OTAGO EARLY SETTLERS' ASSOCIATION.

Otago Witness, Issue 2454, 27 March 1901, Page 12

OTAGO EARLY SETTLERS' ASSOCIATION.

A JUBILEE GATHERING-. A reunion of membeis of the Otago Eaily Skiers' Association was held m the Victoria Hull. Agricultural Buildings, on Thursday to celebrate the jubilee of the aiuval of the ships litan, Pioneer, Cresswell, anu Stately, all of which aiiived in the early part of 1851. There was a very large attendance, the hali being ciowded. The president (Mr Donald Reid) was in the chair. Apologies for unavoidable absence weie received from Dr Hocken, Messrs G. Ferwick, Farquhar Young, Alexander Brown (Milton), and AY. Aitchfson (Kaitangata). The President opened the meeting with a oner speeen. He said he would sne a few :easons why they had met that night In the first place, thej were fulfilling three objects in their meeting. They were celebrating tlie-iiftv-third anniversaiy oi the settlement of Otaga Tine, they were two days before the time, but as the^anniversaiy fell on Sa tin day it would not have been convenient to hold the gathering on that day. Secondly, they were eommemorat" ing the third anniversary of the formation oi their association. — (Applause.) In the thud place — and this was the most important obiect of their -meeting — they were celebratins the jubilee, the fiftieth year, of the arrival 6: tire ships Titan, Cress ivell, Pioneer, a-nd Stately,

To those of them who could thiow their minds back over the 53 yeais since the arrival of the fiist settlers, he thought it must have been gratifying to see the crowds m Princes street that day — all rneus', well clad, cheerful, and busy, as if life was an enjoyment and not a buiden. To contrast that scene with the prospect of the fust arrivals 53 years ago, when men and women faced the lough wilderness with a strong determination to overcome all difficulties, must have been exhilarating and cheerful, and must have raised the spirits of anyone looking on it who had also seen the earlier dajs. — (Applause). "With reference to the vessels, he might say that when the Titan arrived he was working at what was considered a mansion in those -days— a residence at Sawyeis' Bay for Mr David Garrick, who was the first practising solicitor in Dunedin. The house was subsequently acquired bj the Rev. Mr Johnstone. ¥he arrival of the vessel was a great day for Otago, because passengers came by her who put fresh life into the community. Ike people were quiet, stagnant, and slowgoing at that time; in fact, th&e was very little capital, and, he thought, less energy. But the arrival of Mi James Macandrew, who had charteied the Titan, and his partner, Mr TV. H. Reynolds, made a great change in the affairs of Dunedin. Those who were heie then — and he thought there were some present that night — would remember the stir put into the community, and the enterprise thrown into the proceedings, as compared ' with the previous state of affairs. Ihe arrival of the vessel was a great boon to the province. Mr Macandrew especially was a man of great hopefulness and euterpnse. He never undei stood what it vas to hesitate or to ptand in doubt. " Foiward " was his motto, with the result that he started various industries that had not been thought of befoie his advent. For example, he started lime kilns at the Kaikorai Valley, with a tram running up the hill, and a dium, built by Mr James Adam, to pull the truck? to the face. At the very outset, however, the dium gave way, but luckily no one was injured, though all the people were there to see the start. Other industries were also started by Mr Macandrew and Mr Reynolds, who were then young men with any amount of vigour. One mdu°try was the splitting of shingles at Sawyers' Bay, and for a time a brisk trade was done in that line. Trade was also developed between the colony and Melbourne, and an impetus was given to the whole of their works, which was exceedingly beneficial to Otago. Mr Macandrew was also a forward man in political matters, and did much to push ahead the province in which he was so largely bound up. His coadjutor, Mr Reynolds, also did great service to the province. It appeared ac if it was only the other day they lost him. He was as much a part of the province as her late Majesty was a part of the constitution of the Empire. — (Applause ) As long as he could remember, Mr Reynolds took a part ii public and mercantile affairs with honour and credit to himself until he actually died in harness. Those two gentlemen were settlers who ought to be remembered on an occasion such as the present. — (Applause.) He was himself in public life for some time with both of them, and though he did not always see eye to eye with them, he was satisfied that whatever they did they did with the full conviction that they were doing what was best in the interest of their adopted land, and without any object of gain or aggrandisement to themselves. — (Applause.) Among otheis who came in the Titan was Mr Job Wain, who had been a prosperous colonist, and whom they were all proud to see with them that evening. — (Applause ) In the Cresswell there was Dr Lemon, who had managed 13te telegraph service with distinguished ahilit^,"^foJ Mr Thomas Oliver, whom they all knew/ amaistrict engineer in Otago— a faithful, hard-working, zealous, honest public officer, who was unfortunately no longer with them. "With the Stately came Mr Daniel Campbell, who was subsequently manager of the Otago Witness. He might also say that "they were at present in the midst of a time when gieat changes were taking place — when history was being me<3e rapidly. Since the last meeting their nation had had the misfortune to lose their respected and beloved Queen, who had reigned over the EinDire for long yesrs, so that most of the men who were row old men remembered no other monarch than the late Sovereign, Queen Victoria. It was a blessing to the nation to have such a Sovereien. Queen Victoria endeared herself to hej subjects by her true womanly sympathies and her broad feelings of humanity, and the character of the people, from the highest to the lowest, was influenced and elevated owing to her noble example. — (Applause.) Then the neighhourirg colonies were federating into one united nation. It was a sisrn of unity and strength. It was proper that they should so unite, foi- there was nothing to divide them, rothing to keer> them auart, and he was sure the ueoole of New Zealand would be pleased to hold r>vt the risrht hand o£ fellowship to them, and have nothing but the be=tt of feeiine towards them.— (Applause.) But whil» he said that, as one of the o l^ identities of this beautiful land of ours, with our sea-girt isle, with our grand climate, with our numerous harbours, our clear skies and our pure rivere — with everything that could go to make a people hapuy and comfortable— he honed the day was far distant when w-e should think of parting with the great privilege which the founders of the colorv — md especially th*» founder? of Otas^o — fought for bpfore they left their nativ? Land — (Applause.) We should have control of our own affairs. — ('Applause ) In his estimation, nothing con 1 :! compensate us jf we parted with the invaluable privilege of shaping our own future as we thought beat in our own inteiest. — (Apnlause.) We should think well before wo decidpd to throw in our lot where we would be, as it werp. a irere drop in tho bucket We had a noble inheritance in our beautiful isle, and we should r.ot lose the control of it (Apnlause 1 H<? tiiistoci the remarks he had made in resnect to our constitution would rot be considered out of nlace, because he thought it, was Drn'virled m their mles that such >*üblects might be discussed if they thought fit—; (Anplause.) f A soag was suns by Mrs Ridley with much acceptance, Miss Ridley accornpanvmp on th<> piano. An interval for conversation followed, and tea and cake were handed round by willing hands. An interesting group in the gatheuns consisted of some of thp members of the first Bible class conducted by the late Dr Burns. So far as the committee of thp association have beon able to ascertain, the following are still surviving numbers of tlmt class- — Mrs Banneiman 'rife Brrns), Mrs Sarah Barr (nee Heplni'n'i Mr« Somerville (upo Begs). Andrew Ro'-e-.t-on, Thomas Somcrville. Frank Marshall, Rnrl Jnirteb Strain. After cose on half an hour had been allowed f or the recounting of the p^pei lances of old times and general conversation, tbe president again assumed the chair. Mr T. Mackenzie M.H.R., was calW on by the president to acW-es* a few words to the f-arhprinff. On stepping forward, the member for Waihprno v;as recpiv»<l with hearty aoplanse, which was renewed when he faced his pudicnce on +h? i^atForra. "Referring briefly to (It? nresid^t's remarks on the question of New 7calavd with the A'ist.i-alian Com-rjom'-oaUh. Hp said his own behef was thst a policy of isolation wa? a nolicy of retroErression. On Jl iat point, .however, he would say ro more s<t thnt time In up interesting speech, he then rlnpictpfl some of the experiences of his "are"t« and himself in the early days. He raid h--> arrivpcl in the colony m thp' Robeit Hender°o i with his worths parents in 18S8, and they hnd p-crcrienc"^ all th» vicissitudes of phi-Iv colonial life. Hi« first home was at th^ Falfv '^r, B V' ! 'l- all^ hl ° " p " t qt Forl-mrv, and while at the mtei pla."o he ha--7 'n wall- o--pi flip lull* eveiy day to the Green Island School. The

speaker expressed his admiration for the noblo band of settlers who left the mother country la the early clays, iiot o.ily on their own uccoiml, but that their sons, and da\ighteis might obtain privileges that >veie denied to them in the old land. They came from the best of the families of the old country — from those of v horn Burns spoke in " The Cottai's Satuiday Xi^lit, 1 ' when he =aid "An honest man's the noblest, woik of God "—(applause), -and the descendants of those worthy pioneeis had worthily upheld the honour" of the mother country by standing boldly forward in the hour of need and coming to her help in the recent tioubles in South Africa. — (Applause.) He thanked the secretary (Mr Langlands) for giving him the opportunity of addressing the meeting. He considered it an honour to speak to a meeting of members of the Early Settlers' Association. (Applause.) . - A violin and piano duet was nicely played by Mi Hunter and Miss Coombs, and a lecitatiion was given with much credit by Mr John Wood. 'Pile gathering broke up about 10 o'clock with the heaity singing of " Auld lang syne." The committee of management and the energetic and obliging secretary (Mr L. Langlands) --himself an old identity, having come to the colony m 18-18 — are to be complimented on the success of the meeting. AN INTEEESTING I.IST. The following is a list of the survivors and descendants of passengers by the Titan, Pioneer, Cresswell, and Stately:—' Titan (arrived 17th January, 1851).—Survivors • Colin Macandrew, Dunedin ; Ralph Steele Nicolson, Eghnton , Job Wain, Opoho ; Mrs J. T. Wright (Mary Reynolds), Roslyn ; Eobert Reyonlds, Purakanui. Descendants of the late James Macandrew, Dunedin- Colin (Divnedin), Marion Hunter (A&hburlon), Jane (Dunedin), James (Portobello), Dr Herbert and Alice (Hokitika), Huntei (Chri&tchurch), Mabel (Duuedin), and A. W. (Auckland); of Colin MacandTew, Dunedin , James M. (Shag Valley), Blanche and Colin (Dunedin) ; of the late Daniel Macandrew, Dunedin and Aberdeen . Archibald (Aberdeen) , of Ralph Steele Kicolson, Eghnto.i Mrs E. Heenan (Ann) (Maungatua), Mrs i. P. Malcolm (Elizabeth) (Naseby), William (Mosgiel Woollen Factory, Dunedm), L. P. (Hokitika), Halph 11. (Weatport), James L. (Palmerston North), Mis J. C. Coull (Grace), Mary, Isabel, and Edwin (Mormngton) , of Job Wain, Opoho- Job John (Sydney), Mrs W. A. Walton (Jane Ann) (Dunedm), Peter Jenkins (Waimate), Mrs J. B. Mitchell (Margaret Joan), Catheune, 'Susan Isabel (Opoho\ Fied«nck William (Hakataramea) ; of the late William Hunter Reynolds, Dunedm Mrs G. L. Denniston (Eleanor Bissett), Marion Hunter, Leslie Hunter, Eardley Culley, William Eric, Rachel Sehna, Lena Maude, Vida Isobel (Dunedm), Ahck Gillespie (South Africa); of the late Thomas Reynolds. Portugal: Mrs J. T. Wright (Mary) (Roslyn), Bobeit (Purakanui). The following members of the same family came outs in the John Mastermau (1857) • William (Portugal), Edward, Mrs J. K. Cameion (Marion), Henry D., and Eliza (Roslyn), Charles (Westport)," Alfred (Riverton) , of Mis J. T. Wright (Mary Reynolds), Bishopscourt, Duiiedin . Mis W. H. Buekland (Gertrude Bcauregard) and Edith Holebrook (Hobart), Jack and Maiy (Bishopscoiirt), Frank (Northfield, Eakaia;, Walter (South Africa), Philip (Sydney) ; of the late Mrs Edwm Palmer (Beatrice Former), Taien • Harry, William Charles (Taieri), John (Glenoie), Edwin -(Milton), Mrs Clark (Mary) (North Island). Brig Pioneer (arrived 27th January, 1851). — Descendants df the late Captain Andrew Jamieaon Elles, who was in command of the Philip Lamg in 1848, and manied Miss Clementina. , Burns, eldest' daughter of the late Rev. Dr y Burns, and after taking the Philip Laing home, , ( bought and brought out this biig. Captain ,_ and Mrs Elles died m Invercargill. Descendants. Sibella Clementina (London), JamesCurrie (Sydney). Cresswell (arrived Gtb. May, 1S51). — Survivors . William and George Souness. Otago; Dr Charles Lemon, Otaki. Wellington ; Adam. Oliver, Mosgiel. Descendants Of Adam. Oliver. Mosgiel • Mrs Will (Agnes) (Lawrence), Mrs Gib;on (Beatrice) (Mount Allan), Mr? Jemes Allan (Janet) (Balclutha), John, and Mrs A. Johnston (Isabel) (Mosgiel); o***ie late Thomas Oliver, Brooklyn, Dunedin ■ Mrs G. M. Barr (Mnry) (Dunedin), William John (Brooklyn), John Thomas, C.E. (Melbourne), Mrs Robert Paulin (Catherine) (Belleknowes, Dunedin) ; of th<3 late John Lemon, OamSru: Mrs Bainbridge (Edith) (Temuka, Canterbury), Mrs G. F. Francis (Mabel) (Wanganui), Mrs H. Mowbray, Mary Constance, John Herbert, Mildred Hermione, Gertrude, arid Amy Louise (Oamaru) ; of the late James Sounesa, jun., Dunedin: James, Edward, Elizabeth, and Beatrice (Dunedin) : of the late Mrs Malcolm Graham (nee Christina Souness) : Henry (Dunedin). Stately (arrived 7th August. 1851).—Survivors : Mrs Daniel Campbell (Dunedm) and family of nine^