PLACE NAMES

Southland Times, Issue 21431, 27 June 1931, Page 11

PLACE NAMES

SLOPE POINT

(By

Rambler.)

(Continued.)

The recent appearance in an Invercargill theatre of the motion picture “Cimarron,” which depicted the foremost pioneer of an American state wandering on to pioneer elsewhere and to finally finish his life with nothing, while others who followed after him made fortunes, reminded the writer that those who set out to pioneer the Haldane settlement were of the same restless blood. They wanted something better than they had found before and so became pioneers of probably more districts than one.

The majority of the Haldane pioneers have moved on to other places or have passed away and the settlement is, in the main, occupied by settlers who came later, with the result that there arc some who claim that the Government of the day made a mistake in forming the settlement. The expenditure on the opening of the settlement was not great, judged by modern standards, and the settlement is now one of the best in Southland, supporting a large number of families. The original Haldane settlement was not as great in area as the present Haldane and Slope Point districts, but in considering the settlement there it must be remembered that the settlers placed there by the Government probably led to other settlers taking up the land round about. At the present time about 5000 acres are occupied in the districts, but part of the area is still under forest and the greater part of it is still plentifully littered with logs and stumps. The area under grass is carrying about 5000 sheep, and over 300 dairy cows are being milked, and there is other stock in large numbers. One of the original settlers, who died within recent years, left property valued at about £lO,000, and one has only to consider what he alone must have paid in land and income tax and what his estate paid in death duties to realize that the country gained a valuable asset when the Haldane settlement was formed. It should be remembered that the land was not producing anything before it was settled and that it might not have been settled yet if it had not been for Government assistance. Mr Trumble referred to the work of the pioneers of one of our cities in a few verses and his comments, apart from a certain amount of historical value, are worth repeating because of the application they have to all pioneers.

And this was great Dunedin In eighteen forty eight; I hardly think the people now Would call it up to date.

But soon the pitsaws got to work Down at Sawyer’s Bay, And wooden shanties then were built, Quite mansions in their day.

Then Macandrew bought a little craft And christened her the Star, And ran her in the coastal trade Till wrecked on Taieri bar.

But where are those old pioneers now, That struggled side by side To build the great Dunedin, That’s now famed far and wide.

I’ve watched them going one by one To answer their last call, And now I pray in Heaven above To meet them one and all.

It has already been mentioned that. Mr Trumble liked a joke and was fond of recording the happenings of the district, and the two following efforts at wooing the muse will serve to illustrate bis ability in that direction.

When travelling up past Jimmy’s place I saw a little brute, I did not know it was a pig until I saw it root. Its head was large, its tail was thin, its back was like a saw, The whole length of its body was nothing to its jaw. I stood and watched it in dismay, the soil it turned o’er. I thought it was some implement I had not seen before. At length it raised its mighty head and wagged its little tail, ’Twas then I saw it was alive although it was so frail. Then what it was I tried to guess, and hit it by a fluke, For all at once it struck my brain, “It is a Captain Cook.” The second set of verses refer to a stream near the mouth of the Haldane River and probably deal with an incident that actually happened, a bridge having been built there at one time. There’s a neat little stream runs into the bay Down by the old engine shed And to bridge it across to save human life A miner took into his head. Now he wanted a man the bridge to build So he sent for the contractor King, And to arrive at the timber they’d want They measured it off with a string. The piles were totara not less than ten feet And three were put at each side; The beams were of rimu full thirteen feet long For they had to keep it wide for the tide. There was lining and capping and very strong stays All chosen from specified wood, Which the miner inspected and said with a smile, "By jove, this timber is good. “Now this bridge will have fame, let us give it a name.” "Faith,” says King, “let us christen it now. It’s a terrible spot that will ne’er be , forgot, Let us call it the Teramacow. “And now for the clay, it might be washed away If it’s not protected by wings.” “Oh, put scrub in the face, it will answer the case; I’m afraid we can’t pay for these things.” So on the next day when I travelled that way I saw something that tickles me now. ’Twas the plan of a wing drawn out by the King On the sand by the Teramacow. (To be continued.)