A Snip in Time – Meghan Hawkes
Meghan Hawkes reviews the headline news – from Waipa in 1875.
A craze sweeping the country was ‘pedestrianism’ – long distance competitive walking matches, sometimes carrying weights. Mr Ross, of Pirongia, undertook the difficult task of walking to Auckland. He was formerly in the Irish Constabulary and accustomed to athletic exercises. He looked like a man able for the task, having a predominance of bone and muscle. He was about 5ft 9in and his frame ‘well knit’. A considerable sum was staked on the event, but the betting was about even. Mr Ross was confident that he could accomplish the task and indeed did – walking a distance of 103 miles in 48 consecutive hours carrying 56lbs.
A fair sprinkling of settlers from around the district attended Te Awamutu’s Agricultural show. The paddock used for the show was rather rough; some of it having been burnt off – and dry weather made the dust very troublesome. Farmers, however, were not bothered by these small inconveniences and Mr Kirkwood had a booth at which the dry and thirsty could get relief. There was considerable discussion as to whether the show was equal to that of the previous year. There were fewer entries of cattle, sheep and horses but the quality was up to standard. There was only one representative of the porcine species, which was regretted, as bacon and ham were anticipated to be one of the principal exports from the Waikato.
Among the prizes one went to Captain Beckett who showed a very perfect reaper and mower. Mr Westney took another for both single and double harrow ploughs, Mr Taylor for a roller and Mr Storey for a seed drill. Messrs Gubbins exhibited a cheese press, but there was no prize offered.
The dinner following the show was not to a local reporter’s taste. The result of an agricultural dinner, he observed, was usually to force a number of men upon their legs to string a number of sentences together into what was commonly termed a speech. On all such occasions they generally had little to say, had no desire to say it, and if they had, lacked the ability from lack of practice, of making their meaning intelligible.
The absence of finger posts or some other means of guidance for those travelling through the Waikato was very often felt by those unacquainted with the country. The number of tracks branching off from the main roads which led from one township to another frequently led travellers astray and put them to much loss of time and inconvenience. One unfortunate wayfarer lost his way on the road from Ōhaupō to Hamilton during the night and blundered into the Big Swamp where he wandered among the numerous blind tracks for some three hours until he eventually struck the trail for Hamilton. Finger posts at the different crossings would eliminate the curses so often heaped upon the heads of the road board trustees by benighted equestrians.
