A further point of interest about the game was that the Otago rink was skipped by the president of the association, and when his team eventually secured the coveted banner, which has never before been won by a South Island club, their victory was loudly acclaimed. The game, which was watched by a large and intensely interested crowd of spectators, was not a particularly striking one for a dominion tournament, but it was fairly well contested, and much good play was seen, many of the heads being built up very compactly. All the Otago men played well, but notably Spinks and Falconer, while the skip himself did what was required of him on a number of occasions.
Construction veteran
Mr David Robertson, who died at Evansdale early in the month, had resided there for upwards of 40 years. A correspondent, who was employed under him on contracts in which he was engaged and who offers a high tribute to his qualities, has supplied us with some interesting notes regarding his career.
"Mr Robertson, after working at the Dunstan, carried his hut and tent poles on his back all the way to Dunedin, across the Old Man Range — no joke in those days. I believe he was the first railway stationmaster at Port Chalmers. Afterwards he was manager for Mr D. Proudfoot on railway construction works in New Zealand and Australia.
He had charge of the construction of the Bondi sewer, Sydney, and was manager afterwards for Messrs Miller and Smellie, of Oamaru, for whom he supervised a good many railway construction contracts. Subsequently he was manager for Messrs J. and A. Anderson, of Christchurch, for whom he supervised the erection of the Waiau bridge, on the road to the Hanmer Plains, and the Waiteti contract on the Main Trunk line, and the Springfield section on the Midland railway, this being the last work he executed under the old contract system."
Ayson’s achievement
The success of Mr L. F. Ayson, chief inspector of fisheries in New Zealand, in the acclimatisation in the dominion of the quinnat salmon from the Pacific Coast of North America is the subject of an appreciative reference in the Hobart Mercury, which suggests Mr Ayson should be asked to report upon the Tasmania fisheries. — ODT, 21.1.1918.
• COPIES OF PICTURE AVAILABLE FROM ODT FRONT OFFICE, LOWER STUART ST, OR WWW.OTAGOIMAGES.CO.NZ
