RAKAIA.

Globe, Volume XXI, Issue 1709, 12 August 1879, Page 4

RAKAIA.

fFBOM OTO OVTS COBBHBPONDKHT.] The town of Rikaia, sometimes known as South Bakaia, is situated on the south side of the river, from which it derives its name. It is thirty-five miles from Ohristohurch, and eighteen miles from AshbuTton. It is the centre of a very extensive agricultural and pastoral district, the drawbacks of which are a want of surface water, and the prevalence, in the spring and early summer, of violent north-west winds. The former evil is in a fair way to be remedied by the Water Supply BIIL Bakaia has not grown quite so rapidly as Ashburton, but still it has made considerable progress during the past few years, and promises to be, at no veiy distant period, a busy little country town. The people of Bakaia are much better off now as regards religious services than they were some little time ago. It is not so very long since they had to be satisfied with one Episcopal and one Presbyterian minister a month, and the somewhat irregular attendance of a lay reader of the former denomination, all the services being held in the schoolroom. Now, however, there is a neat little wooden churoh, dedicated to St. Mark, with a resident minister in priest's orders, who has as pretty a little parsonage and grounds as could be wished for. Two services are held regularly every Sunday, once at least by the minister, and a week night Bervice and choir practice. The Bev. H. W. Elton holds service at Barrhill, Drayton, Kyle, or Ohertsey, every Sunday. Barrhill, about twelve miles from Bakaia, has a churoh of its own, built of concrete. This church is on the estate of Mr J. O. Wason, and was erected mainly through his efforts. A church is in course of erection at Sherwood, about twelve miles from Bakaia, the site for which was given by Mr F. Possmore. At Kyle and Ohertsey the services are held in the respective schoolrooms. At Drayton Mr Chapman's woolßhed is used. A service is usually held at Mount Hutt station once a month in the summer time. The Presbyterians, after being a long time without a minister, have now the Bev. Mr Weatbrook officiating amongst them. A service is held every Sunday morning in the schoolroom at Bakaia, the remainder of the day being taken up with services in the outlying districts. It is their intention to erect a church as soon as possible. The Wesleyans, too, have entered the field, and have appointed Mr Jones, lately arrived from England, to preach for them at Bakaia and Ohertsey, holding their meetings in the Public Library at Bakaia, and in the schoolroom at Ohertsey. The Boman Catholics occasionally use the Town Hall for their devotions. The Freemasons have established themselves here and are comparatively stroDg. The only other society represented at present in this town is the Orange society, but judging from the number of young men one sees moving about there should be a good field for either the Oddfellows or Foresters, or both. Some three or four years ago the Good Templars planted themselves here, but owing perhaps to the dryness of the seasons we have lately experienced, they have not flourished. The Public Library ia situated on a reservewhioh occupies perhaps the best position in the town, at the angle formed by Kail way terrace West, cutting Mackie street, and immediately opposite the intended new railway station. The hall itself is moat unsightly, and far from being what it ought to be, having been erected when there were bnt few people in the town. For some time the library was entirely in the hands of a few railway men, and disputes were frequent. Now, however, matters are far more agreeably managed. The library is open for the exchange of books twice a week, and is fairly patronised. The travelling public are amply Srovided for by two really good hotels—the outh Bakaia Hotel, kept by Mr W. H. Partridge; and the Railway Hotel, by Mr Macnamara. The Bank of New Zealand has a branch in Bolleaton street west, under the management of Mr O. H. McLean, who has lately arrived from Kaikoura, and is doing a good business. Messrs Win. Montgomery and Co., and P. Laurie and Co., merchants, are both represented here, and doing, notwithstanding the dull times, a very good trade. The only firm of auctioneers in the place is that of McLean and Winter, who hold-periodical sales. The firm have lately erected a commodious grain and wool store in the south part of the town. Messrs B. McKerrow and Co., grain merchants, have also erected a large grain store at the corner of Bolleston street and Mackie street, having a frontage of 60ft on the former, with 100 ft on the latter, constructed so that a siding can be brought from the railway line across Railway Terrace, through Messrs Orr and Co.'s premises and across Mackie street. The firm of Orr and Co., Ashburton, have lately bought the general store business of McKerrow and Co., and having considerably enlarged the premises, are doing a large trade, supplying the wants of a country thirty miles long by some ten miles wide. Mr James Bruce has lately found it necessary to poll down his original smithy, and erect a much larger one, with four fires, and a new business in the same line has been opened near the Railwsy Hotel. Some three or four years ago a saddler did odd jobs in a loft. Now there are two saddlers' shops, each doing a good trade, one being a branch of G. Howell's Ohristohurch establishment. The press have their representatives here, all the Ohristchurch and Ashburton papers being freely circulated, and every evening on the arrival of the seven o'clock train the Ohristohurch evening papers are circulated. The wellknown firm of W. Hartnall and Co., butchers and bakers, are doing a good and steady trade beside which there is another baker and another butcher both doing a fair trade. Among the public buildings in the town the Town Hall is very conspicuous, standing directly in front of Partridge's Hotel. It is the property of a company, and, like most town halls, has a debit balance at its banker's. It is used by the Freemasons for holding their meetings. Till within the last three months every " drunk " had to be taken to Ashburton, a distance of eighteen miles, to receive the opinion of the 8.M., and every debt had to be sued for in that Court; but now the Magistrate visits Bakaia once every month, greatly to the disgust of small debtors. The Court is held in the Boad Board office in Mackie street. There is a settlement about two miles west of Bakaia, known by the name of Sod Town, where Government emigrants were located some four or five years ago, when immigration was in full swing. The bouses are still occupied by a few families, the men of which find ample employment on the large farms lying beyond. Though the harvest laßt season was a bad one, being not more than a onethird crop, yet during the delivery of the corn at the railway station it was quite a picture to see the accumulation of drays waiting to be unloaded. What it would have been had the crop been a heavy one can easily be imagined. Next year the bulk of the corn will be brought down by the Bakaia and Ashburton Forks railway, which is getting on fast in its construction.