DIFFICULT TASK IN BUSH

Taranaki Daily News, 23 November 1932, Page 8

DIFFICULT TASK IN BUSH

TRANSPORTING FIRST PIANO. WHANGAMOMONA SETTLEMENT. ( . Thirty-four years ago the first piano was manhandled into the Whangamomona district. It has seen many vicissitudes but still retains an excellent tone and still serves to lighten the hours of a substantial back-country home.

t In 1898 Mr. S. M. Scott was appoint- . ed the first teacher to be sent into [ the Whangamomona district, then just , beginning to assume some importance as , a new settlement. He was to teach in ! the Marco School, which was the first of its kind erected, and had for some time to meet the requirements of an ' extensive area stretching from the foot of the Whangamomona Saddle to Tahora. Naturally, the establishment of a school had to be celebrated in fitting style, and Mr. Scott, a man of considerable attainments, decided at his own expense to import a piano in time to furnish the music for the big country dance in the evening. By painful stages in a bullock waggon the instrument duly reached the township of Whangamomona, but thereafter wheeled traffic was out of the question. A band of eight settlers from Kohuratahi walked into Whangamomona and

proceeded to carry the piano to the school. Their way led over a rough track which necessitated perilous descents into gullies, arduous crossings of streams, and infinite labour getting up the other side. The country was in an almost virgin state, swamps and bush causing difficult detours with many stops to explore ahead because a piano was unlike any previous pack to be lumped beyond the precipitous sides of the Whangamomona Stream. That piano had to be at Kohuratahi, safely installed in the Marco School before nightfall, and so it was. It supplied merry music for the whole countryside that evening and did duty at the school for several years afterwards. When Mr. G. Stockwell married the daughter of the first teacher Mr. Scott gave them the piano. Mr. Stockwell was then confronted with the problem of moving the instrument to his'home, some miles up the Marco Road. He removed the “works” and transported the more delicate parts by man power. The rest he strapped securely to a sledge built especially for the purpose, and thus the historic piano arrived at its final destination. It says much for the ingenuity of Mr. and Mrs. Stockwell that they were able to re-assemble the instrument, tune it and keep it in tune during the long years that have passed.

FEWER BREAKDOWNS OF CARS. DRIVING STANDARDS IMPROVING. “On an average about six cars a week have breakdowns on the road now in my area, whereas a year or two ago the number was 14 or 15,” said the service officer of the S.T.A.A. (Mr. J. McKee) to a News reporter yesterday. Mr. McKee attributed the decline to the times and backed his opinion with the argument that in view of the shortage of money motorists were taking greater care of their cars in the direction of paying more attention to general maintenance such as oiling and greasing, adjustment of tyre pressures and brakes and periodic inspections of components such as plugs, distributors and batteries. He considered that the standard of driving was improving, too, and mentioned that the severer tests for beginners before licenses were issued were doing much towards improving driving methods.

“It is not nearly so easy to get a driver’s license now as it was when the tests were more a formality than a means of gauging the ability of a driver,” said Mr. McKee.

RAWHITIROA NEWS. “GIFT EVENING” AT HALL. A gift evening was tendered to Miss Millie Gernhoefer on Tuesday night by the residents of Rawhitiroa. There was a crowded attendance in the hall, and the number of gifts, together with the felicitations expressed, were an indication of the esteem in which Miss Gernhoefer is held in the district. Mr. F. E. Silver, on behalf of those present, said the residents of Rawhitiroa all wished the happy couple health, wealth and prosperity. Musical honours were accorded. Mr. Len Vooght replied on behalf of Miss Gernhoefer. Mr. D. May was master of ceremonies for the dancing, music being supplied by I Mrs. L. Gernhoefer, Misses E. Cocker and P. O’Connor and Mr. A. M. Wilson. Mr. Silver led community singing. A Monte Carlo dance, prizes for which were donated by Mr. May, was won by Mrs. E. C. O’Neill and Mr. Vooght. By cutting away a portion of the bank and filling in the hollow at the back of the building provision has been made I for parking space and a turning place for cars at the Rawhitiroa Hall. A cricket match between a Rawhitiroa team and Eltham was played on Thursday at Taumata Park, and resulted in a draw, Eltham scoring 173 and Rawhitiroa 95 for two wickets. For Eltham, Leatham scored a vigorous century, including several sixes. Mrs. A. McNeill, who has been visit- I Ing friends at Rawhitiroa, has returned to New Plymouth. i Miss Dorcas, who has been away on I Holiday recuperating after her recent in- I disposition, is back home again.

GENERAL ITEMS. Mr. J. Callaghan, of the staff of Rutherfurd, Macalister and Coleman, left Stratford yesterday to practise at Ohakune. Arrangements are being made by the Stratford Motor Sports Club for the holding of a hill-climbing test in which cars as well as cycles may compete. Master W. Wells, Ratapiko, caught a 51b brown trout in Ratapiko Lake. The fish was ih perfect condition. Mr. A. E. Eichstaedt still leads the senior weight competition with the 71b 13oz brown trout he caught at the beginning of the season. Probably the best individual “bag” this year was that caught by Mr. G. A. Carter, who landed several fine fish ranging up to 61b.