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Title: Changing days and changing ways : collections and recollections of Palmerston North and the Manawatu district
Author: Warburton, Charlotte Eliot
Published: C.E. Warburton, Palmerston North, N.Z., 1954
CHANGING DAYS AND CHANGING WAYS
by Charlotte Eliot Warburton
This book about Palmerston North and the Manawatu gives some account of the work and play of the settlers of the eighties and nineties of the last century. It also describes their homes and makes special reference to the manners and customs of the time. Besides the recollections of the author, material for the book has been gathered from others who have grown up in the district and from old letters and papers. It will be of particular interest to those who have had association with the Manawatu in those early days and the aspects of history which it records are of much wider interest.
PRICE
12/6
CHANGING DAYS
AND
CHANGING WAYS
The Manawafn Gorge, 1885
CHANGING DAYS AND CHANGING WAYS
Collections and {Recollections of Palmerston {North and the SManawatu
by CHARLOTTE ELIOT WARBURTON
illustrations by
A. S. PATERSON
and from Photographs
C. E. Warburton Palmerston North New Zealand
PRINTED BY
KEELING & MUNDY LTD.
PALMERSTON NORTH
1954
To My Sisters
M. A. Dalgety and M. E. Abraham
"To pass the seas some think a toil;
Some think it strange abroad to roam
Some think it grief to leave their soil
Their parents, Idnsfolk and their home
Think so who list, I like it not;
I must abroad to try my lot.”
Barnaby Googe
1540—1594,
INTRODUCTION BY MISS ETHEL WILSON.
1 REMEMBER once when I was a “school marra” I advised each of a class of small boys who had one, to go home and ask his grandmother why and when she had come to New Zealand and he probably would get a story of thrills and adventure, for truth is stranger than fiction —which is why it is so important that the memories of the older residents in a district should be printed —or they should at least write down what they can remember of the bygone days.
My own memories of Palmerston go back to the 1880’s. I can still remember the potatoes and apples we baked in the embers of the larger trees at the back of Mr. Lloyd’s house in Broad Street which Miss Warburton mentions. What fun it was especially to a town bred child of eight or nine. A year or two later I spent a delightful two years with Mrs. Lloyd’s sister. Miss Kelly, a charming and very well read and much travelled lady from London, who could tell us of almost any place that cropped up in our reading of the papers. She lived in the half of Mr. Piers Warburton’s house which was moved after the flood of 1880, to Fitzherbert Road.
I am so glad that Miss Warburton has given us some of her reminiscences and I am sure that this little book will prove interesting and amusing to many residents of the district.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS.
IWISH to thank Miss Alice Woodhouse, and to express my deep appreciation to her for reading my typed script and for her valuable suggestions. lam also very much indebted to Mr. C. R. H. Taylor, M.A., Dip. Jour., F.R.N.S.N.Z., Chief Librarian of the Turnbull Library for his help and encouragement and to Mr. J. Reece Cole, 8.A., Dip. N.L.S., Assistant Librarian of the Turnbull Library, for criticism and very helpful advice.
I much appreciate the practical suggestions which I received from Professor D. C. H. Florance, M.A., M.Sc., which I found very helpful.
I am very grateful to Mr. A. J. Shailer for the loan of his valuable photographs and to Mr. R. Billens for permission to use information regarding the early Churches in Palmerston North which appeared in “From Swamp to City,” compiled in 1937 by him and by Mr. L. Verry.
My thanks are also due to all those friends whose memories have aided mine and to those who have so kindly read the script and proofs at various stages.
CONTENTS
PART I.
THE DAYS THAT ARE GONE.
Chapter
Page
1. EARLY ARRIVALS 13
2. OUR MAORI FRIENDS 23
3. COMMUNICATIONS AND TRANSPORT 29
4. COACHING FROM WELLINGTON 33
5. OPENING OF RAILWAY BETWEEN FOXTON AND WANGANUI 39
6. SPORT 47
7. FITZHERBERTON AND THE RIVER 51
8. BUSH FIRES AND OTHER FIRES ALSO 56
9. GOING AHEAD 62
PART II.
LONG, LONG AGO! A CHILD’S EYE VIEW.
10, SETTLING IN 69
11. THE HOMES 73
12. SURROUNDINGS 84
13. FLOODS AGAIN 90
14. GOING TO SCHOOL 93
15. HOLIDAYS 99
16. AMUSEMENTS 109
17. THE FUN THE GROWN-UPS HAD 122
18. FASHIONS 130
19. HORSES 135
20. THE OLD ORDER CHANGETH 145
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
Page
MANAWATU GORGE Frontispiece
CLOTHED IN A LARGE EIDER-DOWN QUILT 27
RESCUED - 54
RECOVERING FROM THE NIGHT BEFORE ...... _ 71
THE BATH _ _ 76
MOA FOOTPRINTS - facing 92
THE LOWER GORGE FERRY „ 93
DRILLING ..... - _ _. 96
SETTING OFF IN A CAB .... _ _ 100
PLIMMERTON 109
CONFISCATED ._ _ HO
RETURNING FROM A PICNIC _ ...... facing 114
AWAPUNI LAKE - >. H4
THE SQUARE PALMERSTON NORTH .... „ 115
THE NEW RAILWAY STATION ..... _ „ 115
THE WATER JUMP 115
LANDED _ ...... ... H9
RETURNING FROM THE RACES ... 128
A SUIT NOT FAVOURED - ...... 135
HURRYING TO A FIRE .... -... 149
AUTHOR'S NOTE.
MY parents did not number themselves amongst the earliest arrivals in the Manawatu; European settlement had already begun when my father, G. H. Eliot Warburton came into the district. He had come to New Zealand in a sailing vessel, the “Wild Duck,” about 1868, for the benefit of the sea voyage, as his studies for the Royal Artillery had been interrupted owing to trouble with his eyesight. He decided to stay in New Zealand and came to Palmerston in 1875, where he practised as a lawyer for some years and where he lived, except for a visit to England (late 1898 to early in 1903), until his death in 1922.
He was born in 1848, the elder son of Eliot Warburton, well known in his time as a writer, particularly for his book “The Crescent and the Cross,” an account of his travels in Palestine and in Egypt. Eliot Warburton, the writer, perished in the “Amazon” which was burnt in the Bay of Biscay, on January 4th, 1852.
My father’s only brother, Piers Eliot Warburton, joined H.M.S. Britannia as a cadet in 1862 and subsequently served in the Mediterranean and Australian Stations and elsewhere. He resigned from the Navy in 1873 and came to join my father in Palmerston in 1877. He started farming by the Manawatu River but the disastrous flood in 1880 ruined this enterprise. He left New Zealand soon after and went to the United States of America, later returning to England where he settled.
My account of local affairs in the late seventies is largely written from letters and notes which he wrote whilst he was here. For a time he acted as Palmerston North correspondent for the New Zealand Times.
My mother was born in 1864, the youngest child of Major F. W. Budd of the Royal Marines; he died in 1867, his health having been undermined during his years of service on the China Station. With her mother and a sister, my mother arrived in Palmerston early in 1881. They had come out in the S.S. Northumberland,” a sailing ship with auxiliary steam, encountering a terrific storm after leaving the Cape. My mother was married in 1882. It is from her lively accounts of her early days here that some of my recollections were kept alive and my own early memories were in later years confirmed by hers. On that the “Child’s Eye View” is founded.
This little book which I have written is not intended as a serious history, others have already done much in that direction; I have endeavoured to give some idea of how we lived then, especially from the women’s point of view as it is from them that the young usually take their opinions. Books of reminiscences are largely read by the survivors of the times to which they refer but I hope that perhaps some interest in those “precious years” may be aroused in at least a few of the rising generation. Otherwise all that the pioneer settlers did, which paved the way for those of the future and which made possible this prosperous country, will soon be entirely forgotten.
PART I.
THE DAYS THAT ARE GONE
PART I.
THE DAYS THAT ARE GONE.
1. EARLY ARRIVALS.
PAPAIOEA! How beautiful it is! The Maori name for the natural clearing which is now the site of Palmerston North and where, in the days before European settlement, there was a Maori pa. The first white man to behold this beautiful site was Charles Hartley, that early explorer of the Manawatu. Having travelled, with a Maori companion, up the Manawatu River in a canoe, he had made his way, by the Hokowhitu lagoons and connecting waterways, through the bush, coming out at the western end of what is now Broadway Avenue. It was there he saw before him several hundred acres of flat land with patches of manuka and tall fern growing on it and here and there shallow pools of water, all surrounded by magnificent forest. Then he knew the reason for the Maori name by which it was known for some time.
From accounts left to us, getting into this Papaioea was in itself an heroic feat, but with all the attendant difficulties, considered well worth the effort by those early arrivals, to whom it seemed just the place for a fine town and there it was later decided should be the centre of that promising country and there in due course the city was founded.
Once in, those early settlers had the problem of getting in their supplies such as tools, food and equipment. In summertime amongst other difficulties they
14
CHANGING DAYS AND CHANGING WAYS
had great opposition from the swarms of mosquitoes, and they were mosquitoes, very large and very persistent. Patches of swampy ground in the surrounding bush made excellent breeding places for them and also the bush sheltered the clearings from the wind, which would have blown some of those pests away. When in more open country the Maoris used to take themselves to higher parts of the gound to escape them. An account of the White Mound at Waikanae explains this.
It was at one time supposed that this mound was composed entirely of pipi shells but on examination it proved to be a sandhill covered with shells. The reason for this was that when the mosquitoes were troublesome the Maoris used to take their pipis from the beach to the top of that particular sandhill to get the benefit of the breeze and so be able to eat in peace.
Lighting fires in their whares or just outside the doorway was another way of defeating the mosquitoes and this was practised by the new settlers also. But all these troubles, and many others, were overcome by the determined efforts of those pioneers.
Among the earliest of those settlers of whom we read was Mr. D. McEwen who made the first clearing at Karere. He grew wheat there and he imported a grinder, which was worked by hand and with this he made flour for his own and his neighbours’ use.
The inauguration of Bishop Monrad’s Danish settlement at Awapuni began in 1866 when he came up the River from Foxton with his wife, daughter, sons and a daughter-in-law. When the Bishop, a former prime minister of Denmark, returned to his own country in 1868 his son Mr. Viggo Monrad (formerly a lieutenant
EARLY ARRIVALS
26
in the Danish Army who for his services was made a knight of Denmark) remained to carry on the work of this new settlement. Whilst in New Zealand the Bishop arranged with Dr. Featherston, then Provincial Superintendent, that on his return to Denmark he would encourage his countrymen to emigrate to New Zealand. This he did and a band of Danish and Scandinavian immigrants arrived early in 1871. They also landed at Foxton. The men walked over the sandhills and through the bush and the women and children were taken up the River in canoes.
They received land between Awapuni and Karere. There they made their homes and developed the land from bush and swamp into prosperous farms. Those Danish and Scandinavian settlers made a very valuable contribution to the development of the District. The pioneering work of the McEwen family formed an important part in opening up the country and their activities and enterprises were very far reaching and their descendants and those of the Monrads, among many others of those adventurous ones who came to the Manawatu in the early days, are much respected and honoured residents of this district at the present time.
The earliest settlers in the embryo township, of whom we have records, were Mr. and Mrs. Snelson and Mr. and Mrs. Linton. The Snelsons came from Wellington. They travelled by boat to Foxton and then came up the river in a canoe and a young girl, Miss Matilda Montgomery, came with them and lived with them until her marriage a few years later. She married Mr. Perrin, a partner in a firm of builders, for many years well know in the district. Her eldest daughter,
27
CHANGING DAYS AND CHANGING WAYS
Mrs. Bert Pratt, remembers her mother telling her that if only it had been possible, she would have gone back to Wellington. So it seems that once in, people had to stay, which in most cases was fortunate for the future of the district. It certainly was in Miss Montgomery’s case as her sons and daughters and their families have made a valuable contribution to the development of Palmerston North.
Mr. and Mrs. Linton came on horseback, having ridden through the bush, Mrs. Linton with her little daughter, two years of age seated in front of her. Both Mr. and Mrs. Snelson and Mr. and Mrs. Linton played a leading part in local affairs. Mr. Snelson was the first mayor of Palmerston and Mr. Linton the second to hold that office.
With the arrival of more settlers various stores and hotels were opened to supply their wants. The most important people were the surveyors, and then the bushfellers and contractors, to give effect to the plans of the former. The new settlers about this time obtained a Courthouse and a Police Station and next a school. This was opened in 1872 with eight pupils so those first arrivals must have been joined by other adventurous people who saw possibilities for the future in this centre of the Manawatu. By 1877 when Palmerston was declared a Borough the population was eight hundred. From that time onwards things developed rapidly and much hard work was done to establish the Churches, schools, fire brigade and many other societies and clubs.
Church services were held when the first settlers arrived and the first recorded one was in 1871, that service was held in a store and, in 1872, on a fine spring
EARLY ARRIVALS
28
morning one was held in Mr. Peter Manson’s sawmill, both those services were conducted by visiting ministers, the first by the Rev. W. S. Harper of Marton and the other one by the Rev. J. Elmslie of Wanganui. It is interesting to note that for the first few years, until the churches were built, the services were almost entirely undenominational. The Church of England members of the community built their church, All Saints in 1875, the Methodists having opened one in Broad Street a few months previously and the Roman Catholics built a church the same year. The first Presbyterian Church was built in 1878 and the first Salvation Army meeting was held in 1883 and the Baptist Church commenced services in 1894.
In the early days of All Saints Church Mr. Alan Skerman was choir master, organist and Sunday School teacher. He rode or walked the five miles in from Silverleys, on the Rangitikei Line, for the services each Sunday. There were twelve boys in the choir of which the late Mr. J. W. Batchelar was one. They were paid nine pence for each attendance; at one stage they received their money after the weekly practice and they soon disposed of their nine pences—it all went in hot pies. A pieman very conveniently went round with the pies at the right time for the boys.
Mrs. Snelson used to provide dinner on Sundays, for the country boys, at her house, at first in George Street and at a later time in Fitzherbert Street. That enabled the boys to stay in town for Sunday School in the afternoon and the Church Service in the evening. But the treat of the year for the boys was Mr. Skerman’s picnic, which he gave for them at Silverleys. This picnic
18
CHANGING DAYS AND CHANGING WAYS
was a great event; the boys would all set off in the morning in a buggy, dressed up for the occasion in their best clothes, but this spic and span appearance was not allowed to last very long. Other boys who were not in the choir, saw to that. They would hide in one of the patches of bush along Rangitikei Line and as the buggy came by they rushed out and threw handfuls of dirt at the occupants. Jealous, perhaps, that they were not of the party!
A good deal of voluntary work was done to keep the church property tidy as the following incident illustrates : Shortly before Christmas of 1877, it was noticed that the path to the Protestant Church was considerably overgrown with weeds and was generally out of order. It was therefore decided to have a working bee, and at eight o’clock on the morning of Christmas Eve, members of the Church of England wended their way to the Church, each armed with a gardening tool—spade, hoe, pickaxe or rake; in a couple of hours all the work was done. This plan was recommended as being cheap, rapid and efficient in cases of this sort.
Early in 1878 books were required for the Sunday School so a concert was given on May the 10th to raise the money. The programme on that occasion was very generous in length, there being no less than twenty-six items and this did not by any means represent the total, as in addition to various encores, a well known resident of the town kindly lent his aid and materially contributed to the success of the concert.
The newspaper review was decidedly critical of some of the performers. It was reported that “the entertainment proved to be both pecuniary and otherwise an
EARLY ARRIVALS
30
unqualified success . . . The entertainment opened with a pianoforte solo spiritedly played by Mrs. Holt, after which Mr. Turner sang the “Stirrup Cup,” accompanying himself on the piano. Whether it was the instrument or the singer that was at fault we cannot say, but at times the two did not blend harmoniously, and now and then a discord was discernable. We regretted to see that his name appeared but once on the programme as we experienced the impression that he was at a disadvantage in the “Stirrup Cup” and that it could not be taken as a fair example of what he could do. “The Flower Gatherers,” in which Mr. and Mrs. Menzies took part could not be called a success; it was not to be compared to their duet, so splendidly given later in the evening. Mrs. Snelson gave great satisfaction in “Dear Little Shamrock” and was compelled to give “Killarney” as an encore, even surpassing her first effort. Mr. Snelson in the song “Tenting,” though evidently nervous, acquitted himself very creditably and the singing of the Choir in the chorus was beyond all praise. . . . The amusing comic song “Camomile Tea” in which Mr. Piers Warburton appeared, in character, created considerable amusement, his make-up being supremely ludicrous and irresistible. In response'to vociferous applause he sang the “Russian Driver.” We prefer Mr. Warburton in comic singing. Thanks to the presence of Constable Gillespie in the gallery, that portion of the assembly was on its best behaviour, but now and then there were little outbursts of unruly conduct.”
The entertainment closed with the singing of the National Anthem, led off by Mrs. Keeling, the whole
31
CHANGING DAYS AND CHANGING WAYS
JLTCJ
CLUB
Stage Manager Mr, P. E. Warburton
Scene Painter Mr. W. Davies
Prompter Mr. Waite
X luiupwi ...... ...... XVXI. YY ailt Pianiste Mrs. Akers
FIRST PERFORMANCE, AUGUST 0, 1877
The Original Comedietta, by S. THEYRE SMITH
“A HAPPY PAIR.”
Mrs, Honeyton Miss Skerman
Mr. Honeyton Mr. P. E. Warburton
SYNOPSIS.—Time, Present Day. Scene —Breakfast-room in Mr, Honeyton’s House.
Concluding with Byron’s Comedy in 111 Acts,
“ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND POUNDS."
General Goodwin Mr. Beatty _ D 1 1. - D IT \XT u
Major Blackshaw Mr. P. E. Warburton
Joe Barlow Mr, Gilbert
Pennythorne Dr. S. Skerman
Pyefinch Mr. Smyth
Fluker Mr, Pirani cv_ n nr.i i r":V,I P) T
Sir Rumsey Waters and Gibbons Mr. R. Leary
Charker Mr. A. W. Skerman
Alice Barlow Miss M. C. Skerman
Mrs. Barlow Mrs. Holt
Arabella Bell Miss Skerman
Jane Plover Miss J. Skerman
SYNOPSIS.—Time, Present Day. Act I.—Scene, Mr. Joe
Barlow’s Shop-parlour. Act ll.—Scene, Sitting-room at Mr. G
Goodwin’s Apartments. Act lll.—Scene, Mr. Joe Barlow’s
Shop-parlour.
Printed at the “Manawatu Times” Office, Palmerston North
EARLY ARRIVALS
21
audience joining in. Taken as a whole this entertainment was pronounced as an unqualified success and the sum of thirteen pounds was handed in towards the Sunday School Funds.
By the end of the first year of the Borough, resourceful and energetic residents had many organisations in active operation; they hadn’t wasted much time. As soon as they had the essentials of existence they set to work to provide social services, amusements and useful institutions.
For theatrical entertainment they depended on amateurs, so the Manawatu Dramatic Club was started. From old programmes and letters of the time, we learn that it was a going concern in 1877 and that the first performance was given on August 6th, the evening of the day on which the Mayor of the newly constituted Borough was appointed by the Government. At the opening of this entertainment the prologue was read by the mayor Mr. G. M. Snelson and was as follows:
“Ladies and gentlemen, I’ve been asked to say,
That as petitions seem the order of the day,
We, on our part, of you do humbly pray,
That you will look with favour on our play
We fear in many ways we shall fall short,
And make mistakes, “the which we didn’t ought.”
(Excuse bad grammar for the sake of rhyme,)
Our plea is we’ve been rather pressed for time;
For if we’d rehearsed till we’d all had a thorough
Knowledge of our parts, we fear the Borough
Would be with us an old matter quite,
And not a brand new one as it is tonight
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CHANGING DAYS AND CHANGING WAYS
Our Corporation, Town Clerk and our Mayor
Their Civic gowns quite easily would wear.
But no more of this —lets finish our apology,
Without, if possible, using more tautology
'The Happy Pair” we first shall put before you
As an example, that with wives the more you
Bully them, the more they love, unless indeed,
You go too far. Ah then, my man take heed;
You’ll find the quiet wife become the shrew,
And she you ruled before will then rule you.
But, ladies, remember too, the happiest pairs
Are those in which the man the breeches wears.
Then, we’ll have ‘‘One Hundred Thousand Pounds
Whatever shall we say of this. But zounds
What better can we say, But wish for all
The money itself for those within the Hall
Now we’ll begin, and if you can’t applaud,
We’ll act no more, but bow to your award.”
P.E.W.
The names of some of those figuring on the programme are still well known in the district. Amongst those taking part in the two comedies, which were presented that evening, were Dr. Skerman and Mr. Arthur Skerman, two Miss Skermans, Mrs. Holt, Messrs. Pirani, Beatty, P. Warburton, Gilbert and R. Leary.
A report of this entertainment appeared in the Manawatu Times of August 13th. It was said to have been a great success, in spite of several drawbacks, the principal of which was the inclemency of the weather. Amongst the audience were visitors from Foxton, Feilding and other neighbouring towns. The writer goes
OUR MAORI FRIENDS
23
on to say that the spectators separated well pleased with the entertainment and that the members of the Club and some of their friends finished the evening with a dance. To further celebrate this important event, in the development of Palmerston, a ball was held in the Town Hall on 2nd October.
The second appearance of members of the Manawatu Dramatic Club was in Feilding on August 12th of the same year; this was to help the funds of the Feilding Benevolent Society. The programme and the cast were the same as on the opening night.
2. OUR MAORI FRIENDS.
THE Manawatu country being so fertile and well provided with the sources of food, had a numerous Maori population. The heavy bush, with what seemed unlimited supplies of birds, also provided roots and other edible vegetable matter, and the river and lagoons plenty of fish. Also there were good clearings for settlement, with timber for building, manuka scrub for thatching the whares, also raupo from the swamps was useful for that purpose. The many axe heads and other weapons and tools which have been dug up by the farmers and others, particularly along the Banks of the Manawatu River and on the lower parts of the Fitzherbert hills have given evidence of that Maori occupation.
The new settlers found large and important pas, one in a nice sheltered spot between the River and one of the smaller of the Hokowhitu lagoons, about that
35
CHANGING DAYS AND CHANGING WAYS
part where we now see Ruahine and Fitzroy Streets. It was there that hops were successfully grown in the early eighties. These clearings were well protected from the wind by good bush and there was easy access to both river and Lagoons. Among the larger pas were those at Awapuni, Himatangi, Awahuri and higher up the River, between Palmerston and Ashhurst, one at Raukawa besides many others between these and the sea.
The final battles between the warring Maori tribes of this part of New Zealand, took place many generations ago on that cliff above the River at Linton, on the land owned for so long by the Keeble family and part of which is now Linton Military Camp.
There was an old Maori burial place on the cliff (now known as Anzac Park) just above the Bridge and overlooking the Manawatu Golf Links. Early in this century a road was made through that cliff and along the River bank to Fitzherbert East, it was called Cliff Road, a short cut to what we call Aokautere. Some of the older residents of the district, who knew the river very well prophesied that the road wouldn’t last, they said that it would soon fall into the River and their words came true, it went piece by piece, until it had all gone the same way. No doubt the Maoris would have accounted for that as a just retribution to the Pakeha for having violated their burial ground. The Maoris had great respect for those old burial grounds and they expected the Pakehas to observe their customs in matters such as that.
Neither did they believe in going against nature regarding the lie of the land, as an account of the following incident which was reported in a Wellington Post of 1879 will illustrate :
OUR MAORI FRIENDS
36
"A native land agent was standing outside the old Atheneum Building, Wellington, where the Native Land Court was, at the time, holding a sitting. An old chief of Ngatiawa, also standing there remarked;—
“Well times do alter; we used to gather pipis here and now it is dry land. This place will hereafter be submerged by an earthquake wave. The Creator separated the sea from the dry land, and fixed the boundary of each. But you Pakehas are very profane people. You have changed the boundary of each and will be punished for your wickedness.” The Native Land Agent replied:—That is Scripture, but I would remind you of another verse, which says “By faith ye shall remove mountains, and ye shall say to this mountain, be thou cast down and thrown into the sea.” That ancient man of Ngatiawa having no suitable reply ready, took himself off.
In the Manawatu district the Maoris and Europeans were on very good terms with one another, the Maoris being well disposed to their new neighbours. Early householders would find these friendly Maoris walking into their homes without any preliminaries, they would squat on the floor, usually requesting “kai” (food). They just had blankets wrapped round them and their faces were tattooed, so these kindly pleasant visitors were rather frightening to small children, who were glad to keep themselves in the background during these visits. Not so their parents, they understood the ways of the Maoris and gave them the food they wanted. The Maoris could be very helpful to the Pakeha also, particularly as guides through any country that was not well known to the latter. These Maoris knew all the
37
CHANGING DAYS AND CHANGING WAYS
coast line, rivers and other waterways and the bush tracks so their co-operation was necessary in many ways.
There are still many residents of Palmerston who can remember the sittings of the Native Land Court. On those occasions the Maori people flocked to the town. They used to sit about in the Square and also in Main Street, round the Court House, which was on the opposite side of the street to the present one. Whole families came, generations of them. The wahines with their contented looking babies comfortably ensconced on their backs, held safely by a nice blanket or rug, which the mother had firmly round her shoulders.
The chiefs could be rather awe inspiring to the Pakeha children, who might see them striding up and down, before groups of their people, with a majestic tread, talking, waving their arms, sometimes with fine taiahas with which they would strike the ground heavily to emphasise a point. As all this talk was in the Maori language very few of the European settlers could even understand what they were discussing.
One grand old Maori used to come to town with a large eider-down quilt round his shoulders instead of the usual blanket and when he felt too hot he would take hold of the top ends and wave them to and from, thus fanning himself to get cool, and he hadn’t much on underneath. With this he wore a tea cosy as a hat. The Maori woman’s dress usually consisted of a full skirt to the ankles and a loose blouse, of some bright and cheerful colour, which came below the waist line. The feet were generally bare. The hair was worn as it grew naturally long or short. Some had plaited bands
. clothed in a large eider-down quilt.”
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CHANGING DAYS AND CHANGING WAYS
rounds their heads, or ribbons. Fine greenstone ornaments were hung on a ribbon round the neck or as earrings.
They used to camp in or near the Square and after the end of these Court sittings there was a special feast, and if the results of the sitting had been satisfactory to them, a very grand feast. Pigs, bullocks, etc., were roasted whole, a fire being made in the Square for the purpose. These fires were very large ones and often the cause of great anxiety to those with houses or shops on the leeward side, as there was always the danger that their buildings would be set alight from the sparks blowing towards them. One great occasion on which part of a large compensation had been paid over in golden sovereigns gave the opportunity for a particularly grand feast. It was held on the Western part of the Square, opposite what is now McKenzie’s and other stores in that block. One encampment held on a Borough reserve in Church Street, not far from the Square, is memorable for the enormous supplies of dried shark, with which the Maoris had provided themselves; the smell pervaded the air of the surrounding properties for a considerable distance and for some time, much to the discomforture of the residents of those parts.
The Maoris had a very keen sense of humour and some of them would take any chance of playing tricks. One old man waiting on the Railway Station at Palmerston noticed that two trains, drawn up at the platform, one facing in the direction of Foxton, the other towards Wanganui; were very close together. This was too good a chance to miss; he coupled them together then sat down to wait results, no doubt hoping to see a real
29
COMMUNICATIONS AND TRANSPORT
tug-of-war. Unfortunately for his hopes he started shouting “Two to one on Wanganui, two to one on Wanganui!” getting louder and louder and more excited until he drew the station master’s attention to his antics and so his trick was soon discovered.
The Maoris often used some very apt phrases, the significance of which were not always at first clear to their Pakeha associates.
When the Governor sent Te Whiti a message about some Maori land which had been sold he replied “that the potato was cooked.” On an explanation being sought, according to the Hawera Star, Te Whiti’s interpretation was: —When a potato has been cooked, nothing will bring it back to its natural state. So with the land; the Government having sold the land belonging to the Maoris, nothing can restore it to the rightful owners, thus virtually cooking the potato.
3. COMMUNICATIONS AND TRANSPORT.
IN these days of rapid travel and communication, with not even “the sky the limit” travellers can look back with interest and with wonder at the means which were at the disposal of New Zealanders in the early days of the settlement of the country.
Those places accessible by sea and river were usually the first to be settled and from those waterways a man always had his two feet on which to walk and his back for a pack and it is marvellous how much ground was
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CHANGING DAYS AND CHANGING WAYS
covered in this way. However, for pioneers wishing to settle in the Manawatu so much depended on this matter that the land beyond the reach of canoes or whale boats was soon opened up by tracks through the bush from the rivers and over the sandhills from the coast. When the military road from Wellington was completed, inland communications were enormously improved.
A road from Foxton suitable for horses or for bullock wagons was followed by a tram track with wooden rails for horse drawn trams. This tram track was very rough as the wooden rails swelled, shrank or warped with the weather. All this made very uncomfortable travelling and the track became known as the Bay of Biscay. Those engaged in the timber trade found it of great help as it went through Palmerston to Terrace End, where there was much activity in that industry, at the time. There was a rough track to Feilding wide enough for horse drays which was used as transport for women and children. Later on the Railway was put through from Foxton to Palmerston and thence at a later date to Feilding. So with coaches and ships from Wellington, communication to the centre of the Manawatu was quite good. The sand was a severe trial on the line between Palmerston and Foxton for many years. Sometimes the train had to be held up until the line was cleared of the drifts which the fierce winds had blown over it.
The coach drivers made a great effort to accomplish the journey between Wellington and Foxton in the shortest possible time, because if held up through the rivers being swollen or by accident the passengers would miss the train to Palmerston.
COMMUNICATIONS AND TRANSPORT
42
People travelling independently with their own horses made arrangements for themselves and they sometimes got benighted. This happened on one occasion to Mr. Warburton when going through on horseback and he spent the night on the sand, somewhere south of Foxton, sleeping with his arms through the reins of the horse’s bridle.
Swaggers were a common sight on the roads for many years. They walked from station to station, their possessions in a roll or swag across their backs and carrying a tin pannikin and a much blackened billy. In the small townships they would call at some promising looking house for food and they were seldom disappointed. It was customary to give them a meal and a sandwich for the road. At the large runs a whare was kept for the special purpose of accommodating those travellers. There they could get shelter for the night and food before setting off again. Sometimes they cut firewood or did some other job in return, but not always. They might be genuinely looking for work or they might be simply walking. One elderly man, well known on the road, was asked why he spent his life in that way and his reply was that he knew of two ways of living “working or walking and he preferred walking.”
The carriage and distribution of the mail was a matter of concern to the new settlers in that unroaded country, but roads or no roads they soon made arrangements about getting their letters.
Before the coach service between Wellington and Foxton was established letters were brought in by a mailman who travelled on foot, along the beach to Foxton and Wanganui. The settlers in the Manawatu
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took it in turn to go through the bush and over the sandhills to Foxton once a week to take out the mail, bringing back any mail which had been brought there either by the walking postman or by boat from up or down the coast. As the number of settlers increased and land, further inland from the coast, became inhabited more adequate mail service became a necessity. In 1869 Mr. McEwen was deputed to wait on the Postmaster General requesting that something be done about this very important matter. As a result of his representations the Government called for tenders for carrying the mails between Foxton and Palmerston and Mr. McEwen’s tender being the successful one, he became the first mailman and postmaster in the District. His Post Office was at Karere, but called the Palmerston Post Office and the people from the surrounding country went out to Karere to collect their mail.
This arrangement continued from January 1870 to June 30th, 1871 when a Post Office was opened in the Township and called the Palmerston North Post office, to distinguish it from the Palmerston in the South Island. From time to time over many years discussions have arisen over the advisability or otherwise of changing the name altogether to save confusion. However agitations on that matter seem to have died down some years ago and Palmerston North the name has remained. Mr. McEwen carried on his Karere Post Office until the opening of the Wellington Manawatu Railway Line in 1886 as one was then established at Longburn, which was the junction of the new line with that from Foxton.
COACHING FROM WELLINGTON
44
Some travellers preferred to travel by sea, instead of by coach, and for them the S.S. Jane Douglas, 75 tons and the S.S. Tui, 55 tons plied regularly between Wellington and Foxton. The former boat, being the larger of the two, was of course the more popular. Her skipper Captain Fraser was well known on the West Coast. Once when he arrived at the River mouth a thick blanket of fog came down and he had difficulty in finding the wharf. After twice running the nose of his vessel into the bank in the deep water near Mr. Robinson’s, a fishing boat passed and he was able to get his directions from the occupant of that boat and very soon found himself at the wharf.
4. COACHING FROM WELLINGTON.
THAT coach drive from Wellington to Foxton was a long and arduous journey; although it was not without interest to those who were good travellers and were not nervous about going over the Paekakariki Pass.
According to records of 1878 the coach left Wellington on Mondays and Thursdays at four o’clock in the morning, they would soon come upon what was at one time known as “Honeymoon Cottage” a hostelry about an hour or an hour and a half’s drive from Wellington, a convenient place to pull in for a quiet holiday or to break a longer journey if setting out later in the day. The buildings which comprised that stopping place can still be seen in a valley on the right hand side of the road, then in the depths of the country. The comfortable looking house and its large handsome stables, both
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buildings with gabled roofs, face the road. The coach house with large double doors looks roomy enough to have accommodated any coaches or carriages which might have come along. But those travelling through to Palmerston by that early morning coach would very quickly have left it behind, passing through Ngahauranga, Johnsonville, and round the Porirua Harbour, to Pahautanui where the passengers could safely reckon on finding a good breakfast awaiting them. About half an hour to refresh the inner man, off they set again and shortly arrived at the celebrated Paekakariki Pass, where if they had not strong nerves, they were recommended, by a writer of the time, either to get out and walk or else to shut their eyes and try to sleep.
Anyone taking the last mentioned advice, to try and sleep, would have missed the glorious view of the miles of coast line to be seen from the summit and from many of the higher parts of the road, those views so well known to motorists and others who travelled over the Hill up to the time that the Coast Road was completed in 1939.
Our travellers of the coaching days would have been very relieved when they had safely negotiated that perilous Pass. Level land was reached at the foot of the hill and there was then a long stretch of sand and shingle which during the next two hours would give the travellers as much coast scenery as they were likely to care for.
They would arrive at Otaki, having forded various streams and rivers, at about two o’clock. There they could have dinner, but if sightseeing were preferred to eating, there was the beautiful little Church which had been built and fitted up by the Maoris. It was always
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COACHING FROM WELLINGTON
considered well worth a visit, as, in its way, it was unique.
Otaki was a few miles inland, and at a later date, when an endeavour was being made to speed up the journey, dinner was provided at an hotel at the heads, the mails being taken to the coach by cart and horse. The way was over deep sand and therefore very heavy going for the horse, but by arriving in good time to catch the coach considerable time was saved on the through journey.
After dinner they set off again, through more sand, until arrival at the Manawatu River. This was crossed by the Ferry Boat and pulling up at Whyte’s Hotel, Foxton, the passengers found a substantial tea ready for them. At this stage the travellers had done with coaching for a while as at eight o’clock they could take the mail train for Palmerston, due to arrive there at half past nine provided there were no bullocks or sand drifts on the line. At Palmerston they would have found four good hotels, two of which, the Clarendon and the Royal, (at the corners of the Square and Rangitikei Line) were close to the Railway Station. The Station was at that time in the middle of the Square.
Passengers wishing to return to Wellington by a different route could take the Napier coach which departed from the Royal Hotel on Tuesday and Friday mornings, again making a very early start. After a twelve mile drive through pretty and interesting country, they would have crossed the Manawatu River by the Lower Ferry and then found themselves in the celebrated Manawatu Gorge, the sides all bush clad, and if in mid summer, brilliant in the sun with the crimson of that
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inland relation of the pohutukawa, the rata. When in full bloom the Gorge was indeed a wonderful sight.
The principal drivers for Cobb’s Coaches, between Palmerston and Woodville were Messrs. Billy Jones and George Hunter. Later on they themselves took the coaches over and the firm was known as Jones and Hunter.
This coach drive was an exciting experience. The road was very twisty and narrow, winding round the spurs with sharp bends and no protecting fences. It was thrilling for both driver and passengers, especially as it was not unusual for the team of four or five horses to go through at a hand gallop. The box seat was much sought after by some travellers and the lucky one who got that seat, was on a fine morning, much envied by the others. But that passenger might have felt that he was going straight on at the bends and over the edge into the River below. Accidents did happen now and again to passengers or to horses and sometimes to both. On one occasion at any rate, one of the leading horses went over the edge at a bend, being held back by the rest of the team and by the weight of the coach. He couldn’t easily be pulled back on to the road, so his traces were cut and he was left to find his own way down the Gorge and was picked up the next day, a little south of Ashhurst, none the worse for the adventure. On another morning those on the coach from Palmerston noticed a waggon just over the side at the Lower end of the Gorge and on further investigation the driver was found to be asleep by a low growing bush and the horses contentedly grazing alongside. Beer barrels scattered around suggested a reason for the mishap.
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48
According to a Press Association message from Woodville, dated 17th June, 1884, what was called a “peculiar accident” had happened the day before. “The coach from Palmerston to Woodville had just entered the Gorge when Mrs. Hirst of Kaiwarra, who was an inside passenger, attempted to change her seat from front to back, in order to obtain a better view. While doing so the swing of the coach going round a corner threw her clean out, fortunately on the cliff side. The accident was noticed and the lady picked up, none the worse for the mishap, save a few bruises. No doubt Mrs. Hirst thought more seriously of that “peculiar accident.” Later Mr. and Mrs. Hirst came and settled in Palmerston and were well known residents for many years. They lived in Broad Street in a house built by Mr. H. J. Lloyd, a very early resident of the town. That house is now the Catholic Presbytery.
There were plenty of accidents on other roads too. In a letter written about three years earlier it is mentioned that a man named James Aitken while driving four young horses in a wagon went over the road between Feilding and Awahuri. The waggon was smashed to pieces, but both man and horses escaped with some severe bruises. As long as they escaped with their lives, these accidents were taken very casually.
All the same it was an exciting experience to drive behind a fine team of spanking horses, hard fed and literally full of beans. As soon as led up to the coach they would be at the ready, a groom throwing the reins to the driver, would hitch the horses up to the vehicle with all speed, the driver mounting the box quickly to be off at the first possible moment. The
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passengers had to look lively too, with the leaders standing on their hind legs one second and tossing their heads and pawing the ground the next—away they would go with a great bound, the harness jingling merrily, the grooms having jumped clear hastily, to save themselves from being knocked down by the now moving coach. After a few miles they would calm down, particularly if they came to some steep hills, in which case the men of the party might get out of the coach and walk to lessen the load for the horses.
The coaches were usually packed with Pakeha passengers inside and Maoris crowded on top. Coaches running between Palmerston and Woodville could do the return trip in a day with the same horses, there was plenty of time for them to have a good rest at Woodville or Palmerston, as the case might be.
After the Gorge and then crossing the River by the Gorge Bridge, those travellers going on to the Wairarapa would have got off the coach at Messrs. Hastwell and Macara’s Stables where they changed into the Masterton coach. Both the Masterton and Napier coaches followed the same route to Woodville after which the Masterton coach set off through the Forty Mile Bush to Eketahuna. On the way they would have gone through great stretches of heavy bush with clearings at intervals and some pretty and comfortable looking homesteads would have been passed. The scenery was varied, and so interesting to the travellers. The route was through the site of the future town of Pahiatua, the coach usually arrived at Masterton at six o’clock, where the passengers spent the night at the Club Hotel.
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RAILWAY BETWEEN FOXTON AND WANGANUI
Next morning they set off once more, this time across the Wairarapa Plains, through Carterton and Greytown to Featherston and here they began the steep ascent of the Rimutakas. Having reached the summit, the time lost in the climb up was soon made up by the rapid descent on the other side and on to Kaitoke. Here the traveller could take the train to Wellington which completed the round trip.
5. OPENING OF THE RAILWAY BETWEEN FOXTON AND WANGANUI.
BY the late seventies the Railway line between Foxton and Wanganui was nearly completed but there was that part from Halcombe to Marton which seemed to the residents of those places and to those along the line, to be taking a very long time to get finished and at the beginning of 1878 there was great agitation about it. A lot was written and said about the dilatory way in which the Government was treating the completion of this work. By January an engine was run through and the line used by officials. Promises were then given that it would be open to passenger traffic in a very short time. But nothing seemed to happen. One resident of Palmerston lamented that the opening day seemed to recede as time went on.
However by April it was known that Mr. Knowles, Under Secretary for Public Works, was in Palmerston, presumably with the object of pressing forward the Wanganui Railway and the hope was expressed that the
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through line would be completed before that generation had passed away.
At last the great day for the opening of the line to the public had arrived. There was no demonstration arranged for the purpose of marking the event beyond the mere issue of double tickets at the single fare rate. But his worship the Mayor of Palmerston declared the day, Monday, May 24th (the Queen’s Birthday) a public holiday and many residents made the excursion. A letter written by Mr. Piers Warburton, who was one of those making the excursion, gives some account of the day and this is what he wrote:—
“It is not pleasant turning out at half past six on a cold and frosty morning, but by the time I had had my tub and commenced to dress and to reflect that I was luckier than the Foxton people at all events, as the train left that place an hour and a half earlier still, I was quite resigned; and by the time I had made a good breakfast, I came to the conclusion that early rising was a good thing, for those who like it.
The train was due at Palmerston at seven thirty, so breakfast over, I strolled down to the station calling for a friend on the way —the said friend not so lucky as myself, as having somewhat overslept himself he had to start foodless.
The train came in punctually from Foxton, but from the enormous amount of shunting of trucks, putting on and changing carriages gone through, we did not get away till eight o’clock.
As it was the Queen’s Birthday and steeplechases were to be held at Wanganui, the train was well filled, and ten had to be got into our carriage which was only
RAILWAY BETWEEN FOXTON AND WANGANUI
52
licensed to carry eight inside. The weather being cold however and no one sleepy, this was possibly an advantage than otherwise.
Leaving Palmerston we soon got into the bush which stretched on each side of us until we arrived at Feilding. Before reaching the last named station we had several stoppages to pick up and leave behind trucks of timber; as for instance at Messrs. Richter, Nannestad and Company’s mills at Bunnythorpe and Mr. Bull’s at Aorangi. Surely there is traffic enough on this line to start goods trains and so obviate the necessity of every passenger train being detained in this way ?
At Feilding a further detachment of holiday makers joined us and more carriages had to be put on. Then off for Halcombe. By this time my unfortunate friend and many others who had not breakfasted were getting somewhat hungry. Imagine their disgust on arriving at Halcombe to find a Refreshment Room indeed and a large one, occupied by carpenters benches in lieu of breakfast tables, and carpenters tools and shavings in place of beefsteaks and coffee. We were assured however that we should have plenty of time to visit the Flotel, some three or four hundred yards away. And so indeed we had; for thanks to the way in which matters are at present arranged on this line the train from Wanganui which crosses the up train here, was as usual an hour and a quarter late. Considering that the big race of the day was advertised to come off at noon, and that according to the time table we were not due till eleven fifty, this was very pleasant! !
Everything must have an end, even the delays on the Wanganui Foxton Line—at ten fifteen, the down
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train having at last put in an appearance, we were off again.
I may here mention that whatever future Halcombe may have before it, it does not present an inviting appearance at present: the Hotel which seems to be a very good one, being the only decent looking house in sight, from the Station at any rate.
The country now consists of fernland and titri (tea tree) alternating with low bush and a few farms, until we draw near Marton, after a brief stoppage at Greatford. Although the Station at Marton is some distance from the town, yet there is no lack of life about it, and there are plenty of houses in its immediate vicinity.
Then onwards down a tolerably steep gradient into the Turakina Valley with large and pleasant looking homesteads each side of the line. Immediately after passing Turakina Station we cross over the River of the same name, near which is the old bridge for the coach road, which has evidently seen its best days. Now we go upwards once more along a winding line cut in the half formed limestone. Having attained the summit we descend again.” Here this account ends but the Manawatu Times had quite a lot more to say on the subject and we read that on reaching Halcombe, Mr. Rotheram, the General Manager of Railways, was on board the down train and that the train from Wanganui was in tow of the “Pelican” a powerful Fairlie’s patent, capable of coping with the steep gradient on the Northern section of the line, and as the Dougal was unequal to the task of performing the through journey it became necessary to tranship the passengers. While shunting with that view, one of the carriages got off the rail, but by
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54
the aid of a few levers and under the direction of Mr. Rotheram, it was quickly replaced in position and started away to time. There was no difficulty about the journey between Halcombe and Marton. The paper goes on to say:—“ The appearance of the country, after crossing the Rangitikei River and leaving the Manawatu (District) behind, is somewhat surprising and would make it appear as if another region were entered. The bush which has greeted the eye almost from Carnarvon is seen no more and gorse hedges and green fields with occasional turned up land, supply its place.”
The hilly and tortuous nature of the country after leaving Marton is then described. The writer mentions the formidable looking hill, round the side of which the ascent was made and what a severe struggle up it was for the engine.
After the Wangaehu (or Sulphur) River was crossed the most difficult portion of the whole trip was commenced.
“The course as seen from the valley is a most remarkable one, as looking upward to the summit of the various hills, numerous gaps, at various distances apart are visible and one can scarcely imagine that the train in its progress will have to perform almost a circuit. In many portions not only are circles described by the route but the line wriggles almost into a continuation of the figure of eight. However on accomplishing the ascent the labour is well repaid by the glorious panorama spread out beneath, the River winding its serpentine course in the valley below, with the Ocean visible in the distance.
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An easy run to Fordell where a halt is made, this nucleus of a township at which a pretty little flour mill is in the course of construction by Mr. Murray of Wanganui, being a perfect facsimile of that erected at Sandon by the same firm.” At that time it was almost completed and grinding operations were expected to begin early in the following month.
There was then another descent and about as steep and dangerous as any on the line. The train was compelled to perform a succession of figures of eight until the engine drew up for a breathing time at Matarawa and thence forward all was plain sailing. At Okoia there was a small cluster of white pine, the first approach to anything like bush met with since crossing the Rangitikei and losing sight of the Manawatu (district). The paper gives a description of two splendid bridges over the Wanganui River, constructed by Messrs. Rundle and Bassett. The contract price was fifteen thousand pounds and the unfortunate builders were three thousand pounds out of pocket.
The writer of this report says “there can be no doubt that the section of the line from Halcombe to the Northern terminus will not only prove to be most dangerous, but an expensive one.” There is then criticism of the rolling stock which was described as defective, although some of the carriages had been painted and decorated and smoking carriages attached to both first and second classes.
On the return trip to Foxton a start was made at four twenty p.m. and Palmerston was reached at eight forty, one hour late. However taking it all together, the trial was most successful and nothing occurred to
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45
mar the pleasure of the trip, four and a half hours being allowed for sight seeing in Wanganui.”
WANGANUI IN 1878.
THOSE excursionists who made that through railway trip to Wanganui would have found there a well established town with many substantial buildings. While strolling through that town the first place the visitors wandered into was the Free Reading Room and their immediate attention was caught by a telegram, framed and glazed, to the following effect: —“Wellington November 3rd, 1869—T0 the residents of Wanganui.— I congratulate you on the completion of the telegraph, may it strengthen the bonds of union and promote the prosperity of the Colony. (signed) William Fox, Premier.” The writer of the former report, concludes with this, “We cannot do better than repeat the prayer of Mr. Fox and trust that the next ten years will witness even greater strides in the march of progress.”
The fine River, of great scenic beauty and up which many vessels came from the sea and the Maoris, in their canoes, from pas up the River had made Wanganui a very important place. The Maoris had a camping ground at the end of Taupo Quay. Just below the camping place was the beach on which they drew up their canoes, on some occasions an enormous number of them was moored there.
The mayor at that time was Mr. William Hogg Watt. He was at the head of an active and increasingly
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important business centre. A general meeting place was the Market Square where many gatherings were held. The site was that piece of ground in front of the present Court House, but it is unlikely that any particular events took place there on that 24th of May, as most people would have gone to see the Steeplechases.
Those not so keen on horse racing would have seen many buildings, of a much earlier date than any that were to be seen in Palmerston at that time. One of the first they would have noticed would have been the Toll House, a square white building near the Bridge and further up the Avenue the Rutland Hotel was a very prominent building, probably the site of the Rutland Hotel of today. On the opposite side of the street, among many other business premises, there was the well known shop of Mr. S. H. Drew, F.L.S. He had arrived in Wanganui in 1870 and was the founder of the Museum ; his son now carries on the watch making and jewellery business in the Avenue.
No one could have failed to notice the Stockade which was on the Hill, now the site of the Sargeant Gallery and the Alexander Library. The Stockade was built during the Maori Wars in 1847 and was then of great importance. The buildings, fences, etc., were sold for removal in 1887. The ornamental fences of two houses in the Avenue have been made of some of the fence railings, they are of wrought iron, made in the form of arrows and have a very handsome appearance.
Wanganui certainly had some interesting relics of an earlier history to show visitors at the time of the Opening of the Railway from Foxton.
SPORT
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6. SPORT.
OUR early Palmerstonians were a most sporting crowd; horse racing was very popular. The first meetings were held on ground between Featherston and Cuba Streets; part of that ground is now our Show Ground. Later on a club was formed and a Race Course laid out at the Southern end of Park Road. The land must have been part of the “Public Reserve for use of Township” as it was at a later date used as the Borough Pound and is now the Municipal Golf Links. Races were held there for some years. Mr. W. T. Wood was the first president. He was later to be Mayor of Palmerston and member of the House of Representatives for the District.
The stakes offered for the various races were very small, compared with those of the present day. In 1892 the largest prize was flso and the smallest f2S but the entries were small in number also. The largest number of horses entered at that same meeting was six and in one race there were only three starters. About that time a chestnut mare called Dorothy won a race and paid a dividend of one hundred pounds, she was very much an outsider, her win created quite a sensation at the time; it was a lucky win for her supporters and for her owner, Mr. D. Buick. He was later member for Palmerston North.
The New Zealand Mail of January 4th, 1884 reports that the Manawatu Meeting had been very successful, the day being fine and over two thousand people present and more than two thousand pounds was passed through the Totalisator. For some places the quotations of the
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local bookmakers were published so the people had two different ways of betting at their disposal.
The names of race horses are always rather intriguing but for one horse running at Manawatu the name “Carthorse” seemed very inappropriate; no wonder that he was an “also ran”- —another in the same race was called “Supplejack”; was he supposed to urge the first named on his way ?
Other parts of New Zealand also had their racing clubs and by 1883 race meetings were being held on Boxing Day and on New Year’s Day from one end of the country to the other. Many of those same Clubs hold meetings on those holidays at the present time.
There were other kinds of sporting events also. In a cutting from the Manawatu Times of 29th April, 1877 we can read of a trotting match; the writer says:—“We have some good specimens of horse flesh in this District; Mr. Hammond of Rangitikei, backed an iron grey mare belonging to him, to trot from Schulz’s Hotel at Awahuri to the Clarendon at Palmerston North and back, a measured sixteen miles, within the hour, for thirty pounds, the mare to carry thirteen stone. The match came off this morning and the distance was easily done in five minutes and thirteen seconds under the hour. This was within a very small fraction of eighteen miles an hour. Mr. Prosser of Marton was the time taker. A considerable number of Marton settlers came down to see this trotting match.”
A couple of months after this event Feilding challenged the Palmerston Football Club; at that time there was no such club in Palmerston but nothing daunted the inhabitants immediately set to work to start one. A
SPORT
49
preliminary meeting was held within a few days, about twenty-five members were entered, a committee was appointed and it was resolved to accept the Feilding Club’s challenge as soon as a team could be got into working order. Mr. Pirani was elected honorary secretary and treasurer. Unfortunately there does not seem to be any record of the match so we are left quite in the dark as to the result.
The English settlers naturally brought cricket with them. At first the game was played on any suitable piece of ground which happened to be available, when there was the time for a game, and there was some one who could produce the necessary bat and ball. The first recognised cricket ground which any one can remember was in Amesbury Street, at the Grey Street end. A club had been formed and the members had a small pavilion. Matches were played on that ground but no records of those matches have come to light so far.
Shooting was not overlooked, the Manawatu Acclimatisation Society was being formed at the end of 1877. On the first of December, notices were sent out to those residents of the District who were likely to be interested. Members subscriptions were fixed at half a guinea each. The circular notified prospective members that the “Society was being formed to introduce useful animals, fish, birds, vegetables, grain, etc., into the District.” It thus appears that the Society was certainly intended to cover a very wide range of interests. The circular was signed by P. Warburton, as hon. Secretary.
Many protests were being published about this time, regarding the way in which native and imported game
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were being slaughtered before the opening of the season. It was reported that three bushels of pigeons had been brought into town by one party of Maoris. Probably the Maoris wanted the pigeons to preserve for the winter and thought they had better get their supplies in before the Pakeha sportsmen got busy.
Some doubts seemed to exist as to whether the Animals’ Protection Act applied to the Maoris or not? The generally received opinion was that it did not. Later on after the Season had opened and it was found that Native game was not plentiful, the hope was expressed that a gun licence should be introduced and that it should, along with all sections of the Animals’ Protection Act, be strictly enforced, before all Native game was exterminated. At a subsequent meeting of this Society Mr. Snelson was elected vice-president and Mr. Linton treasurer.
The anglers were not neglected either, The Manawatu Acclimatisation Society was very active in their interests also. In 1877 the Society turned one hundred and sixty trout into the Manawatu River, the only survivors of six hundred which had been bought, the remainder having died in transit. However a fresh lot was ordered and the Wellington Society was making the Manawatu the magnificent present of six or seven thousand young salmon which were also to be turned out in the Manawatu River. History relateth not what happened to those thousands of young salmon but as nothing has since been recorded of them one can only suppose that they died.
The bush being very thick and dense on the left bank of the River, people sometimes got lost but they
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FITZHERBERTON AND THE RIVER
could usually find their way out by following one of the streams down to its outlet into the River. On one occasion two men who had gone out for a few hours shooting failed to appear at the expected time, much to the concern of their friends, but they turned up none the worse for their adventure, having been lost for two days.
7. FITZHERBERTON AND THE RIVER.
AS the bush, on the hills and along the banks of the rivers and streams in the Manawatu and Hawkes Bay Districts, was felled and burned the low lying country began to feel the effects of any spells of rain, particularly if prolonged, and the land thereby suffered from flooding. Although there wasn’t much cleared land here in the seventies, the floods and the possibilities of worse ones, gave cause for great anxiety to those settlers whose property was on the lower levels.
In 1878 a large quantity of wood, including big logs, had come down the River and had collected against the piles of the Bridge, almost blocking the flow of water and the land was affected accordingly. All this timber had of course to be cleared away and it proved to be rather a difficult job. However it was successfully accomplished as the level of the River went down. This allowed the water to get away from the flooded land. For some time that Bridge was not much use as it had no proper approach from either side, only planks roughly nailed together, which foot passengers could use. But that perhaps didn’t very much matter as there was no
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road on the Fitzherberton side, as the land on the left bank was then called. About two hundred pounds had been voted to the Highway Board, by the Government for the purpose of making a road, but the money had not come to hand. The settlers thereupon made an agitation about it, both for the road and for the completion of the bridge. One wag suggested that the bridge which had cost seven thousand pounds and had no approaches, could at any rate be used as a curiosity to be shown to visitors.
However in February 1878 both the County Council and the Highway Board petitioned for the immediate formation of the road from Fitzherberton to the Gorge and this had some effect, for by April 11th the approaches to the Bridge were finished and a small part of the road was then being formed. As a result of this a substantial house was being erected by Mr. John Barton, C.E., on that side of the River. It was expected that others would soon follow his example. That was of course provided that the road was continued. It seemed to the settlers that it was being put off from time to time.
Having been, as they considered, left out in the cold for so long, they determined that they must do something about the matter. In the middle of July a meeting was called for the purpose of arranging what they could do. This meeting was attended by Messrs. Bruce, Newcome, J. Munro, Anderson, R. Collins, Parkes, Wollerman Sanderson, P. Warburton and others. It was held at Mr. Warburton’s farm (later Mr. J. Batchelar’s and now belonging to Massey College.)
The meeting decided that they would take joint action to try to induce the Highway Board to spend the
FITZHERBERTON AND THE RIVER
53
rates, collected in the Fitzherberton district, on that district. Mr. Munro stated that the Warden of No. four Ward had told him, when he applied for a road, that the land was not worth the money, and that he “would not spend a copper on it if he could help it.” What would that Warden have said if he could have returned to the district at the turn of the century ? All the prosperous farms and beautiful homes, and a few years later Massey College, to confound his opinion of that land. As a result of this meeting, some reading was done.
Unfortunately soon after this, towards the end of 1880, there was a disastrous flood, the water rising higher than had previously been known to the settlers. It came all over the farm, belonging to Mr. Piers Warburton (an uncle of the writer) who was an ex-naval officer. His house was on the flat land just below the bridge, on the left bank of the River. It was probably the house already mentioned as having been built by Mr. Barton, who had by that time left the district.
On this farm, called Shenstone Farm, there were pigs, fowls, ducks and a few sheep. There were boiling down works lower down the River where the sheep were boiled down for the tallow, the legs having been saved for making into mutton hams. Some of these were sent to England as an experiment. As the water rose it soon began to flow through the house; Mr. Warburton and Mr. and Mrs. Walsh, who worked for him, took refuge on a table which they had taken out on to the verandah. They took the hens with them, the ducks being left to their own devices, it suited the latter very well just to swim around, but they had to leave the poor
. rescued . . . by a friend in a Maori canoe.”
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55
FITZHERBERTON AND THE RIVER
pigs and other animals along with the branches of trees and animals from higher up the River to go floating away, as the water had risen very rapidly and they had been quite unprepared for all this.
As the River rose still higher and began to flow over the table those marooned ones managed to scramble up on to the roof, taking the hens with them, there they had some foothold as the roof was of wooden shingles and not steep. From this precarious position they were rescued.
Mr. Charles Waldegrave and Mr. E. Warburton arrived at the River side in a horse wagon on which they had brought a Maori canoe. In this they went out to the, by this time, almost submerged house, with Blackie, a curly haired retriever, belonging to E. Warburton, swimming alongside. Arriving just in time they rescued that ex-naval officer and the Walshes, the former giving his orders as if on the quarter deck of his ship. They were brought into Palmerston none the worse for their experiences. What happened to the hens and ducks no one ever remembered; but the kingfishers perched on any available tree stump or fence posts gave a touch of colour to the desolate scene as they pensively viewed the turbid waters, by now swirling and rushing past.
The house was eventually brought to Palmerston and divided in two. One part was placed on a site in Fitzherbert Street opposite the Palmerston Girls High School of the present day, and there it stood, until it was burnt down many years later. The other half of that house was taken up to the Northern end of Victoria Street, where it forms the back part of a dwelling which is still in occupation.
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8. BUSH FIRES AND OTHER FIRES ALSO
THE fine forest trees, which so heavily clothed the surrounding country, charmed and fascinated the new arrivals in the Manawatu. In writing to their relations at Home they told of the lovely bush smell. The ferns, mosses, trees and the damp earth, protected by the layers of leaves through which the trees grew. These leaves held the water after rain as a sponge and let it gently soak through to lower levels and so on to the creeks and rivers. In due season there were all the lovely flowering trees and shrubs; in the Springtime the clematis with its starry flowers, hung gracefully from the branches of trees and on sunny slopes masses of the golden kowhai gave gleaming light to the hill sides and to the fringes of the bush. Later on in the summer the dark green of the taller bush was relieved by splashes of colour from the red rata. The Manawatu Gorge particularly was a glowing sight as there were many ratas on the sides of the hills. There were, in some places, good stands of nikau palms, their coral coloured fruit was very decorative, particularly in the Autumn.
The aromatic scent of the shrubs of the dense undergrowth such as tarata or lemon wood and in more open places the manuka was all very pleasant. Many of those shrubs we can enjoy in our gardens today.
The bush was lively with native birds, some of which are now rather rare, especially in this district, but as long as there was bush they were familiar to the early settlers. The beautiful bright coloured pigeon with his lovely white breast was an easy mark for anyone with a gun, as he perched so confidingly well out on the branch of a tree.
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The songs of the tuis and the bell birds would have made an extra pleasure of waking up on a fine morning. Some of the smaller birds were very tame and friendly, the fantails, which fortunately are still quite plentiful, were known as the bushman’s friends, they seemed to like humans and came round the camps as they come into the homes today. The bush was also enlivened with the bright red kakas and the small green parakeets were plentiful too. Sometimes a stray huia or two might be seen. Their usual haunts were the Rimutakas and the Ruahines, those seen in this district would have come from the last mentioned ranges.
Unfortunately this magnificent and beautiful bush did not provide the potential farmers with grazing for their cattle, nor land for cultivation; the natural clearings were soon taken up and well occupied. So all this had to go and it is surprising how quickly it was felled, burned, cleared and grassed.
Fitzherbert Street in the seventies and early eighties was just a track through the bush and this track was crossed by many creeks and water courses, so when the road was formed there were bridges, narrow wooden ones without sides; for many years there were two between Park Road and the big bridge over the River.
The bush felling was done in the winter months, it dried out over the summer and was then ready for burning in March —In March 1878 the Palmerston correspondent for the New Zealand Times reported: “Bush fires have been raging all round us for the last day or two, and perhaps it is as well that we have had heavy rain this morning, for otherwise, with high wind blowing, a good deal of damage might have been done. As
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it is I regret to say that about five hundred pounds worth of sleepers at Stony Creek (now known as Whakarongo) caught fire and all were destroyed. The loss will fall principally on the English and Scandinavian Settlers in that district and will I fear be a great loss to them; the sleepers being the result of many months labor.” The late Mr. J. W. Batchelar remembered seeing a thousand acres burned in one fire, on Mr. Prendegast’s property. Massey Agricultural College and some of the College farms are now on part of that estate.
The smoke and haze from those fires were, in late summer and in autumn, an accepted feature of life which had to be endured as cheerfully as possible. It was often thought that bush fires brought rain and those having land to be cleared used to express the hope that the burn would be through before the rain came, as if the rain were heavy it could put the fire out too soon. A bush fire was a most awe inspiring sight, at its height a terrific roar and a blaze, followed by crackling and explosions as the dried leaves, further in, burst into flames and at times sounds of crashing trees and branches echoed along the valleys. At a later stage enormous volumes of heavy black and grey smoke filled the sky, gradually spreading all round, the sun showing as a red haze through this dusky pall.
If an unexpected wind sprang up any bushman’s whares or frames of tents which were within range of the sparks, were soon part of the conflagration. Usually anything which could be of further use was removed before the bush was lighted.
For many years the land was well covered with the mottled black, grey and white trunks of those large
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trees which had not been felled. They were too solid to be consumed by the fires. Groups of these appeared like the masts of ships in a well filled harbour. Gradually trees and stumps which had survived the fires rotted away; that is all those which had not been used for fences, out buildings or firewood or got rid of in the course of logging up fires. In the late seventies and early eighties many of those logging up fires took place close to the houses and there was a good deal of this on the northern side of Broad Street. One particularly heavy lot was behind the home of Mr. and Mrs. Lloyd. When these fires were going on the young people had picnics round the embers of the fires in the evenings. The embers glowed so well in the dark and the hot ashes were right for roasting potatoes.
OTHER KINDS OF FIRES.
Fire was an ever present danger to the early settlers in this country. In the North Island in most cases the buildings were of wood, even to the roofs which were usually of wooden shingles. The fire places were large open ones and spark screens, except in children’s nurseries, were almost unknown. In addition to all that in winter and in wet weather clothes were aired before the fires and this was often the cause of an outbreak.
The fires were dealt with by volunteers, sometimes, depending on the wind and other factors, with success. All this was in spite of the water supply being only from tanks or wells, water from the latter was often drawn up by hand.
Towards the end of 1877 a Volunteer Fire Brigade was formed in Palmerston North. At the first meeting
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Mr. King was elected Captain; Mr Piers Warburton, First Lieutenant; Mr. McMahon, Sub-Lieutenant; Mr. Snelson, Treasurer and Mr. B. L. Pirani, Secretary. There were lots of officers but there are no records available as to the rest of the company. It was expected that the Fire Insurance Association of Wellington would present the Palmerston North Brigade with a fire engine, hose and other things. Mr. Snelson and Mr. Warburton were appointed deputies to take a request on this matter to Wellington. They returned from their mission very optimistic, but their hopes were soon dashed to the ground. Not long after this they received a letter from the Association informing them that there was no money available for fire fighting appliances as all their surplus funds had been handed over to the Wellington Corporation. Therefore these volunteers had to continue their fire fighting with buckets, as the following account in the New Zealand Times of March 11th, 1878, illustrates;—“A fire broke out about half past seven o’clock last night in the stables belonging to Mr. Owen’s Clarendon Hotel, (now the site of Goldfinch and Cousins). It was Sunday evening and most people were in bed, but the fire bell soon brought all the fire brigade and a good many others to the spot. The wind was very high and blowing direct from the stables to the Hotel: Some idea of the danger may be gathered from the fact that large pieces of burning wood were carried over the Hotel to the houses on the other side of the Square. Another great source of danger was a pile of some ten or twelve cords of fire wood stacked in a direct line to the main building. Had this fairly ignited, nothing could have saved the Hotel,
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and many other houses in that case would have been doomed to destruction.
The Fire Brigade, assisted by other volunteers, soon showed what combination and discipline can do. Some were on the shingle roof, with a chain of men passing buckets of water to them, while others devoted themselves to the stack of fire wood and to the fire itself. For more than an hour it was extremely doubtful if the main building could possibly be saved, but by extraordinary exertions the fire was eventually got under.” The writer went on to say that much risk and labour would have been saved if the Brigade had had some equipment, and hope was expressed that the Insurance Agents Association and local residents would come down handsomely and support the efforts of the Volunteer Brigade.
Mr. Pirani was a very capable and a very keen fireman and some years later, when the Brigade was established and properly equipped, he particularly distinguished himself when the Occidental Hotel (now the site of the Public Library) was burnt down and the Bank of New Zealand, on the opposite corner, was in danger.
The fire started in the workshop at the back of Mr. Pegden’s furniture store and quickly spread, until the Hotel was ablaze. The wind was blowing strongly from the east and the flames were soon shooting across the road towards the Bank. The glass of the windows cracked from the heat and fell in, the curtains of the upper windows, which were those of dwelling rooms, caught alight. By this time the heat was so fierce that the firemen could not get in a position, in Fitzherbert
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Street, in which it would have been possible to play the hose on to the Bank. However according to an eye witness, the late Mr. A. K. Drew, Mr. Pirani got over the difficulty. He found a sheet of iron which he placed over his back and then he lay down in the gutter whilst playing the hose on to the building, another fire man, at the same time keeping a hose playing on the sheet of iron, covering Mr. Pirani, and a third man keeping the second one hosed. By this means they prevented the fire from spreading any further and the Bank was saved.
9. GOING AHEAD.
THOSE interested in the growth of the centre of the Manawatu District are fortunately well supplied with a pictorial record from the excellent photographs taken by an early settler, Mr. G. W. Shailer. He was a very good photographer who first came to the township in 1874, when on his way to Feilding. He was one of those going to take up land in the Manchester Block, which was then opened for settlement. But in 1881 he returned to Palmerston and lived in Main Street; his first house was on a section about where Hopwood’s Hardware Store now stands. A short time afterwards Mr. Shailer built a house on the opposite side of the street, the house may still be seen, it is next to the Public Trust Office. The Studio was set up at the back of the house and there Mr. Shailer photographed the early residents of the District and their children. He also took many photographs of the growing town and the surrounding country-side. The negatives of many
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of these interesting photos are in the possession of his son Mr. Arthur Shailer of Albert Street. Some years ago he lent them to the Palmerston North City Council and copies of these views may be seen in the Committee Rooms and in the passages of the Council Chambers.
The Railway Line between Foxton and Palmerston North was completed in 1876, after which the stables for the Tramway horses were no longer needed for that purpose and the Government decided to convert those stables into a Constable’s residence, four cells and a three or four stalled stable for Constabulary horses, all at the expense of about one hundred and fifty pounds. People were very critical of the cells in use at that time, they were considered by some to be a disgrace to the place.
There were also many requests for a second constable, as the only officer did not have time to serve all the summonses issued by the Court. After one sitting it was reported that there was a perfect host of debt cases but in none of them could proof of service of summons be adduced, consequently these cases had to be postponed till next sitting of the Court. It was therefore suggested that when the old stables were altered accommodation for a second Constable should be included.
By this time the Government Barracks in the town were no longer required for their original purpose, which was to accommodate parties of immigrants on first arrival and for those proceeding to other parts of the surrounding country, then being opened up, such as the Manchester Block. The Government therefore offered that building to the Borough Council. According to the New Zealand Times of February 25th, 1878, it was to
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be used as a Hospital for the County. This was considered to be a most acceptable gift as it would supply a long felt want.
However on 29th April a correspondent was lamenting—“there are no signs of the Government Barracks in this town being converted into a hospital yet, although we were informed some time since that the building was to be given to the Corporation for that purpose.” But by May 2nd, this had actually taken place as we read in the New Zealand Times “the Hospital has received its first patient, a young man suffering from erysipelas in both legs, brought on by exposure. There are however no fittings or even beds in the building as yet.” It was feared that the accommodation and comforts must have been of the most primitive kind. There is no mention of how the poor young man fared in that comfortless hospital, neither is there any record of a nurse or a doctor or what they had to say on the matter.
The Banks doing business in the rising town were content with very rough premises which called forth a lot of adverse comments from the residents; one writer suggested that if anyone wanted to find a Bank all he had to do was to stand in the centre of the Square and look for the two smallest and most shabby looking buildings within sight. In one he would discover the Bank of Australasia and in the other the Bank of New Zealand. The former, which was the older established of the two, certainly had a building of its own, but it was a low, one-storied one and looked dwarfed in comparison with the surrounding houses, it was moreover so small as only to boast one bedroom for both the manager and his clerk. The Bank of New Zealand was
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even worse off. It rented half a small low one-storied addition to a large house, the other half of the addition being occupied by a boot maker, with only a thin partition between, so that every word spoken in the boot maker’s shop could be heard in the Bank and vice versa. The whole Bank premises occupied about fifteen feet square in which the manager was supposed to live and transact business.
These remarks must have been taken to heart by the heads of the Banks concerned for within a few months arrangements were made for new buildings for both the Banks. The Bank of Australasia, on some land which they already owned —the same land on which the Bank stands today. The Bank of New Zealand was put up on the corner of the Square and Fitzherbert Street, opposite the then Town Hall. That Town Hall was later burnt down and was succeeded by the Ocidental Hotel, also burnt down. The site is now occupied by the Public Library.
During the same year Messrs. Richter, Nannestad and Company opened their Flour Mill in Broad Street, well known to present day people as the Manawatu Mills.
Yes! Palmerston North was rapidly progressing.
PART 11.
LONG LONG AGO! A CHILD’S EYE VIEW.
“Sweet memory, wafted by the gentle gale,
Oft up the streams of Time I turn my sail.”
S. Rogers.
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PART 11.
LONG LONG AGO! A CHILD’S EYE VIEW.
10. SETTLING IN.
MANY little boys and girls having music lessons in the eighties and nineties of last century, found amongst the tunes of their first music book one called “Long Long Ago.” Of the many who had lessons, not by any means all learnt to play, in spite of having it well impressed on them how very important such an accomplishment would be to them when they were grown up. Most of the children however aspired to a tune after mastering some five finger exercises. But all this was so long ago that there can be few at this time who would even remember that there ever was such a book as “Hemy’s Pianoforte Instructor” or such a tune as “Long, Long Ago.” Nevertheless there may be some to whom a reminder will bring back memories of those days that are gone, and there may even be some younger ones who sometimes wonder what children did then.
Children brought up in the Manawatu District would have seen Palmerston North as a natural clearing, surrounded by bush and tall fern, the Square a more or less open space, groups of manuka growing on it and, after rain, water lying about here and there, particularly towards Coleman Place, and along that side of the Square there was a deep ditch to carry that water away. That
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ditch was very necessary but was sometimes the cause of misadventures, as one who fell into it on a dark night found to his discomforture.
Children of those early days would have noticed rough roads or tracks leading away in all directions from that Square, Fitzherbert Street an undulating way with little bridges across the water courses, the roads most used showing deep ruts from the cart and wagon wheels. As well as horse drawn vehicles those children would have seen bullock wagons bringing in supplies from the coast or logs from the bush, and taking sawn timber out. The horses hated the sight of those bullock teams. Eight span of bullocks took a long time to pass and the horses sometimes played up, to demonstrate their objections.
Later on this Square was divided into four squares, laid down in rough grass and a tree was planted here and there. Each of these smaller squares was fenced with two wires running through posts which were set at intervals of about ten feet and above the top wire was a chain which hung down in loops. That chain may still be seen along the Fitzherbert Avenue front of the Esplanade. Diagonal paths ran across the squares and there were turnstiles at the corners. Very convenient for anyone wishing to take a short cut.
A child when old enough to be taken to Church, might, when crossing one of those Squares on a Sunday morning, see some empty bottles lying about on the grass and there might even be a man sleeping under one of those trees; he would be recovering from the effects of the night before. Flotels did not then close at six o’clock.
. recovering from the effects of the night before.”
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Round the outside of the Square were, here and there, small groups of shops and an occasional dwelling house. A saddler’s shop with a model of a fine dappled grey horse in the window was of great interest; some days he was harnessed, all ready for a buggy or trap, at other times he was saddled for riding, or yet again clothed in all enveloping rugs, as worn by very special race horses. One large chemist’s shop also claimed attention with enormous glass jars, shaped something like decanters with pointed stoppers, in the window; these were filled with some brightly coloured liquid and sometimes leeches, also in glass containers might be on view.
The Palmerston Station for the Tramway from Foxton, which continued to Terrace End, was in Main Street, about where the Post Office stands today. The lines ran along the present footpath. But when the Railway from Foxton was opened the Station was in the middle of the Square; it was complete with windmill for pumping up the water for the engines. The goods shed was a little to the North of the Station and the Post Office was then at the back of the Station, facing towards Rangitikei Street. The ends of the platform sloped up from the ground so it could be approached from either end. One exuberant gentleman drove his fine pair of chestnut cobs up one end of the platform and down the other, when returning from a race meeting one afternoon.
Sale yards, for the sale of sheep, cattle, pigs, etc., were up Rangitikei Street and not very far from the Square. The big sale day was Thursday, it was the busiest day of the week for the town, often called
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farmers’ day. There was great excitement when a beast broke loose from the mob and careered wildly about the streets; the people would scatter in all directions taking refuge in shops and offices or any other seemingly safe place. The country horses didn’t like the trains and they sometimes created a stir if brought in along Main Street when a train happened to be going through. The road along Foxton Line was very close to the railway so any horseman encountering a train there had to look out for trouble. Horses which played up over trains were safer if kept in the back streets.
The town crier, who went about ringing a hand bell and vociferously announcing sales which were about to take place in nearby auction rooms added some life, for the moment, to the otherwise rather quiet town.
11. THE HOMES.
THOSE early homes were simple affairs and this is where the women came to light, for “what is a table richly spread without a woman at the head?” It was really the women’s ability as home makers which settled the land. Their ingenuity and adaptability were soon demonstrated to their husbands and, although not understood at the time, to their growing children also. Without homes and children there can be no settlement in a new country and home is where Mother is.
Where particular work was in progress some groups lived in tents or huts near the work. There was one such encampment at Terrace End, by Vogel Street, while the railway was being put through to Feilding and there the men lived with their wives and children.
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There were no doctors or nurses, but the neighbours helped one another. At that time Mr. Hayns with his wife and family lived just beyond the end of Main Street; Mr. Hayns was an engineer and surveyor, he was one of the very early residents of Terrace End. Mrs. Hayns was very helpful to those in the camp and she could always be relied upon to go to their assistance at any time. Even if called up on dark nights she would turn out and walk along wet and muddy tracks by the light of a lantern.
The houses in the more settled parts were built of wood with roofs of wooden shingles. The chimneys were of bricks, the fire places well lined with clay. The gabled roofs were a notable feature of the houses, some had attic rooms with dormer windows, the larger houses being of two story. Verandas often went round two or three sides of a house, put up regardless of the aspect.
Firewood, in this part of the country was unlimited for some years, it could be had for the collecting and cutting; every house had its large open fire places, with a Colonial oven in the kitchen. The Colonial oven was something like a low cupboard, about three feet wide, fifteen inches in depth and eighteen inches in height, the door opening the full size. This was fitted into the fire place slightly raised from the ground on bricks, with space for fire underneath. There were bricks on either side of the flat topped stove, high enough to support iron bars for holding boilers, saucepans and kettles above the fire which was on the oven. There was also, usually a bar across the top part of the opening, from which hung a chain to which a hook was attached and boilers or kettles could be hung on that. Cooking on top and in
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the oven could go on at the same time and the room was being warmed also.
The kitchen was a roomy affair, with lots of bare boards which were well scrubbed to keep them white and clean looking. A large dresser was an important piece of furniture; it had three shelves on the upper part, the back of which supported plates and saucers, the cups and jugs being hung on hooks, screwed into the edges of the shelves. The china on those shelves was handy when required for use and it made very attractive decoration for the kitchen. Many of the early settlers had brought out some fine examples of the potter’s art. The lower part of the dresser was the cupboard for the household bowls and other cooking equipment. Hams, sides of bacon, bunches of herbs and plum puddings, ready for Christmas, were often hung on hooks in the ceiling.
The store room was of considerable size in a large household, as stores were purchased in big quantities and those stores had to be protected from rats and mice, so a constant warfare was waged against them in that room.
Bathing was done in portable vessels and they were of various kinds; there was the sponge bath, a round affair like a gigantic saucer with the rim turned inwards and a great spout on one side, below the rim, for emptying it. It had a handle on either side, and a small ring on the side opposite the spout so that it could be hung on a wall to be out of the way when not in use. There was also the hip bath, smaller than the sponge bath; this was oval in shape and high at the back. Round tubs, in various sizes were much in use, they were made either of wood, on the same principle as a barrel, or of
. bathing was done in portable vessels."
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tin or galvanised iron. Children were bathed in the bedroom or, in winter, before a fire, either in the kitchen or in the nursery if there was one.
Water for ordinary household use was from a rain water tank or from a well. A child found it very mysterious to peer down into the black depths of the water in a well and when ferns were growing just above the high water line it was possible to imagine all sorts of things while gazing down into those depths.
It was very interesting to see the bucket let down empty and then drawn up full of water. This bucket was attached to a long rope secured to and wound round a wooden roller which had a handle at one end. As the handle was turned and the rope unwound down went the bucket till, with a plop, it reached the water where it tipped over and was soon filled; the handle on the roller was then turned in the opposite direction and up came the bucket full of water. It was then pulled in and rested on a low wall surrounding the well and from that it was placed on a low platform kept by the well for that purpose, and there was lovely cool water for drinking, even on the hottest day. In the summer, butter could be suspended in a bag or bucket halfway down the well, above the water line; that kept it cool and firm. As these wells were part of the equipment of almost every home, they were a great source of anxiety where there were children. If a child were missing, the first place to look was the well.
Some people living even quite close to the Square kept a cow or two to provide the household with milk, cream and butter. In this case there had to be a dairy, a shady place under a tree would be the site for that and
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there the milk would be set in wide shallow pans and thick ripples of cream skimmed off every morning; the skimmer was a round, slightly concave plate made of tin, well sprinkled with round holes, so that any milk picked up with the cream, could run away.
The cows might be kept in a paddock perhaps a little way from the house and the boys of the family would fetch them up for milking before and after they went to school. Or sometimes the milker went to the cows. Mr. Milverton who kept cows in a paddock at the corner of Ferguson and what was then Alexandra Streets used to walk from his house in Main Street, to the paddock with a wooden yoke on his shoulders which carried a pair of milk pails. He could be seen later on returning with those pails full of foaming milk. Children now living near Milverton Park, should always remember Mr. Milverton as he gave that land for the lovely Children’s Playing Ground which they can now enjoy.
Fresh milk straight from the cow was considered good for children and was available, as a rule, for even those whose parents did not keep cows. Milk for the townspeople was supplied direct from the farms and it arrived from the morning milking in time for breakfast and from the afternoon milking in time for supper.
In some homes tallow candles were made by the thrifty housewife. The moulds for these candles were made of tin, in sets of six joined top and bottom, they are sometimes seen in second hand shops, and a set has lately been on exhibition at a show of antiques, held in Napier. Home made candles saved expense but tallow ones were very inclined to smoke and the smell was much worse than that of the wax ones, so they were not very popular.
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Washing up had to be done in a basin, maybe a tin one. It would be done on the kitchen table or in summer time on a bench outside the back door. The poor washerup was pestered by mosquitoes buzzing round the ankles and wrists and getting in a few good bites. Having the hands occupied he or she was not in a good position for self defence and so that washer-up might suffer from swollen hands and feet as mosquitoes can be very poisonous.
When first sinks with taps over them and waste pipes, came into use they were made of wood, covered with zinc or thin galvanised iron and then a scullery was added to the kitchen to accommodate it.
Knives, being made of steel, stained very easily and so had to be polished after each wash up. This polishing was done on a flat board which was covered with felt, sprinkled with a brown powder, which was very fine and light and had a horrid habit of spreading itself over everything. Knife machines were introduced later, a drum shaped contrivance, filled with brushes. It had slots on the top part for the knives; a handle on the centre of one side turned the brushes and cleaned the knives, unless someone turned the handle the wrong way then the knives got stuck and sometimes even broken. In any case it was very difficult to release them.
There was usually a mangle in the wash-house or kitchen, it had wooden rollers and was used for smoothing out the sheets and other flat articles. It saved so much ironing. Children would play with it and now and again one got his fingers pinched.
The housewife made her own jam jars by taking the tops off beer or wine bottles. This was achieved
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with an iron ring which was made red hot in the fire and then placed over the neck of the bottle, just above the wide part. The bottle was then placed in cold water and with a fine splutter and a sizzle off came the head and there was the jam jar.
Every home had pot plants and ferns in the drawing room or in a glassed-in end of a verandah; there were pots of sweet smelling musk too; the cottages usually had pots of that in a window, it grew wild by the sides of creeks and streams, it liked to grow in damp places.
As there were usually draughty places in wooden houses, especially in the larger ones, screens were in demand. They could be made at home. A wooden frame with glazed calico stretched over it formed the foundation, this was covered with pictures from the English illustrated papers, Christmas and birthday cards, valentines or anything else available. Children could help with the cutting out and it was quite a popular amusement. The owners of those screens had the history of their own times before them. They were very serviceable as they were brushed over with clear varnish.
When money was scarce, and at that time it usually was with many people, whole rooms could be papered with sheets of illustrations from the English pictorials. Generally it was the nursery or child’s bedroom that was done in this way. The children with that kind of papering on their walls grew up with pictures in their minds of Victoria, that Great Queen, who had resolved to be good. She was peerless and faultless in those childrens’ eyes and her sons in sailor suits and the girls in white muslin were of never failing interest. The children were also familiar with the appearance of Mr, Gladstone,
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Lord Salisbury and many other statesmen and prominent people of the time.
Food storage was a problem. Apples kept well in open crates, under trees, or a shed of manuka branches on a wooden frame might be specially built for the storage of fruit and vegetables and some things could be hung in nets from the rafters of sheds or store rooms.
The homes were surrounded with fences of wooden palings to keep the children in and roaming stock out; some people risked the pound keeper and grazed their horses and cows on the “long paddock.”
The flower garden, if any, was the housewife’s department. Some places hadn’t much in the way of flower gardens, the men being too busy trying to scratch a living to spend much time indulging in those fancies.
Poultry was kept in a very haphazard way. If the garden were fenced in, the fowls were allowed to run loose, there would be a house for them but if they preferred to roost in the trees that was their look-out. The fowl houses were in some cases very neglected so not attractive to the hens or anyone else. When the hens were running loose they made their nests under the hedges and trees or if any bush was nearby, they would find good hiding places there. Children found it an exciting game to hunt for hens’ nests; they would have competitions as to who could get the bigger collection, but then the question arose were the eggs fresh or stale ?
Some lucky hens escaped the vigilance of those young hunters and would in due course appear triumphantly with a fine brood of chicks, often at the wrong time of year, but a coop and a run would hastily be brought into use, to save the chicks being trailed in the
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l° n g grass by the hen and also to protect them from the cats.
But at any rate there were plenty of egg's, in summer they could be bought at six pence a dozen or sometimes even less.
Butter was all home-made, either purchased from the grocer or direct from the wives of farmer friends. When from friends a delicate situation was likely to arise. If the flavour of the butter were unpleasant the unfortunate housewife had to run the risk of offending her friend or else put up with the protests of her family until the butter improved.
The Ready Money Store got over that difficulty. That Store, on the site of the present Watson Bros., was an institution and regularly sent a four horse drag round the surrounding country districts, delivering groceries and other supplies to the farms and at the same time collecting farm produce from them. Any school boy who could make friends with the driver might hope for at least one day’s excursion during the school holidays. This drag went in a different direction each day of the week, so arranged that each of the outlying settlements was visited once a week. In that way any perishable produce could be collected while fresh.
The butter made by the farmers’ wives was a very important item and the Ready Money Store made a particular effort to deal with it. On arrival at the Store, it was taken to a special department, called the Butter Room, in charge of Mr. Shultz, the butter maker, and there he treated it in an apparatus called the “butter worker.” This butter worker was a large circular wooden platter with holes in it. This platter, on which
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the butter was placed was revolved by the turning- of a handle, this job was done by a boy. Whilst the platter was revolving water was sprayed on to the butter and at the same time it was worked by a corrugated wooden roller. This process cleaned the butter and worked it into the right consistency for making into pats, ready for retailing. Any butter that was not up to a certain standard was rejected by Mr. Shultz. It was thrown into a sack and returned to the maker on the next round of the drag. About this time some salted butter, packed in kegs was taken to Sydney by Mr. Flyger and it sold very well over there.
Fruit was plentiful when in season, in fact at one time peaches were fed to the pigs; the apricots could ripen in the sun, they were very large and of excellent flavour. Grapes also could be grown successfully out of doors, one enthusiastic gardener who lived at Terrace End usually had a very good crop which ripened well. In the nineties, oranges, sweet Island ones, and large well ripened bananas seemed to be always on the market, large bunches of the latter on their stalks as grown, would be seen hanging in the fruit shops.
There were not at first many perambulators in this embryo township, an odd one or two were imported from England, sometimes by individuals for their own children; they were not much like the modern ones, something after the pattern of an ordinary invalid chair with a hood, they were made principally of wood, including the wheels, but they had light iron tyres. But perhaps the prams were not of much use as the roads were very rough and in wet weather covered with mud and depressions at intervals which were full of water after
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rain. Evidence of this mud is seen in the few boot scrapers still outside the doors of some houses. The boot scraper was a very necessary piece of equipment for every home. It usually consisted of an iron frame, with blunt edged bars across it, on which to scrape the soles of the boots and there were brushes fixed to the sides so that the mud could be brushed off the edges.
For many years the mosquitoes continued to be a severe trial and were a real pest with which the settlers had to contend. Windows were often closed at sundown to try and keep them out of the house for the night. Frames covered with butter muslin were fixed over the outside of the windows in the summer months and covered frames were also fitted inside the openings of the large fire places, as those marauders would come down the chimneys. Even with all those precautions, homes were invaded during the evenings and children kept awake at night with the buzzing which they could hear from outside the mosquito netting. The mosquito netting was draped over a frame, hung over the cot or bed and if any mosquitoes penetrated one of those strongholds the child inside would get badly bitten.
12. SURROUNDINGS.
UP to about sixty years ago the bush at Hokowhitu reached to the College Street corner of what was then Alexandra Street (now Victoria Avenue). Children taken for a walk down that street saw in front of them a place of mystery and enchantment which they
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longed to explore, but on reaching the fringe of the bush, they would be firmly taken back, by an inexorable nurse, retracing their steps for some distance and then perhaps returning by Ferguson Street —nice and safe for “that lovely bush was full of swamps and lagoons and children would only get drowned if they went in there.” But the children knew that the bush was also full of hanging supple-jacks, which made splendid swings and if near a pool very exciting to swing right over it; there were also good pools for paddling, even if a bit squelchy under foot. On some of the trees kie-kies grew, the white part of these was nice and sweet to eat and could be reached by climbing the trees or by one child mounting on to the shoulders of another.
As there were usually anything from three to eight or nine in a family there was always an ally or several for any enterprise, especially if joined by neighbours; that was of course if the vigilance of the grown-ups could be evaded.
In all directions from the town were patches of bush and the rest of the land, except for the parts immediately round the house, was well studded with the tall bare trunks of trees, survivors of bush fires, which as time went on took place further and further from the town.
One fire in about 1892 was of eight hundred acres, part of a property belonging to Mr. J. Cotter, then, as now known as Siberia, across the River from Ashhurst. A wonderful and fearful sight it made at the time, viewed from the safety of the verandah of the house overlooking the valley; but oh! what a sorry spectacle those hill sides presented when all the smoke had cleared away and the blackened earth and tree trunks were displayed to view.
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Lots of Scotch Thistles often came up after a burn; there was a time when the sides of Rangitikei Line were covered with them and a rider on horseback would arrive in town with his clothes covered with prickles and the long riding habits of the women would pick up even more of them. Very prickly it must have been for the horses but when the thistles were ripe horses loved to pick out the centres, by carefully curling back their lips they could do it very neatly without getting scratched.
Fifty odd years ago, the huia, then becoming a rare bird and the tail feathers of which were much prized by the Maoris, was still to be found in the Ruahine Ranges. An old Irish bushman caught and killed one in 1898; he dressed the skin and gave it as a parting present to a family about to go abroad, apparently not knowing how serious an offence it was to kill a huia. The penalty at that time was forty pounds. That particular bird was taken to England and was stuffed and set up by a well known London Taxidermist and is now back in New Zealand.
Wekas, pigeons and many other native birds disappeared with the bush round Palmerston but after the blue gums and other trees with honey bearing flowers became established the tuis returned in large numbers in the Spring and took up their abode in any of those trees from which they could get honey, even in gardens well in the town. The blue gums were very popular with them and their lovely notes could be heard early in the spring mornings.
Pukekos were plentiful for many years round the Hokowhitu lagoons and in the shooting season imported game came and joined them there for sanctuary, but
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some of the wild duck were there all the year round. They had their nests in the raupo and there they reared their young. Not many years ago Californian quail were breeding at the back of some properties near the smaller lagoon.
At that time sawmills were close to the township. The large trees which had been cut before the bush was burned were taken to these mills to be cut into building timber; huge piles of saw dust were to be seen and they remained long after the mills had closed down and moved off to another site near the next lot of bush that was to be cut out.
The workers shacks, made almost entirely of timber were left to fall down of their own accord. They looked very dreary and deserted by the road sides.
A large and important sawmill, belonging to Messrs. Richter, Nannestad and Jensen was in Grey Street, near the corner of Albert Street. A wooden tram track came down what is now Heretaunga Street, formerly Tram Street. The name having been changed the historical association is lost. The horse drawn j inkers brought the enormous logs from the large tract of heavy bush land stretching away to the north west. Children thought it great fun to have rides in those jinkers and the old driver very good naturedly took them well along the track when going to fetch the logs but he forbade them to get on when loaded for the return to the mill, as it was too dangerous. However some girl or boy would now and again wait along side the track hoping to jump on as it passed but the driver was quite alive to their pranks and was ready with his long lashed whip which he quickly brought into action if any attempts were made
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on his jinker. This effectually stopped the efforts of those adventurous and disobedient ones.
The Chinese provided most of the vegetables for the town and Palmerston had some large and productive market gardens owned by them, close to the town. One in Fitzherbert Street, just beyond Ferguson Street will be remembered by many of the residents of the present day. The head Chinese who had the lease of the land or who owned it, in those days used to work for some years and then return to China, or more often Hong Kong, where their families lived. They could take their money without let or hindrance. Many of them at one time had their pigtails which they wore coiled round their heads, but they occasionally came unwound and hung down their backs. The Chinese also had plenty of imported goods from their own country to sell and some of them used to go round to people’s houses with these goods in large baskets hung from a bamboo pole carried across their shoulders. They had all sorts of useful and ornamental things so were usually very welcome.
The Maori women, in the fruit season came round to the Pakehas selling cherries and quinces in nice flax kits. They had brought them down the Wanganui River in their canoes and on to Palmerston by train. Sometimes the local Maoris would call to see if there were any rauriki which they could collect; they liked to boil it as a vegetable.
The roads in the town were gravelled but they were soon worn uneven and so were covered with pools of water after rain, becoming very muddy in the winter. There was plenty of gravel within the Borough, as the cavernous pits about will bear witness. So it was quite
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easy to fill up the holes in the streets. This was done from time to time. The empty gravel pits were deep in parts and in time filled up with water, these became desirable, if somewhat dangerous, places for children who had boats to sail. One small girl while throwing large stones into a pit to make waves which would bring her boat inshore, accidently threw herself in after the stone; she thought she was going to be drowned but was manfully pulled out by a playmate, who was of a slightly larger size.
The country roads leading out of the town, in some places, developed deep wheel ruts, these were very muddy in winter and awkward to drive in if the wheel base of the vehicle happened to be too wide or too narrow to fit into the ruts, and it made very heavy going for the horse. In summer these roads were all heavy with dust and people driving along travelled in clouds of it.
The first telephone in Palmerston was a private line put up by Mr. Warburton, the first Borough solicitor. It was between his house and his office. This was of great interest to the children of his family and their friends; it was such a wonder to be able to speak to someone at a distance and hear them answer quite distinctly simply by speaking into a funnel in a contrivance on the wall and listening with a small black thing to the ear. Although not known to the children at the time, their father had had some opposition from the powers that were when he proceeded to erect his line. The posts to carry the wires had to be put along the street as well as on his own property so permission had
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to be obtained. However the opposition was overcome and it all went up, in spite of the difficulties.
One reads about the Botanical Gardens in the early newspapers and in 1878 a sum of money was voted for the improvement of the road to the Race Course and the Botanical Gardens, no doubt our Botanical Road. The land set aside for the Gardens was at the corner of Botanical Road; this land is now part of the Golf Course which at one time was the old Race Course. The present Motor Camp and Esplanade are shown on a plan of 1878 as the Public Reserve.
13. FLOODS AGAIN.
IN the late eighties and in the nineties children heard a lot about the great flood of 1880; the grown-ups had plenty to say about that, so when they gathered from the conversation of their elders that the Manawatu River was very high and that a flood was imminent they thought they knew what a flood looked like. However when taken the long walk to see the big Easter Flood of about 1894, they were not at all prepared for the sight which met their eyes. An enormous sea of surging, brown muddy water extended from the river bank, on the Palmerston side, right across to the cliffs opposite and up and down stream as far as the eye could see.
It was a cold grey day with a fitful wind blowing and low hanging clouds over-head. Many had taken the walk to the bridge to see what was happening; they were not going to be satisfied with second-hand information. All this mass of water was flowing very swiftly
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under the bridge with waves lapping over the decking. The water was being blown into waves, like the sea, by the gusts of wind; large logs of wood and branches of trees came hurtling down the river at a great rate, many banging against the piles of the bridge which shuddered and shook in a very ominous manner. Also a number of dead cattle and sheep were mixed up with the trees and other odds and ends ; a sad and miserable sight they made as they were hurried along, either to be caught in snags in the river or to be washed out to sea.
The approach to the bridge on the left bank had been washed away and all that part was a mass of water, but it was possible to get on to the bridge from the town side. Exciting it was to walk along it even for a short distance and feel the swirl of the tempestuous waters beneath, splashing round the feet and the shuddering of the bridge when struck by a large log.
The full extent of the flood damage would not have been known at once, as at that stage of the development of the district, much was still in bush and communication was not very easy or rapid. But the danger to all low lying farms was always of great concern when the river rose above a certain height. These floods, spoken of, at one time as the “kowhai floods” and the ‘‘Easter floods” seemed to develop into major ones every few years as they do at the present time.
A complete farm, belonging to Mr. Snow, which was approached from Fitzroy Street was gradually washed away in successive floods, extending over some years. If that farm existed now it would be on the other side of the river.
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There had been a good ford across the river, at the end of Scandia Street (now Albert Street), it was known as Lancaster’s Ford, and was very useful for horsemen going to or from Fitzherbert East.
It was between this ford and that part just above the site of what had been Mr. Snow’s house, that an interesting find came to light, after the Spring flood of 1912.
Mr. G. E. Coles, a young Welshman, who had come to live in Palmerston, discovered some moa foot prints, on about the site of Mr. Snow’s, by this time, vanished house. According to a report in the Manawatu Standard Mr. Coles was very interested in prehistoric things and had found moa foot prints on an old mud flat at Gisborne and he had also studied the moa skeleton in the Auckland Museum. His interest led him to explore the banks of the Manawatu River after the floods and there he discovered a line of four of these foot prints in splendidly clear outline. He found these where the greatest flood damage had occurred. The sand and top soil had been scoured out and an outcrop of old and hardened blue clay was disclosed to view. One of the Borough Council’s protective mats had been wrecked but was still attached to wires which anchored it to the bank and this had caught branches of trees and other debris which had formed a protective screen for this interesting find.
Mr. Coles called at the Standard Office about his discovery and with the assistance of a member of the staff, arrangements were made with Mr. Robert Gardner, the president of the Manawatu Philosophical Society and Mr. Kenneth Wilson, the secretary, for an inspection of the find and through them photographs of these foot
Moa Footprints—Mr. Coles on left
The Manawatu Gorge, 1885
Ferry across Manawatu River, Lower Gorge about 1888
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prints were taken. Many townspeople went down to the river bank to see this discovery. The foot prints were carefully cut out, each in its block of clay and they later found a home in the Dominion Museum.
When a meteorite fell at the side of the road, up Rangitikei Line, in about 1909, many went to see the hole which it had left, as it buried itself in the earth. It had come down with a crashing noise and a great flash of light, so the sightseers having expected that there would be something impressive to be seen, were disappointed to find only the marks where it had imbedded itself.
14. GOING TO SCHOOL.
PALMERSTON was well provided with schools. By the eighties there were both State schools and private ones. The largest school was at the corner of Main and Princess Streets, where the Empire Hotel now stands. When this was built there were patches of bush growing within easy reach, in some places the bush was almost up to Church Street, and there was manuka close to the school. The boys used to go off bird nesting in the lunch hour or on their way home. In 1878 there were one hundred and thirteen children on the roll. The school was a gable roofed building. A high corrugated iron fence later on surrounded the playing ground which was covered with gravel and here the children spent the play hour. This enclosure was entered through a turnstile at the corner. The headmaster’s house was in Princess Street, his garden adjoining the playground.
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In 1878 it was decided that a school was needed at Terrace End and at a meeting of the Wanganui Education Board four hundred pounds was voted for the building.
In those early days children had every opportunity of growing up self reliant and resourceful, consequently they developed initiative and independence. To the older ones, who were going to school, life was full of interest. To begin with there was the railway line, for those proceeding by Main Street, to walk on, in defiance of parental instructions. Competitions were held, as to who could walk along the one rail for the longest distance, or who could get along the fastest stepping from one sleeper to the next. The railway line was filled with possibilities. After that there was so much being done everywhere. Many things were made, finished and turned out in the same place and an enterprising child could usually manage, in spite of some opposition, to get in and see how it was done.
One part of Main Street was particularly interesting with three bakeries, an iron foundary, a cooperage, where the cooper could be seen hammering the hoops into place round the sides of the barrel. Not very far down the street was a corn store. Here the children could buy wheat for their bantams and pigeons and in the yard of this store a traction engine appeared in due course, greatly to the interest and delight of the small boys and to the indignation and consternation of the horses, when it appeared on the streets. The horses strongly objected to both the sight and the noise of that innovation, nor did the red flag carried ahead, by a man on foot, as a warning, offer any appeasement at all.
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The Manawatu Woodware Factory was another interesting- place, here double moulded doors were on sale for fourteen shillings, windows sashes twelve shillings a pair and tables nine shillings each.
For those who lived near enough there was the Drill Shed, where on summer evenings the volunteers drilled on the adjoining ground and all in red coats too. The fence made a fine place from which proceedings could be viewed by small boys and girls, until relentlessly prized off the fence to be taken inside and put to bed.
In Church Street, and not so far away, were two brickfields. At either of them the whole process of brickmaking was to be seen, not the least interesting part was the apparatus in which the clay was worked up. This working was done by a horse, harnessed to a long pole which was attached to the mixer. The horse had to go round and round in a small circle and if he stopped or slowed down too much he was hurried on his way again by a lump of clay landing on his back, thrown at him by one of the men. Children watching this business usually got some well worked up clay to take home for modelling and if possible the models were baked in the cooking oven.
The rope walk was a fascinating place, the man who held the flax fibre and operated the roller round which the rope was wound, was very much envied by the small fry looking on at the rope making.
The flour mill was not so easy to get into, but a blacksmith’s forge in Broad Street, near the Square, was very accessible; in fact the complete operation of making the horse shoes and putting them on could be seen from the doorway. The shoes were made by putting a
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prised off the fence to be .. . put to bed.’’
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strip of iron in the furnace till red hot, then it was hammered into shape on the end of the anvil, shaped for the purpose. When shaped it was fitted on the horse’s hoof and there was a horrid smell of burnt hoof. After all this the shoe was plunged into water to cool, fitted again, and nailed to the horse’s hoof. When the horse had been fitted with a complete set and they had been nailed on, his hooves were trimmed with a rasp, blacked over with a mixture of tar and oil and he was all ready for the road, smart and tidy about the feet.
As time went on more factories came into being to interest the inquisitive ones. Two carriage factories were of great importance but they were more in the business area so didn’t come very much under the notice of the young members of the community, except when accompanying an elder, when something had to be done to the family conveyance or, a very important occasion, when a new one was to be ordered.
When Mr. Stubbs started his stocking factory in Main Street, (now developed into the Manawatu Knitting Mills) it was considered an enterprise of great importance. Not much could be seen of the working of that factory as there was a shop in the front part, the machines being at the back part of the building. At first only stockings were made, later football jerseys and other garments.
Before the Telephone Exchange came into being in Palmerston the children of a family were very useful for taking messages for their elders and they had lots of that to do; sometimes those messages were by word of mouth so had to be remembered and the answer was brought back also relying on the memory. Otherwise
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a note was taken along; they didn’t waste envelopes on those notes, the small sheet of paper was folded into a cocked hat shape or a kind of single tie, like the beginning of a knot. The boys went on their errands singing or whistling some well known tune; they were a cheery lot.
Seven years was the starting age for school but many had been taught the A B C and a little reading before that age. Slates were used for arithmetic, the slates were of varying sizes to suit the age of the child, they were in a small wooden frame like those of tracing slates of today, the pencil was of slate also, and in some hands made a squeaky noise, done on purpose, sometimes by a recalcitrant child.
The initial effort of sewing at school, which was important for the girls, was made on a tea towel, rather stiff linen with lots of dressing in it. The fingers got well pricked in the process of learning to hem, as the spots on the tea cloth would show. The next step was on a fine linen table napkin; the spots mattered more on that. It is surprising how many wonderful needle women evolved from such a discouraging beginning. But those girls had a fine example of needlework, which they could see in the window of Mr. P. Robert’s shop in Main Street. They could admire the beautiful military badges and lodge regalias so finely embroidered and wonder if ever they themselves would aspire to such skill.
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15. HOLIDAYS.
CHILDREN eagerly looked forward to going away for holidays. This only happened at most twice a year, a visit to the seaside or to stay with friends a few miles out of town.
After the Manawatu Railway Company had completed the line through from Wellington to Longburn, where it joined the Foxton line, a visit to Paekakariki could be made easily by train. The whole family would set out from home in a cab; there was only one in the town in those early days. The owner of that cab lived at Terrace End, he wore a frock coat and a silk hat and he had a small Negro man who sat on the box seat beside him to help with the small luggage or perhaps to hold the horses while his master was helping the passengers. The larger luggage which consisted of trunks, portmanteaus and carpet bags, would be taken to the station on a one horse express. One of the boys of the family might be allowed to go along with the luggagemuch better than the cab in his eyes. This luggage was all put in the luggage van of the train, the appropriate label having been fixed by a porter, and it all arrived safely with the passengers. Nothing more was required of them, than that they should see it labelled.
The trip to Paekakariki seemed long and tedious to the children, impatient to get to the seaside, to get busy with the spades, buckets and shrimping nets, all specially acquired for the expedition. On this journey long stretches of stump covered land would be seen, logs lying about, and groups of tall bare tree trunks; all this relieved at intervals with lovely patches of heavy bush,
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. set off from home in a cab."
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going away back to the hills. But that kind of scenery was very familiar to any one living in the Manawatu district.
There were frequent stops at the way-side stations, these made pleasant interludes, especially those places at which the Maoris came to meet the trains with small flax baskets filled with fruit, very welcome to the children; there were also baskets planted with ferns but “those must only be bought on the way home and they would have to be planted as soon as home was reached or they would die.” They were bought on the way home and planted on arrival but soon forgotten and allowed to die for want of water.
The Hotel at Paekakariki was on the same site as the present one, but it is not the same building, the first one was burnt down. A few cottages could be seen from the platform, which were for the railway men and their families, and there were one or two other cottages close to the railway line, immediately south of the Hotel.
Paekakariki was an important station as the engines were changed there, different ones were used for the journey through the tunnels, to those required for the rest of the trip. The engines in the sheds all bright and shiny, painted green and red and some parts polished brass, were a great source of interest, particularly to the boys, who admired them enormously.
The land all along the coast was nothing but sandhills, there was no growth of any sort to be seen, except further back from the coast where there was swampy ground.
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The approach to the beach from the Hotel was by a not very clearly defined track over the sand hills and woe betide the children if they attempted to go to the beach by any other way. The proprietor of the Hotel had planted those hills in lupins, maram grass and other sand liking plants and although those plants were not visible at that time, they were expected to grow, provided they were not disturbed by people walking on them.
At a very early date in the settlement of the Wellington and West Coast district an effort had been made to bring the sandy soil round the coast into cultivation and also to prevent sand drifts from blowing over the good soil.
In 1859 Mr. J. C. Crawford, an early resident, made an experiment which bore good results and he published a pamphlet about it. In 1884 the New Zealand Mail called attention to this matter. The paragraph reads “Mr. Crawford’s experiment has a special interest for us, because it was made in the immediate vicinity of Wellington, in that low lying sandy soil between Evan’s Bay and Lyell’s Bay. In 1859 he imported from Edinburgh five pounds’ worth of seed of the common bent grass and the sea lyme grass and these he sowed at the spot mentioned. For some years he saw no signs of the seeds having sprung up, but at length he noticed a small bunch of them in a sheltered glen, and on separating these and planting them out, they throve so well that now there is quite a large acreage covered with them and clover and other grass seeds now take root and a fair pasturage is established.” Mr. Crawford recommends that the grasses should be planted out where they are required and that they should be planted very deeply.
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It is interesting to note that Mr. Crawford also said that “As the operation requires some care, he preferred Maori to European labour, the Maoris being found more careful and patient in this kind of work.”
Children knowing nothing about this important matter, found it difficult to understand the restrictions on their scrambles over the sand hills at Paekakariki.
A trip to Wellington was sometimes included in this holiday. The tunnels were a novelty but not much favoured, partly on account of the sulphury smell which the children considered was enough to choke them. However the sight of the Harbour made up for everything.
Ships of all kinds, steamers, sailing ships and sometimes even a man-of-war. A ship of the Australian Squadron might be in port and on one occasion, three children were taken out in a rowing boat so that they could see the works. Arriving alongside, no doubt, much to the surprise of the officers and crew, they were helped up a swingy sort of ship’s ladder and so on to the deck. An officer received them and for the first time they saw something of a ship of the Queen’s Navy, from the inside.
A visit to the photographers was part of that expedition, that was voted a grim affair; the children were put into clean white starched clothes and, carefully grouped by the photographer, they were told to keep quite still; but they were not in the least interested in the result.
When Plimmerton was first visited as a holiday place, it was a very calm and quiet little bay, about three cottages and that was all, until Plimmerton House was built and opened as a boarding house. At that early
Plimmerton 1896 —From a sketch by C. E. Warburton
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time Plimmerton was a delightful place for children, the sea was so clear and smooth after the large and boisterous breakers of Paekakariki. The water seemed very shallow, at low tide the bigger children could walk out to a sand bank; Mana Island appeared to be very close as though it would be possible to walk across to it.
The attractive little stream was a fine place for sailing small boats and at the other end of the beach was a nice back water where one of the young visitors had a Rob Roy canoe; it was great fun paddling that about. A bathing suit was the wear for paddling that boat as the water dripped down the arms and also the boat got capsized into the water now and again. Here there was also a small group of rocks, in the little pools amongst the rocks crabs were plentiful and other little sea creatures might be found.
All this was overlooked by the Maori cemetery on a small hill. This cemetery was fenced with wooden palings and was tapu; children were warned not to go on that little hill at all, as it might offend the Maoris. The children quite understood what “Tapu” meant.
GOING TO THE FARM.
A visit to a farm might be made with a buggy and horse or partly by water. Those going to a farm called Cliffside on the left bank of the Manawatu, a few miles east of Palmerston were driven out to Te Matai and thence taken over the River by canoe. The horse which had brought them to Te Matai was let loose in a paddock near the river bank and the buggy was stowed away in a shed nearby. The luggage was then carefully placed in the canoe and the passengers disposed so as to keep
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it correctly balanced. The children were told “to keep perfectly still or the canoe would be upset.” A nervous child was almost afraid to breathe. However the opposite bank safely reached, the canoe carefully secured to a post which was fastened to a log of wood embedded in the ground by the river side, the passengers were helped ashore and they wended their way up a steep cliff by a zig-zag path. The edge of the cliff was securely fenced with wooden palings with a gate to the path. Once through the gate, it was fastened and “no one must open it.”
Farm life was full of interest, almost everything, except groceries, was produced on the spot. The bread, made with home-made yeast, was made at least once a week, and happy the child when allowed to knead some dough and make small loaves, all his own way.
Visiting the dairy, butter making might be in progress and a child would love to use the pats and make some butter into little rolls of various designs. Pigs being reared on the place, bacon was cured and smoked on the farm.
Besides the household activities, there were all the seasonal operations on the farm to be investigated. Shearing was especially interesting, all done with hand shears, the sheep looked so small and surprised when turned out minus their thick coats of wool.
The ploughing, done with a horse, was worth watching, and then there was the scything of the grass with a hand scythe and if in the height of summer that grass had to be turned to make it into hay; the children could help with that; it was great fun, especially as tea was brought out to the field and plenty of cakes too!
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There was a pony for riding, saddled with a sheepskin, woolly side up, which was nice and easy to cling to; the horses and ponies were very important persons as in most cases they were entirely depended on for transport. Children, like every one else, became very attached to their ponies, they were companions and friends, they took the country children to school and brought them home again, and for the town children who were lucky enough to possess them, they provided the Saturday afternoon amusement.
There was a time when a holiday in Hawkes Bay meant a drive through the Gorge, boys found that a great thrill. Driving along that narrow road which in some places was not much more than a ledge nicked out of the cliffs, could be full of adventure, especially when the horses coming round a bend suddenly saw a little waterfall splashing down through the bush, that made them shy and leap off at a greater rate then ever. Some might find it rather alarming. They might even have to pass a bullock team when they got through the Gorge ; the horses would certainly register disapproval of that. Occasionally a good natured driver might allow a young passenger to take the reins on a good piece of road; that would be a highlight of the trip. That young driver would be surprised at the weight of the reins and might sometimes be relieved to hand them back to practised hands. All this added to the interest of the holiday.
An outing to Mr. Skerman’s farm, called Silverleys, was always welcome. This farm was on the road to Awahuri, about five miles from Palmerston. There was a cheese factory, the first in the district, and there could be seen the large wooden troughs full of curd and the
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enormous wooden rakes used to stir it round, the whole process could be seen, even to the last stage when the cheese got its muslin dress.
A trip up the Pohangina Valley was a formidable undertaking. The road was narrow and for some miles beyond Raumai there was no road. Therefore travellers going further up the Valley took to the river bed, along which there was a vague looking track threading its way amongst the stones and logs, but this of course changed with every flood. There were huge boulders which had to be avoided if driving in a trap, as some of the boulders were big enough to upset the whole thing. If riding, this was not so difficult as the horse could safely be allowed to pick his own way. At one time the river was crossed twenty times between Raumai and Komako. This crossing and recrossing had to be done to avoid the cliffs which protruded right up to the river bank here and there. Reaching the road again after what seemed a very long hot and tiring ride, especially if a blazing hot summer day, there was the possibility of more excitement. The road from the river to Komako was also narrow and very twisty as well.
On one occasion, Mr. and Mrs. F. Arbon returning to their farm after a visit to town had an accident; the swingletree of their trap broke on a down hill grade and still attached to the traces, it dangled against the horse’s legs. He galloped off up and down hill, kicking up his heels until he kicked himself free and the trap and occupants were tipped over the edge of the bank. Fortunately the stump of a tree caught the trap and Mrs. Arbon was held by her skirt, which was caught by the wheel of the trap, but her husband was hurled down to the bed
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of the creek, in company with a loaf of bread and other goods.
Help was forthcoming from some farmers working in a shearing shed, a little way along the road. The horse was captured, the pieces all tied together with bits of string and rope and the travellers went on their way.
16. AMUSEMENTS.
TIMES were bad, that is financially, for many people, in the eighties and nineties, therefore children had very little pocket money. They soon learnt the value of that money and also they found how to get pleasure and amusement that wouldn’t cost much.
Small children usually started off with a penny a week, with the prospect of a gradual rise to sixpence, for a “good child.” Small duties were, in some cases, expected for that pocket money. A penny a week sounds very little today but wants were not so numerous and everything was cheaper. A small box with a coloured picture on top and six very small chocolates inside could be purchased for a penny, a lucky bag also with a picture, and including a miniature toy and a riddle printed on coloured paper was the same price; other things in proportion.
There was a very quaint and attractive looking shop on the western side of the Square, which had once been the Bank of New Zealand. The roof of this building had two gables and there were two steps down at the entrance. This was a sweet shop; the most noticeable
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. confiscated by cautious parents.”
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things in the window were peppermint walking sticks with a crook at one end, they had stripes of red and white running down the whole length. These were priced according to size. Children thought they got good value for their money there.
The young had plenty of opportunities for arranging their games and pastimes. The boys found where they could get the right kind of wood for bows and arrows, for catapults, the latter often confiscated by cautious parents, they could also seek out wood for making stilts, frame work for kites and for boats and rafts. They had to forage for all their materials: they had good hunting grounds with patches of bush near the town and also unoccupied sections of land easily accessible.
Some of the town children had their riding ponies; the lovely soft stretches at the sides of the roads made ideal places for riding. Those with logs lying about on them and wide ditches at intervals were very useful for practising jumping.
As time went on the shops in the Square and the variety of their wares improved so that area had its attractions. Mr. W. Park’s fine book and toy shop was on the south western side of the Square and some of the pocket money went there, even those with very small sums to expend were catered for. Toys made locally were of wood, they were serviceable and good playthings, but very beautiful toys were imported. Models of flour mills with little sacks which could be hauled up to the top floor and let down again, and stables complete with wagons and horses to say nothing of steam engines and lead soldiers of all the Empire regiments with their colourful uniforms, so dear to the hearts of small boys;
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while magic lanterns, musical boxes, concertinas and all the usual band instruments, much sought after by the children, were not always appreciated by their parents and their friends.
For girls there were plenty of dolls and a good choice, so the most exacting little girl could be provided with one to her taste. The wax ones were very lovely, especially those with real hair; the French ones were considered the best, but wax dolls were very fragile, the faces broke easily and melted if left with the sun shining on them. The wooden ones with jointed limbs and the hair painted on the head were very much more durable. These were called Dutch dolls, probably because they were made in Flolland. The dolls with stuffed bodies, china heads, hands and feet were likeable playthings and easy to dress. Later on came those of composition, very cleverly jointed and with real hair, they had eyes which opened and shut and would say “Mama” and “Papa” when the appropriate strings were pulled. One of those dolls would not be despised even by a child of the present day. Japanese dolls, dressed in kimonos were in many of the shops; they looked very gay in their bright colours and were in all sizes and quite cheap.
There were picture books and story books in great variety, “Alice in Wonderland” and “Alice Through the Looking Glass” then as now amongst the favourites. Randolph Caldecott’s books for children, of old fashioned country life, with his unrivalled illustrations, were much appreciated as also Kate Greenaway’s quaint and charming little people, both the latter books now prized by collectors. The youngsters were well catered for and their generous elders took advantage of what was offering as opportunity occurred.
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And these children found various ways of earning money to supplement that small allowance. One enterprising young damsel, with the help of her small brother set up a fruit stall at the gate of her home about three miles from town. That family had a good orchard for home supplies but parents being out or otherwise engaged the idea of turning some of the fruit to good account was not to be hurriedly dismissed. Financially the venture was a great success as many friends on their way home stopped to patronise the stall. Unfortunately, from the money making aspect, the parents soon returned and put a stop to the proceedings.
Older boys and girls had their hobbies and any of them taking up photography found endless interest and occupation. They might have to send to England for a photographic outfit; this would include with the camera, developing dishes, chemicals, printing frames and paper and all the etceteras. When this was received a dark room had to be set up and water works arranged for the developing and washing of the plates and after the printing there was more fixing and washing to be done. The taking of the photo, in the first place, was a major operation. The camera was fixed on a tripod stand, the light had to be bright, so it was necessary to choose a fine day. The subject, if portraiture were being attempted, was asked to keep still, as the exposure was made by removing the cap from the lens by hand. Needless to say the subject resigned himself to being a victim of his friend’s hobby.
The first omnibus to be seen after the old coaches, previously used for that purpose, had been given up, was greeted with acclamation by the children. This
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public conveyance was introduced by Mr. Woodfield, an enterprising citizen who owned a large livery stable in George Street, facing up Coleman Place. The omnibus was a large and imposing looking vehicle. It was very wide and the seats were placed across it, about six seats, back to back, each seat took about four passengers. It had a roof, and glass windows at the back and also behind the driver’s seat, but it was open at the sides, so the winds of Palmerston could blow through it. This was drawn by three horses abreast; the fare from the Square to Terrace End, about one and a quarter miles, was three pence. A ride on that was a great treat.
A Labour Day procession, celebrating the eight hours working day, was a spectacular show. It seemed of enormous interest at the time. In this procession were carts and wagons, each fitted up as a workshop of a different trade, with a man at work in it; a light frame, canopy like, was over each vehicle, decorated with coloured streamers and flowers. This procession was led off by the band and made a great impression on the spectators.
Picnics were an important part of summer holidays. There were plenty of lovely bush places with streams for bathing, within easy distance for walking or driving. On one occasion a farmer was taking his family and their young friends for a picnic with all the good things loaded on to a tip dray. Unfortunately the pin had not been securely fastened in place and before they had gone very far the pin came out and up went the front of the dray with grandfather, who was driving, perched on high and down went the back part with all the provisions strewn along the ground. However there were many
Picnic Party returning from Terrace End Palmerston North, 1883
Awapuni Lake about 1890
New Railway Station, Palmerston North (present site) 1891
The Square from Commercial Hotel to Rangitikei Street Palmerston North, 1893
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hands to collect the goods and soon all was replaced and the party continued on their way.
Awapuni Lake, fringed with bush, all the lovely foliage of ferns and trees, down to the water’s edge, was a fine place for canoeing, it was so sheltered and calm. Many native and imported birds were to be seen, the brightly coloured pukeko, daintily stepping her way on the marshy banks, and in the season, cunningly heading away from her nesting place, to deceive any intruders who might have entered, what she considered her domain. The native grey duck were plentiful there also, they would have been seen, sometimes making a rapid flight across the water, making a curious whistling sound which is characteristic of them.
This lake has unfortunately become silted up from a deep cut that was made into it, so it is much smaller and the bush trees having long ago become very depleted, it has lost its beauty and is not so interesting.
VISITING ENTERTAINERS AND OTHER EXCITEMENTS.
From time to time the town was visited by travelling entertainments. A child’s first visit to a theatre was a great event and one child at any rate has lively recollections of being taken to the Theatre, (then in the Square, about where the Dominion Office now stands) to see “La Mascotte,” in 1890. The company may have been Pollard’s Juveniles, a company of talented and well trained young people, who toured New Zealand for some years, and some members of the company became musical comedy stars when they were grown up. “La
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Mascotte” was a bright and gay comic opera with an amusing comedian and a tuneful chorus, the gaily dressed members of the chorus sang and danced merrily, greatly to the delight of the young theatre goer.
The rowdy members of the audience sat in the pit at that time and while waiting for the curtain to rise became very impatient. They amused themselves by calling out personal remarks to those patronising the front seats and when they got tired of that, they stamped their feet at the same time clapping their hands in unison, now and again shouting suggestions about “up with the curtain.” All this noise added to the interest and excitement of the evening to the younger members of the audience, although not relished by their elders.
That theatre was afterwards burnt down and the Lyceum Theatre, in Main Street was quickly put up to accommodate the travelling companies and local entertainers. The Theatre Royal was later rebuilt, it served as a hardware shop for some years, before being demolished to give way to a modern building.
There were plenty of other entertainments too, the best of all was the circus. A really good circus came at least once a year. It always started off with a parade through the Square and along the principal streets before settling in on the chosen site, near the Square. There were wild animals, fine ponies and horses, clowns and acrobats enough to satisfy the most exacting child. The trick riding at the performance was of paramount importance. Small girls often came away from the circus with the firm idea of becoming bareback riders and circumstances being favourable, practise began almost immediately. The boys usually favoured tumbling
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or acrobatics as a career, if they had not already decided on engine driving or soldiering as their future calling.
Occasionally a man came round with a dancing bear. This animal was on a chain and he would do some cumbersome steps to the orders of his master, greatly to the entertainment of the children who were looking on. There were also visits from a man with a barrel-organ with a little monkey, dressed in a red flannel jacket and a small round cap with a feather stuck in at the side. The jacket would have been needed in any case in this climate.
When a German Band came round and played in the streets, their lively martial tunes added gaiety to the scene.
The great Blondin, of Niagara Falls fame, once visited New Zealand, he came to Palmerston North on his tour and gave an exhibition of tight rope walking, displaying marvellous feats of balancing. This exhibition took place in the Square, so every one could see it.
BALLOONING
About the year 1890, a most thrilling and exciting event took place in the Square, in Palmerston. To a child it was rather terrifying, therefore never to be forgotten.
A lady, named Leila Adair, made a balloon ascent and went up much higher than she had intended as she was not able to disengage the parachute from the balloon when she wished to do so.
It was said that the ropes attaching the parachute to the balloon had become entangled whilst the balloon "as on the ground, being filled with the necessary gas.
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An ascent was to have been made a few days previously from the Race Course, then situated at the southern end of Park Road. This attempt had been a failure so arrangements were made for her to go up from the Square to vindicate her claims in the eyes of the people of Palmerston.
Arriving in the Square on that fine and sunny afternoon, spectators saw a large spread of canvas on the ground in the eastern part of the Square. Many people were crowding round, small boys well to the fore, but as the canvas began to fill and rise the people moved back and after a while the balloon shape rose up above the height of the surrounding buildings; soon there was a sudden swish and a whirr, this enormous affair was beginning to rise in the air. The closed parachute was attached to the balloon by ropes and suspended from that was a trapeze on which was seated Leila Adair, dressed in pink silk tights like a trapeze artist. The trapeze was swinging and swaying in the air as the balloon rose and the whole affair circled round above the heads of the spectators in a most alarming fashion. It seemed as though it must come down on the heads of the people, the more timid ones in the meantime running round like distracted hens, wondering where to go for cover.
Eventually with a final swish it rose in the air to a great height, going off in the direction of Kairanga which is in a westerly direction. It was said by those watching with field glasses that Miss Adair could be seen standing on the bar of her trapeze endeavouring to release the parachute.
Her brother, who was waiting ready in an open landau with two horses, quickly went off, following in the
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"... landed in a pigsty on a farm.”
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direction which the balloon had taken, the horses going at full gallop. After some time the carriage returned with the balloonist and her brother, she having been picked up near a pigstye on a farm, where she had landed. She had been obliged to jump when some distance from the ground to avoid being crushed by the balloon falling on her. Arriving back in town she entered the Club Hotel, shortly appearing on the balcony, from which she addressed the crowd waiting below. Smiting her chest with her hand in a very dramatic manner, she cried “Now am I a fraud ?” This was received with loud cheers and cries of “No!” from the crowd.
She was now a heroine after having been declared a fraud by some people for her failure on her previous attempt to go up in her balloon.
LIVELY ELECTIONS.
Politics were taken very seriously in those days and elections always aroused considerable excitement. Children formed decided opinions as to the right and the wrong candidates from the grown-up discussions which they heard in their homes as election day drew near. Driving round with their elders to take the electors to the poll, that was those who would be voting for the right candidate, was looked forward to with pleasurable anticipation. Especially as the horses were made to look gay with ribbons on their bridles and the traps were also decorated in like manner. The children were much impressed with the importance of the occasion when women first had the right to vote.
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The meetings held before the elections were sometimes very rowdy affairs. This of course increased the interest and excitement for the electors. The speakers at these meetings might be treated to showers of missiles hurled at them by members of the audience. Vegetables, small paper bags of flour which burst on landing or on finding their mark, or anything else available were used.
Although those meetings were certainly not for children, some of the older schoolboys, especially if tall for their age, would manage to gain admittance. One boy (the late Mr. A. K. Drew), remembered the first time that Mr. W, T. Wood stood for Parliament. Mr. Seddon had come to Palmerston to help in the campaign; he was speaking at a meeting in the Lyceum Theatre in Main Street and Mr. Pirani, the sitting member came in before the end of the meeting, accompanied by Mr. France, the chairman of his committee. They had just returned from a meeting which they had held in another part of the electorate. Mr. Pirani lost no time in putting a question which was answered by Mr. Seddon in a manner devastating to the former. This was followed be very riotous behaviour by a section of the audience; whereupon the proprietor of the Theatre, who was present, very unwisely turned out the gas lights. Pandemonium arose from this and on the gas being relighted the police came to the fore and put the riotous ones out, but as fast as they were put out at one door they went round to the other side of the building and came in again.
Eventually the crowd began to disperse and Mr. Seddon and Mr. Wood were got away without more ado. Mr. France and Mr. Pirani then went out and got into
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their buggy with horses all harnessed up ready to go, but Mr. Pirani first tried to address the people. At this, one faction took the horses out of the buggy and another drew it off by hand. The horses were later recovered and restored to their rightful owner, but the hubbub did not finally die down till well after midnight.
17. THE FUN THE GROWN-UPS HAD.
THE amusements for the grown-ups were varied and seemed wonderful to the children, who longed for the time to come when they too could participate.
To see mother dressed up for a ball was a delight, one particularly enchanting frock was of pale blue tulle dotted with little tufts of silver and another was of white net spread over with little golden sprigs which seemed to dance as she moved.
After this review her admiring family would allow themselves to be safely tucked into their beds, quite satisfied that she would be the belle of the ball.
Mother’s programme, made out on a little card in coloured or gold or silver lettering and attached to her pretty fan by a silky cord with a tiny coloured pencil at the other end, was sought out the next morning. It was of interest, though not for the names of her partners, for one thing they were so badly written it was not worth while trying to read them, but the pencil was a perk for some one and the dances they danced were what the children wanted to know. They could be compared with those they had at their own parties.
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There were too many waltzes but they did occasionally have a polka, was it the “Black and Tan Polka or “See Me Dance the Polka, See My Coat Tails Fly ?” They were very gay tunes and the latter, on the cover of the music, had a lively picture of a couple dancing round. His coat tails flew out well and truly and her skirt ballooned as much as its width would allow. They knew about the schottishe and the mazurka, but those were a bit difficult, the Highland schottishe was better and the gallop at the end met with complete approval especially if to “John Peel.” The lancers, as at their dancing classes, were considered rather dull. Little did they know how rough that dance would have become by the time they were grown up. The Washington Post, introduced from the United States, as the name implies, was fashionable for a short time; that was bright and gay. The picture on the cover of the music showed a lady in front of her partner and they were holding hands above her shoulders, her evening dress was attractive also.
When first becoming the wear in Palmerston, these evening dresses made a great impression, as in the very early times they were not to be seen. The ladies didn t possess them. They had three frocks, a morning one, an afternoon one and a best dress. It was the latter that was worn for evening occasions.
Father’s clothes were not of much interest, they seemed so prosaic, they had no glamour. The men s clothes fitted much closer than the present fashion. For less formal occasions black waistcoats were worn with dress suits, the coats of which were rather skimpy short tailed ones. The white neck tie was very narrow, it was a
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strip of fine material cut on the cross, which had to be slightly starched and folded the correct width. The tying was a difficulty, as it had to be very precise. Mother’s deft fingers were often required for that.
Once there was a grand fancy dress ball and the children saw some who were dressed up for that and they heard of many others. There was Elsie Maynard, of the “Yoeman of the Guard,” with her old gold satin skirt all hung with many coloured ribbons and her tambourine, also gay with ribbons; there was a Russian peasant in a genuine Russian dress, a lovely Gainsborough lady, a Moorish gentleman, a realistic and very pretty pink lampshade, a striking and handsome Britannia, a lady of 1830 in a beautiful silk gown which had belonged to her grandmother. There was Monkey Brand Soap, with his shiny frying pan, pirates, gypsies, troubadours, clowns and many others.
Musical evenings at which the guests entertained one another were held frequently and amateur theatricals were very popular. If for private entertainment these plays took place in the drawing room of some one’s house but if for raising money for the Church or for any charitable purpose a public hall was hired. Wax works, tableaux vivants and songs from light operas, the singers in appropriate costumes, made a great impression on any young visitors who could persuade their parents to allow them to stay up so late.
When setting out for an evening entertainment, ladies wore fascinators on their heads, they were usually made of fancy crochet work in wool or silk, or a lace mantilla might be made use of for that purpose.
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For dances at a distance the guests could ride with evening clothes carefully rolled up in a bag and carried in front of them or some of the girls might carry theirs hung on the off side of the side saddle. Very often they drove in a buggy or dog cart. One party of four, when returning from Feilding on a cold and frosty night, had a very chilling experience. The driver approached a narrow bridge, near Awahuri, at a rather reckless pace, the bridge had no sides and one wheel went just over the edge, this upset the whole thing and all the passengers with the trap and horse went into the stream. Fortunately it was only about up to their waists and it was a moonlight night; they all scrambled out, collected the horse and trap, put everything to rights and set off for home once more, which they reached in the early hours of the morning, none the worse for the adventure.
In summer there was tennis; there were some private courts and in the eighties a club was started in Church Street, on land then owned by Mr. F. E. Watson. It was next to the section on the corner of Princess Street. This Club was organised by Mr. Watson, head master of the School, Mr. McQuarrie, manager of the Union Bank, Mr. E. Turner, manager of the Bank of Australasia and Mr. E. Warburton, Borough Solicitor, each undertaking the responsibility of certain expenses for the first year, by which time the subscriptions were coming in from the twelve members. The stump of a large tree, which had survived the clearing of any bush that was there, cut off at a convenient height, made an admirable tea table. Another piece of the trunk of a tree was made into a roller for the lawn. Banksia
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roses and jasmine were grown over the fence as decoration and Mr. Watson’s son still has some from those plants growing in his garden at the Mount, Tauranga. Players sometimes took their children to the courts where they were allowed to watch the tennis from a safe distance.
In time the number of people wishing to join grew too large for that site so later on larger grounds were taken in Linton Street and a club established there. The Club in Church Street was therefore the fore-runner of present Palmerston North Tennis Qub. Some of the members of the first club served on the committee of the new one.
Those interested in horse racing soon became very active and the course at the end of Park Road was well patronised, the course became the Borough Pound when the new Race Course at Awapuni was opened in 1903. The Awapuni Course is an asset to the district as has been proved on several occasions in this century, having been at the service of the country in times of national emergency.
The Agricultural and Pastoral Society’s show was an important event each year, this was regarded by the children as their special outing, although not very interested in the real purpose of the Show. At one time it was held on November ninth, the birthday of the then Prince of Wales (after Edward VII) so it was a holiday in any case. The weather must, usually, have been warm, as all expected to be able to wear their new summer clothes.
A great interest was taken in the ring events, especially the jumping and harness classes; the tandem
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teams could always be relied on to give some unrehearsed items; a leader which turned round and faced his driver was regarded as a star performer by the onlookers, if not by his owner. Horses which were special favourites were looked for from year to year. Pickpocket was a grand jumper, steeplechase style, he went round at a great pace and always flew his jumps. Moonlight was a steady and sedate hunter, he took a good look at his jumps before taking them. There were always new competitors and they were expected to give cause for merriment at the water jump; the double brush was in the form of a square, like the four sides of a box, so if a jumper baulked in there, some fun could be had while seeing him get out.
The first childrens’ riding competition was on the programme for 1896; up till then the prizes had been for the ponies only, not for the riding. The prizes for the riding competition were given by Mr. A. McHardie and aroused much enthusiasm amongst youthful equestrians. Girls at that time rode sideways, even small girls usually rode that way when in town. They had little side saddles, or a small very uncomfortable thing called a pad. It was a soft saddle for a boy but if required for a girl, a pommel was screwed in, over which went the right leg, but there was none below for the left knee, therefore when riding on one of those saddles the seat had to be maintained entirely by balance. A sudden shy on the part of the pony would shoot the rider off on to the ground, or at best on to the pony’s neck. This was supposed to teach the little girl to sit straight and to develop a good seat on horseback; perhaps it did if she survived.
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. cause for merriment at the water jump.”
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One advanced young miss appeared astride for the girls’ riding competition in 1897; she was greeted with derisive remarks from the proper young misses on their side saddles. The first lady to be seen riding astride in the Square appeared in about 1902 or 1903, she was wearing a divided skirt which reached to her ankles, this was quite a novelty and aroused a good deal of interest; however that way of riding soon invaded the show rings and became general; in a few years there was only one side-saddle rider left amongst the competitors at the Manawatu Shows.
At times those grown-ups went farther afield for their pleasures. In 1887 a large party of residents of the district hired a special train and went to Wellington to see a Gilbert and Sullivan Opera. An overseas company being there at the time and not paying a visit to Palmerston. This party left after lunch arriving in Wellington in time for dinner, saw the Opera and returned that night after the performance. The men of the party were ready for work in the morning and the children heard all about the “Pirates of Penzance.”
Polo is a grand game to watch and any children of the nineties thoroughly enjoyed themselves, if taken to see a game. When first polo was played in the Manawatu, the players practised on any smooth ground that was lent to them for the purpose, but very soon they formed a club with lovely grounds at Hokowhitu, one side bordered on the lake and along the other sides were patches of light bush, this made a picturesque background for the game and for the gay dresses of the ladies among the spectators. All the equipment for the afternoon tea was kept under the grandstand which they had
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put up for the onlookers. Unfortunately the ground was liable to flood when the river and the lake rose to a high level and the water would invade the lower part of the stand, at those times, so the cups, saucers and other things had to be hastily rescued.
In 1898 New Zealand was represented at the Australian Polo Tournament by Members of the Manawatu Club and they were very successful. Ponies used at that time were much smaller than the mounts of the present day polo players. At one time those ponies were under fourteen hands but the height was later raised to fourteen hands two inches, they were very quick on their feet at turning, but sometimes looked rather small for their riders. The Tournament usually ended with a gymkana and the ponies were very handy for the competitions.
18. FASHIONS.
CHILDREN’S dress was decidedly fussy, particularly in winter, the pelisses of the infants and the coats of the bigger children all had capes and the little girls usually had muffs for their hands, these were hung by a cord or ribbon round the neck. A girl’s best dress for the winter might be of cashmere trimmed with silk frills round the yoke or flat braid worked in a pattern, or the dress might be of velveteen and any of these frocks would have lace collars well spread out. After about seven or eight years of age long black stockings were worn with button boots for Sundays and special occasions. Those high boots were a trial to the child, the button
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hook often stuck into foot when they were being done up, and the lace up boots worn during the week were even worse; most children were taught to lace their own boots at a very early age. The laces were difficult to thread through the eyelet holes, especially after the tags had come off the ends of the laces, which they frequently did.
White knickers with embroidered or lace frills which reached to the knees were part of the outfit, as were also starched white petticoats, with flannel ones too, in winter. Lots of garments were trimmed with scolloped edging done with buttonholing stitch and featherstitching including nightdresses, these latter were of calico or nainsook in summer and flannel in Winter. In summer the ordinary wear for small boys and girls was brown holland, or turkey red, a twill cotton stuff, or coloured prints, girls best frocks were of white muslin or other fine materials of linen or cotton, worn with coloured sashes, hair ribbons and necklaces to match.
The small boys’ turkey red or brown holland frocks were made with a yoke and they had pants of the same material, these were worn for playing about but for better wear they had kilted skirts with sailor blouses and for parties they might be turned out in velveteen suits with lace collars, called “Little Lord Fontleroy” suits. They wore their hair long and boys’ hair so often seemed to curl naturally, if not it was brushed into curls over the finger; those curls were not cut off till the boy was about five years old, some of the boys were quite shy when they had to appear with short hair; they were sure that other children would be making remarks about the change.
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When boys grew older they were put into sailor suits with rather close fitting knickers reaching to the knees, or Man-a-War suits with loose jackets and long trousers, wide at the ankles; these were the real sailor suits. They were a great worry to the boys as the collar, front and tie had to be put on correctly; the pieces often got lost and the owner was expected to find them. With these suits went reefer coats with brass buttons, emblazoned with anchors and caps or hats bearing H.M.S. Victory or some other name on a ribbon.
This outfit did include a whistle on a white cord, worn round the neck; there was a small breast pocket for the whistle and other treasures. All this was some compensation to the boy but very disappointing to him when peremptorily order to “stop blowing that whistle.” The children looking enquiringly at one another, wondering what on earth whistles were for, if not to be blown ?
Pinafores formed part of every child’s wardrobe; the boys had plain ones, without any trimming or else overalls, but the girls had white ones with embroidery or lace edged frills round the neck part, there was a narrow sash of the same material attached along the front, this was tied in a bow at the back; these pinafores were made of muslin for best and stronger stuff was used for every day wear.
When visitors came the children had to be tidied before being sent into the drawing room. The tidying consisted of much washing of hands and faces, clean pinafores for the girls, the boys simply had theirs removed, the blouse underneath was expected to be clean. Arrived in the drawing-room, the children knew that they were not expected to speak unless some one spoke to
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them; they knew that there were people who went so far as to say “Little girls should be seen and not heard, and little boys should be neither seen nor heard!” These rules were very difficult to enforce. Even the most austere parents and nurses soon realised that.
Sunbonnets made an enormous amount of work for mothers and nurses; there were frills of embroidery on them or lace, also frills round the neck, for the purpose of protecting the child’s face and the back of the neck from the sun. The bonnets had to be starched and ironed; the sun hats, sometimes worn by very small boys as well as the girls, were of white cambric and embroidered but the crown part usually came off, being in a separate piece and buttoned on, so it was easier to iron. Boys usually achieved proper hats at a much earlier age than the girls.
The boys were greatly relieved when promoted to Norfolk suits, there were not so many pieces to get lost and the jackets had convenient pockets for bits of string, stamps for swapping, pocket knives and many other possessions. The knickerbockers of these suits finished with a narrow band buckled below the knee and over black stockings. Eton suits were worn by some boys for Church and for parties but these suits were not favoured by the boys concerned as so few had them and consequently those who did wear them felt very conspicuous when so clad.
An adjunct to the grown up outfit which was of enormous interest to the young, was the sovereign case, which some men wore on the end of their Albert watch chain and they kept it in the right hand waistcoat pocket. The need for these cases arose from the coinage of the
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The Eaton suit . . . was not favoured by the boys concerned.”
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time. They looked like very small fat watches, the lid opening with a spring, when a little nob on the handle was pressed. The sovereigns were held firmly in the case by another little spring but could easily be withdrawn with a finger. Some cases had a second compartment for half sovereigns. On birthdays or other special occasions a boy or girl might be lucky enough to get one as a present. The grown-ups thought the half sovereigns rather tiresome, as when worn thin they could be mistaken for sixpences, if handed out in a hurry. Ladies’ sovereign purses were sometimes made in gold or silver of very fine mesh chain; they were made bag shaped and were carried in a larger purse or handbag. Travellers setting out to go abroad took their money in sovereigns and the members of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force who went overseas in 1914 went away with golden sovereigns in their money belts and those sovereigns were good anywhere.
19. HORSES.
HORSES were a necessity in that age, they had to be depended on for transport, until the railways were through and even then they were used for all distances within half a day’s or a day’s ride or drive or perhaps even further. Some places were not destined to have the railway so horses continued to be of the greatest importance.
Thirty or forty miles a day could be achieved with a good horse, depending of course on the state of the road, on the load and on the condition of the horse.
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These animals were temperamental in varying degrees. Some had to be considered and humoured more than others. In some cases the difficulties were owing to the fact that the horses were not properly trained, when taken over from the horse breaker. When a young horse was purchased that first owner had all the training to do, so it largely depended on him what sort of a horse that animal would turn out to be.
Many different types and breeds of horses had been imported, and New Zealand in time evolved a hardy useful kind, suitable to local conditions. At one time there were large numbers of wild horses in the King Country; from time to time horses and ponies had been let loose and others had escaped from their owners and there they ran together. Amongst those which had escaped was a very fine Arab stallion which although sighted on many occasions could never be captured. In course of time many herds formed but it was said that the progeny of that Arab horse could always be recognised. Enterprising young men used to make expeditions to the King Country for the express purpose of collecting some mounts for themselves; those expeditions were often very successful and they would return with very useful animals, young enough to be trained. One very fine skewbald horse with his mares was a well known sight in the Te Mapara Block, about fifteen miles from Te Kuiti; that was in the early years of this century. If anyone came in sight he would stand defiantly on the top of a hillock until all his mares and their young had got safely away into the light bush nearby, then he would toss his head and go after them. By degrees all were captured until he alone remained,
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but finally even he was caught and broken to saddle. In 1914 that horse could still be seen carrying his captor — a reliable and handsome steed with his thick mane and flowing tail.
Among the domesticated equines were many well bred and fine looking horses and ponies, always a choice on the market, but some were very tricky. It was tiresome for a lady when she had purchased a new hack to find him pulling up at every hotel they came to on the road and not at all inclined to proceed, expecting that she would dismount for some refreshment.
They had other individual likes and dislikes which had to be understood for easy management. Harness horses if given to jibbing at the beginning of a journey were very exasperating to their drivers and passengers, especially if there were an appointment to be kept and the animal just sat back, his toes dug in with much determination, seemingly quite indifferently to any cajoling. However various forms of inducement had to be tried with a horse of that kind; he might be all right in double harness and trot off happily with his mate, others again were almost incorrigible.
This trouble in the first place was probably caused by an ill-fitting collar used in the early stages of his training, which had made his shoulders sore. Fortunately a real jibber was rare and also these horses with tiresome propensities often went very well indeed when once persuaded to start.
There were others that wouldn’t tie up, probably horses which had had a bad fright at some time when left tied up with a rope or to a post not strong enough to hold a good pull and that would have given them the
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idea. That sort was not at all popular. All visiting, at any distance from home, and shopping were done with the family horse and trap, or else on horse back, those that wouldn’t tie up were an awful nuisance both to their owners and to their hosts when visiting. It usually meant that the older children were requisitioned as horse-minders, a very dull job; the bribe for that was the chance of driving for at least part of the way.
A horse which pulled back was a problem, he might not always do it, but if he felt in the mood, when tied he would sit back and pull with all his might and main and post, rails and rope would go flying in all directions. He could break almost any rope or strap.
A Mr. McMillan, who lived for many years at Awahuri and later in Palmerston, invented an unbreakable leather, called the McMillan leather, it was a great success and was used by some of the New Zealand troops in the South African War, but there were some horses who could even overcome that.
However, another ingenious man, Mr. Clapham of Ashhurst, invented a patent horse holder, known as the Clapham holder, one part was fastened, in a particular manner, to a wheel of the trap and the reins were tied to another part; this worked very well for a two wheeled vehicle and defeated all but the most restless animals but that did not solve the problem with saddle horses. When visiting, those troublesome ones got the best treatment, they would get the loose boxes, or a yard to themselves.
Hotels all had stables for their customers’ horses and in course of time livery stables were established in and around the towns. At these stables horses could
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be left and there they could be fed and generally cared for, whilst their owners were attending to their business or pleasures. Blacksmiths were handy to town and horses were left there when they were needing attention to their feet.
The livery stables also had horses for hire. They could be taken for the day or week or for longer periods. The Square was well provided with hitching posts and a mounting step was attached to one end of the hitching arrangement. The shops had hooks and rings on the verandah posts so that customers could hitch up their horses whilst shopping or if a horse were very restless or the shopper not very active the shop-keeper would very obligingly go out to the customer and take out whatever was wanted.
After the Waterworks at Tiritea were opened and there was a continuous supply of water, drinking troughs for horses were set up in the streets leading from the Square and there were some in the Square also; neither were the dogs forgotten, there was a smaller vessel attached at one end and set at a convenient height for them.
Newspaper boys, post boys, butcher boys and other errand boys all went their rounds on horseback; the first named with leather bags strapped over their shoulders and the butcher boys had large wicker baskets; through the handle went the boy’s right arm and he rested the basket on his knee, very heavy it must have been, when he started on his round. Orders were delivered the same day, and for those living out of town there were regular deliveries weekly. One store had a light wagon with three or four horses going up the
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Pohangina Valley and to other out-lying districts. The post boys rode round with letters to the country places from the nearest township, to which the mail would have been brought by coach, if not by rail. The country post office was an important institution.
When a good catch of fish arrived from Foxton a fish-monger would be heard calling from the street “Fresh fish! Flounders from Foxton!” He would be driving round the streets in a vehicle of chariot design and the fish was quickly sold while still fresh. The children liked the fresh flounders for tea. This same kind of chariot has been used in our own time for the delivery of milk, it superseded the ordinary spring cart type.
At the Church Service times the Church yards were well occupied by the traps, pony phaetons, dog carts and other kinds of vehicles of those attending the services. People living any distance away naturally drove or rode to Church. The whole family would be there, the children with their parents. Any children who came unattended were seated in the front row so as to be under the eye of the officiating minister, or the Sunday School teachers might be in the Choir and they could give reproving glances if there seemed to be any undue fidgeting. The horses in the meantime seemed to wait very patiently and quietly; they knew that they would only have to wait an hour and a half at the longest.
Races were a different matter, driving to the races was voted great fun and driving home afterwards was even better still, that was seldom accomplished without incident. The race-goers’ horses having heard the race
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. wanting to show that he could race too."
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horses galloping and the shouting and hurrahing, became restless and excited, so it was decidedly exciting for their respective owners to get them harnessed up and all the family safely stowed into the buggy, with the usually quiet steed prancing about and trying to be off, wanting to show that he too could race, if given the chance.
That drive home was an exhilarating affair, especially when cabs were on the road; the drivers racing backwards and forwards between the course and the town so as to get as many fares as possible, and in dry weather in clouds of dust. Now and again vehicles collided with one another which all added to the confusion.
Some horses and ponies were well known characters of the town, they became personalities in their own right. There was Dobbin, a chestnut roan, with a long tail and a very bushy mane on a well arched neck. He took a succession of children to school over many years and also for their pleasure rides. When his last owners grew too big to ride him he was put into harness, not properly broken, consequently he had his own ideas of what a harness pony should do. His usual pace was a good one for his size but if he met something on the road which displeased him he would set off at a hand gallop and it might take two to pull him in to a proper pace. He had been known to stop in the street to scratch an ear with a hind foot. At times he was very considerate to his driver, carefully looking round to watch her get into the gig, as soon as she was seated he would throw up his head, briskly trotting away, but if he thought he had been kept waiting too long he made it difficult for his driver and passengers to get into the gig; he had to be firmly held by the head until they were
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seated. He was very clever at opening gates; when he found one that he could manage he would let the other horses out too and lead them off triumphantly to his favourite place, which was down by the river and some one had to go after them to get them all home before the Borough Ranger got them, to take them off to the Pound.
Tangi was a very handsome black harness horse; he bowled his smart hooded gig along in a stylish manner and his mistress could always be certain that he would behave as a well trained harness horse should. A pretty little pair of black ponies, Taipo and Gobo, trotted their owner about in her low phaeton for her shopping and visiting expeditions. Even if only one were tied up they stood very quietly and waited patiently, they didn’t rub their blinkers off or get their heads under the pole; they knew what was expected of them and behaved accordingly.
When first rubber tyres were used on wheels small round bells were fastened to the front of the horses collar or on to the chin strap of the head-stall, this was so that they could be heard coming along the road; the rubber tyres seemed to make the wheels bowl along very silently after the grinding sound of the iron ones to which people were accustomed. Those little bells made a silvery jingle as the gigs and dog carts came by. There were lots of other interesting horses too; there was a gallant old chestnut saddle horse, called Nobby, who proudly carried his side-saddle rider; usually very sedately and correctly but when in company with other horses he could show off, careering ahead, jumping over rushes or logs at the sides of the roads. If he found the grass in his paddock was getting too short he jumped
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the fence and browsed on the “long paddock” until he saw the Ranger coming, then he would jump back into his own domain.
Driving to catch a train with horses could be an exciting experience. One day a well known lawyer who had an appointment in Wanganui was driven to the station in Palmerston to catch the train, but saw the train just steaming out as he arrived, his companion being quite equal to this emergency, set the horse off at a gallop up Main Street and caught up with the train on the rise at Vogel Street. The engine driver very obligingly slowed down and the lawyer lost no time in jumping out of the gig and scrambling on to the train, brief-bag, carpet-bag and all, so reached Wanganui in time for his engagement.
Those very showy cream ponies with the dark brown manes and tails should not be forgotten, they were well known as the Carlyon ponies, they were bred on the Gwavas Station in Hawkes Bay, owned by the Carlyon family. Those ponies were much sought after, as besides being so handsome they had excellent paces and were strong and hardy. One doesn’t see those ponies now, it seems as though the breed has been allowed to die out.
The use of horses, except for pleasure and sport, will soon be of the past, but there is still one horse drawn lorry to be seen on the streets of Palmerston, the survivor of sixty-five vehicles for carrying purposes, at one time licensed in the Borough.
This turn out belongs to Mr. David Lloyd and with his old Darkie, he threads his way amidst the mechanised traffic of today, quite unconcerned that times have changed.
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20. THE OLD ORDER CHANGETH.
GROWING up in those seemingly far off days was a thrill, life was full of wonders which are taken for granted now.
Youngsters of that time if alive now have seen Palmerston North grow from a small struggling settlement to an important commercial centre.
The bush has gradually receded, they remember the rough gravel roads, muddy or dusty according to the weather. Footpaths, if any, rough grass for half the width, finer gravel on the remaining part and after rain many pools of water to be negotiated.
All houses were of wood, either wide boards placed vertically with narrow battens to cover the joins, or else weather boarding.
Fences on the farms of rough posts and rails or what was called a stab fence, thickish stakes of wood stapled to a couple of wires, with a post here and there. Round the homes and in towns the fences were of wooden palings or pickets with gates of varying degrees of ornamentation. Perhaps flower beds in front of the house, but not always much of that. Tanks or rain barrels for water and the wells, which later on were provided with pumps. When introduced these were considered very helpful and convenient. Pumping the water was not a despised job. On the larger places there were windmills for pumping up the water, the installation of one of these was an event of some importance.
Those early arrivals have seen train services established and running in all directions and the removal of the Railway Station, in 1891, to the new site in Main
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Street, an important stage on the development of the town.
The formation of the Palmerston North Gas Company and a supply of gas for lighting, including street lighting, and for cooking, was of great help to the inhabitants in genera! and particularly to the house-wife.
Those early settlers have also seen the introduction of electricity and the development of all the attendant appliances and equipment for the home, and the factory, for all the medical services and in fact so many things, it is almost impossible to enumerate them; all this is now taken as a matter of course.
The opening of the Waterworks at Tiritea was an event which marked a stage of importance and progress in the town. The formal opening ceremony at Tiritea was followed by a demonstration in the Square, by the Fire Brigade of which Mr. F. Pirani was a leading member. At this demonstration the fire hose was attached to each of the hydrants, which had been laid on in the Square, in turn. The water was turned on full force and played on to the buildings and sometimes on the on-lookers too. They had been warned to wear old clothes.
Telephones, phonographs, gramaphones, player pianos, the cinema, wireless sets, radio telegraphy, television and many other scientific inventions have all come into general use within the last sixty years, and some of them have come into use and gone out again within that time.
The first moving picture seen in Palmerston was one of Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee Procession, celebrated in 1897. The exhibition of that film took place
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either late that year or early in 1898. The figures seemed to be moving very fast and there was a lot of flickering.
During that period transport was completely changed and the roads to serve such transport also. All this has changed from pack-horse and bullock wagon, coaches and horses, buggies and other horse drawn vehicles, including an Irish jaunting car and a Cape cart which once bowled about the streets. Steam trams on wooden rails have given place to railways, trains and railways to motors, aeroplanes and all the up-to-date means of travel and communication in operation today.
The first commercial flight from Palmerston was made in 1932, in a plane belonging to Mr. Mangham and chartered by Mr. A. Shailer, for his son who was attending the Dunedin Show. That was to have been a through flight to Dunedin but something went wrong and a landing was made at Christchurch, where all was put right and the flight was continued. The return trip being made the following day.
Many associations and societies were formed which gave valuable assistance in promoting the advancement of the town and district. The first Jersey bull to be registered in Palmerston was one belonging to Mr. F. E. Watson and later the Jersey Breeders’ Society as well as many other breeders’ associations were formed.
We have to thank the Beautifying Society for so ably laying the foundation of the lovely gardens in the Square which have given an otherwise ordinary looking site, a beauty and character of its own. The fine avenues of trees in our streets which we admire and enjoy today are also due to the work of that Society.
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Mr. Maurice Cohen and Mr. F. Nathan were amongst the leading members of that enterprise, in which so many others took part. That body of far seeing and public spirited citizens should be remembered and their achievements commemorated by those of the present day, who enjoy and appreciate the outcome of their work.
There was also inaugurated about that time, the Manawatu Philosophical Society, an association of studious and thoughtful people, keenly interested in the early history of the district. They began to make a collection of articles of historical and general interest which they hoped would form the nucleus of a museum for the town. They also had an observatory erected in the Square, to which those so minded could go on clear evenings to get a better view of the wonders of the skies than can be obtained with the naked eye.
The Palmerston North Orchestral Society, under the baton of Mr. M. Cohen was very flourishing in the nineties and early part of this century their regular concerts in the winter months were much appreciated by the honorary members and many other of the citizens. For many years Mrs. H. S. Fitzherbert was the very able and talented pianist to the Society.
The need for an institution, where old people could be cared for and where they could live comfortably, became evident towards the end of the nineties and by the beginning of this century those interested in the project became very active. Led by the Mayoress, Mrs. W. T. Wood, some money was collected to establish a fund to go towards the building of a home. As a result of their efforts the Old People’s Home at Awapuni was eventually opened.
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“. . . . as fast as they could run to the scene of the conflagration."
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Mrs. Wood was also responsible for collecting the money for the clock and chimes which for many years kept Palmerston apprised of the hour. Unfortunately the clock tower of the Post Office was removed after the severe earthquakes of the early thirties and so the clock and chimes disappeared from our midst.
Mr. Robert Edwards, an enterprising citizen, gave Palmerston children a chance of learning to swim, without having to persuade some good natured grown-up to take them to the river. This swimming bath was in Main Street, near the Princess Street corner. It was very central and convenient as it was in a well populated part of the town.
The Volunteer Fire Brigade started a lending library which was much appreciated by the subscribers and no doubt helped the Brigade funds. The Fire Brigade Station and the Library once stood in Coleman Place, in that corner near the H.B. Clothing Company premises of the present time. There was a very noisy bell suspended within the framework of a belfry, which was on the site of the original trig station. This bell was first rung by hand but after the opening of the Tiritea waterworks it was rung by water power. When a fire broke out the bell called up the firemen and it also called out a lot of other people. If the fire happened to be in the night time, some of those sightseers presented a funny sight if still there when daylight came. Having hopped out of bed and hastily donned dressing gowns or coats over night attire they would go as fast as they could run to the site of the conflagration and if it turned out to be a big one the light of the flames lit up all around and they could regard one another’s wierd appearance.
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Children thought themselves lucky if allowed to accompany their elders on those expeditions, they always hoped to see the horses galloping along with the reel.
Pioneering for the children, like all difficulties, was cushioned for them by their parents; they didn’t really feel the discomforts, or if they did they soon forgot about them, and happy the child who, like the sundial, “records only the sunny hours.”
For the housewife there were many difficulties to be overcome; things for everyday use which could not be bought had to be made, substitutes found, or simply done without. In sickness or in cases of accident people helped one another. The mother had to be doctor, nurse and almost everything else. In a case of sudden illness or accident, if a doctor were within reach one of the household would go off on foot or with a horse, and that doctor would come post haste and attend to the victim, a member of the family giving any necessary assistance.
And so a salute to those parents who brought up their large families so happily and set them out in the world self reliant and independent. May those valiant and resourceful people long remain in the memories of those who reap the benefit of that pioneering work.
But of that time, we know that in our minds
“Nothing is left to us but shadows and seeming;
Nothing is constant but change.”
Palmerston North.
January, 1954.
Charlotte Eliot Warburton M.B.E.
Having lived for so long in the district, Miss Warburton is well qualified to write on the subject with which she deals in Changing Days and Changing Ways. She came of a family closely associated with the progress of the city since its pioneering days and the author herself witnessed the advancement of the bush encompassed village through the stages of a growing town to its present status.
Born in 1883 in Palmerston North, the city has been her home town ever since except for visits to England. The first occasion was in 1898, partly for educational purposes.
At one time, she was well known in the district for her activities in connection with the Girl Guide Movement and other organisations. During World War II she was chairman of the committee of the Women’s War Service Auxiliary and it was for her services in that organisation that she was awarded the M.B.E. in 1946.
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https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/books/ALMA1954-9917504223502836-Changing-days-and-changing-ways-
Bibliographic details
APA: Warburton, Charlotte Eliot. (1954). Changing days and changing ways : collections and recollections of Palmerston North and the Manawatu district. C.E. Warburton.
Chicago: Warburton, Charlotte Eliot. Changing days and changing ways : collections and recollections of Palmerston North and the Manawatu district. Palmerston North, N.Z.: C.E. Warburton, 1954.
MLA: Warburton, Charlotte Eliot. Changing days and changing ways : collections and recollections of Palmerston North and the Manawatu district. C.E. Warburton, 1954.
Word Count
37,538
Changing days and changing ways : collections and recollections of Palmerston North and the Manawatu district Warburton, Charlotte Eliot, C.E. Warburton, Palmerston North, N.Z., 1954
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