DENNISTON

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXI, 5 January 1927, Page 3

DENNISTON

EARLY DAYS RECALLED

(By W. A. Elavell, in "Westport News.")

My first acquaintance with Dennistop was 43 years ago. [n those days everybody bad to walk up and down the. ettscp inclines from Gohn'a Greek, a tittle over a mile in length, and rising in that distance nearly 2000 feet, About this Lime, the mountain trade from Waimangaroa was being construct ■ i;d This was about 3J> miles in length. anil was a beautiful track on a fine day.

Although Denniston has lien won derfully improved in appearand, I am eure the people are no happier than wewere at that time. Small cottages and huts, arid even tents were the habitations, and the weather seemed moterigorous than even now, but I can re call no complaints. "Long" McGill had built a very lino hotel (1 thing the best on the Coast l on the brow of the hill, on the site of the present carpenter's shop, and this was the evening rendezvous of many of the men, where games of billiards and cards could be indulged in. To the more studious, the small library and reading room, with its comforting fire, was an attraction. Many families who were at Denniston before I was, are there to-day. I recall Mr Marshall,-now the local manager, Mi- G. Smith, now the mine manager, Mr G. Learmoulh, the Cummings families (Will, Jock and Peter), Mr Isaac Hodgetts and others. Another old Dennisto'niaii is Mr J. 0. Brown, now district manager. Living at Waimangaroa are others of the early pioneers at this colliery, Messrs George and John Sowerby, and others. In conversation with one of these recently, he said : "1 have seen a great many places when travelling about, but none 1 like better than Waimang." To-day, nobody walks to Denniston', A motor service carries one up «y a six-mile road. Denniston has been transformed from these earlier days, but I doubt if the people are as happy as we were.

It was th& year of my advent to Denniston that the Company's three steamers arrived from Home, the Kawatiri arrived first, followed by the Orowaiti and the Wareatea.

Prior to this, the Company shipped (he crvil in vessels r<wned or chartered, carrying about 200 to 300 tons, of which tiie Kangaroo, Merksworth, Star of the South, Lady Bird, and thy barque Celesiia will be remembered by some of (lie pioneers of the district. The specially built ships mentioned were designed to carry larger cargoes of about 500 tons each, but owing to the bad state of the, river and bar, they were found to be too large for the port, and usually had to leave with half cargoes. This proved unpayable, and they were ultimately sold to the Unirm Company, who were able to find more remunerative work for them elsewhere.