FORTY YEARS AGO

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume 52, Issue 3253, 16 April 1943, Page 7

FORTY YEARS AGO

STACK DESTROYED BY EIRE

ON TRANSFER TO PAEROA MR HAROLD HAGUE-SMITH (From the Ohinemuri Gazette of April 14, 1903) We regret to learn that Mr Goonan had the misfortune to have one of his five hay stacks destroyed by fire on Tuesday morning. He can form no idea how the .stack caught, unless some wanderer had taken lodgings in it for the night and carelessly -threw down a lighted match before leaving in the morning. The fire was discovered at about 5 1 a.m., but nothing could be done to save the stack, i which, all but about a ton, .was totally destroyed. Mr Goonan valued the stack at between £so' and £6O. Had the wind been blowing in the direction of the other four stacks nothing- would have saved them from destruct-

ion. The Waihi correspondent of the Thames Star writes: "The dining-room of Meyer’s Hotel was the scene of a large gathering of friends of Mr llarold Hague-Smith, a son of the senior ‘ member of Messrs Hague-Smith and Co., on the eve of his departure for Paeroa, where he will assume a similar position in his 1 father’s business as that held by him in the branch business here. A dainty supper was laid and partaken of by about 16 people. Mr A. H. Benge, who occupied the chair, made in the course of the evening a neat little speech appropriate to the occasion, to d which Mr Smith suitably responded. The affair was a most enjoyable one.