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Tales of a Pioneer
EPISODES IN THE LIFE
OF
ALFRED SAUNDERS
SELECTED AND
ARRANGED BY
HIS TWO YOUNGEST DAUGHTERS
1927
L. M. ISITT, LTD., Printers and Publishers
112 Cashel Street, Christchurch, N.Z.
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[CONTENTS]
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CONTENTS
DEDICATION
INTRODUCTION.......1-2
I. PARENTS.......3-9
II. EARLY EDUCATORS; WISE AND OTHERWISE.......10-17
III. EARLY BUSINESS TRAINING.......18-20
IV. A HAPPY YEAR WITH FRIENDS.......21-25
V. THE CALL OF THE WILD.......26-29
VI. MY FIRST MONTH IN NEW ZEALAND.......30-36
VII. WORK.......37-43
VIII. AN ILL-ADVISED AND ILL-FATED EXPEDITION.......44-50
IX. HARD TIMES IN NELSON IN 1844.......51-59
X. ALFRED GOES TO AUSTRALIA.......60-62
XI. RHODA FLOWER.......63-66
XII. THREE MONTHS IN A TILTED CART.......67-78
XIII. RHODA'S LIFE IN THE MUD CABIN AT MOUNT BARKER.......79-82
XIV. SOME AUSTRALIAN EXPERIENCES.......83-86
XV. BROTHER EDWARD TO THE RESCUE.......87-94
XVI. BRIGHTWATER MILL & HIS FAITHFUL SERVANTS MAKE ALFRED A RICH MAN.......95-100
XVII. ALFRED ENTERS PUBLIC LIFE IN NEW ZEALAND.......101-108
XVIII. THREE MONTHS IN NELSON GAOL.......109-113
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XIX. FROM THE GAOL TO THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.......114-116
XX. MY FIRST SESSION OF PARLIAMENT.......117-120
XXI. HOME LIFE.......121-124
XXII. SUPERINTENDENT OF NELSON.......125-129
XXIII. SOME PERSONAL REMINISCENCES.......130-135
XXIV. SEARCHING FOR A BRIDLE PATH.......136-142
XXV. A DARK CLOUD HANGS OVER NELSON.......143-150
XXVI. ALFRED SEES HIS MOTHER AGAIN.......151-158
XXVII. ALFRED RETURNS TO NEW ZEALAND AND BUILDS THE ASHBURTON MILL.......159-163
XXVIII. AN ADVENTURE IN AMERICA.......164-167
XXIX. FINANCIAL RUIN.......168-173
XXX. UNPOPULAR WORK.......174-180
XXXI. DAILY LIFE AT BROOMFIELDS.......181-184
XXXII. IN PARLIAMENT AGAIN.......185-189
XXXIII. ALFRED'S WORK FOR WOMANHOOD SUFFRAGE......190-193
XXXIV. ALFRED WRITES A HISTORY OF NEW ZEALAND.......194-196
XXXV. DEATH OF SIR GEORGE GREY.......197-199
XXXVI. THE PARTING OF THE WAYS.......200-204
XXXVII. THE CALL OF THE HOMELAND.......205-206
XXXVIII. ALFRED'S THIRD VISIT TO ENGLAND.......207-209
XXXIX. WITH CHEERFUL COURAGE ALFRED SETS FORTH ON ANOTHER LONG JOURNEY.......210-214
XL. A PERSONAL REMINISCENCE.......215-218
XLI. NOT FORGOTTEN.......219-228
[DEDICATION]
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DEDICATION
In Loving Memory
OF
ALFRED SAUNDERS
BORN JUNE 12th, 1820
First landed in New Zealand, January 17th, 1842
Passed Beyond, October 28th, 1905
"A cause might be despised, obscure, rejected, he not only helped it all the same, he helped it all the more, and in the dark and stormy days of the unfriended Truth, he was always in the front."
INTRODUCTION
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TALES OF A PIONEER
INTRODUCTION
WHEN Alfred Saunders left New Zealand for England in June, 1899, neither he nor his children ever expected to meet face to face again, and his two youngest daughters earnestly begged him to write for them an account of some of the most remarkable and interesting episodes of his long life. During the five years he spent in England (1899-1904), he employed his leisure in gratifying his daughters' wish, and, from time to time, sent them books filled with manuscript containing the story of his life.
From these manuscript books the following pages have been compiled. Throughout the Memoir, unless otherwise specified, everything reported in the first person is the work of Alfred Saunders. For everything else in the book, e g., arrangement into chapters, headings of those chapters, etc, etc, the compilers, Ellen and Ann Saunders, are solely and entirely responsible.
In the case of every incident included in the Memoir, it has, after long and careful consideration, been selected from many others for the following reasons:--
1. Because it is of interest to any student of New Zealand history, or,
2. Because it illustrates, better than could be done in any other way, some important point in our father's life and character.
In the case of the numerous letters here published for the first time, cordial permission for their publication has been received from each one of their writers who is still alive. In the case of those whose writers have passed onward, we have made the rule of not including any letters except those whose writers have, either on the public platform or in the public press, spoken or written in similar language to that which appears in their letters.
In the case of anecdotes and personal reminiscences of New Zealand rulers and statesmen, we have followed the rule of not including anything that could give pain to anyone concerned who is now alive, or to the descendants of those who have passed onward.
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Our grateful acknowledgments are due to the Editor of the Christchurch "Press" for permission to reprint here the following articles that appeared first in the "Literary Column" of that paper, --"My First Month in New Zealand," "Hard Times in Nelson in 1844," "Three Months in a Tilted Cart," "My First Session of Parliament," and "Searching for a Bridle Path;" to the Editor of "The Lyttelton Times" for allowing us to include in this Memoir the article written for that paper on "Sir George Grey;" to the friends who have lent letters from Alfred Saunders; to Mrs W. S. Lovell-Smith and Mr F. J. Alley for personal reminiscences of our father's life and work; and to Mrs William Rolleston, Professor J. Macmillan Brown, Sir Robert Stout, Miss Jessie Mackay, Mrs W. C. Smith of Tauranga, and Mrs John Withell of Otipua, for permission to publish the letters given in our last chapter.
ELLEN SAUNDERS.
ANN SAUNDERS.
Lavington Cottage,
69, May's Road, Papanui.
August, 1927.
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