THROUGH THE YEARS

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 1, Issue 89, 17 November 1939, Page 5

THROUGH THE YEARS

FACTS AND FASHIONS

97 YEAR-OLD RESIDENT

Pictures ol" those long-gone years when women wore busies and crinolines; of the days of

sailing ships and long voyages out to New Zealand; of horsedrawn buses and trams in Auckland —and of the days when

there were no trams, were sketched for the BEACON represen-

tative when interviewing Mr John Green of Goulstone Road, on the occasion of his 97th birth day.

Born in the town of Youghal, Coun y Cork, Ireland, on November 12th,

1842, Mr Green's first attempt at a career was in the National Bank at the neighbouring town of Mallow. His grand-uncle was a large shareholder in the Bank.

Mr Green considered, after a period with the bank, that he was not progressing, snd so in 1864, at the age of twenty-two, he sailed for New Zealand in the "British Trident."

"That was a fast passage," said Mr Green. "It took only eighty-four daj'S and was considered very good then/' Arriving towards the end of the Maori Wars, Mr Green did not see service in the military forces, but several of his fellow passengers of the "British Trident" enlisted and saw some fighting. This naturally drew a question from the BEACON: What do you think of the present war? Novel Point of View. "I don't know very much about it," answered Mr Green. "I can't make head nor tail of their method of fighting. P.ow long did you say it is expected to last? Three years! What I said about the last Avar was, well, I wrote a letter and suggested that the aeroplanes ought to go over the enemies lines and drop food stead of leaflets or bombs. The Ger-. mans wouldn't feel like fighting if they had plenty of grub." Which is rather a novel point of view. In Business. Soon after he landed in Auckland in 1864, Mr Green established a con-> nection in the drapery business, and would walk out every morning to Onehunga with a basket of goods strapped on his head, selling his wares on the way. In those days, with a road which was nothing more than a track, this was no mean feat. The introduction of the horse-bus relieved the position a little and Mr Green adopted this method of getHng out to Onehunga. Later, Mr Green started a drapery business in Victoria Street and ho was there until he came to Whakatnne about 20 years ago. He conducted the same trade here and then his son Mr E. Green controlled the "oncern until it was sold. Progress in District.

Seventy-five years in Xcav Zealand has not entirely robbed Mr Green of his Irish brogue and his conversation is traced Avith a light and pleas ing accent. He has no difficulty in speaking though perhaps his ability to marshal his thoughts is not as keen as Avhen he Avas young.

He says that the Whakatane district has progressed immensely in 'he last twenty years and he is surprised when he takes a Avalk, to note the number of hcav houses that being erected.

Asked how it felt to be ninetyseven, Mr Green replied that he felt

'first-rate.'

Until a few months ago he Avail-red to church, and even to the town, but his feet are troubling him a iittle iaoav and he rests more.

A Teetotaller,

Mr Green has been a teetotaller for the last sixty years. Before that '■e drank only seldom but the reason for his complete abstinence sinca !l -as nothing to do with taking the pledge or anything of that nature. He related how he attended a race meeting at Ellerslie in the 'seventies and it rained so hard that his clothes became completely soaked. He look some spirits with the idea that ther would prevent his catching cold.

The spirits, however, proved to be ineffective and he suffered with a very heavy cold for some time afterwards. Thus, he reasoned, drink cam not be any good. He has not had a drink of intoxicating liquor since I hat clay. But he likes his cup of tea and says that he has always been keen on that beverage. Retention of Health. Active, Mr Green demonstrated that he still retains the ability and (Continued at foot of next column)

ideas of youth, by producing a strongly-built mouse-trap which lie 'lonstructed a few weeks ago. The workmanship would almost do credit to a carpenter. Until he suffered an attack of pleurisy, about tAA T o months ago, Mr Green had had no serious illness in his life. It says much for his constitution and sound health that he has completely recovered from the pleurisy.

Sawing Wood,

Mr Green's wife died about seven Fears ago. The couple had ten children and six of these are living. There are fifteen grand-children and twenty great-grand-children. One of the children, Mr John Green, lives with his father and these two men, baching in comfortable style, still enjoy that accord which exists between father and son at half their ages. When the BEACON representative left, Mr Green, ninety-seven yean old last Sunday, was sawing fire wood, and, doubtless, dreaming o.' the days when all the buildings in Auckland were wooden and spaced; when white sails were spread in the Waitemata, and-when a daily walk to Onehunga; and back with a basket of drapery on his head was just part of the day.