Glimpses Of The Past

Northern Advocate, 15 January 1948, Page 7

Glimpses Of The Past

In the classified advertisements several small houses are offered to let, while Messrs Carter wished to receive a limited number of young gentlemen for board and education on the principal of religious, moral and intellectual training.

A public meeting for the purpose of forming the Otago Horticultural Society was advertised to be held in the school house on December 14, at 6 o'clock p.m. i Mr W. H. Cullen advertised that 52 casks of Tennant’s East India Pale Ale would be sold at his store. Alexander Archibald advised that he had now acceded to the demands of the public by opening at a new shop, second door north of the brick building, a shaving and hair-cutting business.

A number of advertisements offered horses and cattle, including bullocks and milch cows for sale. John Morrison begged to respectfully inform the inhabitants of Dunedin and the surrounding district that he had commenced business as a boot and shoe maker. As he carried on Tor some years in Scotland the business of boot-tree and last maker and having a knowledge of both trades he was convinced that he could supply all with very superior fittings. There was only one birth notice in the first issue of the Witness. This reads: “At Ratray Street. Dunedin, on the 19th ult„ the wife of Mr James Cullen, of a son.”

“On Monday the 3rd inst., we had the pleasure of witnessing the launch of the first vessel built in this settlement. We have not been furnished with her tonnage or other particulars but we hope to be able to give same in our next. Though weather was unpropitious, yet we observed a goodly sprinkling of company and the whole affair went off very satisfactorily,” reports the paper. Customs duties of the day were shown as, British and Foretyn spirits 5/- per gallon, tobacco 1/- lb., cigars and snuff 2/-, wines 20 per cent, malt liquors 15 per cent, munitions of war 30 per cent, foreign goods and produce 12 per cent. Glass bottles (full). specie, bulbs and plants, live animals and printed books were admitted : o the country duty free. Prices of foodstuffs ruling on the Dunedin markets were:—First flour 52/6 per 2001 b bread 1/- 41b loaf, beef 6d to 6Jd, mutton 6d to 61d, pork 6d, fresh butter 1/6.

Salt cost 1/4 per lb while tea was quoted at 1/8. New potatoes were quoted at 6/- to 6/6 a cwt.

Nearly a column of the paper was given over to shipping news of the day and this showed five vessels arrived at the port and four sailed for the period from January 13th to 28th. One vessel, the Pioneer, remained in port. Included in the cargo lists of many of the vessels were numerous barrels of whisky and wine. Tea was also apparently drunk copiously in the early Scottish settlement, as one list contained 40 full chests and 20 half chests of tea. Cordials included ginger wine, lemon syrup, peppermint. clove, cherry brandy, rum, shrub, brandy bitters, gin bitters. Noycau and Norfolk punch—all these arriving in one dozen cases. Perhaps it will be with the modern versions of these that the Otagoites will now drink to the past, present and future during the centennial celebrations.