WAIRARAPA PIONEER

Dominion, Volume 26, Issue 186, 4 May 1933, Page 4

WAIRARAPA PIONEER

Mr. W. J. Buck, Featherston Featherston. May 3. An old Wairarapa resident. Mr. W. J. Buck, of Featherston, celebrated his eighty-eighth birthday last. Saturday. Mr. Buck, whose health is still good arrived at Lyttelton in the sailing vessel Colombas from Devon, England, in September, .1873. with his wife and two young children. He obtained a position in Canterbury as a ploughman and at the end of Hire” years had saved sufficient money to cn.-2.de him to fake up a small farm, where he was chiefly engaged in growing potatoes. Finding these practically unsnlcablc. however, he abandoned the farm and removed to Hie Wairarapa, where he secured a job as ploughman on the Dry River estate, near Martinborougli. staying there for some three or four years. Mr. Buck then purchased a block of bush country in I’nderhill Road. Featherston. and with his two sons cleared the property, which they have farmed ever since. ' While engaged in clearing tlie hush I hey grazed a few cows on the (lais and purchased stores with the returns from tlie butter. On one occasion Mr. Buck took about half a ton of butter into Featherston, but the best: price lie was offered was id. per lb. He was not prepared to accept that offer, however, rind took the butter home again, and after salting it was later fortunate enough to find a market for it in Wellington .fit the good price of 44d. per lb. Considering his age. Mr. Buck is still an active man, and only last shearing season took bis stand at the wool table rolling fleeces. He still visits his farm every day “just to keen an eye on things.” ns he says. Mr. Buck attributes his success to the hard work of himself and his sons, combined with carefulness.