FIRST MISSIONARY IN CANTERBURY.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17729, 26 December 1925, Page 19 (Supplement)

FIRST MISSIONARY IN CANTERBURY.

CANON STACK’S DIARY. The portion of Canon Stack’s diary which will appear in the “ Star ” in the course of the next few weeks was written during his earlier days of ministry to the natives of New Zealand, and before his marriage to Miss E. Jones, of Auckland. While typhoid fever was carrying off so many people on the plains, the Peninsula people were quite free from the scourge. The fever was said to be caused by the decaying vegetable matter, exposed to the air in the newly* upturned soil. Wherever ploughing took place or drainage, there cases of fever occurred. There was, however, an additional reason for its appearance in Christchurch owing to the contamination of the drinking water. Every dwelling-place possessed a well, few of them being more than 6ft deep, which supplied the inmates with drinking water. A few feet away from the wells stood a sentry-box, and alongside a pit into which all drainage and refuse from the house was thrown. If the bedroom jugs were filled with water from the well during the way and allowed to stand during the hot weather, the smell from the water was so offensive by bed-time that nobody* could stay in the room until it was poured away. The water was contaminated by leakage from the adjacent cess-pits, but until fever broke out in such an alarming way people drank the well water without hesitation, although they might have known from its stinking smell when kept for any time that it was polluted. The wells were also so shallow that it occurred to someone that by sinking lower down purer water might be got. How that was to be done so as to prevent the foul water from filtering through was the difficulty, but it was solved by a happy thought occurring to the mind of a working plumber, who had a quantity of small gas-pipes about 2in in diameter of which no use could be made, as gasworks did not yet exist. So he commenced driving one of the pipes down into the soil, adding fresh joints as he went down, when to his joy he found, at a depth of 40ft, a strong uprush of pure water which continued to flow from the pipe. This discovery led to the adoption of artesian overflow wells all over the place, and in time helped to rid Christchurch of the typhoid plague. Having secured pure drinking water, public attention was next drawn to the necessity of providing for the drainage I of the town. Till it was drained every I dweller in Christchurch knew from experience that the air after sunset was filled with poisonous germs. Mists rose up from the soil to a height of 12ft or 14ft whenever the sun went down, and persons walking in the streets encountered the vilest smells and had to breathe the poisonous air, which often proved fatal to newcomers and to country visitors. During the winter of IS6O I got into a very?- bad state of health. The constant travelling about amongst the Maoris, the indigestible food I was obliged to eat, and the depressed state of my mind, brought on a curious complaint which caused me much alarm. Without any warning, I suddenly became dizzy, and felt as if something had exploded in my head or my heart, and if standing had to catch hold of something to prevent my falling down. I had often to get up and go out of the room, not wishing to create a panic by* dying at the table. I left my rqiserable lodgings and went to Oram’s Hotel, where I could get better food and more cheerful companions. My complaint culminated one morning when I fell down on getting out of bed and could not stand, and had to call a waiter to help me back into bed and fetch a doctor. I sent for Dr Turnbull, and after his examination awaited his opinion of my case with much anxiety. I quite expected him to say I had heart disease and other complications and had only a short time to live. What was my surprise and relief when he said, “ There is nothing wrong with your heart: it is only'- very weak. You are suffering from a form of hysteria clue to poor food and want of cheerful society. You must take a glass of stout every day at lunch, and go about amongst your friends more than you have done." I took the stout daily*, but I had no friends in Christchurch I cared to see, but the effect of the better food and the daily stimulant caused an immediate improvement in my health. The vague fears that haunted me disappeared. I knew that my malady was curable, and that I only wanted rest and cheerful companionship. I occupied myself largely with reading for my ordination, which the Bishop wished should take place at Christmas. I resumed my visits to Kaiapoi and Banks Peninsula., and it was while staying with the Maoris at the former place that I made up mv mind to write and ask Miss Jones to be my wife. I got a letter from a friend in Auckland telling me she was about to return to England with the Montresor Smiths, and that caused me to take action at once, rather than wait until after my ordination, which was my original intention, so I wrote at once, and penned my letter from Ihaia’s house on the Cam, wondering greatly how Miss Jones would receive it. I knew that it would be many weeks before I could get an answer, as the postal arrangements were very defect- ; ive. To make the period of anxious waiting for the reply on which my future happiness so much depended pass, T paid a visit to Banks Peninsula. A month passed, and then .six weeks, and no letter came, and I began to fear the worst, when to my joy I got a letter which, though kindly worded, did not contain a decisive answer; but it made me hopeful, and I wrote again. A few weeks afterwards I was rejoiced to get a letter accepting.my proposal, and also one from Commissary-General Jones congratulating me on having “ won a prize in the lottery of life." The brother’s letter was so cordial that my happiness was greatly increased, as he welcomed me so warmly into his family, and 1 have always cherished feelings of the warmest gratitude to him for doing so, knowiyig how small my claims were to be an eligible suitor for his sister’s hand. The news of our engagement caused quite a stir amongst my friends, only one of whom knew of my attachment to Miss Jones, but one and all, when told about it, congratulated me upon my good fortune in having secured her affections, and the assurance it afforded of a happy life in the future. One of the first results of the announcement of our engagement was the receipt of an invitation from Mrs Gresson, the Judge’s wife, to an evening party to meet Mr Henry Tancred, who had just arrived from Auckland, and who was the bearer of a parcel to me from my fiancee. Mr Tancred was then Postmaster-General, and our meeting at Mrs Gresson’s *vas the beginning of a warm lifelong friendship. He was very fond of Miss Jones, and, like everyone else who knew her, held her in high esteem. The parcel he brought contain- , ed the surplice and bands I was to wear

at my ordination, the work of my loving E. The stitching of the bands was beautifully fine, and proved that my lady love was an accomplished needlewoman. I wore my surplice and bands for the first time on the day of my ordination by Bishop Harper, at Trinity Church, Lyttelton, on Sunday, the 23rd day of December, IS6O. I have forgotten the name of the ship I went up to Wellington in ; I think it was the Prince Alfred. While crossing Cook’s Strait to Nelson, a stout, good-natured-looking gentleman came up to me while I was sitting on deck, and said, “ I think you are engaged to a great friend of ours, Miss Jones?” T said that was my happy lot. “ Well.” he said, “ I hope when you bring her back with you you will both come and stay with us,” and he handed me his card, Mr Justice Johnston, of Wellington. On landing at Nelson. I went to pay my respects to the Bishop, Hobhouse, who received me most cordially, though I had not seen him before, and led me into the drawing-room, where he introduced me to Mrs Hobhouse and Dr Codrington, who had just arrived from England to join the Melanesian mission, and to some other clergymen who were present.