FIFTY YEARS AGO

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 1, Issue 48, 3 December 1912, Page 1

FIFTY YEARS AGO

SOME EARLY RECOLLECTIONS. THE OLD DAYS REVIVED. [BY B. A. CRISPE.I [This series of articles was kindly written, especially for the " Times," by Mrs H. Crispe, of Mauku. Our lady contributor was amongst those women pioneers through whose courage and self-sacrifice the people of this district to-day enjoy their peace and prosperity.— Ed.]

NUMBER 2. COCKSFOOT SEED GROWING. As soon as the bush was felled and burnt the emigrants began to grow cocksfoot (or seed among the stumps. It was, of course, surface sown, and when ripe had to be cut with a reap ing hook. Sume splendid crops were taken off the ground for several years in this manner. The grass seed fetched good prices; at first as much as 25s a bushel and later, when more wai graven, it cam? down to 15s and 16s a bushel. COMING OF THE RAILWAY. The railway line was about this time surveyed to Mercer. The first survey ran almost parallel with the douth Road. A petition was got up asking for a deviation from Drury so as to touch at Pukekohe in view of the number of people now settled there. Fortunately for this township the petition was granted, for where would Pukekohe have been without its railway? The advent of the iron bene was the beginning of a new era. Little by little did these early toilers conquer the soil, and by degrees improved their dwellings and surroundings. When the ballast waggons began !o run ss far as Pukekohe Bcores of peopte would travel in them to the nearest station tbis train was tunning from. To get to and from Aucbalnd in one day wai quite a unique performance in those dajs. HOW THEY GOT TO SCHOOL. The papualtion was now increasing A school was built on the low ground, from which it was removed some years ago. In the winter miniature lakes formed round i*, from King street to the school on the road going past Mr Dell's. The roa'J was very bad in the hollow. The water was at times up to the second top rail of the fences on either side. This was in the days of post and rail fences. It, was no uncommon eight to 'see some of the school children crawling along the rails to get across the lagoon formed there, and thus saving themselves a long and muddy walk round. Sometimes the unwary ones would lose their hold and t.ke an unintentional header into a mud bath to the detriment of their clothes, but to ths huge delight of the more expert "fence crawkrs." When the late Mr Alfred Hoskhi, of Mount Eden School, came to lake charge of the Pukekohe School (where he remained for four years) he told the writer he had to crawl along the fence to get to the school. Certain it was that the by-roads were nigh impa?sabl3 in a bad winter. There was mud, mud, mud everywhere TIMBEK GETTING. After the railway was opened beyond Pukekohe there was a demand by the Government for junk timber, and this once more put a lot of money into the settlers' hands. Jinkers were to be seen along the roads near to and about Pukekohe in evsry direction, freighted with great logs drawn by horses or a team of bullocks. One certainly saw more jinkers than traps on the roads io those days; when the junk timber boom was on. Queer, unweildy-looking vehicles, too, were the said jinkers. There was an arch of wood at the back from which the logs were swung by stout chains, a long pole in front, the end of which just cleared the ground, excipt going down an incline, when it acted as a brake. It was astonishing the enormous logs that could be drawn with horses or bullocks with comparative ease by the aid of these unweildylooking vehicles. Some of the "old hands" will probably remember Mr Thomas Barnaby's big jinker—a formidable looking object Mr Barnaby left Pukekohe 25 years sgo, and now lives in Auckland. In conversation with him recently, he told the writer that the wheels of this jinker were 18 feet high. It was such a weight it took 6 bullocks to draw it empty and 18 to 20 when there was a lo*- on the wheel*. be;i:s sut-h a h:\gh it proved ;i!i:tost usilesn on the t h rt.uds. It Wii? difficult !<■ turn am) iC j wheel.s, ". '•■',.' , i I StHIHI" hj: ...y. CH'.lgf.t t•;,' OVil'-h gj t.-.g bra ici:oß. »:i thu ..arniw ah j trucks men had t» follow t!.>! ji>.i..er with axes to clear the way. Mr Barnaby informed the writer that

he hired 20 bullocks from Mr Hawke to draw this jinker, and as tha vehicle was constantly being "hung up" nn the roads the bullocks meantime ate all his grass, so the "spec" was not altogether a success, aid tha big jinker was dubbed "Barnaby's white Elephant" for ever afterwards. VALUABLE PURIRI. The railway statnn and fore yards hading up to it weie literally packed with huge logs of timber. A Government engineer visited Pukekohe from time to time, his duties being to measure and estimate the number of square feet in each log, which he dii—but not always -to the satisfaction of tne owners, as sometimes an enormcui .k>£ did not measure as much in proportion as its smaller end straighter sisters. The logs were then railed away to Newmarket to be sawn into sleepers. After a time this laborious method of getting sleepers was discontinued, and square puriri sleepers were advertised for by the Government. One? again an impetus whs given to the timber trad", and lucky indeed, were thuse who had puriri growing on their farms. For some years a great trade was done in this line until (he timber suitable for sleepers began to be exhausted. ROAD TO MAUKU. The road by this time was opened up through to Mauku, the first grant being got for it through the efforts of the late Mr Joseph Criepe, who, when in the Provincial Council, got £2OO granted to fell the bush from McCann's Corner to Hart's Corner. Brigman Brothers took the contract, the road being variously named "Brlgman's rosd," Crispe's road," and "Ihe Long Bush road." The last named name stuck to it. Now it seems a misnomer, as there is hardly a tree left un it. The contractors had to fell and char the road, level the hills and cut the roots to the ground. But it was rough. Jolt, jolt all the way. 'Tis said the outside of a horse is the best thing for the inside of a man, and a drive along that road, if there is any virtue in a shaking, had a similar effect for very soon the earth wore down and the roots

which were left above the eurtace marie a drive anything out enjoyable. Tha cabbage tret basin was then a pictuie&qje spot, tymmetrically fringed with cabbege tree?. One marvelled to think thai ibis perfect circle of trees had not been planted by mac. Still if man had had a hand ii it thsre would have been a straight line somewhere to take off the effect. Nature abhor* straight lines. Clover grew io the centre up to our hones' knees When the winter came on and the sleepers, pasta and rails had been carted to the statiun the Long Bash road became a veritable quagmire. One pitied the poor horses struggling through the mud, so splashed and be-spattered that then primal colour was unrecognisable. The more humane drivers would wash the mu ! off the creatures' Ie«;s when thty got home at night. I know one man who would Eooner go without his tea than neglect to wash his horses' legs at > ight. When the summer tame round toe Road Board would get rid of the worst stumps, and by aid now and then of small Government giants get 6ome of the bad places metalled. Happily how these are tilings of the past, but it gives an id a of some of the difficulties the earlier settlers had to contend against AN OLD LETTER. I have by me the original of an old letter dated October 3rd, 1874. It is from the Mauku Highway District office, addressed to Mr Joseph Crispe. It says:—"air,—At the last meeting of the Tiustees of Mauku Highway Board, held in the Volunteer Hall on Saturday, 22nd September, 1874, a vote of thanks waa unanimously passed to you for your successful endeavours in having the road ieading from here to the Fukekohe railway station opened up." VOLUNTEER CORPS. In 1868, or about, the first two volunteer corps were formed in this district, one at Pukekohe proper and the other at the Cap* Settlement. The formtr was under Captain Joseph Scott, one of tie brave -defenders of East Fukekohe Church in 1863. ihe men were d illed in The Paddock where the cemetery now is. The Cape Settlement men were under Captain, now Majur, Hanis, M.L.C. They were drilled on a vacant piece of ground opposite where the Convent now stands. A drum and fife band was composed ci and support.d by buth companies. Friendly shooting matches with other districts took place, for in nearly every little village there were volu teer corps. Major Luak was the officer c muanding this and the surrounding dis tricts. The Major now, though carrying the lurdtn of 80 years, is wonderfully active. For the last two years he has been president of the Auckland Farmers' Union. This energetic veteran is a hardy Scotchman, who la doing work now that many men 20 years younger might well envy. [The next article introduces the early cattle sales, sketches the initiation of the Franklin A. and P. Association in 1886. of the Pukekohe anl Mauku cheese and butter factory of 1883, and incorporates some general remarks on the district from a dairying and industrial point of view.]