FIFTY YEARS AGO.

Thames Star, Volume LXIII, Issue 17660, 10 August 1929, Page 5

FIFTY YEARS AGO.

THAMES IN THE ’SEVENTIES.

A MAGISTRATE RESIGNS,

OLD-TIME WALKING MATCH

The first Baptist service held in Thames took place on August 3 in Willoughby Street. The preacher, Rev. H. Wood, had only arrived in New Zealand a fortnight previously in the ship Langstone. , A Walking Contest.

, One O’Connor, who was hailed as the local champion pedestrian, challenged all and sundry to a contest to walk seven miles in one hour. The event took place in the Academy of Music (rather a peculiar place for a walking race to modern ideas), and the contestants were: Allan Porter, William Williams, Albert Thomas, Orlando Long and Edward Gibbs. A silver cup was offered by O’Connor to any of the othei’s who could emulate his feet. Williams went within one lap of O’Connor, who covered the distances as follows:—2 miles: 15min. 25sees.; four miles; 33min. SOsecs.; seven miles: 58min. 12sees. George Waite and R. Newdiek started, but fell out before a mile was covered, profit in Railways.

The total receipts for the year for the New Zealand Railways were £758,906/8/2, and the expenses £545,478/15/-. The total length open for traffic was 1440 miles.

History Repeats itself.

Obviously history repeats itself. On Thursday Sir Joseph Ward said that he anticipated that his Budget would go through. On August 2, 1879, the “Star” had the following verse in connection with Sir George Grey, the Premier of the time, who made an impassioned speech, daring the House to refuse to pass Supply:

“Yours but to vote Supply, Yours not to reason why, Your Opposition I defy— Pass the Six Million.” It has a familiar ring, hasn’t it? Gold Returns.

The weekly gold return amounted to 880 oz., Alburnia topping the list with 3010 z., and Moanataiari next with 2920 z.

Well-known Thames Names. A letter to the “Thames Star” from London says: “Mr John Cafrae, who had the misfortune to lose £IO,OOO in gold-mining speculations in Thames, is now comfortably settled down at Sydney Villa, St. John’s Wood, London, while Mr W. A. Hunt, the prominent shareholder in the fortunate Shotover mine, is leading a calm and placid life at Alton, in Suffolk.”

Land Prices. The. following prices of land in the province in August, 1879, are interesting: 90 acres rich land at Pokeno, £l4O half cash.

50 acres at Pukerimu, £2OO. 20 acres at Totara Point, £SO. Seven-roomed house, Eyre Street, Shortland, £75. Four-roomed house, Baillie Street, large garden and fruit trees, £l2O. Four-roomed house, Kirkwood St., £2O.

Five-roomed house, Mt. Pleasant, with half-acre, £6O.

Five-roomed house, Richmond St.Baillie St., £75.

Coach-building Trade.

The “Coach -builders and wheelwrights of Auckland drew the attention of the Government on August 3, 1879, to the fact that £SOOO worth of carriages had been imported from America to the detriment of New Zealand industry, and asked for a protective tariff.

That, too, have a familiar ring, nowadays.

A Magistrate Resigns

Colonel Fraser resigned from the magistracy and wardenship of Thames, and his place was' filled by Mr H. Kenrick.

An Election Matter.' The “Star” of those days contained hardly any news except general election matters. There were the following candidates for the Thames seat:

Sir George Grey. Colonel W. Fraser. James MacGowan, John Sheehan, W. Rowe.