A RED LETTER DAY IN ALEXANDRA.

Otago Witness, Issue 3509, 14 June 1921, Page 53

A RED LETTER DAY IN ALEXANDRA.

By

T. H. Thompson.

Sunday the 15th May was a day unique in the life of Alexandra by reason of two events, one being the arrival of the filer aeroplane to vieit the district and the other the finest display of the Aurora Australis ever seen there. The aeroplane arrived at 11 a.m. jnet as the devout were entering the churches, the noise of its engine being so unusual, that those early worshippers who were inside slipped quietly out to watch it soaring towards its destination, which proved to be a paddock at Earnscleugh. The day was one of those lovely clear sunny days that are only to be experienced in the Otago Central—the sun being fairly warm, though yet there was a slight bite in the atmosphere sufficient to remind one that winter was near about, which fact was further emphasised by the sun’s position. It had been a grey day on the proceeding Saturday and the barren ranges in the distance had been recently robed in blue. To-day their hue was a dull brown, not by any means inviting, but their drab aspect was forgotten in the genial sunshine and in the sole absorbing attraction of the big mechanical dragon-fly making such a noise overhead and soaring steadily over the adjacent orchards towards its landing place. In the afternoon the town woke up surprisingly and one wondered where all the motor lorries, rabbit waggons and motor cars and other vehicles had been stowed away. It was as if someone had tramped upon a large ants nest and set the unseen inhabitants bustling to and fro as if thenlives depended upon getting out into the open to avoid a cataclysm, motor lorries with freights of both sexes and rabbit waggons loaded with laughing boys were out helter*ike!ter to watch the Avro going up, which it did about a dozen times, and after the close of the day a long string of vehicles careered back homewards and the town settled down for its usually quiet Sunday evening. “How did you like your flight?” was a question put frequently to those who had made their first adventure in the air. “It was just like sitting in an arm-chair said one enthusiast, just a gentle glide on the rise and the descent wars not a* disconcerting as the sudden drop of a hydraulic lift in a large building.” This man’s opinion was different from that of a Dunedinite, an older man, who when over the ocean, when the aeroplane began to turn considered himself a “gunner” and once on mother earth decided “never again !” “It’s all right.” said lie, “for young people perhaps. They don’t care, but. when T was just a little way up T would have given twice the fare to be able to get- down again.” But the aeroplane’s arrival at Alexandra however was eclipsed in the evening. I was sitting in front of the fire in one of the many hospitable homes in the locality, when someone called out, “come out quick and look at the sky, its wonderful!” So it was. A huge magnet-shaped apparition stood up from the North Western horizon far into the heavens. It consisted of two broad columns of lavender rays laid over crimson and looked like a filmy fabric of the first named colour placed upon the latter, so that the underlying crimson lent greater warmth to the transparent lavender. These columns of light bent towards the centre until they formed the liorse-shoe-like appearance of an ordinary magnet. Had this- been seen in ancient times it would probably have been regarded as ominous either of prosperity or disaster. We watched it as it remained steadily in this position until it crew too cold to etalid looking any longer. Two hours- later as I walked to the hotel I saw white, slightly o-reen and amber streamers of light stretchi.sir avvay up into the skv from the South Western horizon. On the whole it was the fine-t display I ever saw and a local resident- who has been in the Arctic told me he had seen nothing to equal it in those regions. I was surprised to find a number of voting local residents and some Dimed ini t-es nearing middle age. who had no idea as to what it was and who had ap pnrently never heard of the Southern Lights or Aurora Australis, and upon asking the eight wear old son of mine host, whv Mav 15, 1921. was a red letter dn-v for Alexandra after we bad talked about these two events, he replied. “Because we had paradise ducks for dinner !” There is to be another red letter dav for Alexandra though to many it will bring painful memories and that will be the dav on which the monument to. the fallen soldiers is completed and unveiled. It is now in course of construction and will be a credit, to the spirit of the townspeople. It is to he 24 feet in height with a large circular concrete base carrying an ornamental handrail and enclosing a rockery so that the monument will be perpetually wreathed in flowers and foliage. In the centre of the rookery approachable from a broad flight of steps bisecting the circular concrete base a handsome extension of polished nioa marble (from Nelson District) will he super-imposed upon a broad concrete pedestal and above that a statue of chaste TPa’ian marble, will stand aloft and remind future generations of the sacrificeof their forefathers in the world’s greatest upheaval. The monument will stand at the entrance of the domain, whence in timo ,a i-isfn of shade trees extending bevond it will enhance it-, beantv. It is to cost about #II.OOO. and the committee responsible foits construction are to be congratulated upon the manner of their appreciation for the weak of their fallen comrades.