PIONEER PASSES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 15 December 1938, Page 7

PIONEER PASSES

DEATH OF AIR JOSEPH lORNS

GRANDSON OF MASTERTON’S FOUNDER.

RESIDENT OF DISTRICT SINCE

Mr Joseph lorns, one of the best known and most highly respected pioneer residents of Masterton, died at the residence of his daughter, Mrs S. R. Buckeridge, Nursery Road, yesterday. The late Mr lorns, who was 87 years of age, had been in failing health for some time. He was a grandson of the founder of Masterton, Mr Joseph Masters. Mr lorns was born in Wellington in 1851, and was a son of the late Mr Richard lorns, one of Masterton’s original settlers. Mr Joseph lorns was only 3* years old when he arrived at Masterton in February, 1855, having come over the Rimutaka track in a box on the back of a bullock. He saw Masterton grow from a few houses and whares to the thriving centre it is today.

As a young man he was the town’s principal storekeeper and later sold out to Mr Meyer Caselberg the business that has since developed into the Wairarapa Farmers’ Co-operative Association, Ltd. He entered the stock auctioneering business with the late Mr W. Lowes, later opening a similar business cn his own in Pahiatua, where he also had a farm for some time. Returning to Masterton he re n entered the firm of Messrs Lowes and lorns in Masterton and Carterton. For many years he was associated with the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency at Masterton, and' he also farmed a property ai Opaki. A keen sportsman, Mr lorns was the secretary or ana a player in tne first football team in Mastermn, ana a fnelong memoer of tne Masterion Racing Cluo, being the last surviving foundation memoer. He was me club’s first secretary, and later judge, and for many years had Deen patron of the club. Mr lorns was a member of tne first committee ot the Wairarapa A. and P. Association, taking prizes as far back as la/5. He was captain of. the first fire brigade in Masterion, a volunteer organisation composed mostly of business men, and an auditor or the Masierton oorougn, an elected position. For some time ne served on the Wairarapa Hospital Board. Joining the Mas-] omc Lodge when he came of age, Mr]

lorns was the oldest Mason in Master-] ton. He was a fluent speaker of Maori, and popular with the Natives. Wnen he was quite young he went with a Government party io the Forty Mile Bush district to take part in negotiations for the purcase of large areas of Native land.

Mr lorn’s wife predeceased him 'in 1912. Mrs S. Cox, New Plymouth, is a sister. There are flour sons, Messrs Joseph lorns, New Plymouth, Arthur and Bennett lorns, Masterton and Reginald lorns, Martinborough, and a daughter, Mrs S. R. Buckeridge, Nursery Road, Masterton. Mr W. lorns, ex-chairman of the New Zealand Dairy Board, is a nephew. The funeral will take place tomorrow and will leave the residence of j Mrs Buckeridge, Nursery Road, after ; 1 a, service commencing. at 3.3(b.p.m., for| the Masterton Cemetery. ARRIVAL IN MASTERTON ( LIFE OF EARLY DAYS RECALLED. I

The late Mr Joseph lorns, in a booklet he published on “Early Masterton” some years ago, described his arrival in Masterton and subsequent events as follow:—

Born in Wellington in 1851. -1 resided with my parents, who were in business in Wellington, until 1855, when I, my father, mother, brother and two sister, all left to settle in Master-

ton, my father, with my grandfather, the late Joseph Masters, having prepared a home for us; the home in ques--tion being built with split slabs and calico windows.

We left Wellington by cart and horse, and were ferried over the Hutt river in a punt. From thence to the Wairarapa, there being, at that time, only a track over the hills, my brother and I were put into hampers and carried over by pack bullock, the other members of the family walking, the pack bullocks still carrying our belongings. The stages were fairly short and arduous. We had to find our way through dense scrub, bush, swamp, creeks and rivers, oftentimes being held up for some time in getting out of bogs and fording rivers. After four days we arrived at Greytown, thence through Papawai, coming out on the Taratahi, about where Park-i vale now is. At this stage, Mr Masters! met us with a bullock cart of his own) make and took us aboard, and that ride in the homely bullock cart was! greatly enjoyed. We arrived at our I destination at midnight, after a six ■ days’ journey, all thoroughly tired and! knocked up. At this time there were but five or six settlers in Masterton, some in rough shacks and some in tents; one and all striving to hew out a home for their families. A fine spirit existed, all being anxious to render help and assistance to new arrivals. Our first care was to clear land and plant potatoes and wheat. The wheat ground was prepared by hoes, and when the. wheat was ready it was reaped by hand and threshed out on sheets by flail. The grain was ground by a steel hand mill, and the result sifted through scrim over a box. Bread was baked in camp ovens.

We had very little communication with the outer world. One of thp settlers occasionally tramped through to Wellington and brought back letters or newspapers for the settlers. The price of provisions Was very high, for anything required from Wellington had to be packed all the way. and cost about £2 per cwt carriage; so that you can imagine that the pioneers had to put up with the bare necessities of like, making rough furniture and depending for meat upon wild pigeons, ducks and wild pork. It was a matter of five years before the bush was felled and a road put through the dense bush which occupied the portion from Ogilvy’s premises to the terrace on which stands St Pat-I rick’s R.C. Church. Prior to that the I road went round through Charles Dix-1 on’s property. About this time we had! a weekly mail from Wellington by i horseback, and my mother was appoint-; ed in charge of the Post Office, our be- > ing the first store in Masterton.

The bulk of the settlers who took up forty acres and the town acre managed to hold their own and make their properties productive. It was in May, 1863, that the first licensed hotel was opened in Masterton, the late John Tuck being the proprietor, the title of the house being the Prince of Wales, part of which building still occupies a place in Queen Street.

j The first Anglican Church was built lin Masterton in 1864, the Rev W. ] Rcnaldson being the first resident mini ister. It was he who erected, by his own labour, the first vicarage in Church street. About 1865, the Te Ore Ore natives, in sympathy with the turbulent natives of Taranaki and the East Coast, became very arrogant and bounceable, parading through the streets of Mastertcn, brandishing guns, spears and tomahawks. However, the settlers were careful not to provoke them. A volunteer force was formed, and the Govern- ! ment sent up and equipped them with arms and ammunition, and a drill instructor, late of the 65th Regiment. Captain Cleland and J. Valentine Smith! were the chief officers. The friendly natives from the Upper Plain and Manaia all came and camped on the terrace where the R.C. Convent now stands, in order to protect the! Masterton residents . The precautions and the establishment of troops in Masterton had the effect of quieting the disturbed element among the natives, and no further threatening demonstrations occurred. A stockade or block-house was erected in the Park for the use of settlers in the event of an outbreak by the natives. It was garrisoned by eight armed men, who remained there for over one year, when, the native trouble being

apparently over, the garrison was charged. This block-house was afterwards used by the Government as a depot for emigrants arriving, who were, housed and fed until such time as they procuder a home for themselves. Unfortunately, this structure was demolished by the Borough Council. Had this buuilding been left in would have proved a valuable asset to the Park as a show place as a relic of the past

About this time the first show was held in Masterton, in the Park, and considering the early stages of settlement in this district, the show was a very creditable one. Quite a good display of catle, sheep and horses were penned, and there were some jumping events, with good displays of horsemanship. The first race meeting in Masterton was held about 1872, and the course ran from where the Technical School stands to portion of Worksop Farm. The chief prizes were for small amounts or a saddle, and the chief prize winner was a Maori horse named Poto Poto. He was named thus on account of his short tail. During the next few years races were held on Mr Donald’s property at Manaia, and some fine contests were seen, Messrs W. H. Donald and Richard Collins racing some high-class horses from imported sires. In 1876 the present Masterton Racing Club was formed, of which I was honorary secretary, and I am now the sole survivor of that committee. Land was leased from Mr H. Welch (now ‘'Willow Park”), and races were held there for a number of years, util 127 acres of freehold were obtained from Mr Robert Campbell. The Masterton Racing Club still races vivor of the originally formed brigade there, the club being now over 52 years in existence. The first fire brigade was formed in Masterton about 1876, of which I was the first captain and now the sole surmembers. We obtained an old manual engine, which did good service for the ton, until the steam fire engine was obtained by the borough during the reign of M. Caselberg as Mayor. During the year 1873 Mr T. H. Hill was acting as native lands purchaser, and I as witness to anj’ native transaction. We paid a visit to the FortyMile Bush, going through the Mount Bruce Gorge with a native guide. We succeeded in purchasing the whole of the country in the areas of Nireaha. Hamua and Kukanui, at 2s 6d an acre. We had a really good time, and were very hospitably entertained by the various Maori chiefs. We were feasted on wild pork, pigeons, ducks, eels, etc. No exception has even been taken by the previous owners, after seeing such fine stretches of rich country pass into the hands of white settlers.

In 1875, Mr Joseph Masters founded Freemasonry in Masterton. He provided the land in Bannister street upon which was built the Masonic Hall, which was occupied by the Masons for Lodge meetings until about two years ago, when they obtained land in Chapel street and erected a fine hall there. I was admitted to Freemasonry in 1876, and have been a member of the craft for 52 years.

I am one of four survivors of the first committee of the Wairarapa and East Coast Pastoral Association, formed in 1375.