FRASERTOWN NOTES.

Gisborne Times, Volume VI, Issue 195, 24 August 1901, Page 3

FRASERTOWN NOTES.

(From Our Own Correspondent.) LOST LETTERS. AVe often hoar of letters disappearing mysteriously in transit through the post, but perhaps the most amusing and mysterious instance of the kind that I have heard of occurred to a friend of mine recently. In November last he posted a letter with cheque enclosed in settlement of ail account. A month or two passed, and the sender of the cheque began to wonder why no acknowledgment was forthcoming, but being of a procrastinating disposition he did not make any enquiries about it; indeed, as the letter only had a few miles to travel to reach its destination he had little doubts as to its having been duly received. Great was his surprise, therefore, when the person to whom tho letter was addressed called about throe months afterwards to enquire why thejaccount had not been settled. Explanations followed, and it transpired that the letter had not been received. Payment of the cheque was stopped, and a fresh one issued. Nothing more was hoard of the letter, and the matter had almost passed out of recollection. About a week ago, just nine months after he had posted the missing letter, my friend received the following communication : “ Dear Sir,—The last cheque you sent to mo turned up at Air , when he was emptying a bag to put chaff in last week. Herewith you will find the cheque.” Just this, and nothing more. How tho lost letter got into the bag, or what else besides the letter came out of the bag during tho “ emptying ” process, history sayeth not, hut it struck me as boing about one of the most unique cases of mysterious disappearance on record.

TELEPHONE LINE TO WAIKAREMOANA, The following is the text of a petition that is being circulated for signature here. I understand a copy is being sent to Gisborne for signature also ;—To the Hon. Sir J. G. Ward, Postmaster-General: Tho petition of tho undersigned, settlers of Wairoa, Gisborne, Frasortown, Waikaremoana, and surrounding districts, humbly showeth —(1) That Waikaremoana is a remote locality in an isolated district almost entirely cut off from communication with the rest of the colony', the nearest telephone station being at Frasertown, 30 miles distant. (2) That a telephone line from Frasertown to Lake Waikaremoana, if taken as the crow flies, would probably not exceed 20 miles in length, and could be cheaply constructed by using condemned railway iron as posts. (3) That, owing to their isolation, the telegraph and telephone offices in the Wairoa County, in proportion to the population, are among the most profitable in the colony. (4) That the efforts of the Government to develop Lake Waikaremoana as a tourist resort will prove abortive to a great extent unless Waikaremoana is connected by wire with the rest of the colony, as tourists will not visit such an out-of-the-way- locality unless they are in touch with their homes and places of business. Your petitioners, therefore, pray that you will favorably consider the subject of this petition, and authorise the construction of a telephoneline from Frasertown to Lake Waikaremoana. And your petitioners, as in duty bound, will ever pray, etc., etc. There is no doubt the lino would pay well in the season, gild, if tho Government are really desirous, as they appear to be, of attracting tourists to Lake Waikaremoana, as one of the beauty spots of the colony, the line will be an absolute necessity.