AN OLD LANDMARK.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVIII, Issue 81917, 31 January 1907, Page 2

AN OLD LANDMARK.

TUB KGMONT MILL. The old ligmont Mill building, now being partly demolished and altered by .Messrs L. ]). Nathan and Co., was erected by Messrs Bull and Bund in I.SOU for Messrs W. 1L ilulkc, nun- of Boil Block, and l'\ L. and W. .1). Web sler, of .New I'iymoutli. The building itself cost somewhere in the region of iIUOUO, and is a striking example ot how buildings wore erected in those days. Visitors who have watched fne work of demolition, and the workmen engaged there, have marvelled much at the strength of construction. The ar. ehitect, too, says, the place was "bui I like a ship." All the Umber was sc lecled heart of red pine, hand-sawn, With the exception of the kauri lining in the ollice, and all the wood but that used iu tlic damp basement is siill as sound as a bell. It will be hardy credited by some of our readers thai the floors are of Din x Din, studs (iin x Giu and Sin x (iin, and the llooring joists 12in x tiiu. The joists arc most". iy Hushed wuh lead plates, and !;.<• llooring boards are all inter tongued with iron. In order to secure foundations for the Imikling twelve feel ol excavations had to lie made, and a retaining wall of stone and coucrele erected on the street frontage. The architect was Mr Ceo. Bobinson, from London, thai known as one of the best architects in ■(he colony. The place was built for Hour milling, and completely tilled for the "stone" process 'The plant was supplied by the late firm of Messrs Thornton, Smith and firth, of Auckland, and Die machincrv was titled up by Mr Win. Cibson, .still of New Plymouth, whose skill mac be judged from the fact that when hi-

work was linished he set the whole plant at work on a full pressure ol steam. Machinery of that cius. made "in the good old tfavs," is .seldom seen now. Mr W. 1). ' Webster in formed a "News" reporter yesterday tiiat the machinery ran for'tin year's without a break. After a few years' working the business passed into the hands of Messrs Webster and Mclvellar, who conducted it for a long period, lint I hough complete in its way, the null had to be closed down owing to the insufficient local production ol wheat, and the advent of the "roller" process in the South, which enabled outside mills to more loan successfully compete with the local article. It is interesting at. lids juncture to note that when pclioleiini was first discovered ill this district, Mr Gibson lubricated the whole of the bearings of the machinery with the. crude pii'l rolenm, and found it; answered splendidly, Mr JI ulke, one of the original iir'ni of owners, also built the 'lirsl. Iloufinill iu Taranaki, in Ihe early <U)'s, on land now occupied by the' Crown Dairy Company's premises in Queen-street", 'fne Lgniuut Mill proprietors a'so launched out into the milling lmsinc.<iu lire Haw era. district,- building the Tawhiti mill iu the SU's Tiic old mill, which forms the. subject of this art icle, is a. link between the past and present commercial life of Taranaki. and its solidity—the strongest building in Taranaki, if not in the colony—is. we hope, a true ind.iea.tou of the .-oiid basis on which rests our present prosperity.