at Hokitika. Directly opposite the landing place was a large tent owned by a German named Shulter in use as a hotel and eating house, and so well patronised that it was difficult to get served with the drinks required, which were many, as the people who had previously landed from other boats and overland came down to meet friends they had parted with in Dunedin, and elsewhere, only a short time before.
“The late James Chesney, afterwards the well known merchant of Wharf Street, landed from the “Alhambra” the same time as I did from the “City of Dunedin,” and as I knew him in Dunedin he was anxious to chum up with me as he had always been used to a town life and had no experience of digging rushes. He knew I had spent some years on the diggings of both Victoria and New Zealand. Within a few minutes of landing I met some Otago diggers who had camped on ground adjacent to the then landing place, and had pegged off a section of 66ft by 132ft on spec. We had the usual drinks after meeting, and they told me they were leaving for one of the rushes that evening, and kindly offered me the section for what it was worth, as up to that time no Government sections had been marked out so that no licenses had been granted. I accepted the section and took it over. I then had to look out for a place of accommodation for that night, and managed to secure lodgings from a man named D. Cox who had been a storeman of mine on Dunstan Creek. He had joined another Otago man, opening a public house and dance room combined. We thought ourselves lucky to get any sort of accommodation as we had no tent and there were only a few drinking shanties and small stores at that time in the new township which was composed mostly of tents set down anywhere. We had a rough night’s rest as the dance room was kept going until after midnight. My bed belonged to Cox who gave it to me, but Chesney had to sleep on the floor.
“Next day we decided to change our lodgings and after a look round I met Mr McTavick, the Inspector of the Union Bank of that day, and informed him I was on the look out for a good business site. He stated the Government were forming the township, and there would be a street at the back of Revell Street. There was a section at the back of the Union Bank that was unoccupied, but it was all rough bush and scrub at that time. At once I went up to the Warden’s Office (Mr Revell was the then Warden and Resident Magistrate) took out No. 6 License to Occupy, and put on men to cut down the bush and clear the section, and before night had a tent erected and two bunks put in for Chesney and myself. That day I named the street Wharf Street. A few friends were invited to the opening of our premises, amongst whom were J. F. Byrne, of Corinthian Hall of drapery notoriety, Inspector McTavick, Dan O’Donnell, and as many others as the tent would accommodate. We had a house warming, spent a pleasant night, and were fit for business the next morning.
“I lost no time in erecting a store, as I had a shipment of timber from Dunedin by the schooner “Cymerag,” Capt. Perkins, and had just started business when bad news of the up-country rush induced me to sell out to Mr Chesney. As I still had a store at Dunstan Creek, Otago, I went back there, but soon sold out and within a few months went back again to Hokitika. I bought the store premises at the corner of Wharf and Camp Street in 1866, and as before stated, remain-
