NOTES FROM LITTLE GREY.

Greymouth Evening Star, Volume XXXI, 1 August 1901, Page 3

NOTES FROM LITTLE GREY.

* . (OUB OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

One of the very oldest residents of this Slaea, worn out with the cares.and bur•ns of this work-a-day world, passed peacefully away at Snowy Creek a few days ago, Dick, or as his employer, Mr Coutanohe, used to call him, more in sorrow than in anger, -‘that blessed Dick/ was known far and wide on account of his striking personality and the quaint exhibitions of his intelligence. I am not aware of the precise age of the deceased, but he came to the coast some thirty years ago, and the epithet “old 7 ’ was always applied to him. His parentage was also personally unknown to me, although I have been assured that his father was a perfect donkey, and lam quite sure that Dick himself was an absolute mule; in fact was Contanohe’a old mule.

On Wednesday morning a ballast train and a gang of man arrived at Ikamatua to carry out the noccsiary work of enlarging'the station-yard. Though the inner workings of the Railway department are not always what they appear on the surface, it is only fair to assume that the energy of one or two of the residents 1s to be credited with this consummation of their wishes. The Minister for Railways Is saved the trouble of considering (his matter, but he can still gra*t us a station-master, if he finds that the traffic returns, which are now being supplied, will warrant such an appointment,

It Is always pleasant to chronicle an enlargement of population. lam glad to say the natural increase is still taking Slaoe. lam also pleased to learn that [r Bobt. McNeill (junr.) and family are about to take up their permanent residence at Ikamatua. The clan McNeill is muoh respected amongst us, Mr Wright, late of Baxter Bros, has taken over the sawmill at Craigio-burn, near Totara Flat, till now owned by Mr Marshall. Mr Wright, who at one time managed the Snowy Greek sawmill for Messrs Stratford and Blair, is known as one of the ablest captains of the sawmilling trade, and will, no doubt, make things hum at Graigie-burn. We rustic writers are apt to knock words out of joint sometimes, but one of your respected comps, who seems to hare an affection for the letter “a,” please note that the repairs to the Big Grey Bridge are in a fair way of shortly being effected, not affected! The bridge has long been affected with senile decay.

A pleasing little ceremony took place at the L, G. schoolroom on Friday afternoon, when Miss May Burton, on behalf of the members of the Ikamatua Bible Class, presented the Eev. B. MeDowall with a handsome album in recognition of his kindness in attending the School at regular intervals to instruct the class in matters o(_ uluuga. - Mr MeDowall, in acknowledpngnC? gift and thanking the donors, eipressCdhimself as very pleased -to bo able to carry on what was really a lab%p«of lore,, ,