MAIN TRUNK RAILWAY

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 80, Issue 240, 11 October 1938, Page 9

MAIN TRUNK RAILWAY

MISSION AMONG WORKERS. ADDRESS TO ROTARY CLUB. Reminiscences of his mission work among the workmen employed on the Main Trunk railway line when the undertaking was being speeded up about 33 or 34 years ago were related to members of the Wanganui Rotary Club yesterday by the Rev. J. F. Martin, Methodist minister at Aramoho. Mr. Martin said that people who had passed through the district had written to the newspapers pointing out that the workers and their wives were being neglected spiritually. He had been sent to the district by the Methodist Church. On his arrival he had passed a settlement which was called the “Holy City” and this was where two-up schools flourished. Two-up was played all day and when darkness set in matches were lighted to see how the coins had fallen. A little farther along was “Angels’ Rest,” the shanty of the sly grog king who stocked liquors both good and bad. On Sunday between 500 and 60 men would gather there and consume liquor until they became prostrated and thus the name “Angels’ Rest” had been applied.

Mr. Martin said that he had walked more than 25 miles to Horopito to conduct a service. Many people had intimated that they would be present but no one turned up so he walked back seven miles. A large number of people had also promised to be present there, but his congregation consisted of two people, an old man and a young man. Mr. Martin said that he decided to conduct a full-dress service. He selected four hymns but they were solo efforts because the congregation of two did not join in with him. When he pronounced the Benediction and closed the service the old man reminded him that he had not taken up a collection. This he did and the amount collected was £1 7s 4d. The next time he visited the locality the two men were joined by a woman, who, he was told, would be present every time if she were not drunk. The collection this time had been £1 12s 4d. Later Mr. Martin said that he had found that the old man was a winch driver and had decided to devote a certain amount of his wages to God. Mr. Martin related a number of reminiscences regarding some of the characters he met during his mission work. His work had been a great I education to him and he looked back on it as an extra university course. On the motion of Rotarian E. R. S. Dale. Mr. Martin was accorded a hearty vote of thanks.