By Rail to Wanganui.

Feilding Star, Volume III, Issue 114, 9 June 1883, Page 3

By Rail to Wanganui.

[communicated.]

In this article we propose lo glance briefly at the intervening townships between here and Wanganui, and, in doing so, to note a few of the chief features of each.- The Curse of New Zealand, as of many other new countries, has been the extraordinary number of new townships that are continually springing up around us. The country is riot sufficiently advanced to support these " would-be cities," which, in too many cases, have been started without either regard to situation or natural resources, but generally as a speculation — a speculation vwhieh has ia mpst cases proved far more remunerative to the " cutter up " than to the purchasers of the different sections. ~lt has been ,said that the buildings necessary to constitute the nucleus of a New •Zealand. town, are a Church, a public* 'house, - and a blacksmith's shop, and it fceenni that wherever it appeared likely 'that these three would succeed,. a township hsis immediately sprung into existence. The first .township we come to after leaving.Feddipgw Halconibe, situated near the boundary of the Manchester Rlock. We are sadly afraid that this is an instance : df a* town which was laid out V «nd sold long before the state of the sur- - founding district warranted such a move. * It' has had a hard struggle for several years against the difficulties consequent on a too rapid growth, but is now show..ing- signs of -having weathered the storm. -Those settlefs" who have stuck to it since its birth— amd, we are glad to say, they .'aije not a few^-are deserving of the high- • est ipraiße, and we now congratulate them ..on that success which at last appears to have crowned their efforts. After leaving Halcombe we cbme to ' Greatford, which, ♦' with : the r exeeptibn of being the station for Bulls has no "pretension whatever to being considered a township. A mile or . two "further on ye pass Crofton on the left hand side of the railway. This was laid out by Shr W. Fox on: teetotal principles, but unkind rumor sajrs more strong drink is consumed in Crofton than ih any other its, size in, New :Zealand. This must surely be but a very tame joke. However, putting' tire" liquor question aside, the .settlement hag neyer, been a success, and' is certainly undeserving of even ,the/name of a tjownship. . We next come to Marton. which reminds one of a pleasant little English village. Though 'being' fer from advancing, it presents the .appeaiaiMe-of-steadtness and quiet pros.pejity. /Jt.haS four hotels, and, we ' .believe; four Churches, and it is a remarkable'feature in New Zealand towns when the Churches are. as numerous as the

hotels. Turakina. our next stoppingplace, was originally, we believe, a Scotch settlement, but in the township itself, we should almost say that the Hibernian clement is now predominant. Commercially speaking, it presents much the same features as Marton, tliongh perhaps on a smaller scale. It is said by those who are intimately acquainted with the place, that it is remarkable for the harmony that prevails amongst its inhabitants, a feature in its character which may be copied with advantage by many other townships in New Zealand. '! here is one thing on which we must compliment the good people of Turakina, aad that is the beautiful position of their town. Wo next reach Fordell which is a far younger township than any we have yet mentioned. It possesses a large steam flour mill, and a telegraph station has latply been opened there. We understand a license lias lately been refused for a nice-looking house close to the station, though we should have thought that accommodation was greatly needed in the place. We are much afraid that none of the to^nvhips we have mentioned can really co ahead for some time to come, though Turakina, Marton and Halcombe are all steadily progressing, and we are sorry that the range of this article will not permit us to go further into details respecting them.