PERSONALITIES

Manawatu Times, Volume LV, Issue 7169, 17 March 1930, Page 6

PERSONALITIES

ONE or THE PIONEERS. Before he is introduced to you, there is no mistaking the fact that Hughie Osborne, of Apiti, has seen many a hard day when life in the backblocks was ceaseless toil and little reward. He is the typical pioneer, bronzed and hardy and his recollections of the 90’s would fill a book. Many miles of the Pohangina valley has he covered on horseback when there were no roads and the riverbed was the main highway. Horses then must have been very hardy, he says, to cover 60 and 70 miles a day three times a week. In one way journeying was easy in that there were no fences and one could take a direct route across country. Hughie used to carry a hammer in his pocket so that when he did meet a fence, it was only the matter of a minute or two to unstaple the wires, pass over and replace the wires again. Many miles did he cover in tills fashion in valuing for the Government when settlers were just sowing the slopes after the “bum.” Tor many years he also occupied a chair at tho Pohangina County Council table.

Mr L. O. Wilkinson, a member of t-he clerical staff at the Palmerston North railway station has left for the North on annual leave.

Mr G. C. Burton, of the platform staff at tho Palmerston North railway station, left on Saturday on transfer to Bunnythorpe. Mr P. Sarron, the well-known boxer, who was the guest of Mr E. L. Barnes at the Grand Hotel over the week-end will return to Wellington to-day. Mr H. E. Ellery, of the stationmaster's staff at the Palmerston North railway station, is at present spending a holiday at Auckland on annual leave. Mr F. J. Grose, and Miss E. Martyn, of Canterbury, arrive in Palmerston Nortl to-day after competing at the Dominion athletic championships at Wanganui, and they will bo the guests of Mr and Mrs J. A. Cooksley, of Longburn, until Wednesday.

Major A. H. Bathurst, private and military secretary to tho GovernorGeneral, Lord Bledisloc, and Sir John Hanham, one of his Excellency’s aides de camp, arrived by the Corinthic in Auckland from England yesterday Major Bathurst was accompanied by his wife. The party, which included members of the household staff, left for Wellington by the Limited express last night.

Guests at the' Midland hotel during the week-end were as follow: Mrs Speedy, Dannevirke; Mr I. Speedy, Masterton; Mrs Taylor, Akitoa; Mr and Mrs Kenney, Mr Shakelford, Auckland; Capt. and Mrs Bcllington, Bulls; Mr Raff a, Mr Thawaites, Dr. Bussell, Mr and Mrs Massey, Capt. and Mrs Poster, Misses Foster, Mr Mitchell, Wellington; Mr and Mrs Gilman, Masterton; Mr B'. Smith, Taiha-pe; Mr and Mrs Houbin and family, Levin; Miss G. Barry, Mr Kerr, Napier; Mrs Kerr, New Plymouth; Miss L. Young, Mrs E. Griffiths, Lower Hutt.