City Watchman Makes His Last Round

Manawatu Times, Volume 62, Issue 24, 29 January 1937, Page 6

City Watchman Makes His Last Round

TWENTY-SEVEN YEARS WITHOUT HOLIDAY MR. JACK NELSON’S FINE RECORD After twenty-seven and a-half years, working every day, or rather night, of the year, without a holiday in the whole period, Mr. Jack Nelson has made his last round as Palmerston North’s nightwatchman. During this month Mr. Nelson went home early one morning, feeling unwell, and has since been under doctor’s orders. Hundreds of people in the business community will regret that a proven friend is no longer able to serve them with his nightly round of watchfulness. His reputation for trustworthiness was unsurpassed. Long service is a penchant of Mr. Nelson's. Long before he took up the work which has made him well known, he was a fireman with the Palmerstun North brigade, with which ho served for a period of 274 years—the same length of time as he has since servea as watchman. For a long period he was attached to the old station where the Midland Hotel now is, and remembers the change over from the antiquated hand reel to the horse-drawn appliances. He was the first custodian of the Terrace End station. He holds, as w'ell as the gold medal for 25 years' service, the long service star of the N.Z.F.B.A.

Some time after securing the post of nightwatchman, Mr. Nelson told a “Times” representative yesterday afternoon, he gave up service as a voluntary brigadesman. His new duties required him to start work at about II o’clock each night, continuing until 5 o’clock of a summer morning and an hour later in winter. Then, with the night’s work over, he wont home to sleep as the majority of citizens were just getting wakeful. Mr. Nelson was not employed by the City Council, but depended on the support of shopkeepers and others who donated him a shilling a week for his good offices. Not every member of the business community by any means was a 4 ‘customer,” but the duties were extensive. Each night Mr. Nelson tried innumerable doors to make certain that they were locked, and kept a wary eye for any goods left outside. His beat extended all round the Square, and, within a certain radius, through the main streets of the city. His record of working every night for such a long period without a holiday must be unique. His present illness is the first lie has known, his only period away from duty being when he was injured by a hurtling gato during a gale some years ago, and spent five weeks in hospital. A keen Rugby enthusiast for forty years, he is well known to patrons of the code in Manawatu, having assisted the Manawatu Rugby Union as gatekeeper, groundsman and scoreboardkeeper. In early days, after he came to Palmerston North almost 50 years ago from his birthplace in New Plymouth, ho was a keen player, and was skipper of the Palmerston North juniors. He managed touring teams, and his home has long been something of a museum for souvenirs and records of matches played in days long gone by.

Palmerstonians will -wish Mr. Nelson a well deserved rest and renewed strength.