NEW YEAR IN 1859

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXIII, Issue 18764, 31 December 1930, Page 13

NEW YEAR IN 1859

EARLY TIMARU HISTORY. Some interesting references to the very earliest days of Timaru were made at the commencement of 1870, by Mr G. Healey, a well-known pioneer resident, when speaking as a guest at a Foresters’ anniversary social. Mr Healey said he would take his hearers back in the history of Timaru to Ist January, 1859. Timaru could boast then of only three houses, two of which were public houses, and one private, in which lived Captain Cain and his family. The two were public houses then in every sense of the word. Night and day, Sunday or any other day. it was all the same. In addition to these three buildings there was a store, where you could get everything if they had it, or if they had time to find it for you; but if they could not find it you could look for yourself (A voice: “Those were good times.”) The Post Office was also in connection with the store, which despatched a mail every fortnight, and got it to Christchurch some time or other if it were not lost on the way. In addition to the places enumerated, there were two other places, a shearing shed and a wool shed. The inhabitants—settlers—numbered about twenty. including three ladies and five or six little girls. The surrounding country produced nothing but "wild Irishman,” tussocks, and cabbage trees, and was occupied by sheep and wild pigs. Timaru then had its fashions like other places, and it was quite fashionable to wear hobnail boots, Bedford cord or canvas trousers, blue jumpers, hats, smoke a short pipe, and drink P.B. There were no churches; in fact there was a great absence of spiritual matters, although there was no lack of spirituous matters. They had a paternal government which allowed two public houses, at which anyone could get drunk, with or withoi.; money. Their food then consisted of mutton, bread and tea, or sometimes wild pork, and occasionally sardines or potted salmon. They had no milk or vegetables; in fact, milk was scarcely required, as the clay coloured the water abominably. The Sundays differed from other days owing to no one working, and were spent according to the tastes and temperaments of individuals, but were generally spent in smoking, drinking 8.P., duck shooting or pig hunting. About this time commenced that pernicious system of credit, which had proved one of the greatest barriers to the trade and town of Timaru. Of course, in those days, there was some necessity, and therefore, some excuse, for there was very little notes or coin in circulation. Upon the arrival of the Strathallan the numbers of the people considerably increased, but not the amount of capital; in fact, there existed a great scarcity of circulating money. Captain Cain then issued “notes of hand,” which answered capitally at the time. Of course, it was impossible to do without the credit system then, but there- was no need for its existence now (1870); it had existed long enough. It was a ruinous system to the customers as well as to the merchants. Let them try the cash system for twelve months. If they did that, he would stake his word they would be perfectly astonished at the results at the end of the year. The storekeepers would be glad too, for they woud be astonished at the smallness of the book debts. He said he had told them what Timaru was twelve years ago—they could see what it was now.