January 1907

The New Year was quietly celebrated with the ringing of St Andrew's bells and the town band playing at the fountain. Mr and Mrs Earl continued their annual custom and entertained members of the band at their home 'Orongo'.
The weather was good, fishing and shooting parties were out in all directions, the shop keepers were pleased with business. Trains were taxed to their full capacity to provide for excursionists and only one drunk was in the lockup.
All the churches had held Christmas services and on Boxing Day their picnics were well patronised. The Anglicans were at Mr Jas Forrest's 'Old Gwynlands', the Methodists at R Reynold's 'Trecarne' and the Presbyterians at Mr G Watt's 'Abergeldie'. Maungatautari School held their picnic on Boxing Day at Mr Gray's plantation, next to the school.
For the year of 1906 there had been 87 births, 32 deaths and 18 marriages in Cambridge.
The Chamber of Commerce were congratulated on changing the government's plans for the new Post Office to include a tower for a clock. The government also agreed to pay £300 - half the price of the clock.

The Borough Council voted £100 towards the clock to be erected in the tower of the new Post Office. Council felt that the farmers would not contribute to the clock but a discussion at the Fencourt Creamery was quite to the opposite - so long as the Post Office was built on the old saleyards site. (Where the Town Hall is today.)
Between five and six hundred people attended the Oddfellows Sports held on Victoria Square on New Year's Day even though the weather was threatening. £29 6s were taken at the gate.
Miss Blackmore bought out Mrs Gedge's Fruit Store and the adjoining tea room from Miss Veale.
Thos Wells accepted the tender of W Hogan, £585, to build a new brick shop adjoining his present store in Duke Street.
Mr W J Graham was in charge of the recently established post-office at Karapiro - but thought the name should be Taotaoroa post office as there was one resident in Karapiro who used the office and thirty householders from Taotaoroa.

Without any canvassing for donations £45 was promised for the Post Office clock and the list of subscribers started to appear in the Independent columns.
Rowe Bros sold the balance of their property at Monavale - 820 acres - to McEnnis and Higham for £7,560; 60 acres to Robert D Fisher for £635; 72 acres to Souter & Co for £750.
The Borough Council had the spare firebell hung at the corner of Queen and Victoria Streets.
There was a general feeling of dismay as Cambridge was put in the new electorate of Tauranga.
Those wishing to avail themselves of the new gas supply were to contact the Borough Council foreman so connections could be made while the mains were being laid down.
A great demand for steel on the U.S. Steel Exports Products Co meant a delay in dispatching the material for the high level bridge for Cambridge. Mr J E Fulton, engineer, was instructed to commence with the concrete foundations and call tenders for the work.
Charles Reid, architect accepted F Marcroft's tender of £576 to build a ten room house for M E Gardner in Queen Street.

Two petitions were circulating in Cambridge West (Leamington) - one proposed to form a town district the other against forming a town district. At that time they were governed and rated by the Pukekura Road Board. If there was town board it was felt rates would be raised.
The flooding of the Waikato River in 1874 had always been 'the' record. But a recent thunder storm with an hour of torrential rain eclipsed the record by 18 inches. 'During the day large numbers of the townspeople made their way down to the Karapiro and Waikato bridges; the former river was in high flood and the Waikato was a magnificent sight - the seething water swirling along at a mighty rate.
Te Waikato Sanatorium for consumptives at Maungakawa had been kept full to capacity, averaging 60 patients. And although their recovery rate was nearly 21 per cent, the message of fresh air and cleanliness was important for the prevention of the spread of the disease.
A smash-up occurred in Duke Street, as the result of a horse attached to a trap taking fright at a motor car driven by Mr H Ferguson.

The district between Pokeno and Huntly was still flooded and only subsiding 11 inches each day. There were still 5 feet of water on the railway line and nine trucks of goods for Cambridge were delayed.
A wedding of much interest took place at Christ Church, Ohaupo when Miss Maggie May Teddy was united in the bonds of matrimony to Mr Charles Vivian Carley. At St Andrews in Cambridge a quiet wedding was solemnised between Fred Potts and Miss Jeanie C Ormiston.
The Roto-o-rangi correspondent was pleased to report - 'that the land, which was only three years back dense scrub, swamp and rushes, was converted into splendid grass land with handsome dwellings thereon, thus showing a large amount of industry and thrift on the part of the new settlers.'
W G Care's tender of £2,964 was accepted to build the new Post Office, even though councillors were still arguing as to the best site.
A combined picnic of Waikato Young Peoples' Bible Classes was held at C Day's property at Tamahere. Nearly 300 young people were present from Cambridge, Frankton, Hairini, Hamilton, Paterangi, Tauwhare and Te Awamutu.

 

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