THE BEGINNING OF THINGS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 9507, 2 April 1909, Page 1

THE BEGINNING OF THINGS.

MR E. W. SEAGER'S REMINISCENCES. CANTERBURY IN THE FIFTIES. Mr E. W. Seager, usher 4tnd librarian at the Supreme Court, retired under the superannuation provision on "Wednesday. Mr Seager has been closely identified with Canterbury since its infancy, and possesses a very wide knowledge of historical facts connected with the early life and growth of the province. Mr Seager joined the. service of the General Government on December 20, 1851, as a private in the Armed Constabulary. He received the munificent salary o~f 2s 6d a day and had to find his own uniform, which consisted of 'a blue jumper, navy cap, high leather stock and duck trousers. After a few .months the pay was raised to 5s a day. When he had spent several months as a private the young constable was raised to the rank of corporal, arid was placed in charge of the local force.^ Mr Seager tells with many reminiscent smiles how his men used to go round at eleven each night to clear the hotel bars. By the time the round was completed the officers were usually in as mellow a state as their friends, for at each hotel they were liberally treated. Mr Scajrer was afterwards placed in charge of the whole district, the boundaries being the New Brighton. beach, the West Coast and the Hurunni and Waitaki rivers. Speaking of the amusements of that period Mr Seager recalled the eve of the departure of Mr and Mrs Godley for Great Britain. It was decided to tender the founder of the settlement and his wife a farewell concert, and practices were vigorously put in hand. The programme of that concert is in the Canterbury Museum. It took .-place in the latter part of 1852. The next concert was eriyen in Lyttelton, when Messrs J. IMtt_an and Henry Packer were the bright particular stars. Mr Brittan carried a small harmonium over the Bridle Track to the port,' and a cornet eolo by Mr Packer was a feature of the performance. The two gentlemen walked back to Christchurch after the < concert. The first public concert given in Chrjstchurch I was provided by a party from Lyttel- ! ton. and took place in the dining-ropm !of the old Royal Hotel. Later on the inhabitants aspired to an orchestra, which comprised a violin (Mr Smeaton) and piano (Mrs Donald). i In the shin White ( Swan, Foley's Famous Circus arrived in Lyttelton. The tent was pitched behind the Mitre »ELotel and the company included a trick rider, a lady rider, a clown and a strong man, who afterwards became ferryman at Ashburton. The other " props "of tho circus were a piebald horse and a pony. The first dramatic company consisted mostly of amateurs, including Mr and Mrs Ray, Messrs Bradwell, Younger, Calder and others, with Mr Seager as stage manager. There was an orchestra of piano, violin and trombone, and the company produced "Othello," " The Lady of Lyons " and other classics. The luxury of a scenic artist was not obtainable and the wings consisted of green blankets and flax and manuka for exteriors and blue blankets for- interiors. Th&gfirst performance of " Othello " re*nain.^ vividly in Mr Seager' s memory. In the scene where the Moor returns from the wars his entrance is heralded by a fanfare of trumpets. There were no trumpets in Canterbury and on that night the trombone member of the orchestra was indisposed. Mr Seager volunteered to j blow the fanfare on the trombone, and he was standing with tho instrument in i his hand, when Mr Bradwell,, who was playing Othello, appeared at the opposite wing. The stage manager blew and blew, but could not get a note from the trombone, and Othello glared and tore his hair. Finally Mr Seager pulled the slide and a beautiful scale passage was the result. The audience shrieked with laughter and Mr Bradwell dashed across the stage and pursued his unfortunate manager down into the audience. Mr Seager managed to evade Othello's fury by hiding in a flax bush, and after a little while explanations were offered and the play tranquilly. Mr Seager was promoted to be inspector of police later on, and also carried out the duties of immigration officer, prosecutor under the Arms Act and other work in connection with the Natives. He had to meet the immigrant ships outside the heads, muster and provide barrack accommodation for the voyagers, and locate them in the town and country districts. Two small steamers were utilised to take the immigrants up the Heathcote as far as tho steam wharf and to Kaiapoi, and a brig took drafts of various trades and professions to Timaru. Mr Seager recollects a very pleasant duty that deyolved upon him at that time. An i institution in England forwarded by each ship a number of single women, and the authorities had some trouble and anxiety in studying their welfare and ultimate destinations. Young men would often call at Mr 'Seager's office, state that they were comfortably settled on farms, and ask him to pick out wives for them. After the young man had interviewed several of the newcomers he would generally find one to suit him, and Mr Seager often had to act as best n.an and bridesmaid. So were many marriages made in Lyttelton. *• j The first man locked up and fined in ChrLstchurch was the übiquitous J "drunk." In 1853 Mr Seager found a, gentleman in merry mood, who was smashing windows in the Royal Hotel. As there was no lock-up, he was handcuffed round the verandah post at the Golden Fleece Hotel, on the corner of Colombo arid Armagh Streets, and was fined £5 next day. He was never seen again, but a skeleton found in the river Styx later on was .supposed to be his.