MOONSHINE BRIDGE.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1758, 24 May 1913, Page 14

MOONSHINE BRIDGE.

TO-DAY'S OFFICIAL CEREMONY. Tho opening of the Moonship© Bridge nt Trenthain to-day promises to bo an interesting function. Parliamentary and other visitors are expected, and those present will be entertained at the Oddfellows' Hall, Trentham. The opening ceremony is fixed for 3 p.m. It is expected that about 500 persons will be present, these representing each side of tho Hutrt County, as the bridgo will bo tho means of bringing the western side into touch with the east. •

OLD IDENTITY'S LETTER. In this connection the following letter has been handed to Mr. T. M. Wilford, M.P., by Mr. James Brown. Upper Hutt: —"I' understand, Mr. Wilford, that you aro to officially open tho Moonshine Bridge at the Upper Hutt to-day. I- learn from, a friend that it is to be called the 'Victoria Bridge.' I am very pleased nt that name, because it is connectod with my own young days. On May 21, 1852 (61 years ago), I with 130 other New Zealanders sailed from Wellington in the cattleship Tory for the Victorian goldfields. You kuow that my late brother George and myself spent live years on the Victorian goldfields. You also know'that we were closely connected with the Ballarat riot. Of course we did not get shot; wo had sense to keep out of that part of tho affair. I think that everyone in the Upper Hutt and Pnhautanui districts ought to bo very thankful to Councillors Galloway, Edwards, and Whiteman for tho energy tuoy displayed (the first-named in particular) in getting this bridge erected. It is a work that ought to have been done thirty years ago, and possibly would not havo teen done for another generation. had not Councillor Galloway taken tho matter up, and I hope the people in these districts will show their gratitude in a more substantial manner than by? mere words. No part of tho district will benefit so much as the Upper Hutt, and I am very sorry that the Upper Hutt Town Board did not show a little more gratitude and give more liberally towards erecting tho bridge, which means a greater benefit to them than any part of the whole county. "This occasion brings me back to 1845, when Mr. Galloway's father and a Mr. M'Ewen (a shipmate of his from tho Old Country) assisted my father to bring the first cart into tho Upper Hutt district. We brought it along as far as Mr. King's present homo at the Taita, where wo pulled it to pieces and so carried it over tho hill along the bridle track from the Taita to Silverstream, where we then put it together again and came on to tho Upper Ilutt. That was a threo days' journey from the Lower Hutt to tho Upper Hutt; and now wo find a lot. of people, nurtured in luxury, complaining very bitterly if they cannot got to Wellington within an hour! I may also tell you that I carried the nails in. a Maori kit through a bush track and over the hills to erect tho first building in Upper Hutt."