THE OLDEST RESIDENT

Taranaki Daily News, 9 June 1932, Page 14

THE OLDEST RESIDENT

MRS. RAYMUS BUTLER.

SON RECALLS EXPERIENCES.

The oldest surviving resident of Waimate Plains is undoubtedly Mrs. Rayjnus Butler, who is now 80 years of age. "With her husband and family she arrived at Hawera in 1875 —57 years ago. There were then only two hotels in the place, one kept by Mr. Tom Quinlivan, and the other by Mr. Spain. In March, 1881, the Butler family removed to Manaia and took part in the pioneering of the plains. A few reminiscences are recorded by Mr. W. Butler, one of Mrs. Butler’s sons, now a resident of Hawera. He remembers when the Waingongoro bridge was the only one in the district. The Kapuni bridge was being built at the time they settled at Manaia. Prior to this Mr. Butler, with a few other young fellows from Hawera, went out exploring on the plain, which was then almost an unknown country. Titokowaru had a pa on the top of Yorke’s Hill on the seaward side of the track, and he ■ was very apt to assert his authority and endeavour to prevent the white man from treading on his domain. The old warrior used often to visit the settlement at Hawera, and many people would treat him and his followers with hospitality. To these favoured ones no password was required, but strangers were likely to be challenged. This was particularly so in the case of solitary horsemen; they were more likely to be unmolested if they were supported by company. Mr. Butler remembers the time when the A.C.’s were encamped at the top of the Waingongoro hill, somewhere where the Tokaora Hall now stands. This was long before the A.C. force was established at Manaia. He also remembers when the Natives attempted to plough up Air. Livingston’s lawn. This was some years before the raid on Hastie’s farm.

Mr. Butler was present at the Hastie farm episode. The Maoris had erected a whare about 60 feet long and '2O feet wide, and were going to commence ploughing operations next morning had they not been ejected. After the Maori horses had been impounded the A.C.’s, who arrived from Opunake, were set guard over the pound all night so as to prevent the animals being seized. There were over 100 of them, and later many were released on payment of poundage fees. A number were, sold to pay expenses, the owners having insufficient money to retrieve their animals. Forty years ago the Native gatherings that, took place twice a year at Parihaka were most enthusiastic and a vast crowd'of Natives would have to be provided for. Mr. Butler, Mick Bolger, Rhody Slattery and another (whose name Mr. Butler cannot recall) each ; used to take a large waggon-load of | potatoes of about five tons each. These j were gathered from the various pus i around the plains, and the twenty tons would be divided ' among the followers of Te Whiti and Tohu. The celebrations would last for days and weeks at a time and would be held in March and October each year. The festivities would consist of great feasting with tables well laden with eatables and girls in neat white aprons and caps waiting on the guests. There would be dancing and singing and concertinas and accordeons, the dance hall holding 200 or 300 people. When the potatoes arrived they , would be met by a large crowd and es- j corted with great jubilation. There would be great hakas of welcome and the crowd would all join in unloading the potatoes. The waggons, after collecting the loads, would make Opunake in one day, camping at a pa near the town, where the drivers would be put up and be hospitably entertained for the night. Next day they would complete the journey to Parihaka. “I have seen Lloyd’s hotel, Manaia, so crowded with Natives on a Saturday night that you could not get in to have a drink,” declared Mr. Butler. “There would be hundreds of them, and one of their number would get a couple of gallons of beer and bring it out to the backyard, where a double row of Maoris would squat on the ground. The liquor would be handed round in pannikins until exhausted, when a further quantity would be brought. Often there would be 100 in one of these communal drinking parties, and after the liquor started working there would be many rows and fights. Maori life was not by any means dull in those days. The Natives would generally arrive in town by bullock dray, each vehicle carrying a big load of men, women and children.”

Speaking of the wild pigs which were plentiful on the plains, Mr. Butler said that when Lloyd's hotel was first opened it was possible to catch wild pigs 100 yards away. The animals would come out at nights from their hiding place in the flax and cause much damage to the properties. The pigs would subsist on clover and fern root.

“Mick Bolger and myself used to take a dray down Sutherland Road, then only a track, and collect the pigs that' had been caught by the hunters. Where we saw a ftax stick with a piece of paper tied to it we knew there was a pig tied up for us to collect. We used to get paid so much a head for carting them and putting them in a big yard ready for shipment to Wellington. We would make many trips in the course of the day. “There was an old man called ‘Piggie* Young, who used to do a great business in exporting pigs, and he would go around the country calling at Maori pas collecting pigs io send away to Patea.” 17