04-08-2025
Whanganui wreck sold bit by bit
Salvage work on the wreck of grounded steamship Cyrena at Castlecliff beach, near Whanganui. — Otago Witness, 21.7.1925
The wreck of the Cyrena at Wanganui is disintegrating under the effect of heavy southerly seas.
Cabbage grower has a cow
The broken ends of the steamer now lie at even stranger angles than they did a week ago. The salvage sale attracted wide interest. Many things went at bargain rates. The ship's wheel realised a modest 3 shillings, but there was fair competition for the ship's bell, which the fire brigade eventually secured for 37s 6d.
A town clerk's position, especially in a suburban or a country borough, is usually considered a fairly peaceful one, the most exciting duties being the faithful recording of the minutes at council meetings, but the town clerk at Ravensbourne was lately called upon to discard his clerkly dignity for a few moments to shoot a wandering cow which objected vigorously to being deprived of a succulent repast consisting of 50 cabbages growing in the garden of a justly irate ratepayer.
The beast was so peeved about the whole business that it gave utterance to an angry snort, pawed a perfectly good cabbage to bits, and with lowered head made for the importunate clerk in a manner that boded no good. However, a bullet will stop oven an angry cow, and this particular cow has, it is hoped, gone where there is a surfeit of cabbages.
At the meeting of the West Harbour Borough Council last night a letter was received from the indignant ratepayer whose cabbages had been demolished. It read as follows: "I have a complaint to bring before your notice — that of a marauding black-and-white cow that has been around the corner of District Road and Manuka Street for a week past, and which I had to remove from my section on two occasions on a recent evening. I left the gates in my place secure, but it returned and, as a result, my place resembles a well-ploughed paddock, which state of affairs, as you may guess. I strongly resent, the cow having 'cleaned up' something like 40 or 50 cabbages that I had for use. I trust you will see that it is remedied at once, and could you let me have the name of the owner, as I would like to say something to him.'
The Mayor (Mr H.E. Moller): "What was the outcome of this affair?" The Town Clerk (Mr W. Connor): "I shot the cow and buried it!" The Mayor: "That was the end of the cow." (Laughter.) The Town Clerk went on to explain that he had gone down and found the cow in a paddock on to which it had trespassed. Nobody would own the animal, he said. It had a growth on its head. "The cow made a blackguard rush at me, but I dodged it. It made another rush, but again, I eluded it. As there was no doubt that the animal was dangerous, I got a rifle and shot it.' The Town Clerk further explained that before he destroyed the cow he had consulted the stock inspector, and a constable had been present when the animal was killed. On the instructions of the inspector all the vegetables in the property concerned had been destroyed in order to prevent any contamination. Earlier in the evening the Clerk reported that at present there were no complaints about wandering cattle at St Leonards. In one case a threatened prosecution had been withdrawn on condition that the owner of the wandering cow paid for the damage caused by his animal's meanderings. The town clerk had been on the watch for offenders, but no cattle had been found wandering lately. The subject was then dropped.
— ODT, 5.8.1925 (Compiled by Peter Dowden)
