AN INDOMITABLE NEW-CHUM OR, THE ADVENTURES OF A TRAVELLING DRAPER IN CANTERBURY.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2370, 21 October 1880, Page 4

AN INDOMITABLE NEW-CHUM OR, THE ADVENTURES OF A TRAVELLING DRAPER IN CANTERBURY.

The following well authenticated letter, giving an interesting account of the ups and downs of an enterprising new arrival, has been addressed to us. It deserves the attention of all,although it shews unfortuately that in these hard times pluck and perseverance do not find their reward : In these hard times it might be in: teresting to relate the experiences of a new chum, on first arriving in New Zealand. I arrived about four months ago by the s.s. Norfolk, and was agreeably surprised to find so many fine buildings in Christchurch, some of which would do credit to the Old Country, but fine buildings were not what I wanted. I am a draper by trade, and I came here to improve my fortune, but I have made a mistake. At the present time salaries are no better than at Home, and it is quite impossible to get a billet, there being at least 25 drapers out of employment, all at their wits’ end what to do. I don’t believe in being idle Mr Editor, so after waiting a considerable time in the hope of something turning up my patience was exhausted, and I was induced to get a horse and cart and travel through the country with a stock of drapery. After making several enquiries I came to the conclusion that the best route to go would be from Christchurch to Akaroa, so everything being read} 7 , I made an early start one morning, getting as far as Tai Tapu the first day. My casli takings for the first day were only 275, after calling at every house on the way ; however, nil desperandum, I was told I should do better further on. On the following day I reached Wascoe’s, and did not take as much as a penny ; I could not sell stuif at any price, the people were all so hard up. I cannot speak too highly of Wascoe’s. the worthy landlord will do anything he can to make one comfortable. The next day I reached Little River, and was much pleased with the scenery round Lake Forsyth, Buchanan’s homestead looking very pretty in the distance on the other side of the lake. Little River lies in a hollow, surrounded by hills covered with forests of timber, and I should say there are from 500 to 600 inhabitants in the place. The houses arc very scattered, some of them being a long way in the bush. There are two sawmills--White’s and Coop’s—each of which appear to be doing a large trade in timber, ami they both employ a large number of men, but as they are paid only every three months, I pity the hawker who goes there a few days before they are paid. However, I cannot complain of Little River, it was the best place I went to both going and coming home. The people are very hospitable, and as I managed to avoid stopping at the hotel it cost me next to nothing while I was there. 1 happened to remain over a Sunday, and 1 was surprised to find that church was held only once a month. I think a place of that size ought to be able to support a resident clergyman. While in Little River 1 was told of the hills I should have to encounter, and sure enough I found them out to my cost. On leaving Little River there is a hill five miles long to ascend, some parts of which arc very dangerous. I got three-quarters of the way up safely, and had just passed a place called Red John’s Gully (so called from the fact of a man having been killed there through a landslip), when my horse backed, and completely capsized my cart (which was a four wheeler) over the bank. This was a quite unlocked for accident, but fortunately the damage was not so great as it might have been, considering the dangerous locality. However, I had to let it remain there .all night, it being too late to get assistance that day, but the following morning with the help of a gang of men who were making a road in the district I got everything right again, and proceeded on m3' journey once more. The sccner3 - is very pretty at the top of the hill, from which 3'ou get a capital view of Akaroa and the bays. New Zealand has always been spoken of as a great country for ferns, and if any one has a taste for collecting these graceful plants I can confidently recommend them to come to this part of the country, as the} 7 are to be seen here in endless variety from the smallest to the largest of tree ferns. On getting to the bottom of the hill I found myself in the vicinity 7 of the bays, and the weather being everything that could be desired, the water glistening with the hues of the sun, for a moment I imagined myself in fairyland. I drove along a very narrow, road to the French Farm, but could do no business, so I came back as far as Barry’s Bay where I succeeded in taking a little money, and from there I drove to the head of the Bay where I stayed for the night. The next day I pushed as far as Robinson’s Bay, doing what business I could on the way ; one place I called at, viz., Piper’s Gully, where there is a sawmill and a good few people employed, I could do no business because the people are obliged to get their things at the store belonging to the mill, for fear of losing their their billets,and I need scarcely say that they pay an enormous price for everything 1 they get; they told me they had to give 3s 6d per lb for tea, which was complete rubbish and not drinkable; however, although I could not sell anything, I found the people very kind, they would not let me away without having first a good dinner. T arrived at Robinsons’ Bay that afternoon, and stayed with one of the settlers till next morning. There is a good deal of dairy-farming in this district, in fact next to the timber it is the chief industry, but they say it is not paying them at the present time, the market price for cheese being only 4d or 4M per lb;a good many of them say they would rather keep it another year than sell it at that price. From Robinson’s Bay I went to Akaroa passing through German Bay a truly charming little spot, I should like to be there when the fruit is ripe, as there is every promise of abundance, the trees being laden with blossom. Akaroa is a good sized town very prettily situated I have heard a good many people speak of Akaroa as being the garden of New Zealand in the same manner as Kent is spoken of, as the garden of England, and I have no doubt they are right. Every little garden seems to have any amount of flowers all in bloom, early as it is in the spring, but I could not spend as much time as I should have liked in Akaroa,as there were one or two Drapers from Christchurch, trying to sell out their surplus stock, at very cheap rates, so I thought it would not pay me to stop there, and I accordingly went back to the Head of the Bay, and 1

made a start the following morning for Pigeon Bay, where I arrived just in time to meet the steamer from Lyttelton, which was bringing me a few more goods from Christchurch. Pigeon Bay is another nice little spot, the timber and dairy farming being the chief industry. Here as in the other bays, I could have done a good deal of business, if I had given credit, as the people only get their money at long intervals. In Pigeon Bay there is a capital opening for a couple of < young . steady fellows with a little capital. At the present time there is a storekeeper there who has made a little fortune, but he is very much disliked, as he charges exorbitant profits, and there were several people told me that they would immensely like to see another man open a store ; but it cannot be done without a little capital; to make it pay it requires one man to mind the shop, and the other to travel over to the different bays. I was assured by one very respectable man that when he was working at a little place called Waihikarihikari about 12 months ago', that they charged him 15s for a sack of potatoes, the same being sold in Christchuch for 3s 6d. I succeeded in doing a little business in Pigeon Bay, but not nearly so much as I could have done if there had been any ready cash about. From Pigeon Bay I started homewards, calling at Little River on my way, where i succeeded in doing a little more business, and from there I went to Lincoln, and still having a little stock left, I went from Lincoln to Doyleston and thence home, but this latter part did not pay at all, I did not sell os worth ; one woman on the road kept me nearly two hours and then bought one yard of 4*d calico, and finally, Mr Editor, I find my trip did not pay. I worked hard but got nothing for it beyond an insight into a splendid country, the resources of which require capital to develop. VIATOR.