EARLY DAYS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 728, 29 January 1910, Page 12

EARLY DAYS.

fINVOLD'--V fe;//iV : '^vv^VWVCO^o^jST./. ■;; F-'V'VV'-Sven-in. these days'the wbrk;bf pioneer!V:/;;/Sng,is:a/workof tbiliand'cven misery, but J : ;'./;Kt;w'as .infinitely '-worse in the early 'seVen- ?:/;/:.;■ tjesV.wheri•the/first''settlers came; to Feild-' j/ftV ing,''wben,'the "p]ace ;was; a. dense-bush K ;.■■:: wilderness; :■ Some/idea of ..the: tribulations f;:/,:.; Isiiffered'byV Colonel proteges (//•j./:may,/boV gained: ,uy, reading'the'-, exp'eriKv>,: onces'.of-one of'their. number,', Mr. Il.'F. recounted by-him the ether f:':;i'/toy : ,te..a-'DomNioN representative..., Mr. ij;-,<;:: : lannings.'.w»s"born in Londonvin' 1847, was' Colonel Feilding-himself'who fo-'■«('personally 'persuaded-, him to come' ' : to fV;.'^- fading.:;/:;' Vv--V-vVV .•;-.-■ -/Vv-';".; b;."-fe.;,-; 'fl /..landed .here," ;said Mr.. Jaririings, s^gv^n;: 1874,/ having v ;arrived; at/Palnierston :

North via Foxton and the; wooden'tramV This 'tram, which. connected'iPoxton: with Palibe'rstenivNorth,'comprised;' one .car, I with; about:. twenty passcrigers,':'drawn'by tliree-'or four 'horses. ;.When the horses' gaveputVbullocks-were'prcssedirf tb.sup-1 .Ply ithe ;raptiyb : ppwer.;-1 .shaH jaever .f6rget'.'tb,at> first - journey ■ on .'..the .Foxton tram,; ; as 'wb'hpd.tpget off :lhe\car every ton. chains-to'; iepairV the. 'line; '.:•.. ::"We: arrived "in -Palmerstoh'-North on a SatnrdayfinlghtV.:and -• asV.there".,:was -' no; Chance ofrgettingVtoj-Teilding; before" the: ■•follbwingV.Mpnday.V6ri -the j bullock';.-drays,;'. Ivleft; myiwife'.bbnin'd.mp, nnd;decide((' ; to walk : ,t!irbugll'; the":.bush;';/I.' remember. this.: second:. had' beeri'Virifbrmedp,amongst;' otherv wonderful, things; that; its' the/Maoris 'had-a" practice and:leatihs;Whit9 .people, it w'as ~best> to.go'.'arriibd!;.;.We had also,been in-, forrn'ed'.by'iridiyiduals ( who,worb snpppsed to'/lfflbw/something .'of ;thb 'subject..that : , whj n; cppked : Europeans ■ tasted .something likp'pofk,'hence I presume'the;colloquial synonym,-'''long'pork.". I had: brought a i pistol;, put/with/nie.tp, New Zealand, .'and as/I■.'■was' p 'goirig'..to; : .do.'this bush journey by" myself,: I deterniined' to' carry: the. weapon'.':;'However, l being ''a;, peaceable: man,'..with-no; love/for bloodshed, I.de.cided;;tb,'carry':.tlie. instrument unloaded.' If/I mplcsted; ;I: thought,-:the. showirigiofthe'.'weajbori'would serve to' frighten the, Maoris.',: :i 'started 'off - at .'about/11: VolockVpni;Sunday- morning,- with';/:iny, swag ;bri r my; back,'and. tramped'; along, the .bush :track:■ until; I' got near -'Aorarigi, which; is' : a; few, miles.-from: Feilding. l ; ;It was;a'^yeryV'ardnous:.ivalk,' and;it was almost/dusk..when..:l'/;approached::; the place,; now known';as "Aorangi.;;'■'l'/saw-the-.busH,: and-a few. Maoris, seated;round a.fifeiVaboyeVwhich.Vtp my distorted; iniaginationi seemed/ to bo : some .V.ery.; suggestive; lopking /boilers: arid .kero-. serie-.tins.-:/A-white; man'with: the .Maoris hailed ;moi'' but .'remembering;; one of■■lthe, London •' legends' wliich; had; been told to rae,:-I:decided'to:trust'to;iu'y legs.to preEerv'eVmy;; life.'': I. ran-into .tho ; ,busU:.with : all-my might;: aiid'stumbled'and fell,- and' rah, agairi;.through/the-scrub■'and forest,' .until vl ■'• had -lbst; sight/of: my, imaginary; pursuers. It was" then- dark; .and;l walked about./,'uritil, : ;forturiatc]y,v'lVcame.;-across a';.whaW , ,.y?ild. cattle arid: pigs/began/to take.:an..,u'hfrtbhdly-v.iiitorost ■in my .iuvasipri; to their; domain,V so,' 1 half ; frightened'' biit'of my.life; -I:tobkVrefugoiri,the hut. .There"; : in.V tho;:-bunk Vl•'.•' lay/down,';' and' facing;thb. : 'door ppinted .my pistol, at; .it' thb/wholb'riight;through,'and never'slept'./ ..At/times:'l;.thpugl)t, : .the icattlb: arid/pigs; would' pushV the:;wharb" down." 'It; was, -a lpngVnight; - 'Of: course;f;cbuld .have/done, nothing ;j»itli"/the' pistol,'';but : I. ..thought: that.; the.sight; of-.it'wouldi'haye.frighteiied any :of ;the.v,cimnibalistic/:';Ndtivos.v;.w-no; might; stray /that way- looking, for -a'-juicy.' Londoner.//^;."/"/.;.';;';;;:;?-;';;/;/ j ',■"/';;>.-■';:.'_--./> iSi'-^'^'Lo'iS-PcrkM/Nifjhtmarb.;■;:;;';;; ./'.''lnlthe.-mbrningivi got/but;and-trudged; ; along.iiritill ;'came'-'t6/a'rivcr./the Orpua;. lt-.wft's;;th'en ; bnlyV,half; i iti;pre£«nt;wldthji ;but/aven'ued'/-with ./dbrise;.; bush,/and'to' me/it/seemedVtor.be/a deep streairii'V/I sat down.'arid: .cpnio: .along; ■ -Eventually: -J:;;deeided;- to, Vsmrii/./tlie /river, -and,'/after, ;strip"plng';;;ficd;niy/;clbttes : iersi'aha /delighted' 'pbri;nrig.;witli'raii\,f and', feeling .very.- miseis' ! able'; -I?ji;aiEjft-BiTjvlJiiiihKiSgj.b'i' tlie:Lbndon ;yarri's;;/;'rj : 'Had;£bj«;iV-:to:d ;aWha'r» : VbyXtfe 'J Ja;vK 1 »IV SVas; 'cilb;-.a/-bifil.caiue'Vand; sii tied.Vbn.'Va' tree;' ;'and':bried';'pnt , -.hviat'.'..ap'^Ted''- : tb' , '.ine,:.'tb ;b6;,Hhb;-;wbrd?V:r'Mp'fe.:.;pprk..y Heaven's,V'l; JthbughV'tyVthe.:: Mbbris.'Vhayp /fburidrmevby 'mea'risjof'.thisjdevilishbeingy-.aiid iVimrbefpnght %mv\ Vway.;' through//with;:.' clothes ;fpj'n''..tb/;ribbbhs.'-;^ : and/then,-scrarbhedt'-and/bleedtng/I-iran :ii)tb;;;aVclearirig,; ';inV ; whinhi/thbre ;was ; .V ;britV .:.This;; ; ,prpved ;,toV.b,e/.Adsett's,V:(in(l utterly:exhausted I madei'fo'r-it,'and "fell' .breathless;en". ; .th«'',flo6r'i'.'.>. ThatVwasvruy ifirst; introduction tc -Fending-/and never shall'/I/fbrfiet; it.-/;;; 'f:- '/>/:/"";V;/'^:-;v-;/': ;/;/v;y;VvV;The;'Tpwn'/in^.1874.V ; ;,;;,V-;; vvv; 'VV'Teilding' inv those :days; v?as'• all-biish and.i.flax.';.;.The/Square/Wa6:a .forest, of, rimu and .watai,/which'harboured :hW dreds pfipigeoris and kakfts and wild pigsV Many .a./ pigeon ..I/have;., shot'. in';..tne branches 'of :,;those.' trees, Vand; many a-:pig I; hays4.kille4. /bef.weer,':;Feilding ; and Ma-kinp.ijaVriiileVarid-aVvhalf ■•'distant;'-: Where the 'bndgbVisiiip-w/HVVMan'Sliester - Street;.' I have;.V c i\ l alked-;-';pp'/tp;;'ni'y; neck in VwatcrV .Whcrb-VQbbbe's '.and '.Sutton-s. blp'cksV now starid,f./I'.could, have .bpughtVthe areai-'fbr,: ;£2O ,i;a-piece;,'/ The Empire - Hotel .section ;I':'wa6 'offered IforJ'^Sßr^Pebple^^.askrabnow', why ''I/did. 'not ".snap-up-/these ;pi'bpc'rties,-. .buf ; th;e7>.truth'..was. i of, it,'/wivpuld /have/ieffcJthe.Vdistrict/ This, hbwe^e'i'i'./XreVVspoh'.'f omidXKe '• could;., not: .'do;>i'-Th'e'i;o^wero'-' , : cp"al4Vn6t'."-walk\'7/ : V "il;-;: supiib-ie/'thero /wbrb' : '';'at'-,the'i;.tiirie; 'SPmething.';';ever Vfifty/;pppple-. in :.the.-,set-; :tlem'ent;''.'-;rriqstly/.;riiarried.; /Among /the, names; I/remember were the Adsetts.Vand tJieir/.'partrier'./Civ Baker.iwh'o ivere'-'pit. sawyers,'i i C.?H"umphreys,'P.' dewier,; James■ PalmejiyV/8,/I^arices, i ;and/^;j;;Wells;;,y /;:■!, : V:'.'.'Wb : : livedVih;VV-shapedV:iiuts; i 'Cft, by, Bft.', ;V-Thcpo,;. places /were;, simply bpards' placed'tcgethbrVlik'eV'a/.Vj'and Pne.had" tj Vcr'awl: :to got into .tlieiri. V. Rats', 'and other::.vermin',irati ':races;,;.through-'■the placesVat'night, and;,the;.mosquitoesVw'erbv in millions.. I-have-.'swept-them•'frotn--,.'my;.' face asif ;;they'Vwerei a ; : swarm", of -bees.'. mOnths/Vv-li-was' once laid np/forVsiiVuibnths with" dfbpsy: : caused-'/;thfpu'gh' / ' : /dfinkiDg:; bad //'water.' Theie/;W.as/no .doctor, „but; one.. named Taylor,,: resided-at VMartbn.; Ho ■'■'came' through. a fortnight, after 'J had sent for: him;.;arid his feo was ten guineas.:: When, he went,.back .to Marton, 'he,'sentV-me -my/'medicine/.'by;; nV/bullpck-driyer. Vwho' Bot:';drunk/pn';'the journey andVsmbshed the/bpltle;" of/medicine, VEventuallyi I received, the medicine three weeks after I had. been seen'by thb;doctbr.■:.".-.'!'': .. -.. "In the 7-sbape(l,huts.to which.l have , ref erred v there, was only /one camp-oven; ■and/this utensil /was: forced -to do duty forT:all •-''the families. ■:'lt"-cooked 'and boiled/all.-sorts/of -things,:.and was; kept going :night /arid' -day. It was .'a- great' life.;.:.;■■;/;//../; ;/,•/. .'./■-.'-.;.;// ■.-':■';'-;■ ,•■:,'■ .'.."A1l Soma-, times ;wb earned :£& per,,day,, sometimes 25.;---.Tho-surveyors/knew. as.much' about" tha'.'busirioss as: W e did,' which was. very. 1 ittle, henco; the, difference; in the' wages.'I onceVea'rned-.-deiO'/for.'Vcoristructing a drain, ; and.the only work'l did for it was: to",riif k P- ; a /small hole,' and gravitation did; the rest, while/' I, sat. down and smoked;.: It;,was';not.-:mse''to;ietanybpdy-kiiqw; what: one /earned. ■ Soirie. of : the 'jebs /did; not;return.;il.per -week.-' All picks,' axos,'shovels,/nndVspool's'wore 10s. Cd. each; jam :1s; per tiri.niatches Is. per dozen.- There,was no bread and no ilour. Cheap boots could-be obtained for; from 25a; ■ tp 305. : per pair,. butter was 2s; Cd. : . per .pound; ■■/■lt';was a.great vday .when Humphreys brought along a;cow. James AVhisker had a- big run/leased from the Maoris,-'.and:'hb" charged- 2s. :fid..|'a head, royalty/ for/killing, wild; pigs.', ; . I:./" .; V,Shooting/Down the/Mail;VCoach.;'; V "That is about 'nil';l remember vividly about'thecarlj; days, but later there was an.exciting incident when a 'man who had ■ Maori land rights 'tried- to , show' his authority .by defying,tho law, and holding Up the FoxtoivtV/auganuivmail coach, •'which-;he considered was 'trespassing -on his land. He shot pub of the mail coach horses. dead,. arid, I; believe, wounded the other. ■ This affair tpok place at Awahuri, nbaut'fpur; and a half miles from Feilding.;'; It'was a big offence, : and created great/excitement-,' amongst Europeans and .Maoris.'.'The; man was".arrested, and ' sentenced to imprispnmentfnr twp'years."-