Looking back: Runaway horse-drawn motorcar rattles central Blenheim
A motorcar pulled by horses surprises people in central Blenheim, this week 110 years ago, as we take a flick through the archives.
Shortly before noon today people about town were alarmed by the spectacle of one of Mr J. T. Michalanney’s palace cars being conveyed through the streets by a pair of runaway horses.
It appears that the driver was assisting a lady with a perambulator off the car near the Springlands bridge, and while he was thus engaged the horses bolted.
They careered along High Street to town, and passed through Market Street South.
Near the Town Hall, a young man named C. Hill pluckily jumped onto the car from the rear, and after applying the brake brought the vehicle to a standstill further along the road.
In other news, the agricultural outlook in the Awatere district at the present time is distinctly promising, and the appearance of the various crops indicates that the general harvest will be a bountiful one. The protracted spell of wet weather has, of course, delayed harvesting operations, but the moisture has not had any detrimental effect on the crops. Barley is again the main cereal grown, while peas are a popular crop. The barley grown by Mr R. Marfell on his recently-acquired Ugbrooke property is a particularly fine crop, and is claimed to be the best sample in the district. The sheep country has benefited considerably as a result of the recent rains, and one pastoralist states that the hills have not looked better for many years.
Moving on to parliamentary news, Push through to Kaikoura was the burden of a speech delivered by Mr McCallum during the Public Works debate in the House on Friday night. Keep your beggarly £20,000 for the north end, he advised Mr Fraser, and put £50,000 or £60,000 on to the south end of the Main Trunk Line. If there is one place in New Zealand which deserves a railway it is Kaikoura. I take all risks in making this offer. Meanwhile, Mr Forbes expressed disappointment with the Prime Minister’s decision to stop work on the South Island Main Trunk railway. He advocated the completion of main arterial lines before investing money in branch lines, stating that the people were eagerly waiting for the train to run from end to end of the Island.
In local news, the concert in aid of the Wairau Pa church repairing fund has been postponed until next Wednesday evening. Additionally, the proposed visit to Picton of the steamer Clan Menzies to load for the London wool sales has been abandoned. However, it is announced that the Clan McAuley will make a call on or about January 3.
As we reflect on these events from 110 years ago, it’s interesting to see how Blenheim has evolved since then. The sight of a runaway horse-drawn motorcar certainly set hearts racing, but it serves as a reminder of the excitement and unpredictability of life in the early 20th century. From agricultural updates to parliamentary debates and local happenings, the Marlborough Express captured the essence of community life in Blenheim during that time. It’s a testament to the importance of preserving historical records and taking a moment to appreciate the past that shaped our present.
