Advertisements -- Mataura Ensign, 1900

The Mataura Ensign is still published, as the Ensign, in Gore.

Derby associated the joy of smoking with receiving a darn good spanking, having snowballs chucked in the face, and a shipwreck (or someone tossing the 'baccy overboard). A rather strange advertising campaign. A couple more ads of theirs here, via Australia. The brand was apparently Canadian in origin, manufactured by D. Ritchie & Co of Montreal, who also made "Old Chum" brand. The company was bought out early in the 20th century by Imperial Tobacco.

Mr. Craig was clearly a businessman who believed in diversification. Funeral Director, cabinet maker, upholsterer (all of which go together in the trade) -- and "first-class picture framer".

Charles Todd (1868-1942) lived in Heriot for 31 years before moving to Dunedin in 1915, starting his motor franchise career which ended up as the Todd Motor Co. Before all that fame and fortune, however, he was selling (as Todd Bros.) seed sowers in Heriot.

William Gawne (c.1830-1899) was a well-known sauce manufacturer in late Victorian times down in the South Island. The following comes from the Otago Witness, 6 July 1899, after Gawne's sudden death.

Mr E. H. Carew. coroner, held an inquest on Monday afternoon on the body of William Gawne, sauce manufacturer, who died suddenly on Sunday.

Margaret Gawne deposed that deceased was her father-in-law. He was taken with pain on Sunday morning on the way to church, and said that he wished he had not come. He had been suffering for some time past, and complained of pains in the stomach, and was frequently laid up. Witness did not know if he was asthmatic.

Walter Bull, fruiterer, stated that he knew deceased intimately. Of late he had been very unwell, and on several occasions while at church he had been seized with fainting fits, and had to be carried out. He did not always recover quickly, and sometimes he had to be taken home. On Sunday last he went to Trinity Wesleyan Church at 10 a.m. to attend the early service which was held in the lower hall beneath the church. During the first prayer witness heard a shuffling noise, and on looking round he saw deceased grasping the pew in front of him, while several gentlemen were supporting him. He assisted to carry deceased out, and they laid him down in the aisle of the church. Witness then went for Dr Roberts, who came immediately, but deceased appeared to be dead when they got back. Dr Roberts in his evidence said that he had never seen deceased before. When he was summoned he found that deceased was just dead. His face was flushed, but there were no unusual indications to suggest the cause of death. Taking into consideration the description of the attack, he thought it was caused by heart failure, probably of the nature of angina pectoris. The jury adopted this view, and returned their verdict accordingly.