Caretaker Mac

NZ Truth, Issue 1209, 31 January 1929, Page 4

Caretaker Mac

HIS name is reputed to be Mackenzie; but no human being has ever heard him called anything other than "Mac" and as "Mac" he is introduced to those Wellingtonians who go strolling through Chapman's Gardens of a Sunday afternoon. . When Justice .Chapman left his beautiful,, loneiy garden as a gift to the public of Wellington, one of his conditions was that "Mac" should stay on as caretaker for the remainder of his days. The old caretaker has almost grown up with the garden and his years of service there must be nearer the half than the quarter century. For years, it was "Mac's" boast that not even for a day had he left the gardens, where he keeps house m company with two dogs, Sylvia and Rastus yclept. But last year "rheumatics" were the caijse of a sojourn at Rotorua, and the chimney of the queer little house has only just; started smoking again. "Mac" cooks by camp oven, knows every inch and every redgum tree of his domains, and has a great affection for the garden's wild, neglected beauty. But he can be more precise, than his garden m the matter of botany, and really knows a great deal about the technical side of his profession. More important,, he's as picturesque a figure as the garden itself.