OLD SCRAP BOOK

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLVII, Issue 79, 2 March 1927, Page 8

OLD SCRAP BOOK

LEAVES FROM ITS PAGES. PALMERSTON NORTH INCIDENTS. BOROUGH INAUGURATION BALL. A 'wealth of interesting _ information about Palmerston North in the « ar Y days is contained in a scrap book owned by the late Mrs G. M. Snelson, presented to the Palmerston North Museum, and upon its abolition stored in the Municipal Library. Disconnected as the paragraphs here assembled are, they afford some striking sidelights on the early life .of the municipality. One of the first pages contains a programme of the visit to Palmerston North on Monday, October 17, 1892, of His Excellency the Governor the Earl M Glasgow. There was a guard of ‘hpßur oil the railway platform wher JHan address was presented before His Excellency drove to an hotel. The after dinner drive included en route Richter, Najinestad and Cos. roller flour mill, the hospital, Terrace End (-School, Campbell Street School, College Street School, the old racecourse by Park Road and the Showgrounds. When the modern devotee of the dance hall believes that present day dances are far more animated and prolonged affairs than similar gatherings of the ’eighties in such a village as Palmerston North then was, he is sadly in error. A report of the Borough Inauguration Ball in the public hall, after alluding to the decorations, which included the floral lettering “Advance Palmerston,” goes on to state that “in very unmistakable measures ‘there was a sound of revelry by night’ which was kept up with unflagging zeal until 6,” o’clock the next morning!” The then Mayor (Mr Snelson), partnered by Mrs Macarthur, of Feiiding, opened the ball, Mr Halcombe following with the Mayoress. The chairman (Mr A. E. Halcombe) then made reference to the inauguration of the borough which the ball was held to celebrate. He was reminded, he said, of the time only a few years before when, while travelling from Foxton to Palmerston North, he met a lady looking over a gate. She expressed disappointment at his appearance, stating that she had “hoped to see a woman that day,” as she, had not seen one of her oven sex for nearly two years, such was the unsettled nature of the country! “But when we look around us,” continued Mr Halcombe, “wo see comfortable residences, fine public buildings and signs of improvement everywhere.” He regretted the antagonism. which had been aroused by the efforts of Palmerston North to secure self-government and believed that one part of the district ought to rejoice in the success of another. He toasted the new borough coupled with the name of its first Mayor (Mr G. M. Snelson). - , < Replying, Mr Snelson declared that his heart was in the advancement of Palmerston North which was a wonder to outsiders, for they asked “what makes the place progress?” Some, Mr Snelson declared, said that it was the- public works, but he believed that it was the wealth of the district, which had “large tracts of . valuable timber and rich land.” He paid _ a cordial tribute to the Scandinavian settlers, following which the. health of Mr Halcombe was drunk in champagne. Messrs Jas. Linton, S. Abrahams, Knocker and Smyth were the other speakers of the evening. EARLY SCHOLARS.

The names of scholars of the Palmerston North School who received prizes at one of ihe early annual functions will recall to many still resident in the district their childhood days. They are as follow: Standard I.—W. Keeling, J. Beale, F. Maul, W. Holt, C. Dawick, Jos Batchelar, C. .Larsen, B. Newcombe, C. Erenfitrom,! V. Coleman, Emma Manz, Annie Innes, Jessie Laurenson, Augusta Myers, Annie Erenstrom, Amy Phillips, Grace Hosking, Clara Aldridge, Louisa Aldridge. Standard lI.—S. Morshead, Jas. Innes, C. Nathan, A. McDonall, E. Lyon, 0. Bergesen, T. Thompson, E. Mackie, K. Kroupa, Elizabeth Innes, Kate Jamieson, Jackson, Norsh, Louisa Tricklebank, Annie Relf. Standard Hl.—Edmund Dillon, George Innes, Elizabeth Milverton. Standard IV.—Julia Waldegrave. Standard V. —G. Levy, Mary Goodlsson and Emma Relf. ANGLICAN CHURCH FUNCTION. A Tnost interesting reference is that .to the laying of the foundation stone of the old Anglican Church by All’s Snelson (a charred portion of the scrap book eliminates some of the preliminary details). Performing the ceremony Mrfe G. M; Snelaon said:— “I lay this foundation block of the English Church in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost. I feel greatly honoured by being called upon to lay this foundation block of the first Church of England in the Upper Manawatu district, and I trust Almighty God will seal it with His blessing. ... I trust also that the Church of England will make every effort to centralise and establish itself in the new district around us.” Previous to the block being lowered a bottle containing a record and some coins was inserted in a hollow made for the purpose. The record in question set out the building committee as being Messrs Geo. M. Snelson, J. T. Dalrymple, H. S. Palmerson, E. Marsh, Robert Keeling, Jas. Green, Ed. Brightwell, the Bishop of the Diocese, < Octavius Hadfield, the Incumbent, the Rev. Henry Bevis.

Mrs Snelson laid on the block the contributions of two Maori chiefs, Peeti and Hone Meihana. In all £8 12s, described as a “munificent sum,” was collected at the gathering. At a later date is a report of the consecration of the new south aisle of All Saints’ Church, the Bishop of the Diocese reading the dedicatory prayers, the service being sung by the vicar (the Rev. C. Coleridge Harper) and prayers read 'by the Revs. F. 6. Nelson and A. S. Innes-Jones (Feilding). The Rev. R. Young, a former Vicar of All Saints’ and at the time of Carterton, was present. Mr Drew conducted the choir, Miss Drew was organist, and the sermon was preached by the' Rev. G. B. Maclean, of Wanganui. PERSONAL ITEMS. The death of Mr John B. Dungan, one . of the very earliest journalists in the Manawatu, is feelingly referred to in newspaper reports. The late Mr Dungan, in a posthumous reference, was described as one of the most powerful and versatile journalists in the colony. Mr Edward Collins, senr., of Rangitikei Line and Mrs Collins, it is stated, arrived here in 1878 or 1879 and acquired Mr McNeil’s property. A manuscript note' interspersed between the leaves of the book mentions that Mr and Mra J. 0. Batchelar landed in New Zealand in the early part of

1866 and arrived in Palmerston North in 1877 to buy the Royal Hotel, A newspaper cutting contaihs an obituary notice of the late Mr Joseph Nathan, who is described as one of New Zealand’s most prominent merchants and a powerful factor in the development of Palmerston North. A man of clear vision, he foresaw the possibilities of Palmerston North; was a stout advocate of the Manawatu railway (of which he was one time chairman of directors—before th© sal© of the line to the Government), and with others he was responsible for the constitution of the Wellington Harbour Board, A souvenir card of the opening of the Palmerston North Hospital bears the signature of the first secretary (Mr Walter Rutherfurd) and the date November 21, 1893. OLD CONCERT PROGRAMMES. The names of many old Palmerston North settlers are recalled in some of the concert programmes contained in the scrap book. One of April 26, 1877, contains those of Mesdames Akers, Marshall, Simmonds, Snelson, Keeling, Leary, Hoe and Marsh, Rev. T. G. Hammond, Rev.‘S. Lawry, and Messrs Graff, Richter, Jacobsen, Anderson and Lingren- “God Save'the Queen” was the National Anthem which concluded public functions at this period of British history. Of an early concert in aid of the Church of England parsonage fund it is stated that it was a “huge success,” £7 to £8 being taken at the door. A oolumn report mentions the names of Mesdames Holt, Marsh, Snelson, Miss Atkinson, Mesdames Rockell and Keeling, Messrs King, Hayns, Batchelar, B. Pirani, Seaton and others. Even a church concert was sharply criticised in those days and' such comment as “we confess that we liked him less in this number than any previously”; “the glee was just passable,” and “an absence of musical accompaniment,” were common. A Scandinavian glee at this entertainment was one of the chief delight* of the evening. The co-operative spirit of the pioneers is evidenced in these old concert bills which disclose that usually the same people figured in both Roman Catholic and Protestant Church efforts. Still more concert performers of the time were Misses M. Skerman, Steven?, Sandilands, Young, McKenzie, Mesdames Holt, Stace, Watson, Menzies, Lloyd and Messrs P. E. Warburton, Meyrick, Turner, Dr. Maclachlan, Podevinj Whibley, King and Menzies. MAIN TRUNK l/nE QUESTION. On April 13, 1892, Mr G. M. Snelson, Mayor of Palmerston North, presided at a meeting held at Wellington, of the Central Railway League with the object of taking steps to prevent a diversion of the v.ote for the North Island Main Trunk Railway. Dr. Newman, M.H.R., was among those present. The chairman alluded to the importance of Palmerston North and urged the expenditure of the vote on. the- main central line to Auckland. Other speakers decried the proposal to make the line via Stratford as was then suggested in some quarters, and eventually a motion “that the North Island Main Trunk Railway be proceeded with immediately,” was carried. JOURNALIST GAOLED. Among this collection of items is a paragraph appearing after the death of Mr Thomas Wilmor McKenzie, described as' the first Maoriland journalist to be gaoled for affirming the liberty of the press) Reporting a Supreme Court case he made some comments upon thii action of His Honour when dealing! with a grand and a common juror who • arrived late at the precincts of justice, doth blamed their watches, but while the grand juror, a man of cash substance was excused, the commoner was fined k 5. McKenzie, then, commented upon the facts, and refusing to apologise, was gholed, only to be released when Governor Grey at Auckland heard of the matter. The liberated journalist was welcomed at a mass meeting of citizens, but the judge stayed away, abandoned wig and gown, and left New Zealand. Other extracts from the scrap book will be published in a later issue of this journal.