VALEDICTORY.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2502, 13 May 1893, Page 2

VALEDICTORY.

Mr Alexander Kelman, of Geraldine Flat, has every reason to feel gratified by the " send off" he got last Thursday evening in the Volunteer Hall, Geraldine. A large number of ladies and gentlemen who have known Mr Kelman for a great number of years gathered together to bid him farewell on the eve of his trip to the Old Country. Mr Kelman is a very old colonist, having landed in Dunedin on the 15th of December, 1864, in the ship Solina. Previously to leaving Home he arranged with his wife that she with her three children would follow him as soon possible, and the first-thing he did after landing in Dunedin was to write to her telling her to come out by the first ship after the letter reached her. It was fortunate for himself that he did write this letter, for he very soon got disgusted with the country and was anxious to return Home. If, however, he returned home, it was possible his wife and family might have left the Old Country before he reached it, so he was thus compelled to remain in New Zealand much against his will. But he was not compelled to remain in Otago, to which place he took a very strong dislike, and very soon he set sail for Lyttelton in the old Geelong. In Lyttelton he met a " towney " of his own with whom he stayed a month, and who induced him to come to South Canterbury to a farm owned by his friend. When he reached Orari he met Mr Wadsworth, who communicated to him the comforting information that if he could drink whiskey and swear he could get on in the colony. In addition to this he directed him to where he wanted to go which was the farm now occupied by Mr Deßenzy. Here Mr Kelman worked hard for 9 months, at the end of which he got a letter intimating that his wife and children had left by a certain ship which would be due in Lyttelton at a certain date, and seeing that the vessel was just due he decided to go to Lyttelton at once. But a difficulty arose. For nine months he had worked for the. Winchester man but did not receive a single peuny of money, and now when he wanted to go to meet his wife his employer had no money to give him. But Mr Kelman determined not to be beaten. Packing up his blankets one Sunday morning at 9 a.m. he started on foot for Lyttelton, and late on Monday evening he call into a wayside inn ten miles distant from the port determined to go no further that day. Picking up a newspaper he saw by it that the ship he expected Mrs Kelman and her children to come in,had arrived,and so instead of settling down for the night he started again on his journey and reached Lyttelton at 10 p.m. on Monday. Next morning he had the felicity to welcome his wife and children to New Zealand, and shortly afterwards he brought them down to Winchester where he took up 50 acres of land and built a house for them. The man for whom he had worked for nine months did not give him a penny, and he has not been paid to this day, so he had to buy the laud on terms. A certain financier bought the land at £2 an acre from the Government, and sold it to Mr Kelman at £5 an acre giving him five years to pay it. On this land he went to work, and in between two and three years had accumulated about £6OO worth of horses, implements etc., when iu February 1868 a great flood swept everything he had clean out to sea. House, stock, implements and all, went, and he was left absolutely penniless. "It is always the darkest the hour before dawn." As soon as the waters subsided, a friend took him in hand, and bought for him the piece of land on which his present house stands and there he has lived ever since. He threw up the first 50 acres in disgus*, although it was offerod i o him for £4 an acre. Three years ago he offered £l6 16s 6d an acre for the same piece of land, but did not get it. Mr Kelman has continued adding bit by bit to his land ever since, till now he has a firm and wide grip of the Geraldine district. This is amoßt creditable record. He had his ups and downs, he began life in New Zealand under great difficulties, but his pluck, industry, and good management enabled him to overcome them, and now he can enjoy the holiday to which he is justly entitled.

In the letter of apology sent by Mr James Skinner the following original verseß appeared, which we give by request:— " For every spark of fun an' fire

He will be able to admire. I dinna mean in Scotland a' the gither j Na 1 na! guid faith, nor Ireland either, But just the sights that Kelman. seen Since he came to Geraldine. A' the fun at a' the dinners To him will be seen As he takes a pool at old Peter McShane. It will not be surprising, though he makes it a boast, Of the crownß of the hats and a' them that was lost, And the twenty brave fellows—and him in the core— That tried to conjure the ghost of Rorv O'More."

The social was advertised to commence at 6.30, but, owing to someone having blundered, when the peoplo arrived the hall was not opened, and it took some time before everything was put in order. As soon as everything was got ready, and the large assembly of ladies and gentlemen had seated themselves Mr John Muudell took the chair, with Mr Kelman on his right, and several gentlemen occupying seats on the platform. Mr Mundell spoke of the guest of the evening as one of the pioneers of the colony that was about to enjoy a trip to the laud of his birth, and he (the speaker) wished him every enjoyment. He hoped Mr Kelman, his family, and friends would spend a pleasant evening together that night. He read apologies, for absence, from Mesrs James Skinner, David Shaw, and K. McKenzie, and apologies were also made for Messrs Deßenzy and Young. The programme £then consisted, for a time, of a polka, a waltz; a Scotch song by Mr John Allan ; duet, '• When ye gang awa Jamie" Miss Andrews and Mr Cochrane ; song, " The anchor's weighed" Mr Harrop' encored: Scotch reel; song by Miss Andrews " The Scottish bells" encored and sang " Bonnie Prince Charlie " ; first set. Mr Mundell said they had met that night to have " a niclit at hame wi Mr Kelman prior to his leaving for the Old Country," Mr Kelman had seen the colony from almost a wilderness turned into a garden and now at this time of his life it was pleasing to meet together socially and bid him God speed on his well earned trip, (hear hear). Very few men deserved this trip better than their guest (applause) for there was nothing of a public character that Mr Kelman had not taken a part in. In the first place Mr Kelman had helped himself (hear, hear) but the man that did not help himself would not be of much assistance to anyone else. Tn making a way for hijnself Mr|Kelman had mad? a for others, The motives of Mr Kelnian were gqo,d ones, even if he at times made mistakes and he had always takpn a prominent part in any public charity. He was the prime mover in getting Fanners/s Co-op-erative Association instituted and h,e no reason to be of thjg, -Jj^

district marked their appreciation of such men as Mr Kelman and he and his family were certainly worthy of all the honor they could confer upon them. He bad a most pleasant duty.to perform which was to present Mr Kelman with a gold chain and locket bearing the following inscription "presented to Alexander Kelman Esq. by a few fellow colonists on the eve of his departure to the Old Country." He hoped Mr Kelman would be long spared to wear this momento. (Loud applause). Mr J. M. Twomey found great fault with Mr Kelman because he was too much Geraldine. He wanted everything at Geraldine. He, the speaker, had known Mr Kuiinan for about 12 years. His first acquaintance was made when Mr Kelman suggested the starting of the Gkraldine Guardian. The speaker when he stood for Parliament owed his victories at Peel Forest and Hilton to Mr Kelman, and it was only reasonable that he should express his gratitude to their guest for the many kindnesses he had done him. [Mr Twomey then presented the guest with a handsome silver-mounted spirit flask.] He made the presentation on purely temperance principle. (Laughter). The condition was that until Mr Kelman returned again he would not drink more than the full of the flask—in one drink. (Laughter). . Mr John Allan on behalf of a friend of Mr Kelman's, presented the latter with a handsome meerschaum pipe. He was sure that when Mr Kelman had a pull from his flask he would want a pipe to finish off, and doubtless ii would be a great comfort to him on the voyage. Mr Allan said that when he arrived in the district Mr Kelman was the first man of his own nation that he spoken to and he had since always been well treated by Mr Kelman. If he wanted an obligement he always got it and sometimes more than he asked from Mr Kelman. One good thing about their guest was that anything he took in hand he carried through, and many good works had been carried through by him. He wished Mr Kelman joy on his voyage, and that whenever he smoked his pipe he would remember the donor. Mr H. B. Webster, who was next called upon, thought Ihere was no doubt that Mr Kelman was a typical man of his country. Sandy, Max O'Rell told us, always kept a good grip of any country he got in. (Laughter). In whatever country, the Scotchman was always a leading and prosperous man. Mr Kelman could not • help doing well, because he came from the land where business precepts were inculcated in the minds of the youngsters, and they were always successful in the end. The more one knew of him the better one liked him. He had found that he was a good man for the district in many ways. la making himself he had helped on others, and he hoped it would not be long before Mr Kelman came back again. He had now reached a new era in ms life —that of a retired gentleman, and he wished the guest God speed and a right loyal welcome to the laud of his birth, and hoped that he would speak a gjod word for New Zealand, and induce others with a little capital to emigrate. Mr Cochrane —A Scotch Song. Mr J. Wreathall wished to add his testimony to what had been said iu favor of the guest of the evening. Mr Kelman came out in the sixties, and must have had a rough life of it in those days, but he was a good specimen of a hardy race of people. He (the speaker) had always found him fair and honest—(Hear, hear), and if there was any distress or suffering in the district he could testify that, although Mr Kelman worked very much on the principle of not letting the right hand know what the left hand did, he was the first to " take round the hat." He kuew from personal experience that in any public movement for the progress and happiness of the people Mr Kelman always took an active part. He was sure everyone present wished the guest a Bafe and happy voyage. (Applause.) Mr Kelman, who was received with deafening applause, thanked the speakers for their kind words, the donors for their ! handsome presents, and everyone present for their attendance to bid him God speed. He could not understand why an old fogey like him should have such respect° as had been shown him that night. It fairly took his breath away. He thanked them again for their kind words and gigts, and said he was pleased to know that when he left he would not leave a single enemy behind him. He knew they had all been good friends and good fellows, and he was leaving those good fellows behind. (Loud applause). Mr Inglis, Timaru, briefly endorsed what had been said in respect to the guest of the evening. He, (the speaker), had been long in Timaru, but it was quite sufficient time for him to appreciate the many good qnalities of Mr Kelman, and he hoped that the latler would soon be back again to keep them going in the right path. Mr K Dunlop had known Mr Kelman for the past 20 years, and there was no man in the town that he had respected better than their guest. (Hear, hear). He was glad to be present to pay respect to his respected friend, and "brither simmer." (Laughter). With regard to the charitable acts of their guest. Mr Kelman was a pure philanthropist, and" wherever there was need he was the first to take round a subscription list, and if anyone did not give a donation he would get a " guide di-esain doon". Mr K. Brophy gave honor to whom honor was due, and this was to their guest. He had known Mr Kelman for 26 years and had always known him to be good and liberal. (Applause.) Mr McShane had been the bosom friend of Mr Kelman for 20 years. They had

climbed the hill together and toddled * down together, and always mauaged to pull together. They were kind friends to each other and he found Kelman to be the kindest of friends. Mr Dunlop apologised for the absence of Mr W. S. Maslin, who was exceedingly sorry at not being present. Mr R, Thew in all his dealings with Mr Kelman had always foiindhirn straight and he wished him God speedDr Craig spoke a good word for Mr Kelman, and wished him a happy voyage. Song, Mrs Eerguson ; lancers ; song, Mr McShano; polka; songs, Mr Allan (encored), Mr Harrop, Mrs 'Patrick, end and Mr Mundell. Mr R. Skinner said he had kuo-<vn Mr Kelman for 18 years, and during that time had always found him a genial and kind friend. He looked on their guest as an exemplary colonist. Mr Kelman came here with very little in his pocket, and ho said, "Look at Kelman now!" (Hear, hear.) Waltz ; song, " Ye Banks and Braes," Miss Crimson; song, " The Light Brigade," Mr Healy (encored.) Mr B. Y. Ferguson expressed hi 3 pleasure at being present to do honor to Kelman. They were pleased to do honor to such men, who, by perseverance and hard work, had raised themselves to such a positiun as Mr Kelman's, and to a young colonist like him (the speaker) he had set a worthy example. To follow in Mr Kelman's footsteps meant success. Mr concluded by moving a

vote of thanks to Mr James Eiordan, the caterer. Mr Kelman moved a vote of thanks to the chairman, and the proceedings tor minated with " Auld Lang Syne." Mr Skinner was then taken shoulder high and carried round the hall to the music of Mr R. Skinner's pipes.