INTERESTING RELICS RECOVERED FROM TOWN HALL

Grey River Argus, 7 September 1948, Page 2

INTERESTING RELICS RECOVERED FROM TOWN HALL

When the foundation stone of the Greymouth Town Hall was laid in the presence of a distinguished assembly at 10.30 a.m. on December 30, 1904, the Council of the day had placed underneath the stone some interesting relics which were recovered yesterday morning. In a zinc casket, there were found three sealed bottles containing colonial wine, colonial wheat, and Kotuku mineral oil, copies of the “Grey River Argus” of December 30, and of the “Greymouth Evening Star” of the previous evening, coins of the reign of King Edward VII —a florin, shilling, sixpence, threepence, penny and halfpenny of 1903, and a half crown of 1902. Also found was a Hansard of November 4 to 8, 1904, a Boer War victory stamp, and a large typewritten scroll. With the exception of the scroll, which is on fairly soft paper, the documents appear to have stood the 44 years well, both newspapers being in good condition. The scroll is signed by the then Town Clerk, Mr E. I. Lord, and it contains reference to the formation of the borough in 1868, and states that four of the original councillors — Messrs W. J. Coates, J. W. Parkinson, W. Rae and E. Wickes —attended the ceremony in 1904. An interesting fact about the list of Parliamentarians in the Hansard copy is that only two remain alive today. They are the Hon. Sir R. Heaton Rhodes, of Christchurch, then Member for Ellesmere, and the Hon. J. A. Hanan, M.L.C., then Member for Invercargill. Commenting yesterday on the relics, the Town Clerk, Mr F. H. Denton. was most interested in the reasons for placing wine, oil and wheat under the stone. There is Biblical significance in this, and it is stated that the injunction of- Moses and other prophets to store oil, grain and wine against famine is probably the reason for placing the articles under the stone. , Mr Denton recalled that he was present on the occasion of the? foundation stone laying, as an interested young citizen, and added that the ceremony was held in the morning to enable the public to attend the second day of the Greymouth trots in the afternoon. Mr Lord’s writing is on the three bottles, and it is of interest that he has spelt the word Kotuku as “Kutuku”. This will no doubt give rise to interesting observations on the correct spelling of the word.