REMINISCENCES.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 3 January 1925, Page 16

REMINISCENCES.

THE “STAR” OFFICE IX THE LATE “EIGHTIES,” (“Lest we Forget-.”) Our Tokaora correspondent, in a reminiscent mood, writes as follows : “i. read,, or re-read, that excellent account ol' the fracas at the late-.Mr Andrew Hastie’s farm, Inaha, in 1886. 1 was not in that quarter at the time, as I was then acting as Your Own’ at Manutahi. When 1 had copy ready I rode into Hawera, calling at the Star office, where I would meet Mr. J. C._ Yorke, part proprietor, who sometimes acted as editor, usually when the editor (the late Mr W. A. Parkinson) was absent in Wellington on sessional duty as one of the Hansard staff. After, a. chat with Mr Yorke, 1 would drop into the editor’s room to see Mr Parkipson, who would take charge of my copy. Then 1 would find my wav to the compositors’ and machining departments, and have a yarn with the late Mr J. B. Innes, one of the proprietors, the Star then being published -by Times and Co. Mv next step was over to Mr O. O. Ekdahl. now of the Caxton . Printing Works, and after a few words with him I would gete among the compositors, first greeting the late Mr. ‘Tommy’ George, who.was the foreman of .that department. Among those -on the composing-room staff whom I: remember at the moment were Mr ‘Jim Claridge, now of North Auckland district, Mr ‘Charlie’ Evans, now in Western Australia, and Mr George Watts, stilt with the Star, and now occupying the position of foreman of the news composing 'room. By the. time I hod done .the- rounds of. the office-ply copy was set up, and I was able to see the proof. I also made a stay in the commercial office, which at one time was presided over by a brother of your esteemed Okaiawa 'correspondent, and for some time in chargeof—‘a"youth; a kind of boy; a little scrubbed boy, no higher than .’ The latter I lost sight of for over a quarter of a century, when suddenly he turned up, and I was pleased to find him installed as general manager, of the Star. I could not go into the Star establishment now and wander round like I did in the past —everyone is too busy. The clank of type-setting machines would drown all conversation, besides when I view all this modern machinery I find I am a back number—out of date and fashion. Yet if the eagle eye of the manager is not visible I linger awhile in the office to have a word with the lady members of the staff; but the old-tipie easygoing ways and chat are things of the past. Everyone then ' knew everybody else., and that brings nie back to the Hastie farm fracas. Every name of pakeha. and Maori named I knew at the time or since. Nearly, all have now gone west; A short time before this affair occurred I used. to. be hobnobbing at Taumaha, near Manutahi, with the Maori, warrior Titokowaru. I hod many chats with him through an interpreter. I came with a bad impression of the old chief, but admired the way he moved about among his people.' The nakeha girls used to go Up to him and chat away with him in. a friendlv manner. I 'left him convinced that lie was a very kindly old man, who acted just like a pakeha father or grandfather to the younger generation. When he was in a good, mood his face brightened up, and then gave one. the 'idea that his inclinations were on the side of justice, law and order. " • “The reporter qf the whole affair was Mr J' C. Yorke. who resided on the north side of the road opposite to where the Riverdale cheese, ‘ factory how stands, find the steen bill is called td the present dav ‘York, Hill.’ Mr Yorke told me he risked his life in going into such a seething mass of combatants, and spent hours in writing up a good report for the Press Association, which wa.s telegraphed all over the Dominion, and for all his risks, labour and trouble he received the munificent sum of one guinea. Is it any wonder literary, men.' reporters and own correspondents are sc. poor ?” \