The departure of the car from Picton was checked by the Mayor (Mr Gerard J. Riddell) who handed a certificate of the starting time to the driver that was presented to Mr A. R. Fordham, postmaster at Bluff, who countersigned it, endorsing the arrival hour. Mr Miller stated that the engine of the car had not stopped running throughout the trip, and that the time lost in stoppages was two hours 20 minutes, the actual running time being 17 hours 40 minutes, and a proximate average of 40 miles per hour for the trip. "The engine behaved beautifully," said Mr Miller, "and never gave us any trouble either on the Auckland-Wellington run or the one just completed." Continuing, he said that they had to stop twice on the road and those stops were caused by bees, moths, and flies getting into the radiator cells and blocking them. Those two and puncture stops were the only ones experienced on the road.
Women students harassed
Mr W. Goodlet, who from 1877, for 17 years, was chemistry lab. assistant in the University Council’s service under the late Professor Black recalls the first women students: The first lady who intended to join the Medical School as a student was Miss Tracey, now the wife of Mr Drummond, chief reporter of the Lyttleton Times. Miss Tracey attended the chemistry classes and other classes, but was very much disappointed at not entering the Medical School. Miss Siedeberg, who joined the Medical School later, was the first lady to take the medical course, and I must say she deserved great credit for the way she stuck to her work in the dissecting room. She had a very unpleasant time among the male students. They did not want lady doctors. I had to have hot water and chloride of lime ready every day, by Professor Black's orders, for Miss Siedeberg to wash her hands and face. The young men would throw the flesh at her every chance they got.
Rattray Street disturbance
A drunken seaman who declined to take a policeman's well meant advice to move on, preferring rather to stay and fight, caused a considerable disturbance in lower Rattray street about half-past 9 on Saturday evening. When Constable Frew took the man in charge several of his mates started to make trouble, and a lot of unruly irresponsibles in the growing crowd soon joined in. One excited youth headed towards the constable crying "Get to him, boys!" and another having dealt a cowardly blow at the man in blue flew with amusing haste from the scene of his misbehaviour. Constable Frew kept his temper and his man with coolness and skill, though his blasts on the whistle for assistance were unheard. Eventually, with the assistance of some civilians, one of whom lost a valuable hat in the scuffle, the prisoner was pushed and dragged round as far as Todd's garage. Here Constable Frew was joined by a companion from the watchhouse, and the remainder of the journey
to the police station was completed by motor car. — ODT, 23.2.1920
