WANAKA AND HAWEA.

Otago Witness, Issue 3101, 20 August 1913, Page 79

WANAKA AND HAWEA.

By Richard Norman'.

REMINISCENCES OF THE EARLY DAYS.

I read with much interest a recent article on the early history of Wanaka and Hawea districts by Mr W. R- Cotter. I received a communication suggesting that I should contribute any information I have. Here I might point out the necessity for giving the Christian name when possible in referring to the early days. For instance, Air Cotter referred to Mr D. APLennan. As it happens, there were three with that initial letter —Donald, sen. and jun., and David. The Air Arndt mentioned was the late Air Herman Arndt, of Wakatipu. The sawmill at Hawea was built in the earliest sixties by Air David Robertson, who lately celebrated his golden wedding at Evarisdale. Air Robertson had an interest in it, and was also acting on behalf of Air Henry Hunt, an enterprising man who built a small bridge across the Clutha River at Cromwell. Air Hunt bought the machinery in Dunedin, and it was carted to Hawea, via Oamaru, over the Lmdis Pass. As there was a demand for boats to dross the Clutha River at different parts, Air Robertson embarked on boatbuilding, Air W. H. Anderson, of Alansfordtown, assisting. Air Robertson also erected the first ' accommodation house in Wanaka at Albertown. named after Prince Albert, which was afterwards bought bv the late Air Henry Ferris Norman, "who occupied it till a more permanent structure was erected on the opporjj,e side of the river, and shifted into it in December, 1863. This since been pulled down, and the business was abandoned some years back. Air Norman was registrar of births, deaths, and marriages, and registered several of each and celebrated sundry marriages. His appointment carnc from Auckland. lie was also postmaster. It was at this time that the late Mr John Aitkin Connell surveyed the township, which is on both sides of the river. The front sections arc abnormally small, as it was thought that all the goldfields-townships would bo very big centres, and the sections were sold at a wickedly high price. The sawmill at Hawea was thou idle for a few years til! the late Mr Joseph Decker Ross took it in hand with the view, mostly of supplying timber for mining about CromAvell. The schooner Hunter was built about this time to take the timber down the lake. She was worked at first by Alessvs James and Hugh Johnstone, the first Hawea farmers, who came from the North of Ireland. I think they were in partnership in some way with Air Ross. As the Hawea bush proved unremunerative, Air Ross took into partnership Mr A. Edward Farquhar, now storekeeper <’t Stirling, and the late James Isbell. The latter’s real name was Grey, and, with his father, he was formerly gardener with the late Sir Joseph Paxton before tne latter was knighted for designing and building the Crystal Palace. James Johnson, whose real name was Thomas Jones, and was known as Big Jim, was assisting, hut he never was a partner. Mr Ross afterwards went to Glasgow and engaged in the retail wine and spirit trade, and every year used to write to his old friends, who passed the letter round to the others It was always an event when a letter from any of the early-timers came to hand. This sawmill was in due time shifted down Lake Hawea. carted across the neck and up Lake Wanaka, and was worked for some years till the partners sold out to a Cromwell firm. Afterwards, Messrs Theo. Russell and Joseph B. Ewing bought it. The mill had been run bv water power, but a big steam engine was introduced. It has now ceased running for some time. The small schooner Water Lily, which was orginally on Lake Wanaka, was owned bv Hie late Mr Thos. Primate, of. Pelichet Bay. who was familiarly known as “Yorkey.” She was floated down the river to Albertown. placed on a big bullock waggon, and carted to Hawea Lake. It was necessary to float the waggon across the river at Alberttown, and a. lot of emntv barrels were lashed to it to- make it float. A big rope was fastened to if to haul it across, and another rope with a turn round a post behind it to steady and prevent it going too fast. Air John Oliver, now of Pounawea, had charge of the latter rope. The Water Lilv was put on Hawea by the late Mr Roderick M'Laren to boat mining timber, pasts, and rails down the. lake, while the iate Air Thomas Cameron, lately of Gore, carted them to Bendigo and Cromwell with the bullcck-drav. But the boat was lost in some way. and eventually the late Ned Bracegirdle, the only Ned, held the bullock-driving business for some years. A townshin named Gladstone was surveyed at the foot of Lake Hawea at Jones’s homestead, and there was a rush for sections years afterwards; but It was never built on, as there is no 'shelter for boats. The boats used to anchor and land here, and afterwards at the S.E. corner of the lake, but the County Council made a road and some cuttings to the beach, and the head of the Hawea River, where there is safe anchorage, is now the landing place. In the summer of 1869. I think it was, Air Job Wain, now of Dunedin, and Air Thomas Cass, and another whose name I cannot recall, staved about a week in Albertown, with the view of ascertaining the best conditions under which land could Ire surveyed and opened for selection at Hawea Flat, and they made a detailed report, which was dulv published, presumably in the Witness. With the kind assistance of Air John AYood, the secretary of the Early Settlers’ Association, of Dunedin, last year. I looked up the provincial records for this report, hut was unable to find it. I hope to look over other records and find it during this summer, as details would be very interesting at this late date. The unknown man Air W. P. Cotter speaks of. who was drowned at the Dingle (named after a river in Ireland) by the

upsetting of a dinghy, in the mid-sixties, was Henry Oliphant Thomson, invariably known as O’Thomson, wjiich error he corrected from time to time. He was past middle age, and his uncle was a rich merchant in Kirkcaldy, I think it was, and they communicated regularly. Thomson always sent to his uncle seeds of all the native shrubs and trees he could collect, and many of them grew. On the occasion of the fatal accident it was very tragic to see the frantic struggles he made to reach one of the floating oars which was only a few inches beyond his reach. Generally, when a man 'is suddenly immersed in the water, he loses his wits. I remember once I was wading, waist-deep, across the Matukituki River, when I was ".nddenly swept off my feet, and I had to swim a number of yards. I was just as safe swimming that distance as walking across a room; but after I got ashore I was nearly delirious for over an hour. .As I lost my nether garments, which I had -been carrying under my arm, tins did not help to make the position more comfortable

In the earliest sixties three miners from Kawarau Gorge—two of them Norwegians —went to Makarora to cut some mining timber, and raft it to Lowburn. They were never seen again, but the wreckage of the raft was washed ashore at Mr Sinclair Thomson's West Wanaka Station. In the late sixties three men were on a boat at the head of Lake Wanaka, when it got swamped, and the three of them were struggling in the water. The late James Bain, of Anderson’s Bay way, and another man who:e name I forget, managed to swim some 200 yards to the shore; but Billy Smith, the bright-eyed, laughingface Billy Smith, went down, never to rise any more, for the cold lakes never give up th§ir dead out of their blue waters, and the last thing lie did was to call for his sheep dog. I remember a woman shed bitter tears of sorrow when the news came down the lake, for th>s was her disappointment in life, and life is full of tragedy and woe.

The gold at Tong Valley, on the west side of Lake Hrwea, was found by Fdward Jones, of Otepono, and John Fitzgerald. John Price, who was a prominent figure in Naseby district for come years previously, happened along, and asked if he might ston a few days just as they struck it lucky. Price advised that Jones should go to Cromwell for mining documents. Jones was a Vtry decent, industrious man. but dearly loved a convivial evening, and he came back without any documents. Price then went off post haste on the same horse: but other miners had scented the good thing, and it was a race between Price and one or two ethers as to who should get hack first and neg out the ground. The party lost the best of the ground; in fact, thev got barely enough to pay expenses, while two other parties made a nice little haul. This was about all there was in the valley. Price and Co. took in John Downing, of Southland, and afterwards brought in a ■ ■hurt water race to ground-sluice the neighbourhood of the claim : but, not being used to race-making, thev dug the race through sundry spurs, instead of round them, making it feet deep instead of Ift or 15in, and they got nothing after all. Price afterwards strapped his hands together, and committed suicide by jumping off the punt into the river at Albertown. Mr Manley Hitchon, one of the owners of the Milton Bacon Factory, was all through this rush, being a boy of 16 at the time, and expressed gratified surprise one day when I called on him, and exchanged reminiscences. There were plenty of conveniences on this rush. Firewood was abundant. A baker’s oven was soon in full swing, also a couple of stores and an hotel. The latter had two stone chimneys, and it was popularly understood that each stone represented a “nip,” and if the masons got a bit behindhand through the day thev made it up at night. The gold at Long Valley was of inferior quality owing to the large amount of silver it contained, and the hanks gave only £3 5s an ounce for it. instead of £5 15s. It was easily tested hv nibbing different qualities on a piece of clean Turkey stone. A sovereign would make red marks, and Lomr Valley gold would leave much lighter-coloured marks. A good deal of this gold was in large nuggets.

I the early days -the metropolis of the Upper (Jlutha Valley was Oamnru, as the other roads through to Cromwell were not made at that time. The patient plodding bullock was the draught animal that did all the haulage. Crass was abundant everywhere, and they could easily feed and keep themselves in condition. Generally a horse was kept to bring the bullocks in in the mornings. Sometimes he was tied behind the dray, when he got many a bite of grass by the roadside as lie travelled along, and sometimes he followed the dray without being tied up. lie would ba tethered at night, and always kept in condition on the grass only. Afterwards, owing to overstocking and grass-burning, the grass failed, and, with the advent of cultivation, with plenty of horse-feed, bullock teams were abandoned in favour of horse teams. Servant girls, in going to places up country, thought nothing of travelling for several days on a bullock dray, stopping at the accommodation places en route, and I think sometimes they had to camp in the dray. Bullock teams are still in use in ever so many places; but I purpose writing a special article on this subject. It would have been ever so much better for the country if the goldfields had broken out 20 or 30 years later than they did, when the country would have been more settled, and the gold would have been put to better uses than heavy drinking and squandering it foolishly, which did nobody any good. It would have been more evenly distributed, and used to develop the country. The squatting element which dominated the country then was in entire opposition to settlement. In the early times, many a lucky miner had to go to Australia, because he could not get land on which he could establish a home, and plenty of people who had a few horses and cattle (which thev were

obliged to have in order to exist in their district) -were continually harassed by the squatter, who frequently impounded their stock. The Waste Land Board was also antagonistic to settlement, and discouraged it in every way. In later years ■when the runs were subdivided the holders were very generous in the matter of allowing stock to run on their place, and the owners of the stock had a good word for the new generation of runholders, and always gave them a helping hand when possible. This article would be incomplete without some reference to the big floods of 1878, which began on September 29. The Old *Mau Flood of June, ’63, of which Mr” G. M. Hassing gave a graphic account in the Witness a few years ago, was not in the 'Upper Clutha River, but in the Wakatipu watershed. The tail end of it only reached the upper part of the Cardrona and Luggate Streams. Mr John M'Herin, now of Hawea, gave me an interesting account of the Cardrona as it was in flood at the township. Mr John Willoughby, of Cardrona, was at Alexandra, and he told me how he saw a young man reaching for a gold cradle as it floated past. He lost his balance, and was never seen again.

This big flood was caused in the first place by an unusually heavy fall of snow on the Wanaka and Hawea mountains during the preceding winter. Then in the springtime there were several days of abnormally heavy rain, with mild weather, which melted the snow and brought the lakes and rivers to the highest flood level known. At Low burn there were three fine alluvial farms flooded and covered with many feet of sand, one of them containing 800 young apple trees. Higher up the river, one or two other nice farms were flooded, and covered with gravel and sand. The river changed its course, and deft high and dry the county’s new pile bridge at Rocky Point, and a punt here was also lost. At Albertown the hotel buildings and store attached were 3ft under water, and the six-stalled iron stable, looseboxes, cowshed, three storehouses, also James Johnson's furnished four-roomed cottage, were washed away, owing to the foundation being washed from beneath them The flood waters were in and out of the hotel several limes before they finally sub sided, and each- time it was necessary to shove] out a lot of sand. The stores and hotel furniture were rescued by means of a small boat, loaded into a dray, and stored in a neighbouring building. The late Mr Hugh M'Pherson’s new punt was washed away and lost. The fine large orchard and 13-acre paddock belonging to the hotel were ako flooded and covered with 3ft of gravel. A project to build a flourmill at Albertown was abandoned, as the newly-.madc water race for it was washed away. This occurred at the busiest lime of the year. It was in October that the annual two days’ local racing was held. On this occasion Albertown was under water, and there was ruin everywhere, and the neighbouring roads were impassable for heavy traffic Naturally it was thought that the racing would be postponed for a month or two, os it did not seem the correct thing to hold festivities during a neriod of ruin and desolation. The racing stewards, however, lived in Pembroke and its neighbourhood, and they derided that they had no power to postpone the races One or two local horse-owners were also averse to any postponement. Owing to the impassable roads the fields would bo smaller, and the chances of the prizes being won locally were therefore greater Besides, the trade inseparable to these occasions would naturally gravitate towards Pembroke. So the races were duly held, and in the evening there was a “grand ball, under the patronage of the stewards,” as the handbills set forth. Subsequently the stewards gave a detailed and interesting account of the festivities in the local press, but unfortunately neglected to make any sympathetic remarks towards their neighbours, the good and worthy pioneers who had borne the heat and burden of the day, who had suffered such ruin and losses, and saw the advancement of the district set back several vears.

I forgot to say that when tlie shepherds were first mustering the country at the Neck beneath a rock on the Wanaka side they found the skeleton of a man. and the remains of a red heard and red blanket and the eyelet holes of boots. This has remained a complete mystery. Most likely this was the first white man to come through the Haast Pass while en route to some of the settlements about Dunedin.

This sketch is very short and imperfect. It is hard to tell what should be retained and what discarded. If any other information is desired hv anyone it would be best to write and ask for it at once, as there are not many left who can give the hislorv of the Ultima Thule of this island. The different early history societies always look to the newspapers for items. It is only the early timers who are able to realise the difference in life and manners and customs now and them. Pioneering work should bo done solely by men. ft is a sinful wrong to women and children to bury them away in the back blocks, where all the opportunities of the lives of the latter are lost, their education gained under great difficulties, and perhaps their advancement in life for ever impaired. It often happened in the early davs that men with cash and business ability went into business in the baekblocks and perhaps remained there from the good times, and thus made the groat mistake of their lives, instead of pitching camp in the big centres of population, which increased in wealth and population as the years rolled on. The gold-getting created a false and fictitious state of life. Men squandered their easily-gotten wealth childishly and foolishly in the flowing bowl, which did nobody any good. Frequently they got married on the strength of their good luck, and when the gold was done they were penniless. I have just been told of a kind and generous -— l d.fields storekeeper who half-reared all

the children in his district, in the earliest times the conditions of life were easier. It was enjoyed by men who had hard times in the Old Land, and when they got here they were men of good position and standing, and sometimes they lost their heads, and Jack was as good as his master, and life was as the maiden’s “grand sweet song for ever.’’ It would be a good idea if the various early historv .articles were framed and hung in the local post office or library.