IN THE BUSH DAYS.

Shannon News, 23 July 1929, Page 3

IN THE BUSH DAYS.

RECOLLECTIONS OF AN OLD SETTLER. CHURCH SERVICES IN A SAWMILL SHED. MR W. G. ADKIN RELATES HIS EXPERIENCES. A graphic account of the beginnings of settlement in Levin and its neighbourhood was given by Mr W. G.-Ad-kin, at the meeting to celebrate the 34th anniversary of the Levin Methodist Church, held in the Century Hall >Oll Thursday evening. THE FIRST BALLOT.

While having the distinction of being the oldest male trustee of the local church, Mr Adkin stated that his recovd was beaten by a lady—Mrs Richard I’rouse, whom they all delighted to honour for her splendid record of service to the people and the church, to those in need, sickness, or,in sorrow. (Applause). She was their earliest trustee, and always attended the trust meetings. The- day before this gathering, two notable events occurred: one was the marriage of Miss M. Astridge (now Mrs Carman), a devoted worker for the church; the other was leasing of the Central Development Farm by ballot. He was going to refer to a ballot held forty years ago—to be exact, on March 20th, 1889. It took place in a temporary Lands Office on Quay, Wellington, and was for the 3000 acres in the Horowhen.ua Block, which had been bought from Major Kemp for 30s an acre. Levin was in the centre of that block. The speaker was present at the ballot, and secured a section, and on that occasion he saw for the first time Messrs James, Richard and John Prouse. He also saw at the ballot Mr Prouse, the father of those three, and that gentleman’s face beamed with delight when hundreds of acres of niatai forest on the south side of what was subsequently Queen Street were secured by his. sons; that meant for Levin a fine ne\y sawmill, and the mill meant progress; what was far more important, however, Avas the acquisition of two good men and their wives —settlers of the highest type —for the material and spiritual good of Levin in the future. “SPYING OUT THE LAND.”

For a few years Mr Adkin and family continued to reside in Wellington, but he paid regular visits to this district. On his first arrival, in February, 1889, the railway had only recently'been built. No buildings were then to be seen, but the township had been laid out by the Government; the trouble was, one could not find the pegs. The Government showed excellent taste in naming the streets after English cathedral cities, and it was fortunate for Levin that it made them 99 feet wide, ancl not 66 feet. Mr Adkin was accompanied on his first visit by a young man whose father had bought land for him at Manakau. They Avere in the (district for the purpose of “spying out the land,” but there Avas no land to be seen, only dense, damp, overpowering ’bush; if atnyjone had tried to find the pegs in the streets, they would have had a difficult task. The two men forced their Avay along a track where Queen Street East now runs, and penetrated to Avhat Avas later called Gladstone Road. The only indications of life about the track ■ Avere the marks of pig-rooting, but o Airhead there AA’-ere wild pigeons flying among the tree-tops, Avhich reached to a height of over sixty feet. The pair returned to the raihvay at 6 o’clock in the evening, after seven hours’ struggling over the rough track. SUNDAYS AT THE MILL.

Mr Adkin was not at the opening of the first Methodist Church in Levin, but he well remembered the first place of worship before it: in 1891 the services were conducted at Bartholomew’s mill, which was on the eastern side«<*f the railway line, at the extreme end of Oxford Street, where it turned into the Avenue. Mr F. G. Roe, now senior Borough Councillor, was accountant at the mill; he also acted for a time as postman for Levin. In the yards of the mill was a large store, raised on high piles to keep out the rats. A flight of stairs led up to. the doorway, and in this shed the Methodist' services were held. The Sunday school was under the charge of the late Mr Smithson.

In January, 1891, Mr Adkin came for a five weeks’ holiday, to Levin, and resided, ivith his wife and two little children, in a partly built cottage, belonging to Mr Jack King, in Cambridge Street. On Sundays they went to the little church in the mill shed. Mr Ashcroft, then a newly appointed heme missionary, preached several times there. THE ORIGINAL CHURCH. On November 9tli, 1898, Mr Adkin came to live in Levin; the new church had been established and was well attended. The minister was the Rev. Mr Bellhouse, who eventually became president of the Methodist Conference. It was not very long before the church

Avas found to be too small; it had a creaking roof, and when a gust of wind came, the parson’s voice could scarcely be heard. PAST MINISTERS.

The ministers who ( had been in charge of the Levin Methodist Church during the past thirty Jyears were named by Mr Adkin in their order, as follows: —The Revs. Bellhouse, Peryman, .Wrigley, Jones, Tinsley, Abbey, Haslani, . Frost .and McArthur,. and now the Rev. W. Beckett. All the past ministers, he said, had been evangelists, and perhaps none of them had been more earnest than the present minister. ' SOME NAMES OF NOTE. Among the outstanding men who had served the toAvn Avere Hubert Ostler, noAV Mr Justice Ostler;. Mr Prendergast, aftenvards a solicitor in Auckland; ( Colonel Powles and his brother. These men used to meet, in the early days, in a Mutual Improvement class. Levin had been rich in public-spirited men, and he would select one name; that of the late Mr B. R. Gardner, Avho was the town’s first Mayor. Mr Gardner Avas a keen business man and very determined, and, when he said that the town Avas to have a high-pressure Avater supply, the people kneAv that something would' come, and they got it.

LASTING WORK OF THE PROUSE • FAMILY.

Prominent names in the church in the old days were those of Mr John Gower and Mr John McCullough, but it was to Messrs Janies and Richard Prouse and their wives that Levin Methodism owed its high standing to-day. Their work in the Sunday School and the Bible Class was of a sterling character, and if anybody wanted to. see a fine photograph it would be found in that of Mr James Prouse surrounded by his Bible Class. The material assistance given by the Prouse ’brothers .had been a remarkable asset to the church. They donated the old parsonage site. of five acres and most of the cost of. the building; they gave t-lie section on which to erect the first church, also much of the timber wherewith to build it; Mr James Prouse gave the section on which the Century Hall was put up, and it was safe to say that Messrs Prouse Bros, gave more in timber and money than all the rest of the members did. Largely as a result of the generosity of that family, the church now had from £3OOO to £4OOO worth of property free of debt. EJECTING A BRAWLER. An incident of quite an unusual type, which had occurred at a service, was narrated by Mr Adkin. It concerned a man who commenced to argue with the preacher. Distress was felt by congregation as well as the preacher. Then a hand was raised and a word .was spoken —“ Jim!” It was Mr Richard Prouse signalling to his brother, and, one on each side of the interjector, they very gently but very firmly led him out. They were used to handling logs in the bush and timber at the mill, and it was no trouble for them to shift him.

“Coming down to the present,” said Mr Adkin, in conclnsion, “we have quite a fine body of men in our church —men with whom I am proud to be associated. With them I claim to possess a loyalty to one of the greatest institutions of the world, the world-wide Methodist Church. ’ ’ The audience showed their appreciation of Mr Adkin’s address by enthusiastic applause, and, on the motion of Mr J. W. Gibson, he was accorded a hearty vote of thanks.