Burke Manuscript

Burke Manuscript: Page 246

Transcript

Well yes, Kaiapoi has also its little peculiarities. When first one travelled to the Sandlot township long years ago, on the Market Place the only building was a little police station at the Government buildings corner. It wasn’t large. Perhaps 18 x 10. Big enough for then. There was not much trade doing. One day they made a haul of a Dutchman. He had done terrible things. He got a Trowsers or something out of Pen the tailor and promised to pay. They ran him in. That night he hanged himself behind the door. Wouldn’t be bothered with trifles.

There was an old wooden racketty bridge whereVictoria bridge now is and about the first house you reached was Mr Worsley’s the artist, a rural looking old concern where now stand that line of shops from Kilmore Street to Rosewarne’s. Behind was the then almost only Swankey manufacturer’s establishment Dick Taylor, a character. Pass on you came to Wagstaff’s cart making shop where now stands Mr Gisborne’s Flying Peter’s establishment. On the next section was building up the Bishop’s residence. There was an old cottage in the hollow on the other side. And thus it was along the North Road, the first, and only, public being the Sawyer’s Arms, kept by Harry Royal, a bold old Briton. The bush was still at work and a few sawyers in it. There were lively times now and then in Harry’s house. Thus you travelled on until you reached the banks of the romantic and interesting Waimakariri and there you found yourself in the hands of old Joe Felton. He was the Ferryman and the Accommodation House keeper. There were some good drinkers about and between the house and the ferry Joe was shovelling it in. You might meet with a little delay, people, don’t hurry, all in good time. You would be put across and the first public you encountered was William White’s Hotel, at the Ohoka road junction. Wm. was then brooding over plans of bridging the River which he did, first at Kaiapoi and then at Felton’s. People could not at first believe it. It was incredible. A man so totally unused to that sort of thing. But he accomplished that and much more. Now we come to the Sandlot City. We pass White’s store on the Island. That enterprising man soon sold out to old Hutchinson. But in a short time appeared on the River Bank at Kaiapoi a far larger establishment, the well known Beehive. He did an immense trade. The Bushes were busy then. Plenty of Coasters going. Money passing freely and Mr W. like a wise man, made money while the sun shone. There were other traders but of a different calibre. G.C. Black, for example, shrewd, intelligent man, but without the grasp of trade and barter that characterised Mr White. He is gone. Some of you will remember old Fraser of the Northern. He was a great card then in Kaiapoi and a night at his house then was a merry one. There was a rare assortment of characters. Old Mr Dobbs for example from his castle on the Island would delightfully entertain a wondering crowd with disquisitions on nothing or everything. Then there was Durell, long since gone home, he might be found there.