"Ourselves as Others See Us"

Feilding Star, Volume XI, Issue 127, 19 April 1890, Page 4

"Ourselves as Others See Us"

(Correspondeh't'tp Hawkes. Bay Herald.) (Continued from tost issue.) v On either side, apd <*t very irequent " Interval, we passed the houses, of the settlers, some of them being quite pretehtious. . The paddocks . looked : epl^ndid after seeing the brown pastlJ hres of Hawke?s Bay ; they were one *" continuous carpet of vivid green. Many-orchards laden with fruit were seen, and when we got to higher, ground we were shown some fine crops of grain and potatoesj where seven years, ago it was a trackless bush. The change is simply, astounding; The soil is a light rich loam, and evidently very fertile. From the highest point of the road, though we had hardly noticed the rise, about (1000 ft above Feihiihg^ there is. a splendid view of the .suiTounding country— rthe Ruahine range on our ri«ht ; in the foreground.: the lofty cliffs through which the Oroua flows ;,. above them e> long low grange . of dense bush, bounded on the eastern -side by - the Pohangina, which flaws at the foot of -Ruabines. f Behind us we could see : the Tararifa. ranges on our left, with the towering peaks opposite Masterton, and in the middle foreground, .we "could :> plainly, see Kapiti and Maiia Islands. The view was worth the journey, if there had been nothing better in store, Soo'n : kfter this we sighted the new township of Birmingham, though on of letter s havi iig. been* sehtyto iits older namesake at Home the postal is called "Fowler's," after' a ■gentleman of that .name who kept a ■store, ihjere. ■- ? Birmingham and it. 'country are .cpnsid ered, and rightly 'so, tbe'jmost pijogressive of, any in th-e •colony at the present time^ that is" aparLirom anything in the shape of mining tpwn.s>, Less i than; three years ■<ago : thejpnly sign of civilisation Was a surveyor's track, overgrown with •scrub jj the ..bush xwas in, its.pr^nMeyal -state, not a trjee felled, or anyone, residing in it. Now there are 'in the township a splendid hotel, two good a mail twiceia week, blackhmith'B j shop, • -public hall - ; ahd Uibrary, stockyards (where the welliknown stoctt^alespaen. Freeman Jack?son ahsfl oo^ "Hold regular sales); a sschoori'^iiich^ already is': 1 not 'large -enough jto abepmmodate m'ore- than half 'the cMdfreujaud^ last, but not least, a ireal marvel, jind that is an orchard behind. tho. hotel.: ,It is ; a little more j than ' £^jo, yeajs ., since the trees were jplanteg, q andr : no.w .they almost sup r jply tW aotel with the^, fruit from •-their own garden. Of course they Jgrow^yilfch&ifT owAYvegetablesj and -such veg^tabfes ; ! ' Fancy a cabbkge *^>f 41* pounds weight! Oh :! what a s %t']ui6y ji'easj Brussells sprouts, iand Savoy cabbages — things we only iread. about iuCN^pier; i 'Thei Waibapu" Hotel) (it is in the "'WTaitapn block) at Birmingham is Ikept'jb^.Mi^ Tphomjks, Lowes, well--known jto/alL^ old , travellers by coach, 4>efof|C. *^je bridge vr/as put across rthe Manawatu at Ashurst... _;He bas rthe utmost faith in his district, and I just grounds forit. The ihotelrbe ihan erfepted is 'Simply 'lation-FJpfie! generally expects tp find *the oMinu^ , st^le. of " pub," in the bush^butithe jWaitapu Hotel for its •size, will compare with any in Napier. " The -hotel -is-as clean as a new pin, v :>first class table, good, cooking and -attendance-; ..gust the place for anyone to g^i^vM.^an*B rest 'ind quiet.! ;.' After lunch the horses were brought round, ( although the dray road goes thre^mflls the hotel the coach does not go any further. What a -small place the. country is after all ! •I almost fancied myself lin Bay when on turning 'round who -flhouldtrl see but Mr Edwin Moore 'late of Te Autp, who had, taken up 500 acres of land in the district. As he was; gpjng up to j the; "Peep;o' -Day," and had a pack-horse, and kindly offered to take some of my baggage, I was glad Jto. have " fallen -on my feet" in such : an agreeable manner. y . : '";" '