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Page 16: 50th Jubilee Commemoration supplement

1) To "fix" those "furious drivers". County actually proposed to fix broken bottles in road metal.

A proposal to "metal" some corners with broken beer bottles was seriously suggested 50 years ago in a bid to stop erratic and dangerous drivers of motor-cars who persisted in taking corners at a faster speed than walking pace.

2) Water made Levin.

A barometer hangs in the hall of the home of the late Mr. James Prouse. Inscribed on a silver plate are these words: "Presented to J. Prouse by the residents of Levin for his services in the promotion of the water race scheme". It is dated September 15, 1902.

3) Days when Weraroa was proud centre of the district.

It is hard to believe that Mrs. Kingsbeer is 72 years of age. Her actions and looks belie it. Mrs. Kingsbeer was a Miss Rush, whose brother Cyril, came to Levin in 1896 and married a Miss Tantrum. From then until about 1900 Mrs. Kingsbeer spent most of her years here, living at Weraroa, close to where she now resides.

Page 14: 50th Jubilee Commemoration supplement

1) "You will carry a swag if you stay here."
Some mill-hands thought town would be doomed when timber "cut out".

Many of the men who were among the first to trek into this new territory of virgin bush, not to establish farms or businesses, but as paid "hewers of wood and carriers of water," did not have the same faith in the future prosperity of Levin as did the pioneer settlers.

2) Mail boy.

"I was the mail boy in the old days. At that time the station was at Bartholomew's Mill and the mail was thrown off at the crossing. The engines were fired by matai cut into four-foot lengths and stacked in double rows on both sides of the track to a height of about four feet. Matai worked out at about 8/- a cord and it stretched from Weraroa for about a mile. It was a hard job finding mail bags among it when the driver misfired." Mr. R. S. Kent, now of Riccarton.

Page 29: 50th jubilee commemoration supplement

1) Surf and life-saving club ensures safe record of beach resort near Levin.

The Levin Junior Chamber of Commerce adopted as its main project for 1949 the establishing of a surf patrol at Waiterere Beach. This popular beach, well known as perhaps one of the safest bathing resorts on this coast, had unfortunately experienced drowning fatalities over the years and it was considered that a surf life-saving club was essential to teach the approved methods of live-saving and resuscitation.

2) Early days rugby was a "come as you please" business.

Among this district's earliest rugby players was Mr. Jack Smith, of Cambridge Street, who is now in his eighties, and still a keen follower of the sport, though, understandably a somewhat critical one when he compares rugby as played in the earliest days and rugby today. He was one of the first to join the Levin Football Club and thinks he must be about the last of these earliest players of the sport in this district.

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