JOTTINGS FROM THE 'FIFTIES.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 12776, 21 October 1919, Page 6

JOTTINGS FROM THE 'FIFTIES.

As previously remarked. Mr J. O, H. Newbery, of Hedcliffs, is a busy man, and when the time came for the continuation of the chat there were many interruptions from various callers, but the task of securing reminiscences was steadily persevered in.

THE DUCAL VISIT OF ’69. “ I recollect when I was just a lad,” said Mi Newbery, “my father used to take me all over the place with him. I suppose that was because I objected to staving at home. At the time of the Duke of Edinburgh’s visit here in ’(l9 1 wont to Port with my lather. A regatta was part of the festivities of the ducal visit. Among the events at Lyttelton was a sailing race, and hit father was invited on board the schooner Kniuma, and I went with him. The Kaiumu won, and I recollect the event very well even though I was barely six years old, because I was very sick. The schooner put on all sail, and her gunwales were actually scooping along the water. Another thing 1 might mention about the Duke’s visit was that my father bought the pair of horses and the lurne.-R belonging to the equipage from Air A. G. Howlana. Whether Mr Howland had previously bought the turn-out, or was merely acting as an agent, 1 cannot say. My father and Mr Howland were very good friends. A GARDENING NOTE. “I see that in an art : cle by Air John Joyce the other day he mentions Air Riordan, who was gardener for Mr Murray-Aynsley, at Riverlaw, Opawa, in days gone by. That property is now occupied by the iron G. J. Smith. The first owner of it was Mr Alexander Lane, who, I have an idea, had something to do with the old mill that one time stood on the island at Hereford Street bridge. My mother was a great gardener when she was a young woman, and Mr Lane gave her a plot of land to cultivate. Of course at the time I am speaking of I was only a baby. THE FIRST BLUEGUM.

“ My mother utilised the little patch of land for sowing vegetables, and she secured a packet of cabbage seeds from Australia. When the cabbages came up it was noticed that there was a peculiar little tree plant among them, and this was ca r efnllv looked after to see what it would turn out to he. It proved to be a blue gum. There have been many different claims as to who planted the first bluegum in Canterbury, hut that is how the first tree of that species came to he planted here. That tree was cut down some time ago and was then from eight feet to nine feet through at the butt. Sir Michael Le Fleming; had the place after Mr Lane, and Mir Murray-Aynsley succeeded him there. THE FIRE FIGHTERS’ DRINK. “I well remember being present at a fire which occurred in a plantation in tho neighbourhood of that place. A number of men had turned out to assist, and, of course, the work made them very thirsty. Tho people who lived at Dr Earl’s house near by undertook to supply the men who were fighting the fire with tea. One time when the men went over to the house they founcj, a bucket filled with some liquid outside the door, and, thinking this was the tea, they thirstily drank it up, only to quickly discover that it was soapsuds. That is as true as you are there. I might mention that Dr Earl’s original house was made of palings and cob, and the property was called “The Grange.” A RAILWAY INCIDENT. “Another incident that clings to my memory, and happened during an outing unth my father, occurred at the old Christchurch Railway Station, It was just about tho time that the railway had been completed through the tunnel to Lyttelton. I could not say whether any trips had been previously run. Anyhow, some test was being made of- the line, and a trial trip was on. Mr Dickinson, who was an official in the service, called out to my father, 'Come on, Newbery. hop on the train,’ but apparently my father was a bit doubtful as to the capabilities of the service, as he replied, ‘ I’m in a hurry; 1 would rather walk 1’ MAORIS AT OPAWA. “ I have previously mentioned to you the hundred-acre allotment of land taken up by my grandfather at Opawa, But it has just occurred to mo that I often heard my elders say that when tho family first arrived there, there were Maoris camped all over the place. In fact there were quite a number of whares. Tho place was known as Hawford estate- The Maoris gave no trouble whatever, and after ,a while left for Rapaki. My grandfather used to give them medical attention when necessary, and they were quite good chums. Their main food was eels and whitebait. WHITEBAIT. " The Maori women would walk along the river side in the watercress carrying long spears, which every now and again they would jab down through the cress. Immediately they felt a wriggle on the spear, they would bring it pike upwards, and _ land the eel. Talking about whitebait, reminds me that many people in these days hardly believe the stories told about the plenti-

MB NEWBERY’S KISCEUM

NOTES FROM VARIOUS DIARIES.

STORIES AND SENSATIONS.

(Specially written for the “ Star.”)

fulness of this delicacy many vears v m, *Uauy a time 1 have myself’ gone out v ila a net and a bucket in showery weather along the Meatbcoto River, and caught ns many, inside half an hour, as I could carry homo. In fact, so plentiful were the whitebait that wo Used to feed the ducks on them. 1. could net say anything about, the whitebait fishing in the Avon, as I never tried there. TYPICAL OF THE TIMES. People talk sometimes nowadays about, hardships and various trials but those are nothing to what the earnsettlers had to endure. 1 recollect my grandfather carrying butter, cheese ami eggs over to Lyttelton, ana returning the same day. It was thought notmng of. If people liad to do° it now they would simply die of fright. You see (Mount Pleasant over there. Well, tne first house on that was Major Hornbrook’s, and the bricks for it were brought out from England as ballast, and carted up there over nothing bettor you might sav than a bit sheep track. Many a time has Dr Willis had to go on a professional J 1 - 1 1C " 3 ie old days in the middle of the night. Yon can imagine w iiat a task that must have been at the time.

"I have heard niv mother say that. Ui>a’.va at the time they arrived there tv as a very wild place and densely covered with native growth. One time on her lather’s selection she got lost among tho tutu. which prow to about tue height of _ an ordinary sized person. It was simply a sort of jungle. '' FOUND ON THE BEACH. At this point Mr Newberv was called avipy by so mop no on business, and tho Star" man turned to one of his diaries. Here it was recorded among other striking entries that Mr E. W. Seager had found a coffin on tho sandhills near New Brighton, in Alav, 1854. According to tho record the coffin was found about half way between Now Brighton ana the entrance to the Sumner estuary about a ciuartor of a mile above high water mark. It had fallen asunder owing to the nails rusting through and exposed the body of a man wrapped in bine and white chintz; the hair was plaited into a pigtail and tied back with black ribbon. Then., was a locket tied around the neck with a hair chain, and a folded towel was under tho head. Between the head and the end of the coffin was a tin case containing parchments, all of which had rotted. A comb was lying close to the skull, and tho skull bad on it a pair of old-fashioned spectacles, with very largo brims. The coffin had been fastened together with English nails, and near it ,wore lying two boat sail-sprits about eight feet in length by one and a half inches thick, ouito honeycombed. Those, it was thought, were probably used for carrying the coffin over tho sand. These relics were ultimately placed in the Museum. A SEASONAL PASTIME. Seeing that _ the cricket season has just opened it is opportune to cull from an old-time publication in Mr Newbery s possession a few particulars of tho eariy days of the fine old game in Canterbury. Tho first mutch of which, there is record was played in Hagley Park at the end of March, 1852, between the Married and Single, resulting in a win for the Married, As showing that the spirit of tho "am© was in the players £3O was afterwards collected for the purpose of preparing -a ground. It was necessary to naro off the native tussock, and after some little trouble a pitch was obtained which was sufficiently level. The Christchurch Cricket Club was the first club formed, and it played its first matches in the season in 1852-3. Those were two matches with the working men, and the club won on each occasion. Occasional games were played during the next two or three rears, but the club then faded out of existence. CRICKETERS FORGATHER. It was not until 1858 that the game was revived and put upon a more permanent basis, and the revival arose from a small incident. Some time after his arrival in the colony Mr George Turner saw' a man carrying a bat in Cataedrul Square. He hailed him with ciought and in the course of conversation witn the stranger, who was Mr \Villiara Hobbs, he discovered that a Mr George Dickinson possessed another bat. With this material to go on Mr Turner inserted an .advertisement in the Lyttelton Times ” calling a meeting, and fourteen or fifteen people attended. Tho Albion. Club was then formed and the scene of its play was Latimer 'Square, which was ploughed up and sown down for the purpose The Albion Club did not long remain as the sole cricket organisation, the Avonside Club coming into being. Tho younger club had its ground in the late Mr W. J. Brittan's paddock at Avonsicle, just below Ward’s Brewery. EARLY ENTHUSIASTS. The first inter-club match played in 1859 in a win for Avonsido by 59 runs. It is interesting to not» the names of tho players as follow: J. C. Veol, G. Miles, A. C. Ooft, E F. B. Harston, W. H. Dawe, J. Lom>den, A. Blakiston, T. Henlov, F E Stewart, G. Palairet, S. S. Field, R Marshall. 11. Green. J. Auckland J

Marshall, G. Turner, C- Merton, J. J. Wood, G. Dickinson, G. I'ord and F. Slee. Albion won tho return match by five wickets, and.tho two clubs kept up a wholesome rivalry until 1861, when the Canterbury Club was formed, which included most of the members of the Avonside Club. About 1868-4 another club was formed which received the name of tho first °nc, viz. the Christchurch Cricket Club. This club used to play in a paddock on Lincoln Road, just beyond the Wot Christchurch School. Application was made later to the Provincial Government for grounds in Haglev Park, and ton acres was allotted to each of thw three clubs.

RLP. MATCHES WITH OTAGO

In 1868-1, Messrs; hassling and James I'niton of .Otago ana Messrs li. P. Lance and-E. C. J. 'Stevens of Can leibury were elm-liy instrumental in establishing the inter-provincial matches, the billowing were the players m the first game between the two provinces: Canterbury—A'. C. Wilson, A. L. Powys, A. E. Tennant, W. Stevens, It. Taylor, G. Dickinson, E. C. J. Stevens, G. S. Sale, J. H. Bennett and H. Mytton. (It will bo noticed the name of one player is missing from the list.) Otago—C. Morris, C. .Mace, J. Jacomb. J. Red fern. J. Hopes” J. Redfern, J. Fulton, J. M’Donald, J. Mace, B. Conldstock, G. K. Turton and tl. D. Maddock.

THE GAME’S PROGRESS,

The record does not specifically state who won, but it is remarked that in the next year Canterbury turned the tables on Otag., ami won the match by four wickets. Among the Canterbury reps, in that yeai were A R. Bloxam, E. S. Harley and W r . P. Cowlishnw. Local matches became more general in 1865. and a still further great improvement took place m this respect ere tho 1867-8 season. The Canterbury and Christchurch Clubs had now amalgamated, forming the United Canterbury Cricket Club. The old Haglev Park Cricket Ground was not completed until tho autumn of 1866, but piay did, not comm n nco on the ground until near the end of the year. In the following year the Albion Club was revived, but after playing w. fch varying sbccess, again faded out of existence, in the season 1869-70. Tn tho next year Messrs ES. Harley and E. Fowler- established a new club, which at first received the name of Chi istchurch, but this was seme years altenvards altered to Midland. (A further instalment will appear on Saturday.)