THE BATHING MAN.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXIV, Issue 8082, 24 September 1887, Page 1 (Supplement)

THE BATHING MAN.

There used to be what even now, after 25 years we cannot boast of haying-—bathing machines in Official Bay, upon the present road lite. On oiiu occasion a lady was taken oat by the man in charge, who was a thirity soul, with a red note (these were the days before Salvation Armies were known). After be left the machine—l presume he left for the nearest pub. to get a few more " quenchers." £nyway he forgot the lady, and as the tide came in she became somewhat alarmed, and could he seen frantically waving—well—a handkerchief. Fortunately the boatman's better half (by several hundredweight) came round to look for her good man, and saw the signals, and lost no time in turning out the horse and bringing in the lady ! This same man, who had purchased oat the original proprietor (the latter having issued quarterly tickets payable in advance), of which he did not seem to be aware, called one day on a lady in one of oar leading streets for the fees he considered due to him, and, being slightly elevated, was not satisfied with the explanation given, and, to give emphasis to his demands, stood at the door loudly exclaiming, " Didn't I bathe you five times to. the great horror of the lady and amusement of the listeners.

MR. NATHAN'S NEW STORKS. The late Mr. David Nathan gave a grand ball in his new store, built in 1853, to whioh all the elite were invited. It was a capital affair, and £ recollect Dr. Fischer appearing in a dress suit made of white linen, and very nice and sensible it looked. Poor Hansard, known as the Dying Scbnapper," was there, and his wife and a host of others who, alas, with the genial host and his first wife, have now joined the great majority. I recollect it was long after daylight when it broke up, and as there were no oabs or omnibuses, we looked rather dissipated in our ruffled evening dress and tired appearance wending homeward. I think folks took things considerably easier in old times. There was not quite so much of ft fight for a living. THE PAST. Freeman's Bay was a great place for sawpits, and was quite a country walk in 1853, with Bond's gardens, now nearly covered with buildings, but where wheat oould be seen growing. Gundry's garden in Albertstreet was famous for its fruit. The old prison and yards could be overlooked from near the top of Victoria-street, while the Police Court was to be found in a small room fronting Queen-street, that did not bold over twenty or thirty people, and that great terror of evil-doers, Captain Beckham, R M,, used to dispense justice with no sparing hand. Who Hoes not remember his fierce mustacbios, which suddenly one day however disappeared ? And alas the secret was out, his lady love disapproved of them (probably they were not soothing), and they vanished to appear no more. Poor Beckham ! How he used to make the timid witnesses tremble, and how the defendants used to hope that he was not suffering from a bilious attack, and had had a good time of it at breakfast. There matters make a great difference even to the most upright judge. Poor Burn, a well-known journalist, used to call out when Captain Beck* ham spoke at any entertainment, "The just judge !" until he quarrelled with him on some occasion, and we heard no more of such cries. But, according to his light, he did the State good service in his time. UAOKIS LEARNING CIVILISATION. The natives used to be available for work, such as chopping wood, carrying, &0., but often acted very foolishly, for they would agree to out a lot of wood for a specified sum, and often, when half-way through their work, would throw down the axe or saw and run awayvery unlike their European compeers. Upon one occasion a lady engaged a Maori to cut & ton of wood. He was loaded with parcels when he came, whioh he laid down in the yard, and then coolly proceeded to put his arm round her. Much alarmed, and there being nobody within hearing, she at once proceeded to throw all his parcels outside the gate ; he followed, and stiH lucked him nut. They were very fond of offering themselves as cokees, or cooks, with a knowledge of cooking equal to a baby. But one part they could do well, and that was the eating, not only the remains, but all they could steal, a couple > or throe loaves, with trimmings, being no unusual meal for a Maori boy. Fond as they are of sweets and such things they could rarely purchase them, reserving their money for simpler objects. I had one who was a very good fellow, and allowed his ancles, his cousins, and his aunts to come down with a rush on a visit occasionally, and despoil him of all his pay. When dressed on Sundays, with a Manilla hat and trailing ribbons, and clothes a la pakeha, he would stand in the yard strutting about and admiring himself for hours together. The natives were always fond of animals, but failed to feed them properly, so that their ill-fed dogs rarely or ever tasted meat, and you could often see native women ouddling a pet pig, It was said they nursed them occasionally when the mother had been put in the oven for " kai." EARLY LARRIKINISM. At one time, I recollect, we had a lot of what may be termed upper crust larrikinism rampant, that sought to equal "Tom and Jerry in London." Knockers ware torn off (where they existed), bulls rung, door mats removed, and from Newman and Ewen's, at the top of Shortland-street, a large cask of chinaware was coolly rolled down the hill opposite. Fortunately it had some check in the way, or it would have burst in the side of the house, and probably killed some one. This last horse joke put our police on their mettle, and the little game was stopped. I recollect one of their tricks was to remove an old board marked, ca. "To the Cemetery," and place it in Dr. Fischer's grounds, pointing to his residence. FIRES. We had few fires In the old times. There were few insurance offi ies, if any, and probably that was one of the causas of the fewness in number of the fires. But when we did have them they were generally pretty severe, such as the Government House fire, W. S. Grahame's in Fort-street (any amount of drink knocking about), the fire in High«street, and one or two large fires la Queen-street later. OLD LAND MARKS. The old Victoria Hotel, corner of what used to be known as Victoria Lane, where the present Town Clerk had a large store for many years, and also the Caledonia, further on in Fort-street, were favourite houses ; and the Wharf or the Victoria was, for many years, with Britomart Point and Grahame's wood wharf, opposite his store, the only landing places for passengers. Goods used to be landed in open cargo boats, the carts going alongside at low tide, and it used to be said that one well known shipowner and importer always managed to get his goods landed first, if a north-easter happened to come on while the vessel was discharging, so much the worse for the consignees, but all the better for the shipowner. He would have got his goods stored, and most likely sold.

What a host of well-known identities used to patronise the old Victoria for their daily drop of whisky 1 Many of these men ware the founders of this town ; men whose word was their bond, and who were ever ready to help a neighbour or to foster an industry or develope our resources.

EARLY EFFORTS. In the early days our fellow-townsmen were very liberal in endeavouring to foster local industries and develops our resources. I may recall to memory the flax companies and steam-packet companies' Our first steamer was not a very large one. It was built and owned by the late Mr. 0. J. Stone. It used to run to the Tamaki, and often her passenger list comprised one man and a cheese, or one boy and a bag of potatoes. After we got more aspiring we had the Wonga Wonga, which used to ran to Northern ports ; and then we purchased a half share of the William Denny, a large steamer trading to Bydney. She soon, however, left her bones on the North Cape, and with it the cash of the investors. I took passage with her on her first trip, and we were only nine days, which was considered a great feat, although Mr. W. S. Grahame's vessels used to make rapid runs down to New Zealand owing to the prevalence of westerly winds, But the np trips usually took an average of fourteen days. OLD IDENTITIES. How many, alas, of the pioneers of this city have crossed the Styx 1 Let as enumerate a few for the sake of aold lang syne. The democratic but Impulsive Makepeace; oanny Alexander Blaok ; little Goolahan, the enthusiastic Irishman; and friend Mitchell, the Sootob Jew ; the suave Col. Mould, Li. A. ; genial Major-General Pitt; Colonial Treasurer Shepherd, who used to bathe all the year round off the top rail

of Wynyard Pier backward!, outfit* aid 1 bo onoe too often on a Tory oola 4( * I "Polly Plum," the servants' friend; Btonk' and sturdy Mao ready, the civio ruler; George?" the baker, and steady henchman to Macready, and friend to all good Scotchmen ; Strange, of Pamell, and hi# oloaet grievances; irre* prsaaible Nioholl, of the Masonic Hotel; Southwell, editor of the Examiner; David Burn, and hi. pet dogs • Foraahh, of the Clean-shirt Ministry, and now a clergyman • Mr. Young, the Collector of Customs. The j two latter are, I am glad to say, yet living • ' and In Congratulating the latter on seeing him bo well and looking so young he replied, 41 Well, you know, I ought to; I am Young by name There was an eccentrio little clothier of the name of Mot as, who was about four feet six inches high, and the entraooe door from his shop to his dwelling was made of just his own heighta sufficient hint to visitors. There was another, named Levy, called "Tin Nose"—why I know not, unless he was, as I have heard, a tinsmith by trade. He had a son who used to play on the Sate, and when the larrikins wanted to annoy tho old gentleman they used to say, " Ikay, play the flute for the gentleman." OPINIONS ON DECENCY, Amidst the vagaries of our City Board one that gave considerable amusement was the erection of a curious iron building on the edge of the footpath, at the corner where the South British Insurance offices now stand, but known then as Sommerville's Corner (when I first landed it was R. and D. Graham's, drapers). To the horror and amusement of the public this was intended for a publio urinal. 1 need not say it was not there many days. The old City Board were often a source of great amusement to the town folk, THE MILITARY ELEMENT. The military element used to enter very largely into publio and private matters in the early days. First the 58th and afterwards the 65th, and numerous ships'Of-war, mule the place gay, and distributed a large amount of expenditure, while their uniforms, bands, reveille, tattoo, and amateur performances, ball parties, etc., tended much to premote business and enliven the town. We missed them much, and their expenditure muoh more so. Numbers of our worthy colonists are amongst those who came here with the regiments, or are their descendants. The pensioners who came out to settle in ths outlying settlements with their families also served the purpose of intimidating the natives, and giving confidence to the townspeople.