"I REMEMBER....."

Pahiatua Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 13165, 25 January 1936, Page 4

"I REMEMBER....."

PAHIATUA—AS IT USED TO BE

[Wherever old-timers meet, and pause, and reflect, the doings, the places and the people of those early days of Pahiatua flash through their thoughts and find expression in happy reminiscence. To those of our readers who take a pride trict’s transformation oyer fifty years and a curious de lght in " hat use<l to be we offer at intervals the i ecol lections of these pioneers.j By “NGA KOROUA.” Seeing Air Coleridge Ridd in Crewe's auction mart took mo hack to old times. I remember the days when there was no doctor practising in Pahiatua, although Air Ridd, who was the local surgeon dentist and chemist those days, was ever willing to give every assistance m cases of accident and sickness. j think it was the fact that Mr Ridd was so competent that had kept a qualified man out of the district. Anyway, in the beginning of LbVJ there was considerable agitation to procure the services of a fully qualified medical man, and a meeting was called ;it which Mr Tosswill presided. _ After a lot of talk, it was finally decided to advertise ill four morning papers in the principal towns of the Dominion. We thought that there should be at least £SOO a yeai for a mail hut we all agreed he must he young so as to be f° about under the bad conditions that existed then. Anyway, L remember we got five applications, two of which were considered suitable, and we decided to try and induce these two gentlemen to visit Pahiatua. Although several doctors did visit the town, it was jiot until about five years later that the first doctor took up residence in Pahiatua. 1 his was Dr. Gault, from Helensville. Jt was several years later that Dr. H. T. Dawson came to town and entered into partnership with Dr. Gault After a short period Dr. Dawson took over the whole of the partnership and has been in Pahiatua ever since.