ROUND ABOUT RICCARTON.

‘lf af, first, you don’t succeed, try, Hy, try again,” j s a. well remembered motto of school copy-book days, and the “Star” .reminiscence man bad to follow it in order to locate Mr Edward Hade, of Avonhoadl Hoad, Riccartqn. On the occasion of a first call at the old pioneer’s neat little homestead it was empty. The next time better fortune favoured tho scribe. Mr Hack was not at home, bub tho lady of the house informed the “Star” man that ho would bo probably found over tho road at tho house of a well-known, public man of Riccarton district, and hero he surely was. A “PAGET” PIONEER. Mr Hack arrived! at Lyttelton in tho Sir Edward Paget on July 3, 1856, and came over to Christchurch three days later. ‘‘l am a Paget man,” lie .said with pride, “and readied my twentysecond birthday a month after I gob to tho province. I have been hero sixtyfour years, so if yon tot that up you will easily discover how old I am.” Tho reporter immediately replied that Mr Hack by hie appearance belied his ago—ho could certainly and very truthfully be taken for at least twenty years younger. “I am from Lincolnshire,” tho pioneer continued—“ a lad of the Fens. The principal people among tho passengers On the Paget that I knew were the Mains.” THE COASTAL BOATS. “ Wo only stopped three days in Lyttelton, and, in fact, had started to come over the hill once before that, but on tho way wo met Mr David Main, who had arrived out in the colony before, and wo returned with him to tho port. Mr Robert Main, who was a fellow passenger with me, brought out seven girls of a family. Wo earned our swags oyer the Bridle Path—it was a case of taking your bed with you in those days. I notice that in some of your articles various pioneers have stated that passengers came round to the Sumnor estuary in tho little coastal steamers, hut in this case they are mistaken, as I do not think that any passengers were ever brought round in those boats. It would not pay, because sometimes the little vessels would have to He for about a fortnight outside the Sumner bar before they could get across, and it would not be profitable to feed passengers for that time. ARRIVE IN CHRISTCHURCH. “Wo came straight to the White Hart Hotel, which at that time was notliing but a canvas tent, and the people who received u s there drank onr health in a bottle of sherry. Tho White Hart was then the only accommodation house in the city. After a short stay J. proceeded to walk across the park t!o Kaccarton. The park was then nothing but a wilderness of tussocks and waterholes. I went to where Jim Morns had a whare, at a spot where the Addington saleyavds are located to-day. 1 Ins whare belonged to Air V ashbouine, who lived in another whare close by. Mr Washbourno owned .all that property np to where the Riccarton Hotel , IS ' riccarton bush. “The first job I did was to go and take up some stumps at the Riccarton Bush for firing purposes. The Riccarton Road for some distance up was then nothing but bush land, with sawpits along the side of it. There was a sort of creek in tho middle of the road going this way to where Ham is now. and along this watercourse they used to sledge the fogs to the sawpits. The Smarts were the sawyers. Old Air Smart is buried on the top of a hill, near w-here Air Boyle’s house is now. Pigeon Lane, now' called Alandeville Road, was a swamp all along, and tho bush used to stretch backwards towards Papamii till it mot Hie Papanui bush. AT HOON HAY. “ After working about tho bush for a little while I was engaged in survey

REMINISCENCES OF HR EDWARD HICK. FARMING, RACING AND BUSH-FELLING.

work with Air Hewlings in the Hoon Hay bush. This was a. terrible big bush, and rye had to cut lines through it several different ways. The various property-owners there were Captain Harvey, Mr Worslcy, and Mr Cracr'oft Wilson. There was some splendid timber in that bush—totara, black pine and white pine- I recollect one big tree which was exactly on the boundary ol two of the properties, and through this we, had to put a. door, on each side of which tho survey numbers were placed- Through tlxis door we took the line of survey- Tho MacGregors were the carters for tiro timber with their bullock teams. After Captain Harvey went Home Mr Cridling had the bush. Mr Grid ling had a hit of a timber yard in Christchurch beside-the old “Standard” office, just at the corner of Hereford Street and Oxford Terraco. That old office was later burnt down. BIRD LIFE. “The bush then was full of birds—parrakeels, tui and kakas among them —and the kakas nsed to kick up such a row that we could hardly sleep in tho wharcs for their din. There wore also plenty of ducks about at that time, and I used to go shooting where the Christchurch station is now, the place then being nothing hut a lagoon. Then another sport was pig hunting. In the ,back country pigs were plentiful, and sometimes wo would fiud their beds on tho plainsSURVEYING. “The next job I had was survey work with Mr Bray, who owned the property where Mr Witty lives now. We started at Ferry mead and measured right over the Bridle I'alh info Port. Mr Bray took tho surveys of all tho streets in (Lyttelton and laid them out. It was during this work.that I stopped at tho Rohin Hoed Hotel in Lyttelton, and there was such a hig storm that all the small boats iu the harbour were turned upside clown- The Paget was still out in the stream at the time, and she dragged her anchor and went out to the Heads. There were not sufficient sailors on hoard to undertake the task of handling the ship, as many of them had deserted. Captain Wycherley was in charge of tho Sir Edward Paget. He took her Homo that time, hut after a later trip married one of the passengers, a dan pflitor of Pilot Day, and suhsequentlv this good seaman was mine host of tho Red Lion, Ranginra. “ To gut hack to tho survey work, though, and keep the story in running order,” said Mr Hack- ”" We next the survey of the Sumner Hoad, trying to find a railway trackEverything was favourable for the laying of the track on the Christchurch side, but the steep rocks and gullies over Hornhrook’s Pass and about Salt’s Gully were such that tho task had to bo given up as impossible and the survey for the' tunnel was proceeded with.” WEDDING FESTIVITIES. “ I suppose it was not long after this that you got married ?” lucre was a little hesitation on tho part of the pioneer at first, hut he soon narrated the happenings of that important occasion. “ I got married‘in old St (Michael’s Church, and Tommy Tompkins drove us to the church iu a trap. One man owned the horse, and auothe frowned the trap. I remember. As we were going along in good stylo through Cathedral Square, which was then nothing but high sand hills and water-holes. Tommy ran the wheel of the trap up one of the sandhills, and the whole of our wedding party was spilt out into the roadway. However, we soon got over that, and were once again on our way to the church. Dean Jacobs was the parson, and Archdeacon Mathias was there as well on the occasion. A lot of men had come down from the back stations, and they made things merry before and after the ceremony. OLD HANSON’S HOAD- “ We went to live, in Hanson’s Hoad, in an old cob whare,, which was owned by Johnny Ward. To this were five

acres of land. Other residents in that road at that time were George Ward, who lived next to me, John Vickery,' Henry Triekott, whose i'amilv now reside at AV est Alolton, Airs Beckett, and Harrison, the tailor, who had ten acres. l Then there was also Joey AVanl- This land all belonged to Mr Broughton at one time. AVillinm Ba.llantync has the place now whore I used to live. The property on the eastern side of the road was in the occupation' of Air Rowley then. THE AVELCOAIE HOME. “ AA 7 hen 1 got home to ray cob wharo I found tlu; place all full of water,' and we had to bail it out before wo could make it habitable, and put straw' on the floor. I can tell yon that those station bands made things round that cob wharo lively for us, keeping the wedding up for a fortnight. In those days a man would come down with a £•SO O' 1 cheque, and set out to enjoy, himself until the money was all cut out, and then return quite contentedly back to work again. Shepherding was the principal employment in the country. AVILD CATTLE. 1 ‘ There were _ also a good many cattle on the stations further up from! Riccarton. In bad weather, such aa a sou’-westor, small mobs of these wild cattle used to come down and invade Christchurch, and you could not stop them. They would jump over any fence that came in their way- The only thing that could be done with them was to shoot them. David Lewis, was notable for his great riding after these beasts, and he would get along-t side one of them, bringing it to earth with a horse pistol. The cattle were also driven into the river and were shot there. Air Fitzgerald had ai station at Springslou, known as the old Springs Station, and many of the cattle came from there. AVhenovcn tho animals made a breakaway a horse-i man would always ride ahead to warn the people of the stampede- I never heard of anyone getting seriously hurt by them, but several people got knocked over into the ditch. If you w r ere mounted on a hoi*>e they would netcome near yon, but as soon as you alighted they would crowd round. Ain Alaeßratnoy, who lived at Avonhead.i was one night chased round and round his wliare by a mob of these cattle. I recollect when I was at Harewood at number of them one wild night came round my cob whare, and you had to keep indoors because as soon as yon opened the door back they would dashi at you. As soon as the weather settled the cattle could be rounded up,, and they would go quietly back to the station again.” NOTABLE ROADWAYS. After leaving Air Bray. Air Hack took up work in the formation the North Road, from Papamii to the Seven Aide I eg. A big cutting was made down the side of the Styx, and the work turned out pretty fair from the pioneer s point of view. Then he took up the work of cutting a drain! from Harewood Road to North Road. This was in the winter time, and on' it he did not earn more than 4s day. “ I was told that the men who worked at Hoon Hay drain only got 3s per day. AVhen Cracroft Wilson cub ins dram he gave those employed :i day, and worked in it himselfWork then was very scarce, and there was not much hero to give employment to the labour that was aboutThere was no ploughing in those days on the plains. The work on the North Load was very rough, and up to the -■. oven Aide Peg there was nothing butt swamps gulhes and creeks. AVhcre thel Belfast breezing Factory is now was all swamp and I have seen the river right over there. The principal settlors in the neighbourhood then wove Afessrs Chaney. Robert and William AViLson, I. lescheniaker, Johns and Tisch. I cut a drain from Dudley’s Creek to Papamii, and lost a lot of money over it. It was all boggy land, and boards had to ho placed down to walk on. When work was finished at night the line of the drain could bo seen Clearly cut, bub on return to tho job in the morning it would often be found that the whole opening had closed up a "ain so boggy and full of springs was” the land. In places a pole fifteen feet long could bo put in the ditch without touching the bottom.” BY 'THE FIRESIDE. 1 All Hack s first shift from Riccarton was to Harewood Road, where bo built a sod wharo, Alessrs Claridgo and Ingham helping him to put it up. “ I u those times everyone used to help one another, no matter what the job was reaping crops or anything else. I built a lug sod chimney in that whare, which had seats along each side, and on cold, r'ainy nights wo would sit insido the chimney. ON THE BAND. The talk then took a. turn on farming subjects, and the old pioneer stated that ho ploughed the first land on the plains. This was at AVeedons, and the year about 1858 or 1559. Tho ploughing was done for Air Jim in v Alain, with a bullock team. “I also took up the hrsc machines when the reapers and binders came boro. Am] the trials oiren were very big attractions. I travelled all over Now Zealand giving exhibitions with tile machine that T was acting for. I remember at Alataura starting outturn in one paddock of sixteen bundled acres’ it contained all different sorts of crops' and there were swarms of rabbits. Alanv pcopie did not look on the reaper and binder with favour, because they thought it was going to do a wav with a lot of labour, but. they found out aflorwards that th.ev were wroim and that they were aide to work raore'lrend. crops of fifty and sixty bushels of wheat were, usual, and sometimes the crops were hearm.- T remember one paddock of oats we went, into at the Tnieri where the straw was seven feet, long. There have n many ups and downs in Canterbury farming. ’ Forty years ago there was ;i big storm of nnr'westers and hardly anv grain was leftin the ear of any of thm ev;r.i'!. t had men wailing about ready to work, and they would do nothing for almost a whole fortnight. 'I lien the wind veered round to the_ son’-west. and it came on to rain heavily, am! the crops sprouting. it spelt ruination.” THE FIRST RACK AIEFTINGS. Naturally in siu-h a place as Riccai--ton conversation must veer round to racing, and Mr Hack stated that the first track ran from the Plough Inn towards the saleyards. •. It was here that

the first race meetings took place. “ I can recollect Sir Charles Bowen, riding at a meeting there on one occasion. Among the principal early supporters of the sport of kings were Messrs Lee, Mai loch, T /anco, Watts Russell and Craeroft Wilson. Cracroft Wilson did a great deal to get the land where the big racecourse now is, and be was a great man in the days of early racing. Then there were Messrs Stand, MacBratnoy and Del a main, who also had horses. Charlie Martin used to tram his horsesa‘n Haglcy Park. Mr Watts Russell returned to England one time, and then chartered a, ship, the Westminster, to come out here again. On this ho brought the bricks for his place at Riccaiion. and also a horse or two. There have been so many good horses I have known that it is hard at the moment to think which 1 would say was the greatest of them.” OPENING OF THE RAILWAY. A little incident that here came to Air Hack's memory was the fact that lie went down the railway line to Dunedin when the first two engines were sent there. 11 Wo had to stop on the road a good many times to cool the engines. We left here at six o'clock in the morning, arriving at Dunedin at nine o’clock at night. OLD CHRISTCHURCH. “ Christchurch was a very desolate place when 1 first came here, and I don’t suppose there were a dozen places about. People whom I did know very well were John Anderson, the blacksmith. and Kissell, the saddler, in Cashel Street. About all there was in Colombo Street north were the shops <if Messrs Gould and Miles, and that of Mr Wincup on the other side of the road, and of course the Golden Fleece.” Mr Hack visited Ashburton in 1857, and at that time it can bo guessed there was not much to see there._ ‘‘ln fact,” ho said, “there was nothing but a stockyard into which bullocks were driven. Mr Holdings had a contract to cut up Alford Forest, and a great number of his men walked all the way to the job.” FARMING AT HARDWOOD. A little more, farming information was given at this point, Hie pioneer of the Paget remarking that ploughing in the early days was not the simple matter it is to-day. “ When I started ploughing at Harowood Road I had eight or ton bullocks in a team, sometimes six in a yoke and four in harness, breaking up tutu land. For this work I was paid 50s an acre. The handles of the plough I used wore made of gohai, and it was constructed by old Meddings. I can tell you that strength was needed, because when the plough struck the tutu it was a case or the handles flying up in the air. Generally one man had to drive the bullocks and another hold the plough. I one time owned all that block of land at Harewoocl, 125 acres, then the property of Captain Morgan. At first he had entailed all bis land, but later broke up tbp entail, and all had to be sold. Captain Morgan also bad a lot of land down at the Valiev, and before ho broke up the entail lie offered me a lease up to fifty years, if I cared to take it. The land I bought at Harewood I gave £ISOO for, but I later disposed of it. I was speaking to someone the other day who told me that that land to-day would be a regular goldmine to hold, and no doubt it is.” A TOPICAL SUBJECT. .Naturally, with Christchurch's recent visitation of snow, the talk turned on snowstorms. Air Hack said Hie biggest one he recollects (a picture bf which appears with this article) occurred in 1862. The snow was estimated to have been of a depth of from eight to ten feet at Darfiold and Akaroa. “There wore floods everywhere, and the padat i';e hack Of the Addington Worksho; were all under water. A little while ago I met a man in the tram who talked to me about that snowstorm, and be said that during it he was driving cattle up Darfiekl way, and the snow drifts were easily ton feet deep. A CHAPTER OF ACCIDENTS. “ About the most adventurous trip with its series "of accidents that I recollect at the moment was one that I made with Harry Maddison to Kowai Bush for posts to build a stockyard. We took two drays, and arrived at the bush in the evening, just as a very heavy hailstorm came on. There was some very good timber in that bush then, and many of the big trees which • had been rooted up by the wind looked like the side of houses. These trees used to come down the river,' any amount of them. On our way back the axle of Maddison’s dray broke and we went to the blacksmith’s shop at Sheffield. No sooner was the axle welded than it broke again, so wc had to borrow another dray, and this was loaded up with posts from the brokendown one. Wo proceeded along to a settler’s place by night time, but he refused either to give us accommodation in a paddock, or a stable for our horses, telling us to tie them up to a dray. Maddison declined to do this, so in the dark we resumed Our journey and got to Jebson’s coalpit at about midnight, and here we received a right hearty welcome from Air Jebson. While wo were seeing to our horses lie got supper ready tor usTHE PANGS OF THIRST. “Next morning we reached Race-' course Hill, where we asked for a bucket or two of water for our horses and a drink tor ourselves, but they would not give us a drop. There were no water-races then, and as shearing wa.s on all the water available was wanted for the mien employed. We went right on to the railway bridge over the Selwyn, where we had to double bank onr horses to get across. Harry was taking my dray over, and going np the bank be turned the horses sharply, with the result that the shafts snapped off and the load went into the riverbed. 'We had to go to Harry Washbourn's s'o as to borrow another dray with which to pick up the load. Wo towed the empty dray behind and ultimately fixed it up warn lancewood rails as shafts, finally reaching Bruce and Coe’s, our destination. 1 was glad that trio was over, BOOTJACK ROAD. “Did you ever know why Papanni Road was once known as Bootjack RondP” asked Air Hack. “ Some people, even call it so to-day. Well, Airs Blackmore was one day going to town, and she got completely stuck in the mud on the road ami could not move. A man came along and, seeing her predicament, called but, ‘ Well, missus, take hold o! my horse’s tail and I will pull you out-’ The lady availed herself of this kind offer, and pulled out of the mud she was certainly. But the pull also pulled her hoots off, and she did not recover them then. The ditches along Papanui Roid were a ! good deal better than the road was. i ODDS AND ENDS. ■ “Talking of the Blackmon's reminds me that Air Bind-more bought one. of the first Innsom cabs and drove it home with one of his bullocks. There was a sale yard in those days just near the Oxford Hotel. Major Horn brook was a big importer of light horses from Sydney. ami the*? horse sales took place, where Stewart Dawson’s is. Prices for good horses ranged up to £GO and £7O. Afterwards this yard was shifted to the right of way hr tlm White. Hart Hotel. One day old Air Treleaven bought adonkey there, and he was riding it across the road, when the beast put its "head down and threw him, much to Die amusement of the. crowd. WAGGONING TO THE COAST, “There was a giod deal of waggoning going on to the West Coast at this time, and Bill Seoeomh and Johnny Hamill. who had just Mine across from Australia, were notable men in mailing this trip. I remember one occasion when they bought a large number of pigs near the old A\ heat-shea I', and they took them across to the Coast in the waggons There were about eighty pigs altogether, including the v.iws and the litthj ones. The fitst time these men

went to tho West Coast with stock they had to cross tho Teremakau four or five times. OLD TIME SPORTS. " I could tell yon a lot about tho great sports we used to have at the Harewood School, to which people came from all parts. Prominent people at them wore tho Nuuweeks, the Drury s, the Stanleys and Air Richards. We all. used to club together and contribute something towards the food supply. Tho eports lasted at first about two days, and limn they extended' to three—they were just like a fair. At last they became so big and took up so much working tune, that they were, abandoned. Mr Stanley was a very good and lively man then. GOI.IEDBY A BULL. “Perhaps.one of the most trying experiences 1 bare bad was when a neighbour of mine at Hajowood got so badly gored by a Shorthorn bull that, half his face was torn away. There had been a sale of cattle at the place the day before, and! * lie bull bad been tethered up. Next day my neighbour came to town in the morning, and when ho got home the bull apparently did not recognise him in bis eity clothes, and as lie stooped down to get the tether rope, rushed him with very disastrous consequences. I immediately set out for town to get a doctor, ami after a lot of trouble Dr Campbell went out to Ilarewoo'tl. lie did not give my neighbour a possible, chance .of living through the night, and instructed me to give tile, injured man a spoonful of brandy and milk everv five minutes. I kept by ins bedside for three days looking after him, and never got a wink of sleep. However, despite the doctor’s view of the case, he pulled through, much disfigured, though, and lived to he ninetyfive. OH VAfPTON PLOUGHMEN. “Ploughing matches were a great pastime among the farmers in the early days, and two notable champions were Adam White and one of the Ladhrooks. The first match took place in Deans’s paddock at the side of the bush opposite Shand’s.” FAMILY HISTORY.,’ Air Hack has been twice married, and his family by the first wife consisted of ten children, nine of whom are living, and there are forty-five grandchildren. “ I could not tell you how many greatgrandchildren there are. I was trying to reckon them up the other day. I think there are between sixty and seventy.” His second marriage took plao in 1878, when he wedded the fourth daughter of the late Captain William Watts, of Bridgewater, Somerset. Air Hack has fanned: over most of the Riccarton district, extending from Harewood to Middleton. _ After a chat on general items of gossip, tho “Star” man hade adieu to a very sturdy member of the old Canterbury pioneers.