MEDICAL PRACTICE IN OTAGO AND SOUTHLAND IN THE EARLY DAYS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3510, 21 June 1921, Page 61

MEDICAL PRACTICE IN OTAGO AND SOUTHLAND IN THE EARLY DAYS.

By

Robert Valpy Fulton,

LXII.—DUNEDIN IN 1862. HOCKEN THE HISTORIAN’S FIRST YEAR IN OTAGO. (■Continued.) There was an interesting little paper consisting of three sheets, published in Dunedin in November 1862, and from this we cuil a few notes and advertisements; though the publication was apparently well supported it withered in its infancy, and perished before three months had passed, we have no issue later than January 9, 1863. That there was room for a well-managed evening news sheet was proved by the advent of the Evening Star on the Ist- May following, and by its steady progress to the splendid position which it holds to-day. The tiny lOin bv Bin paper’ started as the Evening Times, but was promptly notilied that it must change its name, the Otago Daily Times. having got its “kick in” at least 12 months before. The shutters of the News were taken down by Howard and Kendall who, however, seem only to have carried on for a few weeks and then to have sold out to Mullhclland and Co. In the first issue is a notice of a race between Mr Thomas Dickson's bay gelding “Tommy,” and Mr Jackson’s bay gelding “Billy,” for a mile and a-half on the Ocean Beach, stakes £IOO a side—won by Dickson’# horse “by several lengths hard held.” “That mighty engine ‘Cobb’ has started for the Dunstan, and, except by some invention for aerial transit, is not likely to be run off the road in this antirailroad island.” (Aeroplane flights were held at Clyde. 1921.) The Manse street, High street, Princes street block had a nan-row escape from fire on November 20, 1862. and it was only the Dunedin Volunteer Fire Brigade's promptness that saved the situation. The prohibition- of the importing of cattle was removed at this time so that meat became much cheaper. R. B. Martin and Co., erected a fine new store in High street.” “Strayed or stolen from Rough Ridge, eight horses with ‘covers on.’ ” Many rich finds of gold were reported from the new goldfields at Nokomai and Oardrona. “Fresh discovery ; return of Fox and Callaghan with 48 pounds weight of gold which they obtained in three weeks. Mr Jefferson, storekeeper at the Dunstan, writes that a digger showed him 1260 z of gold in rough, heavynuggets which he obtained in three days at the Sixty-five Mile Rush.” The Shakespeare Concert Hall, at the corner of Maclaggan and Rattray streets, on the site of Scoiillar and Chisholm’s show rooms of to-day, was one of several establishments in the city which were “run” gratis, for the purpose of attracting customers to the bars of the most fashionable hotels. This building, the Shakespeare Hotel, was about four doors below Dr Hocken’s house of which we have been permitted by the Early Settlers’ Association to show an interesting plioto- ‘ graph. Dr Hocken lived in this house for some years before moving to Moray place. The Shakespeare Concert Hall whs conducted by T. B. Smith, the proprietor, who advertised that the management, at great expense, had engaged to appear nightly the celebrated tenor singer, D. D. Bourke : the admired comic singer, J. W. D. Robertson; the champion jig dancer, Fred Cruiek.shank, together with Chas. Muldan, P. Kirvvan, and G. Finster. Admission Free. The News was “badlv had” on Friday, November 28. 1862. bv a man named Me egor, who came from Invercargill, one afternoon and said that he had there sold 300 pounds weight of gold, which he and fiis party had obtained by three weeks work at Fox’s Gully. The News made a great song about this sensational item, and published it in large type —at OUR OFFICE, 4.30 p.m.. etc., but next day had to climb down with humble apologies; to pronounce the whole thing a shocking hoax, and generally to sing very small. The same day the escort arrived in Dunedin with 21.000 ounces of gold. Dunedin police news was rather interesting : For killing a sheep in his shop in Rattray street without a license, a man was fined £5; another for stealing three loaves, four days in gaol ; for using profane language in the street, fined 40s and costs ; for selling fish in the streets, three men were fined 30s; for stealing half-a-pound of tobacco, one month's imprisonment: and for stealing three dozen bottles of ale, six months in gaol. A suggestion was thrown out at the time to use the open space in the O'-tagon as a far better place for the new fire brigade engine to be housed in, and that the bell would be heard far better there than “from the suburban bush beyond Bell Hill.” Note.—The bell was for many years in the old wooden tower in Dowling iVreet, close to the Boys’ High School: it was afterwards moved to the passage-way at the back of the Town Hall, and is now installed at the Central station in Cumberland street. It was for years rung at eight, twelve, one and five o’clock, and tolled with peals for the different wards, when fires occurred. Later it was simply rung as a warning before the exit of the brigade, and now is only used when an emergency call comes while the brigad • is nit on duty, and outstation brigades aie required. The old idea of lotting everybody know exactly where the fire was, and practically inviting all and sundry to fill and block the street, is quite out of date, and now the brigade gets on to the scene of action, and has the fire in hand before half -a-liundred persons know its whereabouts. The old fire brigade with its primitive appliances and scanty supply of water, first located in what is now Custom House Bq uare, did remarkable work, and many

was the “save” it effected in those far off days. A voluntary service by men who were mostly engaged in vigorous and fatiguing occupations during the daytime, saved the inhabitants of the town many thousands of pounds and rescued a large number of lives, and by their prompt activities prevented the loss of many others. Entirely dependent on voluntary contributions and a house-to-house collection, these old heroes did theii- work splendidly, going into the job chiefly from a desire to prevent damage to the town buildings, and to help their fellow citizens, but with in addition a distinct love of adventure, a leaning towards an ■ exciting avocation with a marked element ' of danger. Everything appealed to them. The clanging bell, the thronging streets, ■ the crash of falling timber, the roar of the i flames, the shouts and cries “here comes : the brigade,” and these men with thenbright brass helmets, red coats, flashing tomahawks, and all-compelling streaming J hoses were indeed heroes, and the admired , of all for their pluck and stamina in 1862, : as are the members of the perfectly trained and highly disciplined force under Superintendent Napier to-day. Of the old hands we have been told that Captain Rees still lives in London, Lieutenant Murphy in Taranaki, Captain Job Wain and Foreman Carrington in Dunedin, all resting from their labours, these grand old men of the Dunedin Volunteer Fire Brigade of the “sixties.” i Chavanne’s Victorian Hotel stood at the corner of Princes street and the Octagon, the lessee later had the well-known hostelry in Wanganui. ' Numbers of good theatrical companies were induced to visit Dunedin, chiefly by the enterprise of Shadrach Jones. Wo notice advertisements of “His Last Legs”—a benefit for Mr J. Small, with whom appeared Tom Fawcett. Miss E. St. Clair and Miss Fanny Wiseman. “The Count of Monte Christo,” by Mr and Mrs Glarance Holt, Miss Martin, Miss Acla Hart, Miss Matthews and Mr J. M. Wfiolfe. “The Rag Pickers of Paris,” by. Glarance Holt and company. “The Bohemian Girl,” by Tom Fawcett, Madame Carandini, and Mr Sherwin. On December 12, 1862, a jollyparty sat down to supper in the Provincial Hotel. It included the Fawcett Brothers, Mr John Dunn, Madame Duret, and others, on the eve of sailing for Melbourne after a very successful season. After supper a handsomely inscribed photographic album containing portraits of about 40 of the company was presented to Mr Shadrach Jones, while many eulogistic speeches were made of his energy and enterprise and love of the drama. Mr Jones in replying, referred to Messrs Thomas and Sand ford Fawcett, thanked all present for their handsome gift, and said they- would be glad to know that the season, though not paying, had resulted in a very small pecuniary ioss to him, but he felt' sure had greatly improved the status of the profession in the town, and advanced the position of the drama far beyond what it had been. The toast of “The Ladies” was responded to by- Dr Hocken, and Mr Tom Fawcett. Looking at notices of sales of land we find reference to the township of Beaumaris —was this at Green Island? Also at Pcrtobello where “steamers are chartered to run from Greenwich to Gravesend, thence to Port Chalmers, then a tw-o hourly service fo Gravesend.” Where are these thriving villages to-day? Are they covered with sand? The village of ‘Chalmerston at Halfway 'Bush, where has it got to? It was w-ell “boosted” in 1862 by Gillies and Street. There was a varied programme for the people of Dunedin that Christmas week, 1862 :—Vauxhall Gardens, Grange Estate Sports, First Y.M.C.A .Annual Social Conversazione and Soiree, great comic pantomimes “The Maid and the Magpie,” and the “Babes in the Wood,” Grand Total Abstinence Conference to which visitors were invited on Christinas Day at 6 p.m., in Dr Burns’ Church; Jones’s Christmas Sports in the Commercial Yard, High street, at which a great quoit match between two Wellknown Sandy Creek play-ers was to take place. For this a “superb cup,” value 25 guineas was offered. Altogether what we to-dav would call a Carnival Week. A •notice that the 4!b loaf was raised to lOd; that the Sabbath Observance Ordinance was about to be enforced; that the road by- Waikouaiti was the bestroute for the Dunstan. So said D. C. Campbell, of the Sand spit, "Waikouaiti, who undertook to forward diggers and their swags. Cotterell and Dermer advertised as “operative chemists,” whatever that, might mean. Perhaps what the anld farmer meant when he said that their pills were' “gay search in.” Mr J. S. Raphael brought word of a new rush about two miles from the “Junction,” and that at that part of the Dunstan. timber was 4s a foot, flour £BO a ton, and Bass ale £8 for a case of two dozen. A man sitting down to tea put out his hand to pick up a small bag of what be thought sugar beside him, and found he could"" not lift it as it was full of gold. A digger was robbed of £l3 at Rough Ridge ; a number of dead bodies were found in the Molyneux, leading to suspicion of murder by some of the new arrivals at the Dunstan. “Mr John Jones lends the Old Club Roust- and grounds to the committees which I are engaged in organising the bazaar and exhibition in aid of the new English Church.” “At Vauxhall yesterday several of the games advertised were carried out satisfactorily, includin'.! quoits, football and other manlysports, while the swings were in great requisition. During the day and evening about 1500 persons paid admission to the Gardens and dancing was kept up until a late hour.” (We think the statements made to us by some of the early- residents that thousands of persons, one man assured us 15,000 persons visited the gardens daily, an absurd exaggeration, duo to the youth of the individual at the time and his lack of experience in estimating numbers or size of crowds). “A digger called Wildridge writes to McCubbin. of the Otago Hotel, saying he

" is making £IOO a week, and that when walking up to the waist in the Shot-over River, he can sometimes bring up five to six ounces of gold on his shovel.” Miss Harriet Gordon, a very remarkable singer and quick change artiste, conducted a drawing room entertainment with sketches in which she took the four principal parts in “The Merton- Family,” and later “Two Greenfinches.” With her was Mr J. F. Hyde, and they played in the new Masonic Hall opposite the Government Buildings, Princes street. Madame Carandini and Mr Sherwin generously assisted the .Anglican Church Exhibition and Bazaar on several occasions by giving a high-class repertoire. The exhibition, etc., realised £IOOO. Quick and Company’s coach started on December 20, 1862, for the Dunstan at 12 o’clock with 14 passengers. Kellar and Co., of the Golden Fleece, Melbourne, arrived by- the Alhambra, and purchased the goodwill and seven y : eia,r’s lease of the Commercial Hotel from Mr Shadrach Jones for the sum of £IO,OOO. At the conclusion of the Caledonian Games on New Year’s Day, a fire balloon made for Mr Harding, of the Union Hotel, was despatched from the grounds. Mr Cornish writes to Messrs Quick and Co., on behalf of self and passengers, for safe transport to the Dunstan, for civility-, attention, “good provisions and rapid transit.” Mr Wolfe s benefit of “The Wife,” by Holt and Co., followed by- “Mazeppa,” drew a great crowd on December 12, 1862. “Monsieur Denise has opened his Parisian hairdressing saloon in the cutting, and will be happy to serve his customers in the very highest style of tonsorial art.” McGubbins Otago Hotel provides a wonderful “quisine under a celebrated chef, Monsieur Jean.” Everything can be obtained that the most fastidious gourmand and connoisseur can possibly desire,” and the table can seat lunch of the most recherche description for 100 persons at the shortest possible notice.” Professor Rowley, Prince of Peruquiers,” describes his establishment and methods of hairdressing. The police announced that they- had discovered an illicit still; and the fire brigade who had great competitions and practices—ladder and hook teams v. hose and reel teams, 10 men a side, and when really needed did excellent work under Captain Rees, that they- were going to send round a house-to-house collector. The News here inserted a letter from the Daily Times and Witness office giving a further donation of £lO 10s to the fire brigade funds, and The News comments upon this generous act as one which is worthy of more than mere mention. The letter enclosing the donation to Mr Munsford was signed B. L. Far jeon for Cutten and Vogel. A sort of sub-leader or •editorial note “Fire is our worst enemy ; water our best friend, the construction of a reservoir is our most secure and reliable hope for self preservation ; without water our fire brigade is useless, etc.” “We take this opportunity of informing the public that an imposition, similar in its nature to the extortions of the London cabmen, is being practised daily by the Dunedin boatmen, plying to and from Vauxhall. The fare to Vauxhall and back by the steamer Nugget is Is, the usual charge by a whale boat Is each way, but these aquatic satellites take advantage of your credulity, and extort, double or treble fares.” “Mr Tower’s Grand Christmas Ball takes place this evening, at the Oddfellows Hall.” “Jones’ Sports were a great success. sbe quoit match creating considerable interest: distance 21 yards, first prize William Smith, 7 points; standing jump won by Private Kelly, of the 70th Regiment, height 10ft 6in (this is undoubtedly an error or misprint for 4ft Gin); IOOySs race Samuel Connell; boys, 100 y-ards, Thomas Benson; Solo Da.nce by an elderly- dame, perched upon a high elevated platform, created great enthusiasm, and roars of laughter.” “Eighteen thousand ounces came down from the goldfields to-day.” The s.s. Omeo is in sight, should our telegram from Port Chalmers be in time, a second edition of the Evening News will be published.” “Mr Barnes, the contractor, who was on horseback, ‘turned the corner’ in front of Mr Brown’s shop in Stafford street, and rode against one of Mr Brown's employees, a lad, who fortunately is not seriously hurt.” (A motor car owner doing the same today- would be mulcted in heavy damages.) “This evening Dr Hociken, will" deljper a lecture on botany at the Oddfellows’ Hall, in connection with the Young Men's Christian Association.” The Aldinga and City of Hobart carried to Melbourne some 23,000 ounces of gold and 260 passengers.” Crinolines or Hoops were quite a nuisance at this time in Dunedin. Word came from England that regulations were being issued in the factories that the “expansive contrivance” or hoops would not, in future be allowed, owing to the danger incurred of the dresses of the youg women coming in contact with revolving machinery-. The girls, who held meetings to discuss the situation, got over the difficulty by coming “hooped” to the gates of the mills, where they removed their canes, leaving them in the cave of friends living in the neighbourhood until their return from work, when they were again inserted into their skirts. Crinolines were quite common in Dunedin on gala davs, and an amusing American skit was referred to in The News showing how the hoops literally- pushed one off the narrow pathway's into the mud. “The Alhambra has arrived in Melbourne after 67 day’s steaming from England ; she is to be used for the intercolonial trade.” “This being the appointed Fast Day-, the Government offices and various banks have been, closed. Most of the shops throughout the city- have followed the example, though not belonging to the Presbyterian faith : this may- bo regarded as a respectful concession to the established religions ordinances of the Province.” “The Omeo. 1000 tons, made the passage frorfi Melbourne in six days. It was said her decks were so dry and her motion so even that a quadrille band should bo in attendance on board every passage for the delight of

passengers fond of dancing.’’ “Lieutenant Murphy, of the Dunedin Volunteer Fire Brigade, Who is the worthy- host of the Shamrock Hotel, intends giving the boys a right smart chance at pork and beans tomorrow at one olcloek.” The Evening News it will be seen was more of an advertising sheet than a newspaper. There were, of course, no telegrams or cables, very little foreign or Home intelligence. Shipping notes, Custom entries, Police Court news, and an excellent series of advertisements of which the bulk were theatrical, and nearly always for someone’s benefit, filled the pages. It seems as if each member of a theatrical company from the manager to the call boy had his beiifit, but it is only- right to say that the performers were very generous and gave their services at all times for any- good object or charitable organisation. Among the* advertisers the only ones whose names appear in our papers to-day are Ross and Glendining, James Mills, gunsmith, Stafford street, Kilpatrick and Co., Wm. Gregg and Co., Herbert, Haynes and Ilay. Princes street. Two of Cobb's coaches made the journey from the Dunstan in two days. The News commented upon this and expressed surprise that no direct mail from the “Metropolitan goldfields” to Dunedin was in existence, but all mails came round by Waikouaiti. “It would be worth while,” said the paper, “to run coaches daily, and deliver the mails in Dunedin and Hartley on the mornings following their departure.” (Hartley was no doubt the Clyde of to-day.) Vauxhall Gardens, to which we have referred, covered 23 acres of ground, and provided a multitude of | amusements. A portion was set apart for private picnic parties. Tire steamer Nugget left tlie wharf every half hour from two till midnight; admision was free up to 6 p.m. Among the items at their Old English Fay re were some that have now dropped out of sports programmes, but are worth mentioning: Standing jump, Standing high leap; Throwing the light hammer; Eating the biscuit, hopping; Climbing the’ greasy pole; Wheelbarrow race, blindfold ; Whipping the goose : Groping for silver; Catching the cock (hands tied behind). On Christmas Day-, 1862, the Lady Baddy had a trip to the Heads as a rival attraction. They had a jolly- dayashore with an efficient band, good refreshments at moderate charges; return fare ss. We have gone at some length into the notes and advertisements of this quaint 1862 news sheet, for the reason that it covers part of the first year Dr Hocken was in practice, and it gives a kind of epitome of the .gay- and busy- life of the time. The town crammed with diggers, money spent lavishly, wine flowing like water, gold pouring into the town, hundreds of thousands of ounces, 15,000 to 30,000 per escort, theatrical companies and pantomimes galore, famous singers and performers, Ares, wrecks, accidents, murders, suicides, events tragic and comic occurring almost daily, one lias not to look for them, they force themselves upon one’s vision, they seem to leap from the very print on every page. Into this life came the y-oung doctor, and, as has been already seen, he promptly- took his part in the fun and gaiety- that was going in order to relieve himself of some of his trials and occasionally to efface the pictures of sorrow and suffering which he was daily- compelled to witness. (There is no copy of this strange little paper in the Hocken Library-. The bound volume was presented to the Early Settlers’ Association in May, 1921, by Mrs W. Livingston, of London street, Dunedin.) The response to the “Cut this out” advertisement has been so satisfactory and has resulted in so large a number of orders being sent in for these articles in book form that we have asked the Otago Daily- Times Printing Company- to issue an edition of 1000 copies. In order that the price may be kept down to 7s 6d, plus postage, wo hope that the whole edition will be bespoken before we start printing. Those who require the book to be posted are requested to add Bcl to their orders to cover packing postage, etc. The books will be forwarded according to priority of prepaid orders, and as these are rapidly- coming in we advise application at once. See advertisement on index page of this issue and in the Otago Daily- Times.