
oyernment, ifDotified, would publish PRO
for every mails claim, which pre-
ented others from taking advantage OF
heir absence.
Sometimes Halpin made $40 to $50 a
and ran $150 d week. l! q a was
OF afraid of work there was no reason for
- - L. AL~, - Er.rlich pn1ndtA 4
,orth OF gold in his pocket. They used to
0 in parties of four and dig from 80 to 100
unces of gold before burying it or takiDgit
, for deposit in bank. For the purpose OH
urging it they used a tin mustard can.
he value of gold per ounce varied from
Is to $40, and of course was SO heavy
nat it was not comfortably carried about
|, any Quantity. He never lost any by
urial. In all his wandering mining life he
ever saw q man killed b, another, al
he had seer many who we've killed
v accidents, such as the falling in of the
arth in the diggings.
He left New Zealand bv the steamship
,njc, October Is, 1887, aud had u forty
ave. passage to England. After spending
me sixteen months i'll Ireland among
lmily friends and relatives, ne recently
allied on the steamship City OF Paris.
hich made the passage from Queenstown
, Sandy Hook inside of eight days from
il embarkation.
This slight record OF an eventful life, such
} does not fall to the lot OF most OF US to
,er meet with ls taken upon the wing, ere
ur subject fits across the continent or to
ther sliures.--[Pittsburg Dispatch.
Big California Trees.
The California redwood trees grow i'll a