REMINISCENCES.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXIII, 13 October 1926, Page 6

REMINISCENCES.

BY MR ,AVM. EALANS.

The following aro extracts from notes taken by Mr Win. Evans when on a trip to America and England in 1905 : Left Timaru Saturday, 13th May, 1905, Auckland on ,17th, Fiji Sunday 21st. After some nice walks and drives in the vicinity of Suva, we left on Tuesday the 23rd for Vancouver. .1. saw somo photos in the office window of the Fiji “Times.” On entering the office tho man in charge asked if I camo from New Zealand. . I. acknowledged that I did, and ho then asked in© if I knew a man living in Timaru named W. Evans, a flounnillcr there, 1 replied in tho affirmative; ho then told me that ho and Evans had corresponded when ho came to Fiji in the sixties of last century. He was then on the staff of tho West Const “Times.” .1 asked him if ho would know Evans if ho met him, and lie said ho thought so. When I told him I happened to ho the man he was inquiring about, ho was indeed surprised, and so was

We noxt reached the Island of'Hull, owned by tho Sunlight Soap Co. There wero 17 natives on the island in the employ of the company, who, were engaged gathering and shipping cbeoanuts which they break up and send ! to England as copra, from which oil ia prepared for the manufacture of toilet soap. _ Tho. whole population of seventeen inhabitants camo on board' and 1 , did -their best to entertain the passengers by trying to soli them feathers and locally made hats, winding up thenvisit by aerobatic feats, and chorus singing in their language, for which they received recognition in the'shape of. a few small coins and coppers. They evidently look upon tho calling of tho steamer as a big event in Hull, and hence all hands take advantage of it as a holiday.At Honolulu on 31st May the health officer camo aboard at 6.30 -aim., and after several counts passed all ; pas-' sengers on board as being in good health. We wero told that over 35,000 Japanese were employed on the sugar plantations, besides Chinese. We-had lunch at the Moana Hotel, four miles from the city, well served up - by Japanese waiters. There is a nice' Government aquarium near this hotel, which contains some of tho choicest and most beautiful fish the world can produce, of all shades of colour. We saw about 100 specimens, but were in-, formed that there are over 400' different, kinds of fish in tho rivers and streams ol tho Hawaiian Islands. After hearing a good brass band play, composed, all of natives except -the conductor, wo got aboard the steamer mid, sailed promptly for Victoria. ,-Wo reached Victoria wharf on the Bth. The city ol \ ictoria, capital of Vancouver, is , a good site. Most of the buildings aro largo and substantially built. The suburbs are fairly large, and many nice public and private buiklfussed. Population- about -10,000. Wo wero told that Chinamen act as domestic servants,, as very few white general servants are available. Mountains in the distance, the highest point visible Mount Barker, Canada, is 16,000 ft. always snow clad like Mt. Cook. Landed at Vancouver in the afternoon. Met Mr and Mrs- .Goldstein (nee .Miss Jonas) • on the wharf, and alter handing them a small parcel,.sent, by their Timaru relatives, went ,ou to the Hotel Vancouver for lunch, and. took apartments there. Later on .the Goldsteins brought a cab and drove us through tho National - Bark, a splendidly situated public reserve about nine miles round. Good roads and fine' natural scenery. Next day arranged to go on to BunH by tho Sunday. traiii', and a few minutes afterwards met Mr St. G. Hammersley in the street (formerly of Timaru). Afterwards my wife and I with tho late Judge Denniston visited liis family across the estuary-. Mrs Hammersley entertained us most hospitably. Sunday 11th July started by train for Bantf, through miles - ollevel flats and hills alongside' tho Fraser river over 100 miles. Saw several small townships on the way as we ■trained through tho mountains. Passed tho river Thompson and some largo -lakes oil tho way. Reached Revilstalk about midnight. Continued our journey next morning across the .mountains, -through magnificent scenery on to the Glacier House Hotel 5,000 ft above'soa level. Stopped for lunch and reached Banff at ll) p.m. put up lit the Banff Hotel, a splendid house containing about 100 bedrooms. Spent the following day seeing the sights. National Park included. There Were, lions, wolves foxes, and other animals, besides about 50 buffaloes in this Park. There is a sulphur swimming bath attached to tho hotel. On 15th inst. left Banff for Winnipeg.. Snow falling all around us for about 50 miles along tho lino through the mountains. \Vo then came to open plains and 'on through rolling downs. AYg also saw several coyotes, .and-olio fox,- from tho railway. Passed several townships one large, sized town named, Medicine Hat 1 -' where several natural gas springs are located, giving a pressure of. about -1.001b,,.t0.-tlie-square inch. AVo reached somo fine.-agricultural laud this morning (16th) . (jobd crops of wheat visible on both sides of :,tbo-road. | Arrived at the City.-- of-,. AVinnipqg 5j p.m. 17th; called Dn Mr- Black,:-7(iniaii-| ager Oglivio’s.. Flour,. and Ofitineal Mli.’s), and wero shown over them.' Up to this time these, wore the. largest and best furnished mills 1 had p'een',- anywhere. , Afterwards attended the Horse Show. Secured passages,.for i Liverpool by s.s. “ Umbria.”! He showed; mo the class-of wheat grown in .that territory, and ,for which lie ■;was then paying 4s 2d per bushel for. best .quality, and introduced mo to MoldykeMormon and Co’s., representative, . Indiana, tho manufacturers of their .milling machinery, and also to. the firm who supplied: them with oatmeal, .machinery. I secured plans and .specifications for a 20 sack plant, for flour and 5 sack oatpieal latest improvements. After a short stay wo embarked for Port Arthur, ancl tlience on to Lakes Superior and Huron. AVhcn at Port Arthur saw .somo spoon dredges at work on spoil similar to that inside our harbour. The spoil is : transferred into cheaply built barges placed alongside, which after being filled are towed away by a small tug boat! The s.s. “Taniwha” would answer splendidly as a receiving barge, us she could be filled herself and tow other barges as well. I am given to understand that there aro over 1,000 miles of navigable lakes in this part ot Canada. Some cargo steamers aro built for going through tho canals with looks such as Snulb Marie. Somo of these steamers, take through as much as 7000 .and ~-8,000 .tons of coals on a 17ft to 18ft draft. Tlicso canals have locks on them’ with a rise and fall of 18 to 20ft. ■ There are large towns whore Lakes Superior and Huron meet. Algorna on tho Canadian, and Michigan ou the United States sifie... I saw a, carbon factory of very largo dimensions for making acetylene gas. AVo saw many shovel scoop and spoon dredges with their accompanying barges working all a'ong tho line, deepening the lake where required. At times a very High sea runs on these- lakes, and although they were fairly calm as we passe.d through, a. heavy- and dangerous sea had ' boon rpuniug . tho week before. There are Rome'' immensely long steamers on this lake,: one we saw had 29. hatches, and a bailor told me she was then carrying about .-12,00 tons of . cqal. AVe , ip-rived at Ownes Sound on- 22nd,- and!'after a short stay we took train 1o Toronto. This- is a large city, and like AVinnipog and Vancouver has-a-great, future before it. The electric power from the falls of Niagara is being brought in to run most of the factories at tho present time, at much, less cost than coal, f visited most of- the sites, ns far as time would allow. AVo had a good look through thJ> Massey Harris factory and l’oulson Ironworks and Skipbukling Co.,

both very laa-ge establishments, employing between them over 15,000 men. X took much interest in seeing a large dredge on the stocks, of tho shovel or spoon pattern. It was being built for tlie Canadian Government at a cost in dollars equal to £IO,OOO. It will be guaranteed; to lift 12 .tons of spoil efieit ■scoop, and' will bo used foi’ working ■both on bar harbours and at the mouth of "lakes and -'sea. No other dredges of other mak'o are working in Canadian waters, as far as I could observe. I secured plans and specifications of a smaller dredge on tlie same plan . (from Poukon and Co.) and ah once forwarded them on to the secretary or the Timaru Harbour Board, but X 'might have spared myself and) the firm tlie trouble, ■as my opinion was not valued, but that of irresponsible outsiders -w-as taken, none or whom ever saw a dredge similar to that known as f ile scoop dredge, .and from, the statements made by the Commission appointed by the Board, they knew as jittle about the cost of barges required as they did of the working of the dredge, for they say (if they are correctly reported in the Timaru paper I received) 'that suitable barges would cost £7,009 each whereas tho barges I saw working certainly did not cost over £7OO each; but if the Board had only awaited m.v return before accepting tenders, they could have heard both sides; and then decided. As a . large ratepayer my object can ' only ' be "to ' secure' a dredge suitable for the'requirements of -this port, and at tlie least-possible cost. A\ o had a trial of the bucket dredge’ some years ago' in our port, and it proved a ,failure. In' tile past I always appear tojiav'e -falleh foul- of the' Now,' Zealand. migiheoVliig talent, ■ and did hope; they would 'hot cross my path again. Now that the bucket dredge lias been recommended and ordered, \ 1 presume :; tbe contract will 'bo carried rout* put .1. have no hesitation. in saying that the dredge :1 .recommended will do. three times-.-tho work efficiently,,at half the expense, both of cost and working. The ratepayers •of . South Canterbury know tlie difficulties I had to contend against in persuading, them to. accept extension as' against .shingle shifting. ' Tlie’final result; was shown after years of worf-y on ’my part. AVhcn every difficulty was disposed of and all was working lor good, some members of the Bpalxl to make inisthief proposed a resident engineer, and we had more trouble. I had a riot of weak-kneed members to deal with Who were talked over by interested outsiders, and the result is chron-icled'-in tlie Timaru newspapers. Alter ■all this I was asked by some members of the Board when leaving Timaru to look out for a suitable dredge. 1 did. so at some inconvenience to myself, and found the exact machine required, and reported accordingly, ' but the first action-the Board took was to call in--what they term professional men. All my experience of over thirty yeais on the-Timaru beach, and 25 years oil the Board was counted as nothing, as against theso men who never saw a storm on the Timaru Coast, and know ■verv little of the nature of the spoil to bo 'lifted, but although they know nothing' about the qualifications of the dredge T recommended as suitable tor ■their*requirements, the Canadian spoon dredge which I saw working, they point blank say it will not be suitable for working where required and the Timaru Harbour Board at ouee fall in with their views; and pub my opinion aside, as if I had no interest at stake. AVhon I look back and see l tho difficulties 1 have "lmd 'to contend, against, I, can ■conscientiously advise •. iuiy : . straightior-, ward; / business man , not;.- to give his sparer, time to the public interests for nothing. The . cnljr, : men who appear to Vet on. with the ratepayers are,, men who are afraid to say what they think, and have not had experience enoughto ventilate any idea on any - subject without tlie assistance of some paid official who has no stake in our.comm’unity, and generally whose opinion is Aot Worth having. - ; . ' ,' Further details of my trip may be continued oil some future occasion. I can only'say in conclusion that I have seen ; a littio of many countries, and have decided that for me and my family there is no better place on earth than South'Canterbury.