IN THE EARLY DAYS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 692, 17 December 1909, Page 8

IN THE EARLY DAYS.

THE CANTERBURY PILGRIMS,

SOME .INTERESTING; KEMIMSCENCES; ■ (By TcleEraph.-Soeclal Corrcßcondont.). '• •'. Christchurch,' December 16 Among the. Pilgrims who were entertained to-day by Mr. John Anderson, the-well-known, head ot Andersons, ,Ltd.; in honour of Anniversary Day, were several who had most in"resting stones: of the very > early days to toll to Press' -interviewers. ■■■■> ■Mr.-James. Hay; whoso, people had 'settled in iigeon Bay some years before tho arrival of the Pilgrims, recalled distinctly ■ the sight of three ,of thei historic first, four.'ships passing Pigeon Bay m one day on their way to-lyttel-ton. bo overjoyed, were the..Hay, family at the.spectacle that they declared a full.holiday on the- farm in celebration of the event, ■ >tKv Go , d , lo yused frequently to-;stay with us, Mr. Hay continued, "and in the winter time he. indulged -in,..the. strangest kind of bath I over knew. He used,to get Us to leava a sheot out in the frost all night, and in (ho monung.it was taken in to him as stiff as a' boardand ho wrapped, himself up in it. •••■'■■'. • '.'ln earlier times than thatwodopouded exclusively for supplies of : stores upon the whalers, when no money changed hands. It was a system ,of barter. Por example, I remember my father once selling a bullock and some potatoes to' tho captain of. ond of-'the whalers for a largo Quantity of, tobacco,*'the price ,of which was elevenpence per pound. We_wero three weeks without flour once." 'Tor fifty-two years he hasn't. missed his placo at shearing time." Such was the form in "which Mr. Philip Laraman was introduced by his brother to'a newspaper man," and he caught the first whale in Lyttelton Harbour," added the .brother. "'When fifteen years of age I, took a whalo by myself in ■ Lyttelton Harbour," Mr. Laraman said. "It was a Sunflay morning, and there was a spring tido. The harbour looked like a ' sheet ■ of. glass. Standing at tho door of my hut at Gollan's Bay, I saw a big fish-in the deep water close inshore. .It spbuie'd, and I knew : it was a whalo. Seizing a coil of manila rope and.a catt-lo polo, I rushed on.to.one of two big rocks and got, the rope .round tho whale's dukes. Iu five minutes the tide fell to such ■an extent • that.; the whale was stranded.. I had mado the-rope fast to the ; rock,/and.the whale was not able to get away. * took two hundred gallons of sperm' oil from. it.".'. At Gollan's Bay, Laraman had as. cook's, mate the late Sir Charles Clifford. Laraman was on the Cheviot country before, "Beady Money" Rqbinson:saw it, and had to do with .the .stocking' of many sheep stations..- ... ~ .... ;,' ■ Elijah :-Smart, who came', all: the way from Pukaki-'to tako.partin the celebration,of "Anniversary Day,, is a- typical .early .-settler.'.'a rabbiter by' trade. :He icnows .what it is to live'' alone for years -at a stretch. Asked by one of his;skipmates;wh'en.he:proposed.returning' to the wilds, he replied that he expected to go the following'day. -..' , : •'-'.': .-', "There's too many, people in Christchurch," lie added, "and I'm always' bumping into them;"" -V ;"■' ■'. ■" "'•■'' '-■---■'•'■• '-.'■ :-' ' ; "I helped to make the BridloPath,".romarked one of the Pilgrims,' who narrated how th« track,was.made' by clearing tho' stoned ■ ■ He referred',to the severe. medical and other examinations that "the; .first four shippers"- underwent, befofo they were accepted for the new settlement.' Ho himself was examined-by'two doctors, whose method; of sounding him -was by giving him a'punch in tho region described in pugilistic encounters. as "the-' solar plexus. '■'■ ■ A : party at,the luncheon were 'indulging in recollections of the-older times. One remarked tbat on many occasions he .had: been- sent tc get the cows homo,from the ecrub that-onct existed' where Cranmcr. Square is. now. "Wo worked'hard■ in; those, days,"..he said, "but the women, worked .'harder. They ; each did two men's .work.",.""-..'".''. '.'■,'. • As an example'of what can be done. 0n..0 small area.of land, it.is noteworthy that Mr. 0. Ghariey,. who '■■come.'.out; in the Randolph, lias lived for fifty years.on- a farm at ChanovVCorner. The lato'Mr. ,W:,D. Chanej originally toot ,up 50 acres. • )•'..*■ .. . : '■' v "[There was only.ono'road through then;,and our hOnso was.', tho.. only; one built." Mr. Chancy explained'that .when settlers! were getting anything out theysaid: "Oh, leave; it al shandy's, corner,"'arid that was;how.it.camd to be named.. The nam'o" has stuck to it ever "since, and,tho.railway.siding is called "Chaney's," too. .'.''■ To Mr; T. Kent(Cressy) belongs the honour of .establishing the first' Oddfellows'- Lodge in , Ohfistchurch,.:in 1853:"' In 1852 Mr. "Kent .was .- ! sec'jreUVy. '.of' : the' ■Dyt'tbltbii, Lodge'/- and 7a year later.; he-founded"the'"'.; City'!'.'of : Christehu'rfcb ■Lodge, which is\'the'''mother'" of"mo'st'of the • lodges in'Canterbuiy, and'Wostland.';:'-■.:-' ''A" fine bronzed-and bearded pioneer is,-Mr', Mart (Eandolph); "I left Christchurch-in'lßfic and-went to Temuka," he said, "and have bcei living in' the -Mackenzie Country, ever' 5 since, I have been to town thrcetimes in thirty-fivt years. Tho last tinio was ten years ago;; ;] likoit for a time, and then.-want to get oul into the country again. Town is too crowded You can't soo anybody you . know, becaus< there aro too -many, others. In ;the countrj you know a man four, miles off, because yov ! know ho is tho pnly, man who comes that way : It must bo him."

-~ (By Teleßrantt—Press •; , :. C.hristchurch, December! 16. The, 59th: anniversary of the landing.of the ;Canterbury pilgrims.by tho first four snips was colebrated as a general holiday to-day.-The' weather was .fine, a- strong nor'-wester, Mowing. '.-A, gathering; of sumvuig' pilgrims 'took placo in the afternoon at- the. residence of Mr. Jolin 'Anderson when no fewer. than G9 of; those ; who 'arrived, in .Christchurch by the first, ioiir ships were: present. 'Reminiscences Were exchanged ; arid the'; function • was most (interesting."- ~,,■' ■'■■",.-'■' .""','.