EARLY MAYFIELD.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 56, Issue 277, 4 September 1936, Page 4

EARLY MAYFIELD.

MRS GALLAGHER’S MEMORIES, AN INTERESTING ADDRESS. The monthly meeting of the Mayfield branch of the Women’s Division was held yesterday afternoon. Mrs J. D. Murdoch presided over a large attendance. Two new members were welcomed. The roll call was thrift hints. The secretary reported that a meeting had been arranged for September 28, at which Miss Macmillan and Miss Apple, of Otago University, would give a lecture and demonstrations. The president welcomed several members ol ; the Ruapuna Division. Mrs W. G. Gallagher, of Ashburton, gave a talk on the early days of Mayiield. She recalled the days of Mayfield as she remembered them nearly fifty years ago. She congratulated the ladies of Mayfield: on their efforts to beautify the township by planting trees on tho main roadside and in the Domain. Mrs Gallagher told how she went from Ashburton to Valetta by train, thence with a horse and cart on a track through the tussocks to Ruapuna, where she took charge as the lirst teacher of the school, then called the Mayfield side school. She also recalled tho first telephone installed in Mr Dollow’s house in Mayfield. She was the lirst person to put a call through to Christchurch to speak to her mother, and Mr Gallagher was the first to put a cail through to tho County Council in. Ashburton, in his capacity as water ranger. Mrs Gallagher also told of the boundary dogs she remembered seeing, tied up at different corners in Mayfield, and at intervals along tho tracks, —as there were no roads and not a tree in sight to break the severity of the northwesters which blew incessantly. Mrs Howden proposed a hearty vote of thanks to Mrs Gallagher for her interesting talk. This was carried by acclamation. A vote of thanks was passed to Mrs J. D. Murdoch, who v though not in the best of health, attended the conference in tho interest of the branch entirely at her own expense. Mrs Robertson was in charge of the sales table, and the hostesses were Mrs G. Johnston and Mrs J. Kingan. The competitions, judged by Mrs Clifford (president of the Ruapuna division) and Mrs Allan, resulted: — Knitted scarf (3), to be sent to Sailor’s ttest, Timaru: Mrs A. Murdoch 1, Mrs J. Murdoch 2, Mrs Howden 3. Small bowl flowers: Mrs R. Oakley 1, Mrs W. Robertson 2, Mrs G. Johnston 3. Single bloom: Mrs Turner 1, Mrs R. Oakley 2, Mrs J. D. Murdoch 3. Bulbs grown in fibre (hyacinths): Mrs J. D. Murdoch 1, Mrs J. Kingan 2. Vegetable, silver beet: Mrs Neish.