Fifty Years Ago To-day

Southland Times, Issue 22915, 13 June 1936, Page 6

Fifty Years Ago To-day

(From The Southland Times). JUNE 13, 1886. The Trail of the Serpent.— Sir: After puzzling myself for some time I am at length convinced that the cause of the present state of things is the reaction with us of a spurious civilization. The resources of Southland, for instance, are endless, and pictured in bright colours by every tourist that meets us; but our greed and childish pride in the past have prevented us from really seeing them. Old World heroes have seen and loved this land, and professing to follow them in heart, we have rushed in, charmed by their words, and have made a complete hash of everything. Now we cannot pay our way. We have lived in vain; let us now return to truth and reality and leave a healthy prosperity for our children. My dream is this: the mother teaches her daughter the use of the knitting needle and to weave, the father is again the hunter, and the son a hero, in the harvest field; the flocks and herd food and raiment nrovide, while the country everywhere presents a vigorous manhood, and “Rusticus” revels in his quiet humour and his slings and arrows are harmless still. Ship Founders.—Timaru, June 12. As the ship Lyttelton, loaded with frozen meat, was being towed out of the harbour this morning at 8 a.m. she was wrecked. Opinions vary as to the cause of the accident, but it is generally believed that the fluke of the anchor went through the ship’s side, though others say that she struck a rock. She sank within ten minutes. The captain and crew were brought back to the breakwater in the steamer that was doing duty for the tug. For Kimberley.—Messrs J. M. Docherty, M. McKenzie, D. M. Donald, J. Hall and A. Ferguson leave Invercargill for Kimberley next week. The party will be well equipped.