EARLY DAYS

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

EARLY DAYS

EXPERIENCES IN MURCHISON DISTRICT Speaking to a "'Mail" representative Mr J. W. Hodgkin'sou, of'Murchison, said he felt the younger generation should be kept well" in touch with the experiences of the pioneering days. He gave us some interesting notes which he and Mr John James tiad prepared of one of their trips of fifty odd years ago. Mr James made his first trip to "Hampden" (as Murchison was then called) on a pony. Later, as means of communication improved, both he and Mr flodgkinsori carried provisions with pack : horse, dray and waggon. Mr Hodgkinson first caino to the district with Ml' Rochfort's survey party and packed supplies with horses lrom Foxhill right' through to the lhatigahua Landing. They frequently had to unload the pack-horses when they got bogged, and on one occasion this happened practically on the present site of the Glenhope railway station. The pack-horses went by way of Fern Flat and crossed the Butler about a quarter of a mile above the Lyell on a punt. From there by pack track to Inangahua" Landing. (Jri one occasion , they rah short of provisions! arid Mr Hodgkinson was sent to the Lyell township for four loaves of bread. For these he paid 3s 6d each j flour was then £5 10s for a, one hundred pound bag. The journey from Foxhill to the Landing ordinarily occupied ten days. There were few houses along the route in those days. There was a bark hut at the Owen, owned by the late John. Dellow; only two'bark ~huts in Hampden (now Murchison township); one occupied as a dwelling and the other used as a store,; and owned by Arthur Bowe; an accom-; modation house at Fern Flat owned by Charlie Wolfe »'»d Alf. Jecklin; a, house on Four Biver Plain just about where Mr C. Nelson's house now stands, owiied by Mr Handyside, and an accommodation house near where Mr Higgiris's house now is, completed the dwellings on Four River Plain, in all, six habitations from" the Owen to the Lyell. Mr Handyside was in those days noted for his exceptional ability and skill. He designed and erected the first suspension bridge over the Wairau. river, about seven miles from Hahmer. He also was the first to design the double tramway system of working very steep inclines and went Home to market his invention. , Mr James made his first trip to Hampden in October, 1872. Since then he made many trips with packhorse, dray and waggon. He and Mr Hodglunson used to load up at E. Buxton and Co.'s in Nelson, and start on the long journey to Hampden. Later they were carting by dray from Belgrove to Waiiti, over the Bay Saddle and the Gordon' Downs, across the Motueka river and over Davy's Hill through the Big Bush to Tophouse, past the Roundeli and down the Black Valley to Lake Botoiti. Here was a favourite camping place. After leaving Tophouse it was a common thing for one man to come through singlehanded with his dray and three-horse team, and on one particular day Mr James'had to partly unload and reload six times through the dray getting bogged in the mud. Botoiti they came past the "Grips and over the "Slips," and thence iollowed the Buller practically along the present road to Longford. On one occasion Mr James spent four days with live men shovelling away earth before he could get past the "Slips" and for this work they did not receive a penny. It was a case in those days of self help or getting stranded. Prom tie Gripps to Longford it was a case of packing—the dray team being converted into packhorses. At the Gripps Mr Dan James and Mr Wadsworth built a sod house. There were no bridges over any of the rivers in those days. The last crossing was at Longford, and at times the drays from Hampden could not cross for six weeks, thV goods being taken across-in boats Mr James made a firm IUJe neVer to ask anyone else to cross in front of him with the drays when the §£ looked doubtful. The average travelling time from Hampden to Belgrove arid back" occupied from .ten to twelve days, but on one occasion it took Senty-one days, owing to a very heavy fall of snow. Because of the dejay they had to go back from the edge of the BiS Bush right to Nelson tor horse feed, and, when they arrived m Hampden the local supplies were reduced to about one bag of flour and half a bottle ° added that the pack; erg; walkedr all the way;. There were nq spare horse? available.