BALCLUTHA.

Evening Star, Issue 3921, 17 September 1875, Page 2

BALCLUTHA.

(From our own Correspondent.)

BALCiitTTHA, September 17. Since my last to you an epoch has arrived which may well ho remembered as a red letter day with Balclutha. I refer to the completion and opening of our line of railway connecting us with the great metropolis of New Zealand. The railway is now an established fact, this distance (or nearly) at any rate, although some few months ago there were croakers who prognosticated that the first train with a load of pas-ongcrs that would attempt to cross the swamp on the south side of the Stirling station, would sink goodness only knew the depth ; but what a glorious disappointment they have met. I aor informed that one of these knowing.beings was ©n the look out for the swamp one day about a week after the line was opened, when he thought that he could surely trust his valuable personage by rail to go and see the City of the South once again, but just imagine his surprise when he began to inquire how far they were from the much-talked-of swamp, when he was actually over it and did not know it. Our mayoral election here is another instance of the above. When our present Alayoi’a name was heard as a -landidato for the civic chair, loud and numerous were the sarcastic jests referring to the position he would occupy when the polling day would arrive, but the position was remarkable : he was at the top of the pole, and was very quickly upon the shoulders of some of his friends.

I observe that our Mayor is to be made a J.P. I presume these honors are in lieu of salaries to our dignitaries. In many cases there are men well qualified to sit and rule—to a coitaiu extent—an up-country Municipal Council meeting, or to advise how their revenue

can to the best advantage he disposed of 01 expended ; but to use them as a juris prudenco would put them outof their element, or make them as useful as a fifth wheel would be to a coach. For my part I t hmk it would be more acceptable to many to give them a salary in place of an empty and useless title. IKing CoW is here, all in his glory. We have a coaeh from the Mataura, with lots of passengers each way. Ned Devine leaves for the Mutaora every other day, driving a splendid '■ix-horse team, their arrival and departure causing the folk to rally round, and thereby make our little town assume a busy appearance. William’s and Co ’a coach leaves every other day in conjunction with Cobb’s. This coa/ih is navigated by Jimmy Strachan, with a teim of five horses, and may be backed for the through journey, eve ry inch of the road being well known to both dr.ver and horses. The influx of population, or number of people who have visited us since the first of this month is marvellous. There are some three or four conveyances plying for hire between the railway station and here. Business sites are still on the increase in value. It seems to the firm conviction of all here who have a bit of land that it is now of double its former value, owing to the distance to the great centre being reduced, so to speak, by one half or more. We can now go into town, do half a day’s business, and return home the same day; that is quite sufficient to cause us to prize our holdings here. The distance of the stopping point at this end from our town is a gr at drawback and inconvenience both to the public and the Government. lam fully of opinion that it would pay the Government to construct a temporary line up to the north end of the present bridge, as it will be two years ere the railway bridge will bo completed. During that time the amount of freight lost to the Government upon wool alone will be very considerable, not to speak of grain and other produce. The cost of a temporary branch I am of opinion would be made up within three months.