EKETAHUNA

Wairarapa Times-Age, 3 January 1940, Page 7

EKETAHUNA

FIRE AT MANGAMAHOE HOUSE AND CONTENTS DESTROYED. 3 (“Times-Age” Special.) ? To be burnt out on the morning ci i New Year's Day was the unfortunate . experience of Mr and Mrs W. H Cheetham, of Mangamahoe. At about > 6 a.m. on Monday the house occupied . by them was found to be on tire and . in a comparatively short space of time the residence was a mass of smouldering ruins. It appears that a fire had been lit in the washhouse and Mr and Mrs Cheetham were enjoying a cup of tea in the kitchen when smoke was noticed. On investigation, it was found that the washhouse was ablaze. Assistance was . immediately sought from neighbours . but nothing could be done to check the . flames. Practically all the contents wore lost. The house was a six-roomed one and had been renovated about two years ago, at considerable cost. The house, which was owned by M. and E. Heckler. was insured for £450 and the contents for £3OO. Personal Items. Mrs Bilderbeck, Wanganui, is visiting Mrs J. Metcalfe. Church Street. Mr T. Metcalfe. Wanganui, is on a few days visit, to his parents. Mr and Mrs J. Metcalfe. Mr and Mrs H. Jefferies left on Monday for a motor tour of the Auckland province. Mrs W. Jones. Alfredton Road, is visiting relations at Johnsonville. Mr Colin Fredericksen returned to hastings yesterday after having spent the holidays with his parents. Miss Gladys Jewitt, who spent Christmas and New Year with her parents, Mr and Mrs J. H. Jewitt. Newman Road, returned to Marton today. The Rev and Mrs L. Ives and family are visitors to Wellington. Miss D. Bray. Tiraru, is the guest of Mrs W. Olsen, Newman Road. Mr and Mrs D. Hodges are the guests, of Mr and Mrs D. Scott. Miss Nola Remnant returned to Wel- ' lington yesterday after having spent ■ the holidays with her parents, Mr and I Mrs G. Remnant, Bridge Street. • POPULAR PICNIC SPOT OCCUPATION OF BELL HANGER. WHEN MAURICEVILLE HAD A BAND. Eketahuna today is a favourite spot for picnic parties and many visitors from north and south of the town make the pretty surroundings a place to spend a few hours or a weekend reaching their goal by motor car. Those who pass casually through the town miss the beauty of the surrounding area. A writer in the 90’s said of Eketahuna: "It cannot fairly be said that Eketahuna strikes the stranger as one of the earth’s beauty spots and yet on a closer acquaintance it is not difficult to find really beautiful natural scenery. Quite close to the town winds the Makakahi River, and the great basin it has scooped out for itself, though picturesque, is quite sufficient to prevent the spread of the town in that direction. The road from Eketahuna to Mauriceville and Masterton dips into the basin within a hundred yards of the Eketahuna Hotel and follows pretty closely the course of the river. Visitors arriving at Eketahuna by train can form no idea of the picturesque character of this road.” The licensed hotel accommodation apparently was at one time not what it should have been if the recorded statements of visitors are accepted as accurate. A writer dealing with the subject in the 90’s stated: "Until within the last year or two the hotels of Eketahuna were not remarkable for the comfort in the opinion of travellers. who endeavoured to avoid spending Sunday in Eketahuna. mainly on that account." This reproach is said to have been removed at the period when the Eketahuna Hotel was occupied by the late Frank Polling, the Railway Hotel by Mrs E. J. Lowe, the Club Hotel by M. Kelleher and the Universal Hotel by Henry Timins, while Carter’s Temperance Hotel was always noted for its comfort and service. The tariff at the hotels was as low as 6s to 8s a day for casuals, and £ 1 to 25s for permanents. One business man who established himself as a plumber in 1892—said to have been the first plumber to open such a business in Eketahuna- —advertised himself as a "bell hanger.” which I doubtless would sound unusual to the citizens of today. This same plumber. F. J. Tonkin, was one of the promoters of the Eketahuna Band, of .which he was secretary. He was also a member of the Eketahuna Minstrels and secretary of the Odd Fellows Lodge. A reference to bands draws attention to the fact that-both Eketahuna and the district further south posj sessed many excellent musicians, and in addition to a brass band in Eketahuna there was formed in 1894 the Mauriceville and Hastwell Brass Band of ten or twelve members, with Mr John Fraser, of Mauriceville, as the bandmaster.