N.Z. HAD CONSCRIPTION IN EARLY DAYS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18786, 15 June 1929, Page 19 (Supplement)

N.Z. HAD CONSCRIPTION IN EARLY DAYS.

Stirring Times in Dominion’s History.

main street became the entrance, with, a bar across. In heavy weather the | breakers were something terrible. ( Westport was the centre of a goldmining district, and the town and its residents were very rough. The chief road. Palmerston Street, was made' pf boulders, a deep ditch on each side forming the drainage of the tqjvn. If you wanted to do some shopping you had to cross a plank to the footpath. Should you slip you stood a good i chance of being, drowned. "In all Government buildings and bank premises rooms were built for the single men, and one had to feed at the nearest pub (one could not call them hotels). Prices were very high, and Government officials on the Coast got a goldfields allowance of 10 per cent on the salaries in consequence. Everyone here was very free and dasy, and I found the Custom House in a state, of disorder. There were some very nice families here. Dr Giles, the Magistrate, and his wife: Dr Thorpe, his wife and family; Mr Arthur Dobson, engineer in chief, and his wife and family; Mr Rodgerson, Collector of Customs, and one or two merchants. The rest were a very rough lqt, though good sorts in many ways, as I soon found out. Chir only amusements were billiards, duckshooting, swimming in the Buller, and canoeing in native craft. A considerable amount of drinking took place. One day Mrs Dobson looked up some of us young fellows with a view to forming a glee party. The first meeting consisted of Messrs Pickering and Petrie (Bank of New Zealand). Bickerton Fisher (solicitor), Aitcheson (Public Works Department!, Hellar (Survey Department), Miss Kuz (piano) and myself. Mr Dobson taught us to read music under the Kirwin system. and we quite astonished ourselves with the advances we made. In a short time we sang men’s glees without our music, and gave concerts. The instrumental section was sustained by Mr Dobson (flute), Mr Hellar (violin) anti Miss Kuz (piano). This glee club reformed us, and we allowed Mr Dobson our sincerest thanks for taking us away from the pubs. “What with wrecks, strandings on the bar, find ordinary Customs work, we were very busy, and the four years at Westport passed very quickly. My friend Mr Andrews, of the Bank of New Zealand, used to inspect some of the gold mines to which he had made advances, and on occasions I would go with him. It was walking in those days, and we covered sometimes twenty-five miles over rough tracks and mountains. Some of the districts we visited were celebrated hi those days, having produced a tremendous amount

of gold. Among th<?m were Mount Rochfort, the Caledonian, and Dirty Mary's Creek. The last-named produced one million pounds’ worth.” In 1877 Mr Snow removed to Christchurch. “The Inspector of Customs, Mr William Seed, always took an interest in those under him.” writes Mr Snow. “Knowing how rough it was at the gold-mining ports of the Coast, he did not keep the single men of his departiment there long. He considered I had done my duty at Westport, and removed me to Christchurch, which was a joy to me, although it was a line thing having seen something of goldmining, the excitement of the gold rushes, canvas towns, and the people • who comprised those communitiesIrish, Cornish, Germans, Californians and Dalmatian?. “Communication between the Coast and Christchurch was chiefly by water, it being cheaper to the Government than going by coach via Inangahua. Reef ton, Arthur’s Pass and Springfield, and then by rail to Christchurch. I took passage by the Anchor line in the Charles Edward for Nelson, then by steamer to Wellington, where I arrived in time to attend the marriage of my sister Maud to Alfred St George Hamersley, solicitor, of Timauu. He had lately come out to our colony from England, having abandoned his position in London in view of the difficulty of working up a practice. Hamersley at that time was a celebrated Rugby player. The year he left England he captained the English team against Scotland, ate his dinner at Doctors’ Commons, and then sailed for New Zealand. It was during my sister's visit to Christchurch, when staying with the Hon William Reeves at, Opawa. that she met Hamersley. They made their home in Wai-iti Road, Timaru.

“In due course I arrived at Christchurch. I resided at the Clarendon Hotel until my chief, Mr Alexander Rose, said he would be pleased if T lived at a pension, for the Department preferred young men who had been on duty on the Coast to do so. He suggested some diggings near his house, so I packed up my trunks and went thither.” Rowing was Mr Snow’s chief pastime at this period. He became a member of the Canterbury Rowing Club, and was a member of the celebrated crew which included Messrs Ollivier (stroke), Evans (3) and Saltmarshe (2), and which won the President’s Cup in 1879 This cup is *till in competition. Other portions of the memoirs deal with the writer’s travels in England, Europe and in the battlefields after the Great War.