PROGRESS OF THE SETTLEMENT.

Otago Witness, Issue 2298, 17 March 1898, Page 15

PROGRESS OF THE SETTLEMENT.

Before the end of the year the Settlement had made quite a remarkable move forward, in spite of the obstacles the settlers encountered at the outset. Immediately the pioneers were disembarked, stores were erected for the Company at Port Chalmers and Dunedin. The former was the first Custom-house The Dunedin store was built near th* beach, somewhere in the vicinity of the Cargill monument now, or perhaps a little farther back. The church and school were opened, the first newspaper, a small four page sheet called the Olaijo Neivs, printed and published by Mr. H. B. Graham, made its appearance on the 13th December, IS4S. The following is an extract from the first leading article :—: —

" It is a well known fact, founded on past experience, that no new colony can become of any importance in the universal age without a public organ like the press, whose iron-tongued mouth may be heard uttering its wants, its benefits, its abuses, its hopes and feais, thousands of miles awa}', and stirring up the hearts of men to justice, and to act truthfully at home and abroad. ' ' The Otago News was published every alternate Wednesday, and small as the journal was it soon made its influence felt in the community. Mr. Graham had a caustic pen, and he applied it with vigour wherever he

thought wrongs required righting. Captain Cargill felt the sting of Mr. Graham's criticism so keenly, that notice was given withdrawing the New Zealand Company's subscription for 20 copies of the News. Law and order were established along with the settlement, for Mr. A. R. C Strode arrived on the 20th April, 1848, from Wellington in the schooner Perseverance, having been appointed Resident Magistrate. At the same time Mr. McCarthy came from Wellington as Collector of Customs and opened the first Custom-house at the Settlement at Otakau. The police force were represented by Sergeant Barry, Corporal Smith (of the armed constabvilary), and private McKain, L. Stewart, C. Stewart, and a stalwart Maori named Epa. The Custom-house was afterwards opened in the Company's store at Port Chalmers by Mr. McCarthy. After a time Sergeant Barry removed to Dunedin, leaving Corporal Smith and a couple of constables at Port Chalmers. The first lock-up in Dunedin was a small weather-board hut, ami the first prisoner (French Charlie), kicked the boards out in the night and so obtained, his freedom. The next prisoner arrested for a similar offence — drunkenness — was hand-cuffed to the lamp-post erected to show the dangeroiis creek near Watson's Hotel. Old Gibbs was a wild man, and after their experience with French Charlie the police knew there was little use in confining him in the lock-up. Consequently Gibbs was marched to the lamp-post, where he made night hideous with his cries, till he was released in the morning to come before the Magistrate. After that a more substantial lock-up was built of strong mapau posts, lined with the same timber inside, near where the present gaol stands. Steadily the work of opening up the lands progressed. The first road to the Taieri by Half-way Bush was made, streets were formed, bridges built, and substantial houses of wood erected. So the first year passed, or at any rate the nine months of it spent in the new settlement, full of experiences and incidents which the remnant of that noble band of first settlers in Otago will always keep green in their memories while mental vigour endures ; but yet without any events of a very striking nature for the writer of the history of those happy times