PLEASANT POINT

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLIII, Issue 20670, 8 March 1937, Page 3

PLEASANT POINT

NINETY-THREE TO-DAY A PIONEER RESIDENT Mr John Jones, a resident of Pleasant Point, celebrates his ninety-third birthday to-day. Bom at Machynllth, North Wales, on March 8, 1844, Mr Jones emigrated to New Zealand 20 years later. He arrived by the ship Ivanhoe and landed at Lyttelton in 1864. Mr Jones commenced work immediately with a Mr Hall, of Temuka, and after a period of three or four years he purchased a team for the purpose of carting goods for storekeepers in Temuka, running between Timaru and Temuka. In the winter months Mr Jones did a considerable amount of contract ploughing, principally for the Orari Gorge Station and the Levels Station, the manager of which at that time was Mr Hassall. After a few years Mr Jones purchased 160 acres of land at Washdyke and 200 acres at Dovey Downs, near Pleasant Point, but he continued to have teams on the road transporting wool and grain from the Mackenzie Country to Timaru. Mr Jones remembers juite vividly the disastrous floods of 1868. He was engaged in rescue work at Temuka, doing an immense amount of work with his horses in conveying people to safety. On May 16, 1870, Mr Jones married Miss Ellen Stephens, of South Wales, who had travelled in the same ship to New Zealand as Mr Jones. In 1879 Mr and Mrs Jones moved to Longbeach, where they purchased a farm of 700 acres, but were extremely unfortunate In this venture, as two seasons running they encountered nor’-' westers so severe that the crops were blown out of the ground, and so they returned to Pleasant Point, where Mr Jones has resided ever since. Mrs Jones predeceased her husband three years ago.

Mr and Mrs Jones had a family of 11 children, of whom 10 are still living, and there are 16 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. Mr Jones attributes his long life to always living a healthy outdoor life. He is still very hale and hearty in spite of his years, and retains all his faculties. In an interview he said that if he could get a new pair of legs he would be as good as ever he was. He has never been sick, but about 60 years ago he was unfortunate enough to break a leg. “I still enjoy my meals, sleep well, smoke a pipe, and read the ‘Timaru Herald,’ so what more do I want," said Mr Jones. A rather remarkable feature of the Jones’ family is that there were eight daughters, five of whom were schoolteachers and one a governess. BOXING SUCCESSFUL TOURNAMENT Under the auspices of the South Canterbury Boxing Association, assisted by a local committee, a very successful tournament was held in the Town Hall on Saturday evening. A large crowd of visitors and local residents acclaimed the tourney a huge success, and Mr M. J. Angland, secretary of the Association, said at the conclusion that they would be staging another in the near future. The night’s entertainment had been a success in every way, said Mr Angland, and it appeared from the applause which greeted each bout that the people who had attended had enjoyed themselves tremendously. The officials were—President, Mr Timaru Rhodes; referee, Mr T. Fairhall; judges, Messis R. McGlashan, T. Segar and C. Barry; timekeepers, Messrs W. C. Grant and J. Davison. The committee was under the capable supervision of Mr M. J. Angland, secretary. The results were:— Welterweight bout—R. Withell (Ashburton), 14st 111 b, V. P. Wright (Timaru), 12st. Four two-minute rounds. Withell won on points. Lightweight—J. Melrose (Ashburton), 9st 41b, v. W. Guthrie (Timaru), 9st 41b. Melrose won on points. R. Shaw (Pleasant Point), 9st 71b, v. C. McNaughton (Pleasant Point), 9st 91b. McNaughton won on a K.O. in the third round. Undoubtedly this was the star turn of the evening. The contestants, by their stance, antics and very unorthodox methods of boxing had the large crowd in fits of laughter during the duration of the bout. A special bout of three two-minute rounds between K. Wright, lost. 41b (Timaru) and J. Guthrie, lost (Timaru) was won by Wright on points. B. High, 9st (Ashburton) v. Al Emery. 9st. Three two-minute rounds. High won on points. W. Jack, 10.2 (Timaru) defeated A. Gould, 11.0 (Pleasant Point) in a welterweight contest on points in a bout of four two-minute rounds. V. Sullivan, 9.6 (Pleasant Point) drew with A. Melrose. 9.4 (Ashburton). Bantamweight—C. Owers, 8.2 (Timaru) drew with W. Sullivan, 8.2 (Pleasant Point). In the final of the novice lightweight R. Hunt. 9.2 (Ashburton) defeated B. High (Ashburton) on points. High was considerably inconvenienced in this bout, having the misfortune during the first round to damage his right hand. From then on he was compelled to use only his left. He was given an ovation on his very plucky display. During the evening Les Adams (Ashburton), a contender for the professional welterweight title, and D. Eddington, of Timaru, who recently turned professional, were Introduced to the spectators, also Tiger Mills, who is contemplating starting a boxing schc-1 in Pleasant Point. At the conclusion of the tournament cups were presented to the successful competitors by Mr M. F. Maze, who congratulated the Scuth Canterbury Association on the success of its enterprise in staging such an enjoyable tourney In Pleasant Point. He said th: t he hoped it would only be the forerunner of many more such functions, judging by the enthusiasm that had been displayed that evening. MAIN HIGHWAYS BOARD Journeying through Pleasant Point on Saturday morning the personnel of the Highways Board made a halt for approximately an hour for the purpose of receiving a deputation from the

Town Board to discuss several matters affecting the town district. Before the Board’s departure for Fairlie it was ascertained that the tarsealing of a number two highway, that running between the main highway and the saleyards bridge in Halstead Road, is to be gone on with in the immediate future. It is also understood that permission was granted for the planting of trees on the main highways between the Domain and the trucking yards. The erection of speed limit signs and indicators for bridges was also discussed, but it was suggested that the Town Board communicate with the Automobile Association, which would no doubt be extremely helpful in this direction. RAINFALL Rain fell on two days for the week ending Saturday, the heaviest fall being on March 2, when 60 points was re- , corded. The total for the week was 65 points. POLITICAL ADDRESS “LOYALTY TO A GREAT CAUSE” In «pite of harvesting operations in the district, a fairly large attendance of the public greeted the Rev. Clyde Carr, M.P., when he visited Pleasant Point on Friday evening to expound the cause of Labour. Owing to the unavoidable absence of Mr M. Maze, chairman of the Town Board, Mr W. Rose, president of the local branch of the Labour Party, presided. Mr Carr said that the cause of Labour was a great cause, and he and his Party were making every endeavour to retain the loyalty the pepole of New Zealand, who had so emphatically expressed at the last election that they wanted a people’s Party in power, a Party that would adhere to the principles they had adopted in their addresses to the electors previous to the election. The late Mr H. E. Holland had laid foundations broad and deep. Lots of criticism had recently been levelled against the Hon. R. Semple, but most people who were prominent in public affairs received brickbats, and he knew that the criticism against Mr Semple was unwarranted. Mr Semple was a talker, a worker and a fighter, but by his courteous and constructive ideas he had proved his allegiance to the cause of Labour. The remainder of Mr Carr’s address was no the lines of his previous speeches at Temuka and Geraldine.