THE EARLY DAYS AND NOW.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1888, 24 October 1913, Page 3

THE EARLY DAYS AND NOW.

IN RANGIT-IKEI. Mr. J. G. Wilson, of Bulls, writers:— "The death the other day of Sir John Battye Tuke recalls a pleasant episode a few years ago, when ho visited Now Zealand. In collecting a few notes — which I hope to publish in the course of a mouth or two —of the early times in Ilangitikei, for the first time I heard of a Doctor Tuke, shortly after I saw in your paper that Sir John Batty© Tuke was visiting Wellington, and going to renew his, acquaintance with _ the West Coast, whore ho formerly resided. His namo was well-known to me, for he •was member for my old University, Edinburgh, for a number of years; but had retired. I thought it possible that this Sir John was tho' same Doctor Tuke I had heard of. I was soon ablo to find this was the case, for on the Palmerston North platform I was introduced to him by Dr. Martin, with whom ho was staying, and ho promised me tho pleasure of being allowod to show him Rangitikei. He was, in fact, the first resident doctor in Rangitikei. He came out, I think, in 1857 ; in the Ocean Queen, and after being m Wellington a short timo, he met Captain Daniel, who said lie would give him some land in Rangitikei, where lie could build a house, and practico in the district. There were in those days practically no settlers in all tho country to tho south of tho Rangitikei River. Tho Tura-kina-Rangitikei Block had been sold m 1849, ana settlement began almost at once. By that timo there were a fair number of settlers at Turakina and Lower Rangitikei, and some more up the river, as far as Major Marshall's, but much of the land in tho centre of the block was a wild run. Dr. Tuko brought his voung wifo up (ho was married just beforo lio left- the Old Country), and they stayed at Scott's Ferry with Mrs. Scott until the Doctor got a house built at Manuka bush, just near Curl's Bridgo. on tho Bulls-Marton-Road. This ho did with the help of a Mr. Lambert, and it was tho houso lived in by Dr. Curl for so many years. The walls wero totara slabs, and it was thatched with toi-toi. After the lapse of nearly sixty years it can be imagined that Sir John saw great changes when he came over Mount Stewart to lunch at Dr. Watson's. He said that, knowing "tho enormous debt Now Zealand carried, ho was always afraid that wo should not be able to meet our inter--est, but when he came over Mount Stewart Hill, and saw all the country for miles around in' small farms, that he had known with cinly a few. Maori tracks, ho wasn't sure that ho was right." After lunch, I took him up to sea his old habitation, and asked the lady to allow us to look over it, and he was much interested. Part of the house was weathor-boarded, but that he would not own to. "Our house was built, of slabs," was his remark. I took him round to the older part, however, and showed him the very slabs lio had put up with his own hands. "All, that's all right: now I know it." He then went to look at the hole in the l'utaenui, close by, which served as his bathroom for years. Ws then went on up to Westate, where Sir William Fox had lived, and he remembered the track down the hill thoy used to go. Pointing away over to the Halcombo district, he said a few'of us wanted to take all that country up —Blewitt, Trafford, Swainson, and myself—but Sir GeorgeGrey wouldn't allow us to." . The other three did, however, have runs ronted from tho Maoris on the very land later. Then wo motored back to "Koveromaiwaho," where he said many a happy day had he spent there; but all vestige of, tho old house was gone, as Mr. Lovin, since he bought the place, had put up a handsome new residence. When he knew this district Major Trafford had it, and used to generally havo lively company. After practising for a few years in Rangitikei, Doctor Tuke was attached to t-lib Goth in Wanganui, and waß there for a few years, when lie had a good offer at Home, and went there with Major Trafford, who wont for health reasons. Dr. Tuice became an authority on mental diseases, and, when he retired, was elected to represent tho Universities of Edinburgh and St. Andrew's, in succession, I think, to Sir William Priestley. Sir John was present at a modical conference in Wellington, and was much impressed with the discussions. Ho also saw operations both in Wellington and Palmefston, and was somewhat agreeably surprised at the excellence of the surgeons and nursing staff. His Was a delightful and genial personality, and he spoke with great affection of his old New Zealand friends, and of tho happy times he spent here. Mr. H. S. Berrvman, of Stanley Downs, Nelson, who arrived in England in Juno, intends to leave on November 8 by the Tainui. Ho is at present at Tregooso, Cornwall. Mr. Bnrryinan has been visiting many of the _ principal agricultural shows, mid was impressed with the keen competition amongst tenant farmers in England, where they seem to bo working, without adequate reward, all improvements being for tho benefit of the landlord, the tenant having no security of tenure. Mr. Berryman has persuaded several young men, sons of farmers with capital, to emigrate to Now Zealand _ Some of bis relations also aro returning with him in November to start farming in New Zealand.