Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-04-21

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His family is remarkable in more ways
than one. He is l of q children, all of the
same parents and all living. One of his
brothers had 13 children. another 8. He
was never married. Of his own brothers
and sisters are now in Africa and in
| Australia. About 30 relatives, all told, are
now in the mining districts about Butte
City, Mont. T., where he is thinking of soon
going.
SEEKING FOR GOLD.
In 1862 he left his home in Waterford,
ireland, and sailed for Australia, by the
steamer Great Britain. From Melbourne
party Of gold-seekers soon found their way
inland and commenced work upon the
alluvial gold fields. Three years were spent,
there. Then word came of the discovery of
gold in paying quantities in the islands off
the coast of New Zealand. A party of 60
made up their minds that gold could be
| found upon the west coast of New Zealand.
| In November, 1865, they started and were
landed upon Its western and wild coast at a
point where now stands the thriving little
| city of Greymouth. They had some rifles,
and all were equipped with picks, shovels,
a tin dish for panning out the gold and an
adze. In the way of provisions they had
some tea and sugar, bacon and -four. They
also had some tents. Usually their beds
were made of the boughs of trees Taking
up their picks and going from the beach
into the bush and striking them into the
earth they almost Immediately found pay
ing signs of gold.
By means of magnifying glass they dis
covered minute though abundant particles
of gold in the sand and soil along the
streams. This they turned into slu1ces and
| guided over the porous leaves of the cactus
ingeniously placed for the purpose. The
fine gold would. lodge in the pores of the
leaves, which they afterward gathered care
fully up and burned, and in the ashes
would then find the gold. This original
adaptation of primitive means was the idea
| of one of the men whose name Halpin can
not now recall. 1t served them well.
| A WILD LIFE.
In about a month from the time of their
landing the English Government heard of
their gold discoveries (the first found upon
west coast), and Immediately sent out pro-
visions and established stores assuming
general supervision of things, and charging
every miner license fee of S. year, which
is now reduced to 81 co. The active pres
ence of the English Government was an ad-
vantage in many ways. Strangers now
begun to flock in, and Halpin and his COM
rades pushed rapidly into the interior, along
water courses and across country as we'll,
peing desirous of keeping ahead of the rush
and getting the cream of the diggings.
Undoubtedly in their haste they left ex-
cellent fields only partially developed.
Then followed life, were its history fully
told, which for its novelty romance and real
tiles, would, in the eyes of most of the
readers of this column, rival in interest
scenes depicted in the pages of Swiss
Family Robinson or a Robinson Crusoe.
Twenty-three years long in this land it
lasted. With but few and occasional ex-
ceptions his tent was his cover and the
boughs his bed. 1t was common thing
during the earlier part of this period for
them not to know either the day of the week
or the month. Sometimes two days would
pass without their having any food, and yet
with plenty of gold in their pockets. Per-
haps the streams would be swollen and the
horses unable to reach them with the ex-
pected provisions. They used to shoot the
wild pigeons, which made excellent eating.
The native New Zealanders lived very
largely upon fish. These natives they al
ways found inoffensive and harmless if
|
they have any trouble with them.
During all of this perid, Halpin says, be
cannot 1ecollect of having sick day, but
| there was one time when, owing to his get
ting steel splinter in his eye, that he went
to the settlement and was treated several
months, losing his eye however.
PLENTY OF MONEY.
1t became custom among the miners to
break off work and go to the settlements for
weeks holiday at Easter and at Christ
mas. During these intervals the English
Government, if notified, would publish
protection" for every mans claim, which
prevented others from taking advantage of
their absence.
Sometimes Halpin made a5 to e6 day,
and run $50 q week. If man was not
afraid of work there was no reason for him
to ever be without an English pounds
worth of gold in his pocket They used to
go in parties of four and dig from 30 to 100
ounces of gold before burying it or
taking it in for deposit in bank. For the
purpose of burying it they usually used
tin mustard can. The value of gold per
ounce varied from e3 les Cd to "a. and of
course was so heavy that it was not COM
fortably carried about in any quantity. He
never lost any by burial. In all his wan
dering mining life he never saw a man
ALAeu uy dHOInSh, d1GnOugn ne naQ seen
many who were killed by accidents, such as
the falling in of the earth in the diggings.
He left New Zealand by the steamer Ionic,
October 10, 1887, and had 4O-day's passage
to England. After spending some 16 months
in Ireland among family friends and rela-
tives, he recently sailed on the steamer the
City Of Paris, which made the passage from
Queenstown to Sandy Hook in six days and
six hours, bringing him here last week in
side of eight days from his embarkation.
This slight record of an eventfnl life, such
as does not fall to the lot of most Of us to
ever meet with, and the above picture, are
taken upon the wing, ere our subject fits
across the continent or to other shores.
+. o. M. s.
| PEARs' Soap secures a beautiful com