A VETERAN FLOURMILLER

Southland Times, Issue 17193, 12 November 1912, Page 4

A VETERAN FLOURMILLER

MR THOMAS FLEMING. INTERESTING REMINISCENCES. One of Southland’s earliest surviving pioneers, and best known public man. is Mr Thomas Fleming, head of the well known fourmilling firm of Fleming and Co.. Ltd. In the course of an interesting cl at with a Southland Times reporter. Mr Fleming said that he arrived with his father and mother at Bluff in the iron clipper barque Storm Cloud In December. ISG2. Among his fellow passengers were Messrs J. YV7 Mitchell. John Boyle (Heddon Bush). Martin Maley (for many years a ganger in the Railway Department). Alex. Mair, James N sbet, and the late Mr Peter Campbell, w,io was accompanied hy his wife and his sons, Messrs A. B. Campbell and Donald Campbell (Mabel Bush). On arrival at Bluff some of the stronger male members of the party, including Mr Fleming, his two brothers, Adam and Andrew, and Messrs A. B. and Donald Campbell sot off for Invercargill on foot. They left the port at 3 o’clock in the afternoon, and arrived footsore and leg-weary at Invercargill at 2 o’clock the following morning. The only persons they encountered during the journey consisted of a party of road-makers, who were commencing to clear a track at Mokomoko. There they were regaled

with tea ami bread and butter. At Invercargill they found shelter in the immigration barracks, no other accommodation being available. Their baggage was afterwards brought up to Invercargi;i in a small steamer, owned by Messrs Cheyne Bros., one. of whom was Mr Leslie Cheyne. THEY TURN TO Mr Fleming's father and his family at once got work, and they camped in large tents, with flys, which they pitched near a clump of bush on a site a little, beyond where the Hospital now is, and on the same side of the North Road. It was known as the Storm Cloud township. The first occupation Mr Fleming’s father engaged hi was the hreaking-in of a number of Tasmanian horses for Grave! and Whiting, a contracting firm, who had stables and buildings and also a horc! near the jetty. The first work that Mi Fleming tackled —he was then only a boy—was gardener and cowboy for the late Mr Peter Dalrymplc. Mr Dalrymple then lived in what was known as Ferntrcc whare, which was situated just about where Mr John McQueen’s house now stands, and his housekeeper was Miss McQueen, who afterwards became Mrs Robert McNab. Mr Fleming, however, did not long remain with Mr Dalrymple, and he loft to assist his father with Gravel and Whiting's young horse teams, receiving Ss per day for his work. The first job they engaged in was the carting of piles, which were used to lengthen the Jetty. The piles were procured in the bush, where Mr Scott Symington now resides, and some of them are still part of the Jetty. No particular kind of timber was used. About that time there was a good deal of bustle in Invercargill, the diggings at the Shotover being then in full swing. Mr Fleming's brother, the late Mr Andrew Fleming, was employed in conveying goods to Kingston. Cartage alone co= t as high as £IOO per ton, and Lake freight had to be added to that amount. There, were no roads, such as wo are acquainted with nowadays, and waggons and strong drays were used for conveying the goods. The teamsters used to journey in parlies, and on bad'pieces of track they would assist cacti other by double-banking or treble-banking, as was frequently necessary. Often they wore stuck up in creeks and swamps, and had to unload and reload two and three times a day. It took about a fortnight's time to do the trip. Included iii the waggoners were the late Mr Tom Gumming, the late Mr Shepherd, father of Messrs S. and John Shepherd, of the Railway Department, Mr Wm. Adamson ('Richmond Grovel, the late Mr "Bob" Aitken, the late Mr John Hill, the late Mr Otto Hast, Mr Mortimer llhhon (Centre Bush), and Mr David Roche. The late Mr John Russell was then carting from the Jetty, and his spl?ndid team, wit'* their Scotch collar:; and decorated and well kept harness, wore the theme of admiring critics. OX THE LAND, In the autumn of 1564 Air Fleming's fat!tor decided to take up land, and he bought at public auction 100 acres at Maori Bush, and he pitched the family camp there. Three parts of the farm consisted of bush land. The nearest neighbours were Messrs John and Alex. McDonald, who had settled on the southwest point of Mabel Bush, near Grove Bush. Mr Kenneth McDonald, who is now located near Wyndham, was a stockrider on the selection. Air Fleming said that they were frequently indebted io the Alessrs McDonald for the carl dig of provisions from Invercargill. Otter early cut tiers in the Mabel Bush dis riei wore Messrs James Allen and Janes Little who chose .selections on the north-west side, and also Mr Archibald Morton, who settled on the south side of Maud Bush. None of these early settlers are now alive. There were no reads, .and the only bridge was one over the AA'aihopai. .Afterwards the settlors used to club together, cut the material, and build their own bridges. Stockraising and dairying were followed principally. and there being few fences the cattle had a log run of the counUT. Native grass was abundant, and provided very fine feed. The country ar. that time, Air Fleming said, had a lovely appearance, the flax, tussock, and virgin

forest all combining lo present, a pretty picture, (hunt-, was in abundance, there being hordes of kaltas, wild pigeons, and wild ducks. THE COST OF LIVING. Mr Fleming said that lie is amused nowadays when people complain of the high co.-1, of living, and lie quoted the prices of a few articles in support of his contention that, commodities have become. greatly reduced in value. A common price for Hour was £2O per ton; oatmeal, Bd per lb, equal to £56 pelton; Hh loaf. Is: steak and chops. Is per lb; potatoes, £2O per ton; tea, Iks Cd per lb; sugar, Cd per lb; rice, sago, etc., fid per lb; small box of matches, fid; largo box of matches. Is. Tradesmen's wages were 10s per dny .and labourers were paid Is per hour. An eight-hour day was worked. There were no Unions or an Arbitration Court in those days. Notwithstanding tho high cost of livinV, the early pioneers saved money. They had been brought, up in the old school, and knew how to economise. This was proved by IHo fact that all who wished to do so were able to acquire land. The Fleming family remained at Mabel Bush for about live years, when the 11akahouka property, which has ever since been associated with the name of Fleming, was purchased. Mr YV. S. Fleming, the youngest son, is now, however, the only one who has remained in the district. Mr Fleming remained at Rakahouka until he was 25 years of ago. when ho left the parental nest, and removed to Ormaru. Tit ere he went into the fourmilling business, being engaged by Messrs Anderson and Monatt, a firm which had a business in Invercargill in the early days. Their premises were on the site in' Doe street that was for so long occupied by Mr David Roche. A few years later Mr Fleming returned to Invercargill, and purchased a fourmlll from Mr John Murdoch, who was afterwards a leading sawmiller and timber merchant. The first wooden mill was destroyed by fire in 1889, the same year that Mr Fleming was elected Mayor of Invercargill. Within twelve months, the present extensive brick building had been erected and -installed with a modern roller plant, which was manufactured and erected by Messrs T. Robinson and Son, Ltd., of Rochdale. England, an engineer being sent out from there to erect tho plant. EARLY BUSINESS PEOPLE.

Among tho principal firms, who carried on business in Invercargill in the early sixties were Messrs Calder and Blacklock. Messrs Manning and Whiting, Mr J. T. White. Messrs Colin, Nlchol. and Campbell, Mr J. W. Mitchell, who joined his brother Mr David Mitchell, Mr Cochrane, Mr Samuel Sevan, and Messrs Grainger and Blecklock, whose premises are now known as the Co-operative Store. The hotels were the Albion, the Theatre Royal (near the Salvation Army barracks), the Prince of Wales, the first instalment of which was known as Bobbie Burns, the Victoria in Clyde street, the Three Bells, opposite the First Presbyterian Church, and the Argyle Arms. A good deal of smuggled whisky was brought into the town in the early days, and private stills about Forest Hill and the Hokonuis tverc fairly plentiful. The first three lawyers were Messrs T. M. Macdonald, W. Russell, and James Harveyq the first of whom Is now deceased. Lawyers at that time. Mr Fleming said, made piles of money, and the money-lenders also had a fairly good time, 12% per cent, being an average rate of interest. The first judge to visit the Province was Judge Gresson, and he was followed in turn by Judge Johnson and Judge Chapman PROGRESS. Undoubtedly, said Mr Fleming, the town and the district had progressed solidly and substantially, and Southland had a great future before it. Notwithstanding, however, the advantages and conveniences that are now enjoyed, he thought that withal wc are not as truly happy or as contented. The pioneers were always prepared to take the rough with the smooth, and cam© up smiling after having received many a knockdown blow. The people, too. he contended, were more sociable in the old days, and would think nothing after a hard day’s work of visiting a neighbour a dozen miles away. Of course in those times each knew the other, and there were no nasty jars inflicted as has been the case since the institution known as

"society" came into vogue. Generally speaking, too, he thought that the moral tone of the people was better than it is nowadays, and a short-shrift w'as given to wrong-doers. Indeed it was a cornman practice to have them drummed out of the town. However, he might justifiably be charged with living too much in the past, and, in case he should tread on dangerous ground, he would proceed no further.