THE RICCARTON COACH PASSES BY

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22319, 5 February 1938, Page 19

THE RICCARTON COACH PASSES BY

Men of Earlier Meeting [Specially written for "The Press” XI THE new mill and weighbridge were run by Mr John Hamilton, a short, elderly man of sober habits, who interested himself in photography. He took the only photograph extant of the “Cambria” coach, with John Wood driving and I E. Hanson and others on board. After he gave up milling George Christmas became proprietor and miller. Andrew Purvis also worked at the mill—a big man, who handled the heavy sacks with ease. Another well-known figure was Mr Charles Edward Treherne Hill, who at first was in business with his father as Hill and Son, hurdlemakers, on the South road; he afterwards took up bookkeeping. He also held the position of secretary tp the Oddfellows’ Lodge, Riccarton, for 50 years. Of unusual mental attainments, he was chairman of the school committee for years. His lather, Charles Hill, sen., had been a seal engraver in London, and Possessed not only mechanical abilbut refined and polished manners. A Saturday Night Rendezvous Brake’s store, standing a couple W chains past Blyth’s blacksmith ‘hop, provided groceries, bran, coal, eggs, etc., and on a “«urday night men in shirt-sleeves, jit hats, and dusty boots, lounged , and leaned against the various J?Jks stacked against the walls, “wool requisites for the children ere on show in the window; tinnre and brushes were suspended ora the ceiling, and a clicking, ‘Puttering Hitchcock lamp without (Mss cast a flickering light on goods customers alike. Mr Robert Brake, J.P., a churcjiw»den, with his flowing beard, was « re » there, and everywhere; and services of Mrs Brake and the ®er. children were also reWisitioned. The post office, CJ.S’ , it had been relinrf by Mr Hanson, was transged to Brake’s store; and, with Brake as acting-postmistress, to "J a *i'ed long after the coaches running. lord year 1886 ’ J am es Kntherfey, J°rnier]y farrier-sergeant of jijpiesty’s sth Dragoon Guards, darl d ® et ’ u P man of sft lOin, with ; aaitu, r an d beard, built the black- ! nn S an d set up his forge ! feiin„ . Sl ,tc next to the present OddHall. After a year or two. lLp„£ opposition, he moved to the benj C0 I J ,rse road, just opposite the themf tlle hotel. He was not left- tkjJomg. and soon afterwards , district. Hell Hv mea ntime, Mr Ben Buck6*stam ” 0 had been Rutherford’s ashig on the first shop in William 2 ame f or many years, with also-T? Blrc h as his apprentice. One ■t'pS2^ Pha Taylor, the vigneron ion A native of Bingen ctdonj .™dne, he came to the the vr? the sixties, look part in c hurch a ° n War, settled in Christbali er i in the seventies, had a ’id L! ho P in Tuam street, tom ru stores to Hokitika teg! Christchurch, having two ° n the road. At one

Days: Popular Places by E. M. LOVELL-SMITH.] time he was interested in coursing, and in his later life was a member of the Veterans’ Cricket Club. Hospitable by nature, he made many friends: and the simplicity and naturalness found in his home owed not a little to Mrs Taylor’s sweet influence. His daughter, who had exceptional musical gifts, married Mr Harry Frost, captain of the Christchurch Football Club; and his son Charles was also a player in the same team. A Versatile Artist One other character, worth mentioning is that of our village painter, Mr David Hay, “Darby” Hay, as he was affectionately termed. A Scotsman who had wheeled his barrow from the Otago goldfields to Canterbury, he settled in Riccarton A man with ideas, he educated himself and his family to the best of his ability: painted landscapes in oils and exhibited at the Art Society s annual exhibition: wrote a play, and painting the scenery for it, had it performed locally. He drew the line, however, when a farmer suggested that he should paint his prize pigs. “Thae ugly black brutes,” was his comment. He supervised his children’s home lessons, and they did well in their schooling. His idealism and sincerity of purpose were outstanding, and he left his mark when he passed on in the great procession of life. Looking back, one sees him m a long-tailed coat of black, with um-ber-coloured trousers, and a soft cap on his head, standing up in his two-wheeled cart, holding the reins attached to the bay horse m the shafts. When he wished the horse to go faster he pulled the reins hard, and the horse knew and responded. Saluting man, woman, or child with a wave of the hand and a friendly smile, the expression of his long, kindly face was a true index of his character. The coaches, the horses, and the men who laughed, joked,j md sang have, most of them, passed on, but when the day’s work is done and the log is on the fire, pictures weave themselves into the flames, arvd a chance word recalls some incident or character, and then it is that one remembers the Riccarton coach was an institution of the days gone by. Concluding notes. —The old huild- • rr at Coach Corner, known as the nlrse and Jockey Inn, was burned down It midday, Monday, Decernher 19, 1887. * , The ™ Sfs; brk* iSrt about 1831 or 1882. b WaHer Theobald also drove M. „ t; m e One rememthe oM'bfora lim hair b S\eard a whi aiisSd Mr Howard and beard, w public Librar y in Strong descendant of an those days, r ne u back to old Borman Conqueror, strong!'tbgn ified old gen.lema T n h e in ßaniS ! V|| tl e » BeShartl Baflin being a regular pasaenger on the coach.