Page:Banking Under Difficulties- Or Life On The Goldfields Of Victoria, New South Wales And New Zealand (1888).pdf/167

158 thought to be spasms, and was confined to his bed. Subsequently he became worse, and eventually was delirious, only having lucid moments for about ten minutes on Sunday. He died about three a.m. yesterday morning, the only persons present being Mr. Porter, and Dr. Rockstrow.’”

I first met Yates at the Castlemaine branch of the Bank of New South Wales. From there he went to Maldon (then known as Tarrangower). It was he who opened our branch there, and where he was stationed for some time. His next move was to Adelong in New South Wales, and from there he went to the Snowy River (Kiandra). He was for some time in Otago as superintendent of goldfield agencies, and when the great rush to the West Coast took place he was removed thither. He was (as I once heard a friend of mine say “a man of rough exterior, but of noble heart”) a faithful servant of the bank, and a true friend to many. He was buried on the beach at Westport, and a plain but substantial monument was erected over his grave, the cost of which (£120) was readily subscribed in a short time by his numerous friends on the West Coast. A much larger sum would have been subscribed, but the subscription was limited to £1 each, and the list closed as soon as the £120 was collected. In 1868 so much of the beach was washed away that it was found necessary to remove the body to the new Westport cemetery. The monument was taken down and re-erected over the spot which now marks the last resting-place of my well-beloved friend.

A curious case of attempted bribery occurred on one goldfield when I was on the spot. A dispute arose between two parties of miners, H party claiming damages for encroachment, and K party admitting the encroachment, which they said was unintentional, but maintaining that the plaintiff H held too much ground. On the evening previous to the hearing of the case, H made his appearance at the warden’s private residence, and requested an interview in private, which was accorded him. He then stated that his party wished to make the warden a present of £40. On being asked the reason, he said they knew he (the warden) was very poorly paid, and they wished him to accept the gift purely for friendship’s sake. The warden (rather a vacillating person, but strictly honourable) did not know what answer to make; he had no intention of taking the money for his own use, but at the same time he wished to punish the men, so he asked H to call again in an hour. In the meantime he consulted a solicitor, who advised him to take the money and advertise it in the next morning’s paper as having been given to the hospital by H, through the warden. This was done, and H had the satisfaction of reading in the morning paper that he had been a benefactor to the hospital to the extent of £40. H also lost his case.