SCRAPS OF OLD HISTORY.

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

SCRAPS OF OLD HISTORY.

QUESTION AND ANSWER COLUMN. “ Lucy ” writes about the pictures in the “Star” Christmas number: —The coach leaving'for the south in 1860 was like the Akaroa coaches. Paddy’s Market: Mrs Swale had the first shop there, and was there long after the rest had gone. Mr Tuck was very energetic. He made that bread with his own hands before shop time. The price elsewhere was Sd or 9d a loaf. His was 4d a loaf, but the loaves were onequarter less weight than the others. Even then, the Chinese puzzlers said there was 2d gained by the buyer. It was good bread. Mr Tuck was the first to grow peas and dry them green. Golden Fleece: The passengers off the Accrington (5-9-1863) walked from Lyttelton, and one family of nine sat on the ground with their backs resting against Cook and Ross’s. The father brought from the Golden Fleece a large can of beer for them, and said it was a shame that the poor children had been without beer for so long. I sometimes went into the kitchen of the Golden Fleece for sixpence worth of dripping. Harrison’s was occupied for three months after he left by a Mr Johnston, from America. He had a great display of raised wool work—pupils’ own work. The needles, patterns and lessons were 3s 6d each. He sent out boys to sell them, and gave them Is for- each. Hundreds of very little girls worked a chicken, and he put them in the window with their name and age. One man did the best piece, and Mr Johnson gave him £5 for it. It was taken from an almanac (then popular) of Mr and Mrs Gladstone. Mr G. was holding his bell-topper and showing the inside linings. That was the masterpiece of the picture, but it was very good, and had the likeness to the picture. The man would not work another for him. In Johnson’s last days he had in the window a skull that was managed mechanically. It appeared to say, " Last three days.” Those days lasted a fortnight. Then Mr Cunnington, engineer, bought the plant fpr making the needles. He sold them by the gross at Is each needle. Yictoria Bridge: There were very old houses and well grown trees about there at that time. The place now occupied by Haveil, plumber, was built for Mr Tom Havell, plumber. He was just married when he went there to live. They had an only son, always very delicate, lie lived only sixteen years. Every year he had a nice birthday party, aftenoon and evening. Mrs Havell had some young women to help her with dressmaking. She also had a registry office. Her registry clients seemed to be all her dressmaking customers. V huts were a walking distance away. Big girls that had to take children out for the afternoon (I was amongst the children) would congregate and all go together. Sometimes they said, “Which way to-day?” and one said, “To the roof houses.” When we were there looking about one said, “How silly! Why didn’t they make a wall each side to hang things on, and make it look like a room." One said, “ The people that lived in them said they were perfect for the occasion, and in that little space they packed a lot.” They were large buildings, and one had two rooms. Cathedral. 1S70: Between Plobbs, tailors. and Warner’s, a Mr and Mrs Bob Hallam and family lived. They gave nice birthday parties. Mrs H. made dresses for Miss Florence Colville. They went to Melbourne after. The building on the left was where “Tommy Taylor ” worked for years. To the sender of the words of J. K. Emmett's famous song, “ Lullaby,” “ Lucy ” sends thanks.