ASHBURTON ITEMS.

Press, Volume LVII, Issue 17225, 16 August 1921, Page 5

ASHBURTON ITEMS.

'■ * " gampstead Memorial Bath. At tho close of the Great War, Mrs «p H Robinson gave a quarter of an xe of freehold land adjoining the SJJnpctead school, on which it was Sposed to build a memorial hall, in LLour of the large number who went Uta the Hampstead Town Board dfe- * Set to play their part in the struggle. i fancy fn«" was he,d > resriltin g in . d. 066 1 *IOOO being raised towards building i £,ll. It v, as afterwards realised {fat this would not be nearly sufficient / ta erect a building suitable to the occa-' / *L jnd, furthermore, that the Hamp5Ld district greatly needed a swim- « Ana bath, a sum of money towards Sick h ad ***n collected. The MemoJfl Ball and Swimming Bath Committees met. and finally decided to fo] the funds, and construct a con- " Sete swimming bath, and to erect landsome memorial gates at the en- ' ttaace to the bath. This work is now fin band, and for several Saturday rnoona past a large party of willworkers have been giving their rtitt making the excavations for a i &th 75ft by 25ft. This is now nearly Sifeted. and the work of concreting &i P bath will be put m hand immeSutolr Roomy and convenient dressSUs will be erected, and, as iSn intimated, the bath will be apUMwhed through handsomely designed Semorial gates. It b proposed to hold fbk bazaar at the enS of this month, 'through which it is anticipated the Sb now in hand will be raised to , Soit £ISOO, the estimated cost of the fitfc and gates. A series of very enSable socials have recently been held ffthe Hampstead school, and the funds from this source will be devoted towards providing the necessary goods, X for the bazaar. The bath, when aJShed. will eupply a long-felt want . TSampstead, not only for the school; .children, but for the residents a £bofe, as the bath m the Ashburton f 'Amain is too far off to be taken full f 'apvintage of by the residents of Hamp- ' , !%*'■' Fat Stock and Pastures. ' \itkV the close of the mildest winter /ait-record, a number of farmers in the r district find themselves faced §a, Burplus of fat sheep on hand, f wethere, and; as the freezing are closed down, and turnips and winter feed is becoming scarce, ritfls feared the sheep will go" back in ' i//«ondition before they can be profitably "I 'Stooged of. It is considered that it $ J&e of the freezing works in Canter- ''* bury were to open temporarily; there Fiiwould be no difficulty.whatever in mustySsfing at least 8000' to 10,000 fat sheep the Ashburton district alone, and fan aSU'leare sufficient for all. local butchiVfc ««« requirements. A nice rain fell at, H§-Ae end of last week, and it has won|„4derfully freshened up the growth of fVthe early autumn-sown oats, as well as t\£»tiP whe&t « It has a,so freshened up '-'y'the grass pastureoj'arid there ; is now a $ /very perceptible,growth. The oats for |, feeia have come away well, and *.« there is every'appearand that there "*' be no shortage of feed when lamb- * ' ing becomes ".There was a fur- >■ tHer and a good iain .during: the greater > ,/part of Sundav night, and it'has how r "', penetrated well;awhinto the subsoil. * There are a good .many ; lambß; s n6w : to be seen on .variqus;parta of jthe plaiira, i 'jaid they are all vigorous and healthy. The total raiMall ''durbg^'Sußfiay sight was .25m;: making .46ih. since Friday. : <^'#--' v - : :^;.; ' The Late MttSteeL' "; During the course of his sermon at tile Baring Square Methodist Church on Sunday mornmg7 the fieri T.W.; : yealie made reieronce to the late Mrs 'Eliza-: .u f heth Steel, one'of: Ashburton's'pioneers, passed peacefully-away 'fi on the fMKfrening of Augifst, at the ripe ager ligwtf $8 years. . bhe was born in- Xeeds, |^^orkshjre, sv andf lost both parents when Ifilleftwas an infant. 'Mrs Steely with;her caW x from England to. Vic&§»lkia in "the seventies, later -coming to New Zealand, and" settling in Valley,'-'Chriatchurch, the preaent.tunnel . was SHalftyT had two young children at the WHflßm? and both'these Mrs Steel carried back over, the bridle path. 'ln |§|ls|e.t late' seventies they -ffeht to settle at Willowby, eight miles out Steel erected carried on the business of ! .. and the < occupation of mmiiltaheoiisly. -' ' they Win Blow .: Here seventually i carried * ion the business : of and wheelwright by himself, PKpUrl steei (went hack to Heathorder to .give heT:' children the lIIIIIp^^

; could he obtained in those days. About forty-five years ago they settled per manently in Ashburton, where they brought up a family of five. A" those year?, and wp to the time of her death a highly respected, and most loyal and She was a most devout member of the Methodist Church and was « loval and kind to the various ministers and iheir families who were in charge of the circuit, and in the w«**.X |£ who Vas intimately acquainted with her "As a church member she was a pattern of consistency and devotion to dug, and as a worker in every good cause >, and what/called for a woman s help she left nothing to be desired. If there were more women of her character the world would be a better place to live in. Mrs Steel wasone of the old band or colonists who never shrank from tag work, and in her younger days although having the cares of a family aa her hands, she was ever ready to give gp to those whose need might be greater than her own and many homes had be™ bSsed o "with **™gg£*"% in times of sickness and du* r « s f-, her own life she was de « d * S*™ mother, and her influence has been reflected in those of her kindred, yhocan indeed rise upland call her Chf. leaves a family of one son, w liank'sK of Anrton and two daughters (Mrs Bairstow, of Ashbur ton and Mrs Bevan, of Sydney)Mr Vealie, speaking on the subject of "Home Influences,' Y said: It is suu tone a can away Aenation's destiny. .The late Mrs Mflwaa a model Christian. She, In.ed »J«g as well as years, and made her long Irte one of continued usefulness. Her in ffuence in the home was such as to cause her children to rise up and call her blessed. In the town-litejje .was a most devoted worker, while many today recall with pleasure their association with, and kindly help/eceivedirom, her. White she was . from choice a member of tihe Methodist .Church, she was by no means narrow m hex■ Uuwtian outlook, or bigoted, m her Church viewpoint. She was ever ready to act the Good Samaritan to any m need ot help. Many stories are told of her today illustrating the truth.of this statement. She was spared to see more than fourscore years and ten, or it was devoted to helping others, in the home circle her influence was greatly felt in the moulding of true Christian character, with the result her children are worthy-citizens of a Christian country. She died as nobly as she lived, trusting in the same God, whose help she ever acknowledged in her many years of service, realising His presence and help when passing through the valley of the shadow of death. She has left a noble and lasting monument to her memory, which will ever be enshrined in the memory of those who have been stimulated by her life of true devotion and service. Drainage Scheme. The underground drainage works at Ashburton are being rapidly proceeded with., and the laying of the sewers is nearly complete on the western side of the town. The concrete septic tanks are finished and |,eady for the fittings, which are now on the way, and it is expected that the'whole of the work win be so far advanced in October as to enable all the residents on the western and southern sidesiof the, town to make full use of the scheme. ._ House connexions are being made simultaneously with the laying of the sewers, and the large iron pipes leading from "the liquefying tanks well out into the main stream of the Ashburton fiver have been laid, and the effluent from the tanks will he discharged direct into deep and swift-running water, bo that-there will ,bs ho danger whatever, of any nuisance being caused', or any danger arising from river pollution. Recently, while laying the sewers, the workmen camo across solid beds of black peat, at from ten to twelve feet, big stumps and branches of trees in a wonderful mate of, preservation, and beds of higQi-grade . .clay. The discovery of tho tree atumpß and branches wduld indicate that in. the ~remoto past the ate of the. flourishing : ,town of Ashburtdn'-'was' a dense forest. ;/ ;^aJiic7. ; '■■ The fancy dress'ball-..held under the auspices of the Ashburton Haketere Lodge was one of the most successful and enjoyable held in the Orahgti Hall for a very long-time past. About 50 couples occupied a perfectly prepared floor, and dancing was enjoyed from .about 8.30; p.m.tiu 2 a.m. to excellent musio vplayed ,fy Mrs A. Mitchell and . Messrs Olseh and.Thompson. In-addi-ction to the costumes representing Indian j chiefs and Indian squaws, Chinese, j Japanese (men audi women), the hunting, racing,; and football fields, the legal j and other professions, there were many original and •. particularly tastefully de- ■ signed arid well-mfiid« costumes worn by ■ and gentlemen, and when :; : at, the ' i fourth item ;on.>the;. the L spectecle. was ,a pleaeing one.. . •