Untitled

Motueka Star, Volume I, Issue 40, 31 December 1901, Page 3

We take this opportunity of thanking the public for the very liberal support accorded to the Motueka Star during the past five months, and to wish one and all a Happy New Year.

A cricket match Motueka v Nelson Rivals will be played to-morrow, New Year’s I)ay. The following will represent Motueka Easton, Canavan, H. Boyes, Horace Boyes, R. Boyes, B. Boyce,’ F. Delaney, C. Boyce, Curtis, C. Avery, H. Trewavas. Emergency, G. Boundy. The s.s. Te Kapu is advertised to leave Motueka for Wellington direct on Friday January 3rd at 3 p.m, and the Manaroa on Tuesday, January 7th at 5 p.m.

A highly esteemed settler, hailing • from the Baton, called at our private r-yyGnce at four o’clock on Christmas upon us seasonable giajeOTi’gs. We appreciate the kindly feelings which prompted our friend, but would like to inform him that, unlike Tennyson’s ‘‘Queen of May,” we dont wish to be “called” so early in the morning. The word Baton suggests truncheon next year we intend purchasing one to be used in aggressive Jtjorkt garden movements on such oct^ions. Uhe Hon T. Y. Duncan, Minister of j 'fuvls, and Mr C. W. Hursthouse, Q] 'ietr Engineer of the Roads and Bri. will ..be passing

through Motueka next week - on their way to the Takaka A. and P. Show. Our Pangatutara friends should seize

the opportunity to approach Mr Duncan and urge upon him the necessity of the early bridging of the Motueka River at Alexander’s Bluff, for which work the sum of .£IOOO- has been placed on the Supplementary Estimates. A party of Nelson and Wellington residents, who have chartered the fast favourite, clipper-built, A. 41 at Lloyd’s yatch Tauranga, for a cruise in New Zealand waters during the festive season, put into Motueka last Saturday, having run short of fluid and soiid provisions. The ship is commanded by Captain Tredidger, with Yice-Ad-miral ‘Ricketts as consulting navigator and confidential adviser. The Purser reported cb.oppy seas, foaming billows, and scudding clouds in Blind Bay, accompanied by rising glasses. No casualities. After shipping full cargoes the leviathan of the deep set sail at 11 p.m.. with sealed orders, according to the chief cook’s secretary. Last week we had the pleasure of inspecting a very handsome ornamental shield manufactured by Mr William Hunt of Motueka, as a wedding present to a young lady of this town who was married a fortnight ago. The shield, which was heart shaped, had as a centre piece a well finished horse shoe, the nails being made of . copper, the whole being highly polished. As a piece of workmanship it reflects great credit upon Mr Hunt, who evidently spent many a spare hour upon the shoe. It has been very much admired by those who have seen it.

The first meeting of the Motueka Wharf Board will be held in the Council Chambers on Thursday evening at half past seven o’clock, for the purpose of electing a chairman and formally establishing that body. Mr R. Huisthouse, who as Mayor of Motueka is entitled to a seat on the Board, has been requested by the Government to take the initial steps. An accidenr happened last *week to a young rnan, hailing from Takaka, named Ralph Peterson. It appears that Peterson who was staying at Holyoake’s H cel, was riding his horse without a sa Idle and on coming round the street corner at a fair pace he pulled the reins to guide the animal when the snapped, the result being that he .vas thrown to the ground with soj , e force, breaking his right w rist. Surgical assistance was at once obtained and the broken bones set. Mr Roderick McKenzie, M.H.R., paid a visit to Motueka on Thursday and was present at the Mounted Rifles spores. He expects to make a longer stay during the early part of January.

“E don’t know where ’e are,” must have been the conclusion come to by a cyclist who left Riwaka one morning last week bound for Takaka. The day was warm ; so was the man, and upon reaching the nine mile peg, a halt was made for refreshment. Yielding a feeling of drowsiness, which creeps over mortals on very rare occasions, the youth slept. Upon awaking, he noticed the sun was a long way past the yard arm, and getting upon his machine started on his journey once more. After going a considerable distance he pulled up at a well known hostelry and after quenching his thirst enquired how far he had to go to reach his destination. Upon being told, he expressed surprise and after enquiries and explanations the youth discovered that he had, upon awaking, retraced his steps and had pulled up at the place he had started from early in the morning. Moral : when travelling keep yovr eyes open. An neat wall calleudar for 1902 has 1 e m issued by the South British Insurance Company, for which Mr H. A.

Tarrant is the Motueka agent. We have to acknowledge the receipt of one of them.

On Christmas Eve a fairly representative number of the congregation of the Motueka Wesleyan Church assembled, the occasion being that of making a presentation to Mr Philip Quayle, who has been associated with the Church as an office bearer, local preacher and superintendent of the Sunday School for nearly thirty years. The proceedings were opened by the Rev. ~W- Wills with hymn and prayer, after which Mr Wills expressed satisfaction at the number present and called on Mr W. J. Moffatt to make the presentation, which consisted of a comfortable arm chair and pair of slippers. Mr Moffatt said that as one who as a boy had been a Sunday school scholar under Mr Quayle, who had now after long years resigned some of his offices in the church, ~he had great pleasure in doing so, on behalf of the whole congregation, who desired him to express their appreciation of Mr Quayle’s faithful service. He hoped that he whom .they honoured would live to a good old age, in comfort and health. We were inclined to accept the public services of others as a matter of course. The presentation they were making that night should have been made years ago i however he trusted that the gift would be accepted by Mr Quayle as a mark of public esteem, and a recognition of his right to take a well earned rest. Mr MofFatt’s remarks, which were of some length, were frequently applauded, and afterwards endorsed by Mr E. Smith, one of the Trustees. Mr Quayle in accepting the gift, said that he had tried to do what he considered to be his duty, but he had often thought he came short of the mark ; he could not sufficiently thank them all for the kind expressions given utterance to. The present he would greatly value as a token of their esteem and goodwill. He concluded by wishing all a Happy Christmas and New Year. The proceedings closed with the Benediction, pronounced by Mr Wills. A grand concei t is advertised to take place at the Institute ELall on New Year’s niglit, which should be well attended, as the object for which it is organised is an excellent one, namely, to purchase comforts for the Motueka Section of the Eight Contingent. One very necessary adjunct, extremely useful in time of war, and which is not provided by the Imperial authorities, is a pair of field glasses. If a sufficient sum of money can be raised to equip our boys with them, and other necessary articles, the gifts will be very acceptable. The programme, published elsewhere, is a very good one, and as a dance is to be held at the conclusion of the concert there should be a crowded audience, especially as there are no counter attractions the same evening. Mr R. Fry, of Riwaka, lias left with us a choice lot of black currants, grown by himself, which we have accepted as a Christmas offering and for which we thank him. Some of them were stewed and eaten with cream and we confess they were delicious. The residue thereof were cooked in a pie of unusual dimensions and the the verdict was “ kapai ’* (no pun intended). May Mr Fry live for very many years and may he still cultivate black currants.

It. will be well, during the visit of the Hon T. Y. Duncan to Motueka, next week, to strengthen Mr McKenzie’s hands in his efforts to procure a suitable clock and tower for the local post office. The tower would be a great improvement to the present building and there is no reason, if strong representations are made by a representative deputation why the Government should not accede to such a reasonable request.

Messrs Bert Tasker and Co, drapers, of Nelson and Motueka, notify that they have secured the services of Mr Harry Fowler, as manager of the local branch in High Street. Mr Fowler is most favorably known throughout Motueka. and adjacent districts, as a good business man and under his supervision the business should be largely augmented. The firm return thanks for the liberal patronage vouchsafed in the past. It is Mr Fowler’s intention to make some much needed alterations, and to thoroughly rearrange and classify the stock, which is to be supplied in future with thelatest novelties in all departments.

Mr G. A. Harris, the newly appointed Head-master of the Motueka High School arrived in Motueka to-day. A fa irly large stack of hay, the property of Mr Robert Staples, was destroyed by fire between ten and eleven o’clock on Sunday morning. The fire is supposed to have been caused by some children, who were playing near the outbuildings, setting the stack alight. We are informed there was no insurance.

Both Messrs Irvine and Stevenson, and the Fruitgrower’s Syndicate have been busily engaged during the past few days in receiving raspberries for pulping. The yield is going to be very large this season ; a reliable authority, who has been all over the districts assures us it will not be less than four hundred tons’. A cricket match, Whakaiewa v. Upper Moutere, was played on the cricket ground at Motueka last Saturday afternoon, resulting in a win for the first mentioned club by seven wickets and one run. The scores were Whakarewa first innings 43, second 72. Upper Moutere first Jnnings 90, second 24. The principal scorers for Moutere were A. Bensemann 26, H. Beuke 13, F. Bensemann 13, A. Ross 12. For Whakaiewa, H. Thomason (not out) 38, W. Reuben 23. The Borough Schools picnic, to be held on Mr R. Hursthouse’s grounds on New Year’s Day, promises to be well attended. Games of all descriptions will be played and a nice tea is to be provided during the afternoon. Mr Daniel’s store at Ngatimoti was broken into on Christmas eve and a quantity of tobacco and cigarettes stolen. 11 is generally supposed to be the work of some youthful burglar who has not yet been captured. Constable Boyes went out to investigate but we understand no elite was obtained, Mr Daniels having been absent from home at the time. [Since the above was in type, we are informed that Constable Boyes arrested a youtlg-* man who will be charged with the* theft of the articles mentioned, at an early sitting of the Magistrate’s Court.] '

Mr H. Brusewitz, the well-known photographic artist of Nelson, is at present engaged in taking a series of photographs depicting the fruit growing industry in its various phases. Yesterday he “took” the Motueka wharf, shewing the large stacks of full and empty fruit cases ; the factory owned by the local Syndicate, Messrs Thorp’s, Dudgeon’s and Katene’s plantations. The collection, when finished, will be valuable as it will enable outsiders to gauge the dimensions and importance of this growing indus try.

The following are the vital statistics for the Motueka district during December, as supplied by the Registrar, Mr H. A. Tarrant: Births 7, Marriages 3, Deaths 3.

The publican’s booth at the military sports was in the capable hands of Mr 11. Byrne, of’ Riwaka, who did a considerable business during the day, the weather being somewhat thirst inducing.