EARLY WANGANUI

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 73, Issue 438, 2 December 1930, Page 6

EARLY WANGANUI

TALK TO ROTARIANS MR E. A. CAMPBELL REMINISCENT Alemories of early Wanganui were recalled at yesterday’s Rotary Club luncheon by Air Ewan Campbell, who, though just reaching completion of his 88th year, was able to address his audience with all the vigour of youth and he worned the assistance of reading glasses.

He said that the statement that he was the first white child born in Wanganui was not correct. Mr Anthony Nathan, who was still alive and now residing in Taihape, had that honour. He was born in the same month as the speaker, but three weeks earlier.

Under Martial Law AVhen the Maori war broke out in 1848 martial law was proclaimed. Mr Campbell hoped that his hearers had never had an experience of the corn* ditions pertaining under a decree < J that sort. He gave an illustration of what it meant. Settlers, to protect themselves against the Maoris, moved to Queen's Park. The captain, who bad apparently given no authority for any such plan, ordered them to come down. They refused and were told promptly thut unless they obeyed orders under martial law they would be fired on. AVanganui’s first hotel was situated on the corner of Wilson Street and 'laupo Quay and was known as George Smith’s House. The settlers crowded into that and into the building where lhe old Foster’s stood, to take refuge from the foe. Here the speaker made reference to a narrow escape some of them had had when approaching the defence post. There were no lanterns in those day# and at night men carried fire sticks. A party walked towards the sentry and were challenged, but the night was windy and they did not hear. The soldiers blazed away and Air Camcron threw the fire stick away. “And that drew all the blazing with it,” Air Campbell remarked. “They kept firing at it for long afterwards, but. whether they hit it I cannot say.” (Laughter). In Air Smith's house, Air Campbell proceeded, families were compelled to live in a confined space. There were nine in his father’s family and three others living in a room half the -ize of that in which the Rotary members were sitting. The water had to be brought from the river. Rutland Fire of ’69.

On Christmas Day, 1869, the Rutland Hotel was burned and a bucket brigade was formed, two lines extending to the river and back. Mr Campbell told of the enthusiasm of the helpers, which led them to devote attention to the property of Air C. Burnett, in a building on the opposite corner.« Considering this was in danger of fire, they proceeded to bundle out jars of lollies and furniture. They did not succeed in getting the piano out, but all the bedroom furniture was thrown through the window. The boys got the lollies. Early Education. A cat-o’-nine tails and a drunken teacher were two features of Wanganui’s early education which Air Campbell recollected. A school was located on the Quay, and Mr Anthony Nathan and himself attended it. Mr Campbell was thcu six years of age and he remembers that boys had to be made of “hard” stuff. If anybody cried they passed a bottle round to collect the W tears. T “It was a great slur passing the bottle round iu those days,” he said. (Laughter). Speaking of the first educational system, he said that it was a hard job to keep one teacher (name omitted) sober. He had a cat-o’-nine tails and brought that into use more vigorously wucn he was a bit “fresh.” That usually happened about the middle of the day. At last the senior boys revolted. They got the teacher down, divested him of any implement of punishment and laid the cat-o’-nine tails on its owner. “And that broke up the first educational system of Wanganui,” Mr Campbell added. (Laughter), The First Post Office. The speaker said that the first post oflice of those times was located on the site of Messrs 11. 1. Jones and Bon'a shop in the lower Avenue. The man who looked after the mails (name omitted; was reported as sorting some of them in his bed. “1 believe that afterwards there were many overdue letters found whicii had fallen underneath during sorting,” Mr Campbell stated, with a smile. Producing a copy of the Wanganui “Chronicle,” of the early days, tho speaker quoted a paragraph which said that Wanganui had not heard from Wellington for five days, but hoped to do so before the week was out. (Laughter). “In those days journeys were made on foot,” he continued. “They went out by i’utiki pa, over the big sandhill there, and out to the beach, and then lollowed it down to Wellington. Then came the horse. The first visit I made to Wellington was in ’62, and that was on horseback. There were small vessels trading to Wanganui then, the Kitty Johnston and Governor Grey and others.’’ Remembered Andrew Power. The speaker remembered Andrew i’uwer, who was among the first party of whites who landed on Landguard Bluff. He worked for Air Campbell’* father. He had been made a slave by the Alaoris and was ransomed by tho Missionary, Mr Richard Taylor, for tobacco, flour and gunpowder. “There was a Colonisation Company formed at Home,” Afr Campbell proceeded. “They were supposed to buy land for settlers and to colonise New Zealand. Their agents came as far up as this, and every Maori met and asked for land, said he had it. AA’hen tho settlers arrived there was no land for them. ‘This Alaori and that Alaori had no right to sell you land,’ the chiefs told them. ‘They are slaves, they have never had any land.’ And it was seven years before the settlers ] who came out, got their land,” Mr j| Campbell asserted. The whole thing was settled by Sir Donald M‘c.Lean.”

The speaker was accorded a vote of thanks on the request of Mr Louis Cohen, who paid an eloquent tribute to the vigour he displayed, in spite of his 88 years.