Page 7 Advertisements Column 1

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2013, 21 March 1914, Page 7

_ The little township of Waikaia which is situated at tho head of the Switzers Tailway has entered upon a new stage of its development. Twelvo or fourteen years' ago the streets of tho township rang with' the tread of many gold-seek-ers, and prior to that time meu had come and gone in search of.fortune for many years. One or two of the old-tim-ers remain, and sitting in tho warm sunlight they chat reminisccntly of adventures onco common in the life'of tho township. But, a growing scarcity of tho precious yellow dust has caused tho business of the township to experience a set-back and there aro few,. if any, who aro not prepared to admit that Waikaia has' passed tho heyday of its piping times. Twelve years ago nineteen dredges wero at work within easy reach of the township and mountains of tailings aro to be scon at several points along the road; but a chance has come over the scene. At the beninning of the year 1914 only four dredges remained, and this number has now been further reduced through another of the dredges closing down. A fair amount of mining is still carried on in tho district, however, and the town haß an occasional visitor from somo claim. But the ovidenco on tho whole as given by settlers for many years'. standing is that farming is being carried on with greater activity than in former years, and, while it is recognised that the waning process may. continue for a few years it is the vie.w of many that at the ond of that time there will bo a farming community which will give unassailable business stability to tho little township onco more.