LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Thames Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 20075, 2 August 1937, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

An Owner Wanted. The Thames police havo a man's bicycle in their possession, for which they are seeking an owner. The property can be obtained by the owner on application to the Central Police Station.

100 Visiting Footballers. About 100 visiting footballers, to say nothing of their supporters, were in Thames for Saturday's matches. They were from Waihi, Coromandel, Auckland and Hamilton.

Work at Turua. The Turua Post Office is to have concrete paths, and recently tenders were called for the putting down of these improvements. Word has now been received that the successful tenderer is Mr. Griffiths.

Signs of Spring. In various Thames gardens at present can be seen shrubs and trees pushing forth swelling leaf buds. The sap is beginning to run again, and these harbingers of spring are welcome sights to those who arc tiring of the long and dreary winter.

Teams Played On. When the Thames and Waihi senior Eugby players took the field for the Peace Cup challenge match at Ehodes Park on Saturday they were "played on" by a small orchestra arranged by Mr. M. Cosgrovc. It Jent quite a novel touck to the game and was appreciated by the spectators.

Out of a Bandbox!

The Thames Eugby representatives, when they took the field on Saturday, looked as though they had stepped out of a bandbox. They had been "decked out" with a new set of "strides," a new set of sox and garters, and new laces for their boots. Boots, it was noticed, had been newly polished to complete a spiek-and-span-looking team.

No Serious Injuries. The Peace Cup match, Waihi v. Thames, at Ehodes Park on Saturday was held up frequently for minor casualties. St. John Ambulance officers, as a result, had quite a busy time between this and the other matches. Fortunately no serious injuries were received.

A Good Crushing. Four natives who have been working a claim at Tapu during the past few months had a. good crushing last week, when over 50 ounces of gold of approximately £350 value resulted. They are to be commended for their industry and enterprise, and should do even better as the weather improves.

State House Tenders. It is understood that a Paeroa contractor was the successful tenderer for the erection of the State houses to be built at Parawai. No official confirmation of this has yet been received in Thames from the Housing Department in Wellington.

First Thames Football Match. Yesterday marked the 70th. anniversary of the opening of the Thames goldfields, and it is interesting to note that the first football match was played in Thames three years later, when an Auckland team, captained by G. Dunnett, played a Thames team, headed bv T. Sandes, at Tararu. The match ended in a draw—no score.

Appreciation. Several speakers at the Thames Old Boys' reunion on Saturday evening eulogised the efforts of the "Thames Star" to form an Old Pioneers' Museum. They indicated that the Old Boys' Association would give the movement every assistance, and stated that the "Star" was rendering the district and town a unique service in starting the campaign to have this museum established for the benefit of future generations.

A Unique Hotel Attraction. When the old Imperial Hotel stood on Air. «?. Pratt's corner in the 'seventies, the enterprising proprietor had a large revolving mirror in the bar which could !>e seen from the street. With coloured lights playing upon this the effect was magical, particularly upon the miners of those days. One sight of this revolving wonder and a strong thirst immediately developed, and the proprietor did a roaring trade. —One of the reminiscences of early Thames given by tlie secretary of the Thames Old Boys' Association at the reunion on Saturday evening.

Fires in Thames. Mr. J. Pratt, of the Thames Volunteer Fire Brigade, in responding to the toast of "The Visitors" at tlie Old Boys' smoko on Saturday evening, stated he was proud of the Brigade. It

had served Thames well through the years. He described fires at Alloway's Boardinghouse, the Boyal Hotel, and the tragic blaze at the Brian Boru Hotel, when two men lost their lives. He concluded by saying, rominiscently: "Ah! there were some big fires in thoso days! The Thames Brigade doesn't seem to get the work it uaed to!" (Laughter),

Road to Talrua. It is evident, in view of moves regarding Counties' amalgamation, that the completion of the 10 miles of road needed to give access to the isolated settlers at Tairua, is going tpprovo difficult. Constant agitation, howe|fc will work wonders, and the Thfl County Council itself is in the road. As it is the principal locaT body concerned, its wish should have every consideration.

What Ruined Mining. An outspoken old pioneer of Thames, Mr. James Seymour, resident for 68 years, at the Thames Old Boys' Association reunion on Saturday evening, said fliat mining in Thames was ruined, not by the lack of gold, but by the script markets. He said that there was plenty of gold still in the hills, but so long as gold-mining was the plaything of the script markets it would be useless attempting to resume the task of winning it. The script markets had undoubtedly been responsible for the ruin of the field.

Thames Old Boys. Before concluding the gathering of old boys at the reunion on Saturday evening, the president of the Association, Mr. E. Watson, made a strong appeal for new members. He said the aims of the Association were to keep alive the interest in the traditions of tho town and the extending of the hand of fellowship to newcomers. Tho Old Boys' Assiciation urgently wanfed those with the interests of the town at heart to join up. A great deal of good work could be done by a strong Association.

Counties' Amalgamation. At Iho Thames Old Boys' reunion on Saturday night, Mr. H. Lowe, chairman of the Thames County Council, in replying to the toast of local bodies, gave a very clear exposition of the effect upon Thames County which would result if the proposal to amalgamate it with Piako, Plains and Coromandel

came about. He pointed out that there was actually no community of interest with 'some of these and Thames and Coromandel would have to assume a load of indebtedness they had not been a party to incurring. He felt that the whole question of amalgamation was one which needed extreme cautioii being taken before rushing into.

Early Queen Street History. Mr. McDonald, secretary of the Thames Old Boys' Association, was in a reminiscent mood at the reunion in tho Miners' Union Hall on Saturday night, when he gave a number of incidents of early days in Thames. Among theso was the manner in which Queen Street was completed along the foreshore. Only a track existed for the length of one block, so a resident of another block was elected to the local body of those days and his block secured a road, frontage. Quick to realise this, the settlers elected a resident from tho next block, and so on, until the road was completed. Local politics had their uses in the good old days of the 'seventies.

Thames County Roads. An interesting point was made by Mr. H. Lowe, chairman of the Thames County Council, at the Thames Old Boys' reunion on Saturday night, when he was replying to the local bodies' toast. He said that in the earlier years all roads in Thames" County were made with a gold mine as their objective. They were not built with the idea of encouraging settlement at all. Thus to-day nearly two-thirds ol Thames County was a non-paying area of Crown lands or prospective forestry reserve. This was one of the reasons why the settlers at Tairua were denied their right of road access to Thames. An Old-Time Character.

In the 'seventies Thames had many unusual characters within its borders,

and one of these was known as George Turner. He was peculiar as to dress, wearing a "hard hitter" and generally trousers with more creases than an ac-

cordion. He once went out to a pipi bank off the Shortland Wharf, and on his way back slipped off the safe track and fell on his back in the mud. Ho yelled lustily and was rescued just as the incoming fide was lapping his sinking body, but lie still retained his bag of pipis which he refused to surrender to his rescuers under "a bob or a pint!" —One of the reminiscences of Mr. McDonald at the Thames Old Boys' Association reunion on Saturday night.

The Battle of the Imperial Hotel

In the glamorous ’seventies the Imperial Hotel (now Hotel Imperial) stood on the opposite corner where Mr. .T. Pratt lives at present. Mr. McDonald, of the Thames Old Boys’ Association, related the story of a memorable Christmas Eve in connection with this hotel. Rival hands of buslffnen from the Kauaeranga and Kirikiri had gathered for a Christmas jollification. By midnight rivalry grew to the stage where a real fight started. Over 4000 people gathered to watch the fray, and for some time things were very exciting. Eventually 12 police constables, led bv a doughty sergeant, succeeded in arresting the more prominent pugilists. Next morning (Christmas Day") there was a special sitting of the Court,and the magistrate, remen'ibering the season, fined each of them £l.