SCRAPS OF OLD HISTORY.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17527, 2 May 1925, Page 23

SCRAPS OF OLD HISTORY.

QUESTIONS and answer COLUMNA eontriimtor .to the 0!*I C’olaai vcluinr? cf the ‘ w . » suggeoted' that * £o6d mar.. .uteresting poinU the earh Cat*, could be dared lip through thn hji ncy of a question and answer column.’ The “ Star ” has adopted th© siiggesuon which tv Ml do given effect to jn Saturday’s issue t orre&poadenca should be addressed te the editor. \n old coloni.ri asks it anyone can .spin a yarn of the time when the o’d *at office, recently illustrated., was a cuiVee palace, popular after dark <i W. Mummery writes front iTasljng.i: In reading } - our questions and mi...vers column 1 noticed a Mi Mumar.ftry mentioned an being cook at .lU.Th's, having had the Brittania I. : ui writing to correct that statement. .1 remember my father being cook for a time at Bligh’s, but he never had the Brittania. It was my uncle Jim Mummery. My father's m-me was Joim. S.C.B. writer : -Cou.d anyone give me a correction of the name oi the boat Jolly per or Gollyior, which arrived about May 15. 1575. also tne name of the captain. -T recollect my father saying that he was sworn in as ship’s constable while on the way across from Sydney. Also the;, arrived in drenching weather. My parents haa a beau- , tiful Newfoundland dog with them on ' the boat, and he was made a great pet of among the passengers. Tne captain was so taken up with him. my father sold the deg to him. and the captain took the dog back with him, but my father received a message some tune later that the dog died on board and was buried at sea. I remember my parents saying they did miss that dog. Are there any of the passengers still living, and do they remember that incident ? "A Reader' sent to a friend m Auckland several cuttings oi the scraps of old history and has received in return ■the following: —I have a faint recollection of father taking us down to Christchurch to see Blcndin walk the tight repe about the year 1876. He came again in ISS2. He was at the Exhibition. .1 can remember him at (he Victoria Street Bridge, one afternoon mter the exhibition was closed. Fie then walked the tight rope from Ink’s ci.-aper's hep to Bligirs old boarding* h u e. ‘•Reader" adds: J only saw h : vn walking the tight rope one eveniug in Mai che ter Street m lS7t>. He made an omelette and tried it on the i . -j were standing beside me. They A about twebe and eight years •■formartcc. My mother had seen him i' Bugle'nd many ' ear:- before ISGO. 'ong time ago “The Y\ oriel s News’ j.. - e him the front - ’'•piece with a col- < '• cd p’durc cf him wheeling a bsrwith a- peer old woman in it on : Bucy writes-Your pictute oi the old Post Office in the “Star’ lately must have caught many attentive eyes. .1 have looked at it with a magnifying * s lot of times. My object in writing this, is to 1 -eg you to give it to us •' ain. and. good enough for framing a r a! good picture, You could manage it a a Christmas number. AYi.y even topeople would pri;;o it. I'ha.t would ‘■nr Xrw Brighton baker. He had a 1 •cr'.-: business in St Albans (Caledon i ;i Road*. Sunderland was a baker tov ards (rn sson's Corner. I was troubled : urely could give the tune. In those i < > s from the time of starting one y/J«!d guess where they were going. i w weighbridge was part occupied bv j 1m Julius Parker as a registry office. 'I he men’s clothing, black or brown velveteen coats and other garments of p -pper and yalt (the right name) cloth, hv.s never been surpassed. My father had a su*’t cf it and my mother made ;• suit like it for a cousin, but Hobbs the tailor cut it out and fitted it. lie made father’s suit and both suits were alike. A man standing prominently in the picture seems to have such a suit and that would give the year as 1575. Mi Alexander Kilgour, or Dunedin, who entered Lyttelton in the Sir Eduard Paget, in the verv earn - da vs on his way to Otago, kindly gh es 'a” picture ui the port at that eariv date and Ins first impressions. “la sailing up the bay the view was grand and I thought it the loveliest spot on earth. Like the dove from the Ark, the view was enhanced by being so long on the water, it being our first landing place after about five months on board. Prom the entrance of the bay to the anchorage The sight on both sides was loveiv, being in its primaeval condition, and the bay running up the flat va« enough 1q gladden the hearts of all oil board. The view from I. yt tel ton hill was past description. Lyttelton had two stores, •" l bakery, a blacksmith, and a carpenter. 1 he buildings were mostly on the right hand side running up from the landing place on the beach. A few small houses were dotted on the hit! around the centre. It has not the same ap pearanco since the breakwater came on the scene. The ship was delayed nearly si;,- week::, as several of the seamen left and got a job under the care r' A O , po B? makin * a track above - ttelton. M e were delayed nearly six weeks. At last two men, said to have come overland from Otago with cattle who wished to work their passage, Joined the ship, and Mr Anderson snip s carpenter and his family, wanted a passage to Otago, and things were got in order to sail. But dming outstay in your bay the captain put us ashore in a lovely bay opposite Lvtteuton. It looked like Paradise to us I he clothes washing and recreation for young folks war delightful. We iett the second week in August, and landed in Otago on August 14. just six months on board ship. When the old Paget got m trouble again the Customs made a case of food not fit for use and short ness of prevision, and the owners were fined very heavily.” A T. Stokes, of 309, Cashel Street, writes: Mr Harris, of Andover Street s.sk; in last Friday’s "Star" for parti’ cularj of a Volunteer review that took place at the RiccartOn Racecourse As one who was tn that review as a Yot iinleer. T may be able to give a few .interesting particulars, though nearb* Fifty years is a long time to remember the events. It was in March, 18S0. that the review was held. Most of the Volunteers from the south arrived on the Good Friday, and most of them were •ftmped in various parts of the town. T helped to pitch tents for the Timaru Artillery, who were camped on what was then known as John Anderson's paddock, Cashel Street. On Saturday, the 27th, in the morning we were instructed in battalion drill. In the afternoon, military sports were held in %hat was known a? the old Show #sroundr, Colombia Street, Sydenham

There was keen rivalry between the Christchurch and Dunedin Artillery, and one of the items on the programme was an Armstrong gun competition, to fire three rounds, change gun wheels and dismantle gun carriage and limber. 1 may say 1 was one of the gun crew in the Christchurch Battery, and to the best of my recollection the time taken l was about three minutes. W cf had ; spent a lot of time practising for this event, and. to put it mildly, we all felt in good condition for the match. Just before the competition started, one of the members of the Dunedin Artillery came up and said. “ Wc object to your using your trail rope.’’ 1 may say we , were using a very light rope, and not j the one we should have used. Their objection was upheld, and it made a great difference to us. for the proper rope was a heavy and clumsy cne. However, we started determined to do our best in spite of this handicap. Both teams went through their work, and I think the Dunedin team got in rear of their gun a few seconds ahead of us, but. unfortunately for them, they forgot to coil their rope Up on the limber, and by the time they had rectified this ’ac had won easily. On Sunday the churches had good congregations, for the soldiers swelled the attendance. The review at the racecourse was held on March 29 The infantry went by rail, and the Yeomairy Caval-y and artillery marched by road. The Ar.'ilcry was composed of the E Better} (Christchurch), the 0 Battery (Timaru) and the D Battery (.Dunedin), all under the command for the day of a first-class officer. Major Hammers!}*, of Timaru. Mr Harris mentions a little incident that took place at one of the hotels en route. To be exact, it was the Bush Inn. The landlord had right!}' made preparations for the protection of his trade. It was a Wry hot day. and we were smothered in dust, and an officer of high rank went into the hotel and asked fur a drink. The barman replied. “ Your money first.” The officer put down his money, picked up his glass of beer and threw it in the man's face, f heard afterwards, though I am not vouching for the truth of this story in all its details, that it cost this officer a few pounds for his indiscretion. \\ e arrived at the racecourse in due course. There was a march past, and then came the sham fight. We got the word. “Action front!” and carried out the order in sharp time. We made a great noise and much smoke. The cavalry charged with as much enthusiasm and courage as did the Light Brigade years before in the Crimea. From a spectator's point of view, f think every, one was pleased, but I don’t think the military experts thought wc gained much practical knowledge. The whole force was in command oi' LieutenantColonel Packe. who was attended by a large and brilliant staff, and their horses were as fine as their riders. T think the number of the staff was sufficient for a force of 10.000 men, but this was because there was no other way of using them. I have recounted to Mr Harris and other readers in these notes what happened to the best of .my recollection. but I think it would be very interesting if some of the old Volunteers (and T am sure there must be a number left) would give their recollections of the history of their companies, names of captains and the gradual improvements in the rifles and accoutrements and particulars of the uniforms the}' wore, and the names of the sham ' fights they participated in. The E Batter} uniform was busby with plume, dark blue uniform with white facings on sleeves and red stripe down the trousers. We were armed with sword bavonct and short Schneider rifle. Our big guns More 241 b brags Howitzer and the breech-loading Armstrong. (Any clear photograph of the uniform worn in those days would be accept able for reproduction.- -Ed. "Star.") J.H.M. writes:—The photo of old High Street in the ’‘Star” on Friday is grand. Swartz, the tobacconist, was on the corner of Cashel and High Streets, next to the Whit© Hart. George Sheppard kept it: then there was Mulligan and Co., Strange and Fountaine. clothiers; Herman, pawnbroker; Nashelskie. ironmonger; Strange and Go., drapers: Lane, bookseller ; Nor thy and M’Kenzie , drapers ; Preston, wire merchant; Alp, tobacconist: .Mills, bootmaker ; Munrow, the hatter, opposite Strange and Co. : Inglis’s office: Morton’s Hotel; C. P. Hulbert/'s Canterbury bat and cap factory: W. S. King. furniture shop; Gould’s photo shop ; Airs Butters’ millinery shop. Round the corner in lirerv shop. Bound the corner in Manchester Street was a vacant section. It Cashel Street Joe Page’s stables opposite which Gav had his stables. Bull, the butcher, was on the Corner of Cashel and Manchester Streets, and on the other corner stood the Warwick Hotel, kept by Bill Sinimonds, who had a skittle alley attached to the hotel, nad it was a job on Monday mornings to get the hatters, tailors and bootmakers at Lighfcband and Allen’s to start, work. ft was beer and skittles with a vengeance on Mondays. 'The coaches used to start from Morton’s Hotel for Sumner. Phi II Ball and Griss Dali wood used (o drive. 2s fid return in those, days. In High Street, opposite Strange and Fountaine’s. Jack I>allwood. Frank Vale, Mat Livingston, Alt’ Walker. Mick Hamilton and others used to stand with their cabs. At Grand National and New Zealand Cup time this part of High Street was a busy one. There you would see the Rutherfords. M’Farlanes. Tesehemakers, Lances. big, towering, open-lieapted John Murchison. A. I Peach. A. W. Bennetts, and lots of others from a way-back sta-

tions. and it was a treat to sec some of them driving tandem to the races. My word they were drivers and horses. Tom Millett, with his, red coat, tall hat and a horn slung round his shoulders. which he_ would blow, and then with, I. am sorry to say. an art that is lost, start four lovely gr#y horses tor the course at Riecarton. The horses would just more up to the collar, the long whip would come down like a leather, no jerking, and away they would glide. Charles Lewis was another splendid driver. I think he is still on deck. 1 remember one very wet day I was passing the White Hart Hotel and an old character we used to call Piccolo Charlie, was in the public har of the hotel. 11.0 had too much <li*ink, and Sergeant Hughes put him out. Charlie fell in the gutter on his back. The water was rushing over ii is shoulders, but lie got hip tin whistle out of his breast, pocket, and played that old song. “ Life is like a mighty river rolling on from day to day. help a poor and worn out follow, pulling hard against the stream.’’ After that, the policeman let him go. Another time there was a man-of-war ship in Lyttelton. The sailors it ere in the White Hart, and one of them was taken down by. a sharper. They did not call for the police, but. called a cab. put the thief into it. One sailor sat each side of him. another got up on the dickey of the cab and drove down to the Police Station. It was a treat in those days for us boys to ao and hear John Matson selling horses in Tattersall’s. He was a very fine auctioneer and would, with his bright manner, liven up a whole street. There were no dumps when John Matson was about. I see Jack M s Gregor, that fine horseman, is still about and looks as if he would sell for old iron at the finish. He wears well. I. used to go to old Avonside School with Jack. Mr and Mrs Martin used to teach us. and two splendid teachers they were. After Avonside we were taught a i Bingsland by Mr Hill, who was also a splendid man. \ would like to meet him some day. He used to drill us at school, and above all taught us manners. Wc used to stop away, now and then, but Mr Hill would send a note to our mothers at ones to know the reason. Jim Carter was at schoo 1 with up at Avonside. He is now superintendent of the ¥'ive Brigade at Suinner. H was a lark to be alive in the old days and everyone was to eacli other as brothers, and. sisters. Too much ‘ bow do you do ” now and pass on. If you can spare space next, time T will take your readers around old Avonside and Bur-wood, where we used to shoot dticks. and sometimes buy apples from Mrs Swai lc There were many gaps in her fence that were not made by cats. 'Hie sixteenth of December was the time for cherries at Mrs Swaile’s small shop in Market Square, under the three poles that held the fire-bell, which is now. I think, at Sumner. Ah. those were the days.