EARLY WAGONING DAYS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26778, 22 May 1948, Page 8

EARLY WAGONING DAYS

Sir,—Perhaps a short account of drivers of bullock wagons passing through Tuapeka West may r.ot be amiss. The teams were driven by Thomas Williams, whose team at one time went too. near the edge of a precipitous road, with disastrous results. Others were James Porter, William Smith and Samuel Henry, the latter a rather jovial character. To us as children living some distance from the school, a passing bullock wagon offered a lift home, so on we used to scramble and find a seat as best we could —and not a soft one either. Be that as it may, on meeting our parents later, Mr Henry informed them that we had sat on his plum pudding that his wife had made for him, so we must have scored a soft seat for once! The names of men who cut wood for these wagoners to load were James Simpson, a young Scotsman, a man called Barney Fiji, and H. Drury, in whose honour a song was composed, every verse finishing with "Harry Drury’s Hall,” all settlers in the district being mentioned in verse. These men all carried on during rain and snow, with clay roads and other difficulties. They did their part in developing New Zealand. All honour to their memory.—l am, etc., Andy. .