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1904:

Jan. 1: Mr Adkin and I rode over to look at my big Bullocks on lower hills. Inspected house on way home. Everything satisfactory.

Jan 2: Evening I visited house. Roof on.

Jan. 4: Flooring down in bedrooms. Range set in.

Jan. 8: Les & I walked over to cottage in evening to look round and get measure­ments of windows.

Sun. Jan. 10 In afternoon drove Annie & Clare round to see building. Everything was approved of.

Mon. Jan. 11 After work took Dora & Marjorie over to see the house. Their remarks on the same were very amusing and they expressed themselves highly delighted with it. Forwarded first progress payment (E100) to Douglas builder.

Tues.Jan. 12 Fine and very warm - Les, Jack and I bathed in Xoputaroa. After tea rode over to building. Paper up in hall & bedrooms. Tank stand built, wash- house floored.

Thur.Jan. 14 Jen arrived by seven train and on Friday Jan. 15 rode up to see house very pleased with it.

Tues.Jan. 22 Bricklayer putting copper in wash house

Fri. Jan. 22 Painter almost finished last coat of paint - Building looks very well.

Sat. Jan. 23 Carpenters up to put in cupboards and mantlepieces. Wardrobe most satis­factory

At 3.15pm. I went over to see the effect of fire on Lower Hill (Sect.I3) Found four totaras bunny fiercely. Carried water from hole in gully and saved a large totara near dividing fence (Sect. 12). Wind turned round to the east at about 5.30, it drove fire right across terrace (Sect. 12). The dry timber burning very fiercely. The whole of lower end of farm is now ablaze. Home about 7.45 very tired.

Jan.27 (Wed) About 2.15pm. went over to the building to see Smart re "passing" same. Found several alteratioas had to be made, notably front to be put on wardrobe, scullery to be completed, paper to be patched up etc. Building on the whole satisfactory. Jan drove up and we cleaned the place up a bit before leaving.

Jan.29 (Fri) Posted second E100 to Doeglas

Jan.30 Sat. After tea Jan & I rode over to the house to put calico over the windows and to sweep out rooms. Got back at 9.30

Feb 1st Up early preparing for annual training camp. Company fell in at 10 o'clock and marched to parade ground at Weraeoa (back of Bartholomews Mill). Pitched camp before dinner afterwards we paraded under Lieut. Brown and went through riding drill. Capt. Pringle of Palmerston Nth was in charge of camp in absence of Capt. McLeavey who was not well enough to take charge. Staff S.M. Dodd on duty as instructor. Posted guard at 7pm.

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Feb.3 (Wed) Fine. Drill on parade ground in morning - foot drill at 6 o'clock - mounted parade 10 o'clock. Afternoon we held a programme of sports - very enjoyable and successful. Fairly large crowd of spectators. Sgt. Booth got both section events, very good performance. Afternoon tea was served by Phipps. Jen, Annie, Miss Park, Marjorie and Miss Sutherland 'drove' down in trap. Jen entered my lady in addition race by added up incorrectly. Went to see Jen in evening back to camp 10.30.

Feb.4 (Thur) Fine drill on parade ground all day. Not much fun. Aldridge, Stokes and Nelson went to Palmerston North at midday for banquet for returned troopers. Capt. Pringle also left camp and did not return. In evening had a "sing song" in mess tent.

Feb.5 (Fri) Went out to the sand hills all day. Had a good time. Practiced skirmishing also furnishing Cossack posts. In evening had smoke. concert - great success. Members of Levin Fire Brigade present also crowd of civilian Maories under Corpl. Tahuri performed haka which was extremely funny. Billy promises to be a first rate non-com. Concert over at 10.30. All very tired.

Sat. Feb. 6 Reveille 6.15. Struck camp. Had rather an easy day and good lot of fun. Got everything in order and ready to ship by 3 o'clock. After seeing everything in order, I returned home.

Mon. Feb. 8 After breakfast roder to house and waited for McLeavey to look at young steers. 2i yr. Sold them to him for £4-5-0 (16 of them). Put in time up to dinner in gathering up waste timber round cottage and carrying round to the back of wash house. In evening Annie, Mr A. & self went out to Mrs Winder's. Met Dr Kennedy & wife, Mrs Isherwood & Miss Varcoe of Wellington. Enjoyable evening.

Tues. Feb 9 Douglas put up wardrobe. Great improvement on old one. Almost completed carpentering on job. Still a few odd things to do.

Wed. Feb.10 - Jones the plumber put in pipe drains from scullery across yard to rear of wash house. Drain put in far too shallow. War declared between Russia and Japan.

Mon. Feb. 15 Mother arrived by 7.30 train, having come up to fix up furniture.

Tues.Feb.16 After dinner Mater & Les drove round to the house and made a start at squaring up. I went to station and saw furniture on the cart then fixed up insurance on house with Pullen £250 on house, £75 on furniture. Paid 31/- freight on goods. Went up to the house, Mother & Les almost finished kitchen oil cloth, and commenced to clean windows. Home at 7.45. In evening mother & I fixed blinds on rollers.

Wed. Feb.17 After breakfast mended front gate then made curtain boards and then orde over to house. Had a very successful day. Put up all the blinds and also curtains in front rooms. Put down square carpet in front room, also fixed up kitchen and put down oil cloth in spare room. Very pleased with the way the house is shaping.

Thur.Feb.18 - Before breakfast packed up a lot of books etc. ready to take to house. Went round about 9 o'clock, Man with piano waiting for us. Unloaded successfully. Finished the furnishing and the house looks

first class. Annie came round in afternoon also later on Clare, Dora, Gilbert and Marjorie. Everyong pleased with place. Mother proved invalu­able as managing director.

Fri. Feb.19 Went over to house and with Laing's assistance moved earth from front of house to rear. Made rather fair job. - Foot parade of H.M.R. in evening. First time in new orderly room (i.e. old school house).

Finance committee meeting first - passed camp A/c. Mr Mitchell & Mr Faulkner were then formally elected Lietuants. Afterwards I as Sergt Major was presented with very handsome marble clock from members of Corps. Made a short speech. Short sing song.

Sat. Feb.20 - Left for Wellington by 5.30 train. Jen, Edie and Mr Pence (Percy's friend from Calcutta) met me at the station. After which we walked to Queen's Wharf. to see Mr Pence off to catch boat at Lyttleton. Mr. P. voted very nice on all sides.

Mon. Feb.22 - Shopping all day. In evening Alb. came up and we had a musical evening. About 10 o'clock I went part way home with Alb. afterwards I walked up to see Fred Pope and had an interesting chat with him. Suddenly discovered that it was 12.30am so had supper and walked home. Found Mother, Jen and rest of family in great state of alarm concerning my whereabouts., and they were greatly mystified but were relieved at my reappearance.

Wed. Feb.24 Frank and I walked round town in morning shopping also paid a visit to J.P. Firth at Wellington College, who was very pleased to see us. Home to dinner at 12.30pm. and afterward dressed for wedding ceremony at 1.30. Alb. Kellow assisted me as best man and Edie waited on Jen as bridesmaid. Rev. W.C. Oliver performed ceremony which went off exceedingly well. Afternoon tea - speeches by Rev. W.C. Oliver, self Mr Adkin, Alb, Mr Kellow and Pater. Frank took several photos. Alb and Edie drove with us to the station. Arrived at Levin safely and came home round back way. Laings boys soon got to work tin kettling but I soon silenced them. The whole day passed off exceedingly well and Jan and I were very happy to come to our new home.

Thur.Feb. 25 - Spent day honeymooning and putting things straight.

Feb. 26 Les over in morning: in afternoon packages containing presents arrived from town. Great fun unpacking. Towards evening Les, Clare, Dora & Margy arrived and assisted. They all stayed to tea, so we had our first tea party in our new home. Good fun.

Feb. 27 In morning Malcolm arrived canvassing for Prouse for County Council election. Drove down with him recorded my votes and after a little shopping was driven back. Worked at carpet on bedroom all afternoon.

March 12 After dinner Billy & I had a trial of Carson's Trap. No good. Drove up home and back to Levin taking Jen with us. Arranged with McIntosh for trap for £18 complete.

March 15 Had rather heated argument with Laing about matters in general. I wanted him to stay home and get peas in on Wednesday & he wanted to go away and plow. After some talk he recognised that my request was reasonable and he agreed to stay.

Mon.Mar. 21 - As I went down for the milk in the morning Laing gave notice to leave, i.e. cancel agreement for milking on shares: to take effect in 6 months hence. I felt rather relieved as things have not been going satisfactory of late. He mentioned his brother in law H.Ward as a likely successor.

Tue.Mar. 29 - Wet all day. Put up wardrobe in spare room and fixed up cupboard in Kitchen. Jen not very well. H.Ward arrived to see me again. We went through the agreement together and I showed him amount paid out to Laing during year (E150). He seemed satisfied with agreement except labour in cropping where he thought unfair to himself to have to do all labour. I am to see if I can get over the difficulty and meet him in some way,

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Wed. Mar.30 - About 3.30pm. rode to Levin to vote on the proposal to metal Foxton Road. The proposal was lost by large majority.

March 31 Billy towed up our gig about 12 o'clock and after dinner he & Jen drove to Levin in it returning about 6 o'clock.

April 4 - About 10.30 Jen & I started to drive to beach to spend holiday there with Adkins. Margy drove with us and the trap drove very well. Had accident to new trap i.e. end of shaft broke off apparently for no reason. I bound it up with flax for home journey. It took us about 2 hrs to drive home.

April 29 Mowbray sailed from Auckland for San Francisco on holiday tour round the world.

4 August Heaviest fall of snow then recorded both on hills and in Levin.

13 (Sat) Aug went with Will (Billy Wilson) to watch Britain v NZ at Athletic Park. Big crowd waiting for gates to open. NZ won 9-3

16 Nov. Telegram from Frank to say Laura was seriously ill

17 Nov. Another telegram Laura had "passed away quietly" yesterday

6 Dec. Went to Wellington by 4.40 train to meet Percy who is returning from India

Percy arrived about 9.30pm but passengers did not land as Dr did not go out to examine them till next morning. Mother Edie, Frank & Self walked to Wharf to see boat (about 10pm)

Up at 5.30am. Mother, Will Laurie & self went out in boat from Star B.C. Sheds to the "Waikare" in stream. After seeing Percy we returned by which time the boat arrived at the wharf. Breakfast at home then down town with Percy to customs then inspected the new customs house built by W.H. Bennett. Splendid view from Tower. Afternoon rode round in tram cars. Island Bay Thorndon

29 Dec. Telegram from Percy saying that everything is settled re Miss Ross. Sent reply of congratulations.

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1904

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