“ROUGHING IT”

Hawera Star, Volume L, 10 April 1930, Page 21 (Supplement)

“ROUGHING IT”

ROAD=MAKING AND HORSEBREAKING

THE OPENING OP LLOYD’S HOTEL MR -A. NEWELL’S MEMOEIES OF THE ’SEVENTIES. Mr Arthur Nowell came to this locality from the Tataraimaka district as a IG-year-old lad in January, 1574, travelling round the coast via the Harriet Beach with a bullock team and a a number of loose store cattle. He was in the company of Messrs. Dingle, contractors, who were coming down to do some road-making. Beaching Opunake they procured some food from a store, and had it cooked at the police station (a raupo wharc overlooking the bay), as they did not feel sufficiently strong financially to patronise Mrs. Bartlett’s Hostelry. Proceeding on to Oeo they found the Maoris conducting a sort of hotel on the left bank of the stream, and here they procured further rations for the long journey over the flaxy plains ahead. Successfully fording all the boulder strewn streams encountered, they at length reached the Hawera settlement, and camped among the fern near the present South Eoad saleyards, young Newell cutting his own bed from dry bracken and toitoi, and lying down under the waggon for the night. In the morning before the billy was boiled, he arose early to have a look at the little township. Taplin and Muir were the principal storekeepers and occupied quite an imposing building (for the time). J. Davidson had just lately come on the scene, but his stock was as yet very limited, mostly native produce, and the usual ‘‘tin of fish and box of matches.” T. Quinlivan ran the Egmont Hotel, at the rear of the present, building, and ,T. Espagnc had another hostelry further up the street. Mr Furlong kept a billiard room, highly attractive to the natives particularly, many of whom were really good players, and Mr. Cuningham a boot shop nearby, in which the late Mi\ D. Hurley assisted. A wire fence enclosed the corner on which the Commercial Hotel now stands, and this was called the Government paddock. The blockhouse opposite was used as a courthouse, church, post office, and general meeting house. A thick gorse hedge stretched along the frontage where Bennett & Sutton’s and adjoining premises are now situate, and a grove of bluegum trees flourished just behind this fence, until young Charlie Curtis was set to work cutting them down. A smithy (Coekburn's) was established on McGruor, Bone’s corner, and the farrier’s work w r as particularly heavy, from the number of horses requiring to be shod, as everyone rode anywhere in those days. WITH THE EOADMAKEES. Finishing his term with Dingle Bros., our friend took service with. Davis and Cole, road contractors, but the latter being killed by a fall of gravel, the pit (near the Tawliiti) was condemned and the contract abandoned. Young Newell then went to help Mr. Jock Stevenson with a contract at the Oeo river, and on the completion of the work Mr. Stevenson “lent” him for a term to Mr. J. Livingston, then residing at “The Oaks,” near the Waihi stream. So pleased was the genial giant with his young assistant that he retained his services for five years, during wnicli time he planted the fine grove of trees xround the Oaks, and also part of the belts of pines sheltering the Waipapa estate. The young man carted the timber for the Oaks’ homestead (destroyed by fire many years after), procuring the pit-sawn boards from Cahill’s clearing, between Normanby and the Waingon[joro stream, and so called on account of die killing of Constable Cahill and two mates there by the Hauliaus in 18G8. I’here was then no European resident in :,hat locality except Captain Blake (who rounded Normanby). Leaving Mr Livingston’s service at ength, “Attic” took up road formaion work, assisting in laying down the Main .South Bond from the present railway crossing to Moore Hunter’s planration, opposite to where Mr P. Dowlall lived. Afterwards he went up the •oast and helped with further road work in the Kapuni, Kaupokonui and Opua localities, filling in odd time doughing and shearing. Eventually he vent into Mr T. Twigg’s employ, cuting the tracks for the new roads into lie Kaupokonui and adjoining bush docks, and also helped to open up the ikeet Eoad, making the first ford over he Kapuni river at this interseetion. Our friend, who almost lived in the addle attending Mr Livingston’s flocks mil herds on their five-mile range, laturally became an expert horseman, md later on practised horse-breaking, landling some wild and woolly mounts rom the Plains in his occupation. Alnost ev.eiy young horse then, fresh rom the freedom of the open spaces, vould buck at the first touch of the addle, and if lie didn’t buck, he would ear or kick. A favourite method of •tiling Newell’s was to handle the fracious brutes a little, put a. rope on them