Burke Manuscript

Burke Manuscript: Page 093

Transcript

The stables in Cashel St, near Queens were built for Cobb & Co’s (L.G. Cole Ltd) line of coaches, soon after they first came from Otago, in the early sixties. One Capt. Anderson, an army officer (son in law of the once so much talked of Money Miller, of the Bank of Victoria &c) One little episode of his residence here, was horsewhipping C.J. Brooke, the apothecary, who in his style as the “Babbling Brook” as John Ollivier called him, had allowed his tongue to wag about the Captain & his affairs. Anderson soon dissolved and disappeared. Last at Vancouver’s Island. L.G. Cole & Co made money here, having the cream of the work, fat mail contracts, big travelling fares, parcels, &c. H.R. Mitchell was manager.

The “Queens” was originally a butcher’s shop, kept by Tom Cook of the boarding House, and was built for a Licensee, but it was not granted. Later others got it. Then it got into the hands of Smith who made money in it. Two horse jobbers, Beattie & Douglas, once kept it. It was pretty rowdy.

Opposite on the corner was the original Yankee Store, run by two or three young Americans, Bullick &c. C.W. Post was a clerk with them. They only remained 2 or 3 years and away to Chicago &c.

T.W. Duncan’s office, between Cashel St and Bedford Row, first house, where Judge

W. Wilson’s garden was subdivided. Cobb & Co’s drivers & guards were Fox, Young, Burton, McKercher, Nettlefold. Young afterwards had coaches in the North Island. R.H. Mitchell was manager. They first stabled on Oxford Terrace and opened the Timaru line.

When the West Coast rush broke out Cobb’s coached on past Kaiapoi to Leithfield &c. Afterwards when the Gorge road was making, worked that.

Burton about this time started on his own to Kaiapoi with a small coach, and Cook, the cabman, was guard. Sam Lee was on with Cobb’s.

The “Warwick”, now Queens, built about 61-2.