HAMILTON ANNIVERSARY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19415, 25 August 1926, Page 13

HAMILTON ANNIVERSARY.

EARLY SETTLERS' REUNION, FORMER HARDSHIPS RECALLED. [BY TELEGRAPH. —OWN CORRESPONDENT.J HAMILTON. Tussday. The anniversary of the landing of the Pioneer Company of the Fourth Waikato Regiment, who fu~st settled in Hamilton cn August 24, ■ 1864, was celebrated in Hamilton to-day, when the annual reunion of the Waikato Early Settlers' Association was held. The number present was less th.ra the attendances at the previous two reunions, several old settlers having died during the past year. Others, owing to their advanced age, were unable to make the journey to Hamilton. Nevertheless, about 75 old pioneei's and their descendants were present, and were presided over by Mr. J. S Fisher. The old people were entertained to an excellent programme of musical items. These were interspersed with toasts and interesting speecnes. Archdeacon E. M. Cowie proposed the toast. of the early pioneers, and paid a tribute to the perseverance and courage of the early settlers who broke in the land and made it possible f or the Waikato to become the splendid dairying district it now was. Messrs. P. Lc Quesne, I. Coates, R. Webber and H. Waring responded and indulged in reminiscences of the past. They told of their early struggles in the face of unemployment and slackness of trade and industry, but said they always lived in hope and were very happy. Appreciation of the splendid work done b'y the wives of the early settlers was expressed by several of the speakers. Absent friends were remcmberd in a toast proposed by Mr. C. J. W. Barton. A pleasant function terminated with %lie singing of "Auld Lang Syne."