THE FIRST DAILY NEWSPAPER IN NEW ZEALAND.

Evening Post, Volume XLI, Issue 138, 13 June 1891, Page 1 (Supplement)

THE FIRST DAILY NEWSPAPER IN NEW ZEALAND.

« Some English papers have recently puV« lislied certain statements regarding the establi.shment of tho first daily paper in New Zealand (tho Otago Daily Times) and Mr. B. L. Furieon'i connection with thht important event, which were not only incorrect, but misleading and exaggerated. The.so statements have bean reproduced in Substance by some colonial paper?, and I do not think they should pass unnoticed. Tho public are asked to beliove that Mr. Farjeon was the founder of the Otago Daily Times and its first editor, with the addition that it was such a very ono-horse affair at the outset that he frequently had to set the matter, print tho paper, and even deliver it frdm door to door. Probably Mr. Farjeon would have been willing and able to do all these things had the necessity existed ; but it did not, and I know him too well to believe that he would desire t* obtain any credit not really due to Mm. Mr. Farjeon was not tho founder of the Otago Daily Times, ho never edited it, and although I have occasionally seen him sot a stick or so of matter on a upecial occasion, or to let a hand have a spell, the idea of his having to set, print, or "run" the paper is simply ludicrous Mr. Fnrjeon's connection with the Times from the first was that of Business Manager ; and iv that capacity he sbowod great ability and energy such as few men could have displayed. As I was one of the original staff of the Otago Daily Times, and had for several years been connected as contributor, correspondent, and, when the Provincial Council was sitting, reporter, with the Otago Witness before the Times was established, it has struck me that a few facts connected with that interesting event — the publication of the first daily newspaper in a country whore there aro now so many — may not be uninteresting. In June, 1861, the Provincial Council of Otago was in Bession, and I was as üßual reporting for the Witness — then, aa now a weekly paper, of which Mr. W. H. Cutten, Commissioner of Crown Lands, was proprietor and editor, and Mr. Daniel Campbell manager and printer. In the last week of June, on the 29th, Dunedin was thrown into a state of great excitement by the receipt by the Superintendent (Major Richardson) of a letter from Mr. Gabriel Read, dnted Tuapeka 24th Juao, announcing the finding of rich gold deposits in a gully that was afterwards called by his Christian name— tho famous Gabriels. Mr. Read was well known to me; and before he went out prospecting, encouraged thereto by certain indications previously discovered by Black Peter, he had been working on my father's place at Waihola, and with the late Mr. John Hardy, of Helensbrook, Tokomairiro. Mr Read's announcement led to tl'e immediate despatch by tho Provincial Government of the Chief Surveyor (tho late Mr J. T. Thompson) to report. The result of hia visit was awaited with groat anxiety, although few people fully realised the importance of the matter or the vast change* Mr. Read's discovery was to make in Otaao. Mr. Thompson's report was I think dated July Oth, and it and a letter from Mr. J. L. Gillies wore at once communicated to the Provincial Council. Both documents bore testimony to the genuine character and value of tho discovery, and showed that there were already a large nnmberof people working on the ground and several rich claims open. The Council immediately prorogued, and I left for Tuapeka with instructions from Mr. Cutten to act as correspondent for the Witness. This I did throughout that severe winter, doing a little digging, storekceping and goldbuying, as well as keeping tho Witness supplied with information, Jock Grahum beiupr the Mercury on whom wo depended for the conveyance of letters. In October I received instructions from Mr. Cutten to return to town to report the proceedings of tho Council, then about to re-assemble for what it was known would bo a very important session, the prospects of tho Province haying altered so greatly during the recess. A few days before I hud to leave, Mr. C. Cole drovo over Mt. Sfewart to tho Gully, and determined that the routo was practicable for the enterprising Cobb and Co. to establish a line of coaches. On the night before my departure the first of the line, driven by Jimmy Swanston with Joe Mills as assistant, arrived with passengers, including two females, whose advent created considerable excitement, and next morning I was ono of three persons who booked for town. It took us two days to get there, tho first night being spent at East Taieri. I may on some future occasion describe the journey, and noto other incidents connected with tho early days of Gabriels. The Council was opened on October 23rd, and shortly after it became known that a journalist recently arrived from Victoria, a Mr. Julius Vogel, was writing for tho other Dimcdin paper — the Otago Colonist. Mr. Cutten, tho proprietor and editor of the Witness, although a. brilliant and witty writer, had a constitutional distaste for work, and between his official duties, hi 3 duties in tho Council, and his editing the paper, liia hands were more than full. It was soon noticed that he was becoming intimate with Mr. Vogel, and ono day I learned in the Witness Office that Mr. Vogel had joined Mr. Cutten in partnership, and that there were going to be changes in the paper. Some said it would probably be published three times a week. Ono individual who suggested there might be a daily issue was laughed to scorn ; but Mr. Campbell, who was of a very conservative turn of mind, looked uneasy ; and very soou it beoarae known that tho Otago Daily Timos was to appear, with Messrs. Cutten and Vogel as proprietors, Mr. Vogel as editor, and Mr. B. L. Farjeon (who had accompanied Mr. Vogel, I think, from Victoria) as Manager. Most people thought the venture a mad ono, and predioted an early collapse ; but Mr. Vogel was full of enterprise and energy and laughed at these dismal prognostications. The prospectus was issued, and preparations pushed vigorously forward. Mr. Vogel, to whom I had been introduced, offered me tho reportership of the Times, or the goldfields correspondency, at a good salary if I liked to go back. I elected to remain in town, and Mr. George Brodie (who was afterwards ono of the Goldfields Representatives in Parliament, and who had then recently arrived from Melbourne) went to Lawrence in my place. The Council waj prorogued on the 11th of November, and four days afterwards, on the loth November, 1861, the first number of the Otago Daily Times, and the first daily newspaper published in the Colony, saw the light. The original staff consibted of Mr. Vogel, tho lato Mr. W. H. Harrison (afterwards editor of the Wellington Independent and Groy River Argus, and M.P. for Greymouth), and myself, on tho literary staff, with Mr. Farjeon as Business Manager, Mr. Campbell still representing Mr. Cutten with the Witness. Wo had exceedingly hard work of it, and a days after Mr. Vogol, Avho was then lodging at an establishment known as Tamora House, was seized with one of his constitutional attacks of gout and confined to bed, where Mr. Harrison and myself used to have to interview him to receive instructions and to write down articles from dictation. Misfortune scorned to dog the steps of tho now venture. On Sunday morning, December Ist, I was roused from sleep just as the day was breaking, by the alarm ot fire. I was living in Moray Place, and it was of course my duty to report any fire. I hurriedly dressed and ran through tho cutting, down Princess-street, to notice people making towards our own office in South Princess-streot. Quickly I found that tho fire had broken out in Cargill and Co.'s store next door to tho Times and Witness, formerly Captain Cargill' 9 residence. Tho moans for extinguishing fire in Dunediu were then very primitive, and there was no gravitation water supply ; but there were lota of willing hands to holp — diggers just arrived from Melbourne on their way to the goldfields. Lines of men were formed from the sea, jnsfc across the street, and buckets of water rapidly passed \i[> tho rather ste9p bank. The small manual onginc was got to work, but the fire spread rapidly, and it soou became evident our office could not be saved. A printing office is not a nico place to clear out in a hurry by unaccustomed hands, and a good many of our willing helpers showed more zeal than knowledge. One fine specimen of a digger noticed one of the outer formes' '

of tho Times" at hand, and with a hoist he placed it on his head. In amoment hehad the "chase " hanging round hi» neck, and was covered in a shower of type. Never did a man look more astonished. Although the loss was a serious one none of us could help laughing. We saved a good deal of material, but the machine could not be moved ; and someone, if I remember rightly, cracked the cylinder by throwing water on it when red hot. We were in a terrible quandary, but Mr. Lambert, tho proprietor of the Colonist, came manfully to our aid, offering us tho uso of his plant, but ho was a very religious man, and would not let us into his office until after midnight, as it was Sunday. At that hour one of his daughters gave our staff admibsion. We had in tho meantime, thanks in a large degree to Mr Farjeon's energy, got the temporary uso of a largo iron store in Stufford-street, not far from the Colonist office, and to this everthing saved from the firo was quickly removed and got into such order as was possible. We had all a severe cc I*/1 */ and night's hard work, but the Otago Daily Times, although somewhat phomof its fair proportions, duly appeared next morning with a full account of the fire. Very soon after this Mr. H. W. Robinson, the present R.M. of this city, arrived from Melbourne as sub-editor. It was in the Stafford-street premises I first mot him. Our offices were quickly rebuilt, and before many weeks we were again iv Princess-streot. The late Mr. Alec Reid, so affectionately remembered by all old pressmen in the Colony, had in the meantime joined the staff as a reporter, and a dispute between him and Mr. Farjeon soon after we got into the new premises caused tho latter's position, as connected only with tho commercial department, to be very clearly defined by Mr. Vogel. Mr. Reid was the most unassuming and forbearing of men, but one night he complained to me that he really could not stand Mr. Farjeon interfering with the reporting work and " bossing round." Mr. Farjeon had given him some instructions which clashed with mine. lat once saw Mr. Farjeon, who claimed the right, as manager, to give the reporting staff instructions. I refused to admit this, and insisted on the question being referred to Mr. Vogel, who, without hesitation, at once decided that Mr. Farjeon had no right to interfere with the literary staff. This little incident made no difference in the friendly relations botwoen Mr. Farjeon and myself or his with Mr. Reid. Wo were, I think, all bottor friends afterwards, and I believe I was the last man in New Zealand to shake hands with him when he left this port by one of the last Panama steamers en route for England, where, as a novelist, fame and fortune wore deservedly awaiting his achievement. I have had several proofs of kindly remembrance from him since, aud only a fow weeks ago I received a message from him to tho effect that he hoped to revisit this Colony within the next year. Tho only literary work I ever knew Mr. Farjeon do on the Otago Daily Times while I was on it, was to write the dramatio notices. He was an excellent critic, and had a great taste for theatrical matters. For politics or public affairs generally he had no taste, and editing a daily paper would have been entirely uncongenial work. Of the dramatio writing done by Mr. Vogel, lir. Farjeon, and myself at a somewhat later period, I may speak again. I left the Times through aa "attack of colonial fever (typhoid) early in 1362, and when, aftor a serious and nearly fatal illness I recovered, I was forbidden to resume newspaper work for at least a year. While I was ill th« late Mr. E. Fox, who afterwards followed Mr. Vogel's political fortunes and became Secretary to tho Cabinet joined the staff as chief reporter, and Mr. Reid went to Port Chalmers as shipping reporter. Subsequently Mr. Farjeon joined Mr. Vogel as a partner in the Times and Witness, Mr. Cutten retiring, and ultimately the papers passed into other hands. My connection with the Times, as a correspondent and contributor, lasted for a great many yoars after I left the reporting staff, and under various proprietors, until my r _*' "bu as then manage of tho Press Asso j.. compelled me to cease acting for any particular paper. Mr. John Knowles was the Wellington correspondent of the Otago Daily Times for the first SbVen or eight years of its existence, and by hia admirable letters framed credit for himself and tho paper. When ho retimd shortly after my arrival to reside in ■Wellington, I succeeded him. Just about the time I left Tuapeka to, as it proved, take part in launching the Otago Daily Times, Captain Baldwin, now proprietor of the j N.Z. Times, and who was one of the ' pioneers of tho Waitohuna Goldfields, doing also, I think, a little newspaper correspondence, was appointed Commissioner (a title since changed to Warden) at that place, and just about when the Otago Daily Times was to be published the Superiutendent of Otago, Major (afterwards Sir John) Richardßon, offered me an appoiutment in the goldfields service, also at Waitohuna. I, however, declined it, preferring my press prospects. Somo timo after Captain Baldwin retired from official service ho became still more closely connected with the Dunedin Press. Mr. Robinson, on tho contrary , after a time accopted a goldfields appointment. It is a singular chance which, aftor nearly thirty years, brings us all together in Wellington in our present respective positions, ulmostthe only survivors of tho Otago press men of those days now in tho Colony. It is interesting to note that Mr. George Fenwiok, now the energetic and popular Managing Director of the Otago Daily Times and Witness Company, served his apprenticeship in the Witness Olflco under Mr. Campbell. To Mr. (now Sir Julius) Vogel I owe the impression upon my mind by example and precept, both whilo I was on his staff and afterwards, of a true conception of tho vocation of a journalist. Mr. Farjeon deserves every credit for the energy and business acumen he displayed in aiding to launch and firmly establish a risky venture, but to Sir Julius Vogel belongs the sole and uudivided credit of being the founder and father of the daily press of New Zealand. E. T. G.