SHANNON MASONIC TEMPLE.

Shannon News, 20 August 1926, Page 3

SHANNON MASONIC TEMPLE.

FOUNDATION STONE TO BE -LAID to-morrow. The ceremony of laying the foundation stone -of the. new Masonic Temple for Lodge Mangaliao, tot be erected in Stout Street, will take place- to-morrow (Saturday) at 2 ip.m. The Most Worshipful Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of New Zealand, Sir Charles Fergusson, Governor-Gen-eral, I will perform the ceremony, assisted by officers otf the Grand- Lodge. As the proceedings, which will take place, outside, will be open to the public there is no doubt a considerable number of townspeople will be present on such a unique occasion. His Excellency will arrive at Shannon from Wellington by the Napier Express at 12.15 p.m. and will be met at tlie railway station by His Worship- th-e Mayor, Borough Councillors and, citizens, who- will extend to him a hearty welcome to the town] After a .short address be will become the guest of the Masonic fraternity. At the conclusion of the ceremony lie will return to Wellington by the New Plymouth express. / THE NEW TEMPLE. ✓

The building, when finished, will be of the Raman Doric order, being constructed on the reinforced concrete pier and beam principle, with curtain walls of brick. The whole of the external walls and pier surfaces are to be plastered to represent stone courses, with' the embellishmentsplastered in neat cement. The internal finishings will be plastered in,. Keen’s cement with fibrous plaster ceilings and enrichments. The whole of the timber understructure is in heart rimu and the upper structure of the roof in Oregon pine. The floorings will be in heart matai, the building being divided into Two main portions. The present front portio-ng of the building, which consists of ante rooms, etc., is of a temper try nature and will be replaced at some future date with a complete Doric front as shown on the plan. The temple will have seating accommodation for 150 arid will be 40ft by 27 ft with the necessary dias, furnishings and fittings complete, the floor of which will be 2ft 4in above the cro\vn of Stout Street, and the height from the floor to the ceiling when finished will be l-2ft lin. A •refectory 16ft x 27ft will" be provided, and there will be a porch 17ft X| 12ft, a culinary department, with necessary fittings Oft x Bft, and ante room 10ft x 6ft. Ventilation has not been overlooked,'- it being provided for in the understructure, there being a separate system for the temple and refectory. The whole of the material used in connection of the building is of British, manufacture and the labour required is being procured locally, where practicable. The contract is being carried outby .Messrs Spencer Bros., Ltd., of Palmerston North; the plumbing work by Mr T. Wattenston, and the painting by Mr F. Thompson-. The architect for the work is Mr E. Ilislop Jamieson, A.N.Z.1.A., of Palmerstbn North, who is supervising the work on behalf of the Lodge. The whole of the. electrical installation will he in the hands of Messrs Holben and Hubbard, of Palmerston North, .including the heating.. The foiundaftion stone, which has been, presented by Mr W. McK-egg, late of Shannon, but now of Palmerston North, wag cast on the site and weighs 7cwt, This will be the repository of the history of Shannon and the Lodge Mangahao- in particular,, also coins of -the realm, a ooipy of the Shannon News, and plans and specifications of the Temple. REMINISCENCES OF EARLY SHANNON. BY MR T. HENSMAN. In expectation of the visit to our township on Saturday-, the 21st, of that distinguished soldier and son of the Empire, General Sir Charles Fergusson, Bart., to lay.the foundation stone 'Otf the new Masonic Temple now being erected in Stout Si., I have been urged by a friend to supply, so- far as I can remember, some recollections of those -early days when, a few sturdy souls, with swags on their backs and the light of vision in their -eyes, came to hew for themselves and their families and to,,.wrest from the hands- of nature, homes in this fairest of fair lands. Forty years ago, with the exception of the old track from the Manawatu river to .the mill which then stood by the creek that ripples past the home of Mr Albert Woods, Shannon was a roadless and houseless place. From Grey Street on the- north to Graham Street on ijh-ei [south and ■east to Vogel Street was a mass of burnt and fallen logs, the efforts of fbe old Manawatu Railway Company to establish a township. Over this mass the wood pigeon hovered m flocks and the mosquito buzzed his chant, whilst encircling all was the dense impenetrable standing bush. • On the west side of the railway line a rough weather-board lean-to built bv Mr G. Grey served as store and -post office. A -visitor might well Wonder at the optimism of the man who was thus tempting fate; but on Sundays be would be agreeably surprised to see around the store a scene of bustle and chatter, as the scattered weather-beaten pioneers came in to replenish their diminishing stocks and exchange opinions. In coures of time when clearings had been effected modest homes began to appear here and there displacing the white sun-scorched rain-bleached tent-fly. The softer accents, of women and the

I shrill and joyous cry and laughter I of children gave indicatioin that the ) wilderness had begun to blossom. I Realising ' the necessity of education the first room of die present school was built in 1888, and the late Mr William Voysey took over the duties of master with sixteen scholairs under his care. Hie was succeed- t ed by the present headmaster, Mr T. iH. White, in 1924, and the wisdom oif those early settlers is fully justi- j fled as to-day. On the register there j are nearly 400 children, beng trained for the battle of life under conditions ! second to none in the Wellington Province. The year following the Albion Hotel was built and was so called after the name of the ship which brought the late iMr MacPherson tof these shores. In those roadless days the railway I line served many purposes; it was the common highway, the stock route, and the only means of communication with the outer world. A 1 spirited agitation by the settlers, however, induced the County Council to borrow loans and commence road-making. The results were soon evident. A more up4o-dale store was built, a bakery started, and a butcher, blacksmith, and a tailor soon followed. The first official postmaster (without salary) was appointed, and the post office after passing through several hands, was ultimately transferred to what is now the present Council Chambers, till in 1911 the present post office was built and in the same year opened .by Sir Joseph Ward, Premier.

: The well-grassed paddocks and the bare hillsides give no indication to the stranger that saw-milling was a flourishing industry in Shannon 30 years ago. The axe and the saw, though it may have denuded the district of valuable timber and beautiful bush, has left a rich 'heritage for the farmer. The flour mills, the first,on Levin road, one-in the township, another ou the Heights, and yet another on the site where Arapeti dam, in the Mangahao hydro-electric\scheme

now stands, gave employment tic many men and were scenes of hustle whilst, they lasted. In the march of progress the decay of one -industry! gives birth to pthers; hence from the uncertainty of the earlier stages the flax milling industry has’ grown to great proportions and has always been more or less a boon to Shannon and district. The introduction of more up-to-date and scientific methods of planting, cutting and finishing is far in advance Of what was in operation when Mr T. Lind and Messrs .Stansell and Co. operated, so_ that to-day there can be seen from the main road or the railway, what is perhaps the largest flaxmill in the southern hemisphere. Dairy farming up till 1893 was an uphill struggle as then farmers had not only to milk, but skim and churn and dispose of their butter for the meagre price of 6d per lb in thei Wellington market. The advent of a small creamery during that year improved tilings a little, as the farmer was able to obtain 2|d per gallon for his milk. Eventually this creamery closed down with the advent of the Shannon Co-operative Dairy Co., which is now one of 'the! leading and most prosperous .butter factories in the Dominion!

GENERAL. Mr W. Nation published Shannon’s first newspaper, which was known as the “Manawatu Farmer.” Later Mr Nation removed his plant to Levin and for some years Shannon was without its- own paper. In 1921 Messrs Kerslake and Billens, of Levin, issued the first publication of the Shannon News, which is still providing our town with a record of current ©vents. ■ During <tlie Boev Wav of 1899-191 L, tile residents showed their loyalty, although only a small community, by sending six representatives to South Africa, one of whom, Mr Percy Nation, made the supreme sacrifice, and to whose memory Hie monument in Plifiuner Terrace was erected by the residents. } In .respect to recreation one ot me oldest clubs in Shannon is the bowling club. In 1905 Mr J. R. Stansell organised a company to put down a bowling green, on the strength which the present club was formed. Although many ups and clowns have been experienced, it has maintained its existence. Some time after Messrs H. Schmidt, R. W. Taylor and others started and helped to keep o’Oing the tennis club, which played for many years on the howling clubs "round.' About three years ago this club purchased their own grounds in Vance Street, where they now For a long period means of communication with Mouthn "as a source of agitation, with the result that 1008 the bridge oyer ihe Manawatu river was built. The opening ceremony was performed by the late Mi ?<Tn Stevens, who was then member for the district. This considerably hplned the township. ,t was in March, WV' non became a boron,, , . meeting of the Borough C _ inc held in August. 191/. The n here were:—Mr W. Mot,loch (Mayor), wS, W H. G»™thg.M. Moyj S ~ ronac 3 noherts, T. Crs. .Tas. Curia . • Thwnitps. R. Downes J. ' G. F, Hook, E. b S. Spencer and G. Watkins.