Marlborough Express - Weekend Express
Beached herrings kick up a stink in Picton
Removing dead fish from Picton Harbour smells worse than leaving them to rot, says a Picton journalist 120 years ago, as we take a flick through the archives. From the Marlborough Express, September 29, 1903.
THE HERRING PLAGUE
The work of removing the decaying dead herrings in Picton Harbour (writes our correspondent) goes on apace.
The Health Officer has his duties to perform, and the Council has to carry out his instructions, but – and this is the general opinion – “the cure is worse than the disease”.
Dead herring is bad enough lying inactive, but stirred up it simply embodies all the noxious bad smells imaginable, and the question arises whether, as in former years there never was any illness except a feeling of nausea resulting from the herring, it would not be better to “let sleeping dogs lie.”
ALSO IN THE NEWSPAPER: LETTER
Sir, for many years past Picton people have become quite resigned and used to climbing over boulders, falling into mudholes, cutting their shoes open on bits of tin, picking their way about on remnants of footpaths – even to walking home on dark nights and bruising their noses against lamp-posts, or falling into the arms of sleeping cows.
Why does the new Borough Council persist in straightening and metalling the roads, lighting the lamps every night, and impounding stray cattle; in fact, doing all it can for the good of the town?
I have also heard it said that the Council is going to build a bridge across to the Domain, provide us with electric light, wants to get a new wharf built, and the Picton Christchurch railway finished – is doing all it can to increase the prosperity of Picton.
Why don’t men like your correspondent “Resident” go on the Borough Council? Men whom we could trust not to further the interests of the place, and who would put their feet down firmly and again make holes in the streets, and allow large boulders, kerosene tins, broken bottles, sleepy cows, and frantic horses to litter the roads.
“Resident” speaks the truth when he says that our new Mayor and Council sat still through the last visitation of herrings; but then, of course, they had to, as they were not then occupying those positions of Mayor and Council.
Picton