“I REMEMBER...."

Pahiatua Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 13177, 8 February 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 in the district’s transformation over fifty years and a curious delight in what used to be we offer at intervals, the recollections of these pioneers. 3 By “NGA KOROUA.” The Pahiatua Volunteer Fire Brigade is pretty efficient now and householders and business people are lucky to have this protection. It is just on 44 years since the first Fire Brigade was formed in I ahiatua. The Town Board had. been dissolved arid a Borough elected in its place and some of the Councillors were keen for a lire Brigade. Anyway the Council promised to help any effort that was made to norm a Brigade so a meeting was held in the Commercial Hotel. Mr Toss will, who was away in Wellington, advised the meeting per telegram that if the insurance policyholders were prepared to form a Fire Brigade the insurance companies would assist. Anyway we decided to form a Brigade. Some oi the members were very keen to obtain a steam engine to start with as Masterton had one and it was far superior to the horse-drawn machine. Of course, the only drawback was the lack of funds. A committee was appointed to canvas the business people to obtain funds hut although the response was good (we could always get funds for the improvement of the town those days) we had to be content with a horsedrawn manual. Messrs R. La wry and C. Morris supplied the horses and the engine was stored for a while in a shed which was the property of a Mr Henderson. Some of the fires in the early days were attended by amusing incidents. Some of the Brigade belonged to the local Band and one night while the Band was giving a Nigger Minstrel show the fire bell went and most of the performers left in a hurry to don their hats and attend the fire. Still the audienc e did not mind much as they would just as soon attend a fire as a concert. Anyway the fire did show more action. One of the firemen who had been dressed np in a white shirt, tails, etc*., for the concert fell in the creek during the fight and cam© out covered with mud from head to foot which gave the crowd just as big a laugh as the concert had. Although we laughed at the old Brigade now it did some good work. I can toll you that the firemen did not have half the gear they've got these days. The officers of the first Fire Brigade were: Captain, Mr A. Pickering; lieutenant, Mr J. Bertram ; secretary, Mr E. L. (Ted) Darley ; treasurer, Mr W. H. Briggs. We had in all J remember twenty members to start with, which we considered a very good response.