WELL-EARNED REST.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVII, Issue 10, 10 December 1936, Page 5

WELL-EARNED REST.

Jill ALFRED EADE RETIRES. Commencing work at the age of eignt years, Air Alfred Eado, who lias been in business in Feiiding since four years after its founding, lias retired to a well-earned rest at the age] of 75. Mr Eade has seen Feiiding j grow from bushland to a prosperous ! toivn, and his association of close on 50 years with it makes him one of its best-known citizens. Coming from Old Ford, London. Mr Eade was born at a period when it was the custom to begin work at an early age, and when e.glit years old he had entered the booimaking business. Small wages and long hours j were his portion in learning his trade, but he gained proficiency in this work and at the age of 12 was making! boots and shoes, receiving 4Jd for a ( pair of boots and for a pair of | children's shoes. There wa.s little re-; spite from the daily task, which commenced at 8 o'clock in the morning and finished at 7 o'clock in the evening. At the ago of 16 years he decided to follow his brother, who had migrated to New Zealand and, with a cousin, took passage in the ship Gainsborough. The ship carried uOO immigrants as well as a. big crew. The voyage occupied four and a-half months, and on arriving in Wellington on a Saturday afternoon Air Eado was met by his brother who introduced him to Mr Hannah's boot store in Cuba Street, where he was engaged to commence work on the Alondii.y morning. Here he was most agreeably surpr.sed to find employment at 25s a week, more than twice the amount he had been paid in London for natch longer hours, Mr Eade was laid up for some time alter an accident, and on recovering entered the business of cabinct-mak- | ing. "With his la.te brother, Mr J. \V. j Eade, he came to Eeilding for a day in 1878, lour years after Feiiding was founded, and then entered the caomet- ] making business of Air F. \V. Venn, of Falmerston North, where he remained for a year. His brother established the original business of the firm of Eade and Sons in Feilding in 1879 in I a little shop in Manchester Street. | Mr Ea.de recalls that when it was

decided to build on the present site of the firm's premises lie assisted in lolling the trees and when the pretentious building commenced to take shape, the settlers of the town became convinced that the Eade brothers were quite mad in building such premises, 'lime proved they were necessary and thev have served well for almost 50 years. Mr Eade took over the business from his brother in 1887 and has now retired alter 67 years' active work at the y.ge of 75 years. The management of the various branches has been taken over bv his three sons, Messrs C. H. Eade, \V. A. Eade and P. C. Eade.