EARLY WAGONING DAYS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26775, 19 May 1948, Page 6

EARLY WAGONING DAYS

Sir,—The letters on wagoning days have brought back pleasant memories of all the wagoners mentioned. I was a resident .of Lawrence and knew all these men, who were certainly the - salt of the < earth. One man who has not been mentioned is Alec Cavanagh, who drove from Lawrence to Roxburgh. He was a resident of Lawrence and a capable driver. In summer-time it was a hot, dusty road, and who can blame th&e men if they sometimes drove a nail in a cask sitting on the tailboard of the wagon?—l am. etc., R. McC. Balclutha.

Sir, —I have been reading with interest the letters regarding Early Wagoning Days. My late husband, Alex. Hamilton, drove an eight-horse team for the late Mr Peter Butel, of Mill Farm, Arrowtown. I’ve heard him relating his experience of his first trip from Arrowtown to St. Bathans with a load of flour. He had to deliver the flour at different places, and the trip took a week. Mr Butel gave him a well-filled hamper, also tea and sugar. He was to sleep in the wagon, boil his billy when necessary, and his mother gave him 2s 6d for pocket money. About the year 1893 he drove the first wagon to Skipper’s Point. The team consisted of eight horses and the load three tons of flour. Some of the turns were so sharp that the leaders could not be seen by the driver at times. Five light vehicles were passed on the road that day. I have an oil painting of the old 'Arthur’s Point bridge, and my husband ’driving the eight-horse wagon across it. Trusting this will be of interest to some who remember the good old days of long ago.— I am, etc., Anne E. Hamilton. Arrowtown.