THE OLD DAYS.

Hokitika Guardian, 9 June 1923, Page 1

THE OLD DAYS.

WHEN GAS WAS INTRODUCED. Mr William Evans of Timartt, one of the formation members of the Hokitika Gas Company, as also of the first directorate of the Company, writes as follows under date June 2, to the Chairman of Directors of the Company : Through your Secretary, I am in receipt of a copy of the 19th annual report and balance sheet of your Company, also an article taken from the Hokitika “Guardian” dated 19th Alny, headed “The Golden Jubilee,” for which T thank you, and am pleased to know that your Company is still continuing to pay the usual yearly dividends. notwithstanding the rivalry of electric power and reduced population. Tn the past you have succeeded in weathering the had times, now a good future’s business seems to be steadily progressing in your Company’s favour through the opening of the Olirs Tunnel, which event should at any early date he tin* means of adding largely to the West Coast population, so that Hokitika may again become the premier town on the Coast. It is a good healthy climate as T know, having lived in your town from early in ’(id to the. end of Dccemocr ’74, over nine years ill Wharf and Camp Streets. My name was well known in Westland in those days. 1 assisted to start several new industries during residence on the Coast, among them the Hokitika Gas Coy., about 1873. The promoters of that Company were nearly all the principal business men of the ' town at thsp time, all iti the hoigh-day of life. Death amongst us was never considered, perhaps seldom thought of. All full of hope for the future, we met to-

gether from time to time and formulated schemes for the future improvement of the town and district. The proposal for the erection of Gas Works was taken up heartily, the share list was tilled in a few days. Directors appaiiited, and a Secretary and Gas Engineer also, and with the least pasjh'e delay the works were constructed and successfully carried out by Mr f ’curl's, who had previously carried Dili, the South .Melbourne (his Works in Victoria. Never a hitch occurred from start to finish. We had a most efficient '•'.■cretary also in Mr Alex S.-ntt, who ('died unit position ably for many subsequent years. Through Mr Courtis' knowledge of chemistry he analysed samples of Groymouth coals, and proved these coals superior to New Castle and made a market tor those coals throughout the Colonies, as it was largely exported at one time to both Broken Hill, Adelaide, and Bendig*), Victoria. Air Courtis’ son has been and is. Gas .Manager for Timaru tor at least .‘lO years past. Within a few months of my landing at Hokitika, the poptt|*tinn increased from a few hundred to dll to 10.000 people, mostly young men. Very few women reached there the first year, hut after that many diggers took to themselves wives and settled down.

Tl'-* West Coast rush which started in IS(M-o was the means of inducing many good men from all purls of the world to come to New Zealand. These have since seliled down ill other districts, in various occupations and have proved themselves good Colonists, and although most of flu* early Coast pioneers have pa-sod awnv to that bourne from which no travellers return, they have left good sons and daughters tn carry on the work they started. As I before mentioned, I assisted to start many new industries on the Coast during my nine years’ stay there. We were all young men in those days and enjoyed life. W e wore a cosmopolitan community nl as line a sample of mankind, as could he found ill any part of the world. I remember a number of college professors who visited the Greenstone water inoe, where the men were sluicing amongst and lifting big stones from the Duke of F.dinborough Terrace. These professors asserted that they never saw and met so many splendid specimens of the human race together as wore congregated sluicing at Greenstone.

1 feel sad when I look hark and remember the friends of my youth, and am told T was supposed to ho the only member of tho original Hokitika Gas Coy. Directorate, now alive. You will agree with me flint T have much to thank a kind Providence for, being spared in health and strength, hut my time for passing away cannot he far off. As an old friend of mine said shortly before he died, “lie felt his number was up.” f only know two men, now living oil the Coast, who wore there in my day. Most old people like myself, live in Memories of the Past. T hope (hero will lie a good meeting of old Coasters at the early opening of (he Otira Tunnel.