OTAGO EARLY SETTLERS' ASSOCIATION.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13198, 3 February 1905, Page 2

OTAGO EARLY SETTLERS' ASSOCIATION.

; PICNIC AT WINGATUI. .' Tho fourth annual pionio of the Dunedin and Taiori £arly Settlors' was held at Wingntui Racecourse yesterday, when tne weather was air that could-be desired lor an outdoor gathering. The special train which left Duiiedin _at 10.20 a.m. did not convey a-very largo" iiflmbor to tho grounds, and the, ordinary morning trains to Wingatui were -.not liberally patronised. Between noon and 2 p.m. tho attondaneo swelled considerably,iand at, the latter hour thero wero about, 600 persons present, a number which increased by another 100 as tho afternoon wore on. The object of these annual outings is'to afford old settlers an opportunity of meeting together during the day instead of. boing inconvenicnced by coming out - 'at night, and yesterday's gathering was mainly remarkable for tho number of old- pioneers -from the '48 period downwards who ware present, and who apparently enjoyed very much tho renewal of old acquaintance and the exchange of reminiscenocs in' the Old Land and in the new,- Another featuro of the gathering, and one which has characterised all outdoor assemblages of the early pioneers, was tli3 cordiality and total absenoo of formality in all the proceedings. A large .committee ofTaieri settlers and residents were actively engaged all day in moving in and out among those present, and no effort was spared to mako everyone feel thoroughly at, home. Tho ladies associated with the oommitteo—McEdames Allan and (3ow and others—deserve a special word of praise for their efforts in dispensing tea and refreshments to all and sundry. Mr Lauglunds, the secretary of the association, was a .lost in himself in the way of looking aftor tho oonifort and wants of . those present, and he seemed to have t-lio faculty of being everywhere at the same time, and his efforts, added to the exertions of a firstclass committco, assisted .to make the outing one of the most cnjoyab'.o that has been held. ~ '

Tho early ships 0f.,1848 were reoresented as follows:—John Wtokliffe 1, Philip Lamp 7, Victoria 1, Blundoll 1, Bornicia 1, and the later ships wiero more or less roprosontcd, if not by the original passengers, by their descendants of the second and third generations. Tho "old identity" of the period ud to 1860 fraternised cordially w:th tho "new iniquity" of later periods, and the. conservatism of the olden days which lwd a slight tinge of "caste" about it when the question of "shins" and dates of arrival was under discussion was not in evidenoe..

At an interval during tho afternoon, Mr Donald Rcid, president, of the association, addressed . the assemblage from the grand stand, and on behalf of tlie committee lie expressed gratification at the fairly representative gathering of the early settlcns and their descendants who were present that day. Tho season, he said, had been a backward one, and the settlers were very busy, and that no doubt accounted for the absence of many who would otherwise have been with them. Tho gathering was not so large as that of last year, or of the year previous to that. But they, had, nevertheless, a really genuine gathering of tlio old pionccra and their immediate descendants. It was a gratifying thing- that tho early settlers should meet as'they did that day, and from, year to year, to renew acquaintanceship and talk over old recollections. It had been suggested by some of those connected with the association that instead of Clutha and Bruce holding, alternate gatherings, and Taieri and Dunedin holding an ..annual gathering, one large annual gathering should . be held which would- combine the whole of the disfcriots.—(A Voice: "What about Waikouaiti?' 1 ) Well, in rqgard to Waikouaiti, that was to the north of Dunedin, and, if it was-thought advisable,'a 1 similar or a different course -might bo adopted for the southern districts. However, the whole matter was one which had been spoken of, and it would no. doubt receive consideration. Since tlicy had. met last year there had boon a thinning of ,the ranks, Some of their good .old friends had gone, and in the courso of Nature that was to 'bo expected. ■ But while that was a causo for sad remombranoe, the friends who had been taken had loft behind them a good record, which had made an impression upon those settlers who remained who, with their descendants, he hoped would combino to keep up_ their gatherings and kocp alive old associations. Ho hoped the'descendants' of the early sottlem-would follow tlio noble examplo of . self-reliance and . patient, industry, tho example of liberality, charity, and good work' wliicli had clja'-ractcrised those who went beforo them, and if they did that- thoy would leave behind them {he: record of a worthy people. It was a laudable thing, and a matter of just pride that the early sct-t-loro who arrived- in Otago only 57 years ago had laid the foundation of a cultivated district such as that by which they, were surrounded; and that they had founded the City of Dunedin with its fin© buildings, its wharves, its educational institutions, its manufactories, its warehouses, and its many homes. The pioneers had . also made wise laws for the guidance and protection and the material benefit of the people; When he first saw tho Taieri.. Plain from one of the neighbouring hills it was one large sheet of wafer, and now, as they could see, it had been t-ransformd into a highly, cultivated plain, and this had been accomplished by plodding industry- and patient effort; There were among then"? that day some of those who had assisted in these good- works, and included in the number he observod a worthy couole who had on the previous day. celebrated their golden wedding, and ho. trusted, if they were not spared to have another golden wedding/ they would be able to celebrate a diamond one. He would not detain them with any further remarks, but would- express the earnest wish that thoy would be able i* m i many more sl,cl » occasions.— (Applause.) * of Cotombia Church, Oamaru, by request, also gave a brief address, in the courso of which ho the early pioneers. upon tho work they had done and tho good name i>y which they were remembered, and ho concluded by expressing a hope that the foundation of a now Scotland which had been laid in Otago would be worthily built upon 'by - tho descendants of thoso who having complied their part, were passing away.—(Applause.) The Hev. A. W. Kinmont) on being called upon, said ho folt-somerthing liko a fraud when ho. attempted to address a Catherine of early settlers. Ho was neither an earlv settler nor the. son of ah early settlor but was'a very lato arrival.' His fiist impressions. of the colony, when he arrived-at Wellington, wore these: He saw a,-' fine building m ono place and then a tin shantv beside it. Then other fine -buildings, and then lesser buildings, and ho could not help jxmtrasting what he saw with what ho had left behind him. But tho contrast servd to make him; think this: This is the work of .50 or 60 years, and .what I have left, behind is tho work of 400 years, and if the progress of the 60 years was continued at tho same rate the now land would rapidly opt-stHp the old. The pioneers of the colony had done good work, and lie had pleasure in wishing them a oontinucd long life-and prosperity, . a wish which also included their descendants.—(Applause,) • On the, call pf the Bov. Mr ICinmont hearty cheers were (hen given for tho oldpioneers, and after tea and refreshments, and a few .hours' general conversation among tho ciders, and impromptu games among the younger section, a - start was made homowards, or towards Mosgiel, where a, Burns Club concert was announced as a finale to the proceedings. During the day a sports programme was drawn up, which included as principal events races for boys and girls, and one or two. events for married men and married ladies, and these' exoitod some interest among the contestants and a small group of onlookers, but as no reliable record was kept of tho resulto the names of those who were successful in winning prizes cannot be given. '

The Taieri 'Burns Club concert, which "was held in the Volunteer Hall, Mosgiel. in (ho evening, was well attended, the building being full to the doors. Mr- Donald Reid, sen,; presided, and seals on tho platform were occupied by Messrs D. Reid, jun., M.H.R., T. Aitken'(Mayor of Mosgiel); P. Marshall, W. Kirkland, J. Smeaton, I). Anderson, J. 0. Kenton, D. Matheson, and J. Butler. A first'-olass programmo of vocal and instrumental items was rendered, which evoked liberal applause, and enoortfi were in many instances demanded. The vocalists were:—Mesdame3 A. 0. Loring and Wakefield Holmes, . Messrs R. F. Foster, jun., Percy Braithwaite, and E.. Y. Priest, and piano solos and accompaniments were contributed by Mr W-. P. Foster. The items included:—"M'Grogor's gathering," Mr K. F. Foster (inoored); " Jock o' Hazcldean," Mrs A. 0. Loring, (enoored); " I cannot, help loving thee," Mr P. BraithwaiteOor kail yard," Mrs Wakefield. Holmes (enoored); "Afton Water," Mr E. Y. Priest; operatio, duet, "Prison scene from *II Trovatore,'" Mrs A. 0. Loring and Mr R. F. Foster, jun. ; "Le chant de la huit," Mr W. T. Foster;. 1 A roso in heaven,'" Mr : E. T. Priest ; .Sing , sweet bird," Mrs A. C. Loring (encored): •,-• Out .on the deep," Mr P. Braithwaite (encorcd); "A May morning," Mrs Wakefield Holmes (enoored) j

"My queen," Mr R, F. Foster, jun. (encored); duct, " Nocturne," Messrs E. T. Priest and P. Braithiwaite. . ■ : - At the conclusion of tho concert Mr Kirkland moved a vote of thanks to the vocalists and instrumentalists, which was carried by acclamation, and tho singing of "Auld lang syne" at about 10 p.m. and a vote of thanks to the chairman concluded tho proceedings.,