Fifty Years Ago

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 72, Issue 291, 7 December 1929, Page 17 (Supplement)

Fifty Years Ago

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(Specially written for “The Chronicle” by Hugh C. Jenkins) A tattered copy of the Auckland “Evening Star,” dated June, 1875, has been loaned to me. I have found much to interest one in its columns, despite the lapse of fifty-four years. Names not yet unfamiliar are frequent. Hesketho, Toles, Bells, Ellisons, Jackson and Russells are in the news. Public concern, while centred on fewer things than at the present time, seems to have been arrested by very much the same matters as to-day. Then there was no overseas news, but the telegraph was in use with various parts, and a pigeon post was in operation between Waiwera and the Star office. The paper is really beautifully printed. It is all hand-set type, of course, for type setting machines were not in use half a century ago. The advertisements contain -few illustrations, the chief illustration being that of Mary Queen of Scots working- a hand sewing machine. Tbe advertiser declares the Queen of Scots’ sewing machine to be silent and true. That, of course, may be an historical allusion as well as a description of the mechanism. The advertisements are very interesting. Mr. Henry Hayward advertises “Funerals Furnished” in white letters on an appropriate black ground. Mr. J. Levy is in the clothing trade, which seems appropriate even to-day. Mr. Rattray, who is a gentleman’s mercer, draws attention to a large shipment of Morley’s hosiery, including “striped football guernseys.’’ F. H. Lewison announces lockets of quartz and greenstone, stone cameos of the heads of Roman Generals and other celebrities, also “wedding rings and keepers.’’ The retailers of boots, however, advertise their prices. These are knock-down bargains. Best watertights, pegged, Ils. 6d., worth 175.; men’s Bluchers Bs. 6d., worth 145.; men’s Balmorals 11s. 9d., worth 20s. One gentleman prefers rhyme to prices and thus runs his metre:— If you want a boot that shall fit just right, Not a bit too loose, nor a bit too tight, Not a bit too strong, nor a bit too light, If you want your foot fitted, give a call At the Star Boot Mart near the Market Hall. THE PRICE OF GROCERIES. Fenton’s store announce a continuance of their great sale of groceries aud provisions. “The stock at present being of Jess value than £25,000 will be sold at any sacrifice to make a clearance.” These sacrificial prices are of interest now for comparison Tea 25., sugar 3Jd., soap (id., starch 4d., sultana raisins 6d., spice Id. a packet, honey 7d., treacle 4d. a pound, prunes 6<L, currants std., pickled walnuts 7d. and tobacco 2d. a packet or 3d. a plug. The reading of those days naturally comprised much of the periodical type of literature. They appear to have been sold in annual numbers, for a bookseller offers the whole of the magazines for the previous year. The following publications are listed:—All the Year Round, Cassell’s Magazine, Chambers’ Journal, Family Herald, Good Words, Leisure Hour, London Journal, Once a Week, Sunday at Home, Sunday Magazine, Band of Hope, British Workman, Chatterbox, Cottager and Artizan, Infants’ Magazine, Kind Words and Sunshine. These publications proclaim their Victorian “goodness” in their titles.

But, nevertheltsss, the Sunday Magazine certainly seem:: more appropriate publication than many of our modern efforts of Hie breezy story type. The Victorian era hail something to be proud of in its weeklies. There were, of course, other kinds of

publications but people were evidently decent enough then to be ashamed of those “other kinds” and kept them in the background; The editorials of fifty years ago were well written, but they did not mind being personal. Of course, some journals have not lost the habit, but they are behind in the standard of half a century ago in effective personal reference. For instance, the

railways were even then in politics and a reduction of rates between Auckland and Otahuhu was in issue. The Government had declined to make the reduction. “We presume,’’ comments the Evening Star editorially, “that the Government took the opinion of their able and experienced ‘Engineer of Constructed Railways,’ Mr. Frank B. Passmore, on the subject and the result is exactly what we would expect at once from his intelligence and from the anxiety of the present Government to consult local interests. Arguments as to a low tariff, increasing traffic and profits are thrown away, where self-eon-ceit, blended with ignorance of the whole thing aud pigheadedness is at the helm.” NEWSPAPERS BATTLE ROYAL. The New Zealand Times and the Evening Post in Wellington, were having a battle royal at this time, the Post accusing the Times of having “forged what purported to be a quotation from the Immigration and Public Works Amendment Act” and of having so “ placed itself beyond the pale of honest, respectable journalism.” Despite the foregoing editorial comments, the Press of that day evidently knew when discretion was the better part of valour. Hence, when Mi- James Smith, the Dunedin barrister, desired to ask of Mr. Macassey, another brother of the Bar, “(1) Whether or not Mr. Macassey hired spies, as I say he did, to watch Judge Ward over a period of several weeks? (2) Whether during that lime he received, as I say lie did, progress reports giving the results of such espionage? (3) Whether finally he haggled, as I say he did, about wages claimed by his scouts for doing the dirty job, the latter being unable, as I daresay most people are, to see why the said job should be cheap as well as nasty?” he found that neither of the three papers published in Dunedin would accept the challenge for publication, so he had to go to the Timaru Herald to get his challenge before the public. The Auckland paper editorially commenting on this matter refers to Timaru as a country village, so probably that started another row. In those days they were as keen on cricket as now. Dunedin appears to have been the headquarters of the game then. There was afoot a proposal to bring over a team from Australia and the sum of £750 was offered towards expenses, of which Auckland’s share was £175. The visitors from Australia proposed to play in provincial centres of Otago. Canterbury, Nelson, Wellington and Auckland. “COULD DO IT ON HER HEAD.” Getting drunk and remaining in publie seems to have been the chief cause of appearances before the Magistrate. One of the gentlemen -was known locally as “Flowery Joe.” “Mary McManus, described as a pert young thing of nineteen years, charged with being drunk, replied that that was nothing, but “she had never rogued anybody in her life.” Redemption was out of the question. She was sent to prison for twelve months and because she giggled and remarked that, she could do it on her head, it was increased to eighteen months, whereupon tbe prisoner remarked, “Thank you, Sir.” But Sally Shiels intrigues me. She “was again brought up on a charge of being top-heavy in the open world without a proper guide. Prisoner pleaded guilty but implored forgiveness; if she were let off she would go at. once to Wanganui.” Now, did Sally mean thereby that her conduct would not matter in this now sedate city? Or did she regard it as sufficient punishment to be here? Maybe she felt that this would be a fit place for repentance. The world does not seem to have changed much in essential things since that June day in 1875 -when this newspaper was published, but there is a quaint pleasure in perusing the well printed columns of this tattered issue. The problems of rates representation, taxes and telegraphs, exercise us just as much now as then and I suppose they will continue to do so.