Kiritehcrs – Moeatoa.

King Country Chronicle, Volume V, Issue 352, 12 April 1911, Page 7

Kiritehcrs - Moeatoa.

The weather in this district has been dry since the 1:0 th March, and consequently everything is as dry as matchwood. Second fires, blown up by the heavy winds, preceding the first shower of rain which fell on the 3rd inst, have started up and spread. On the 2nd inst., the whare of Messrs Kinnarie Bros., at Moeatoa narrowly escaped being burned. The whare stands on a rise surrounded by dead rimu and pukatea trees, destroyed by the first burn of four years ago. At nightfall, the clearing near the whare, was lighted up with innumerable "clusters" and "points" somewhat resembling Auckland Harbour during "fleet-week"; tall rimus and hollow pukateas, providing the illuminations. At night the atmosphere seemed to pulsate with the crackle of fire, illumined by the steady glow of slowly burning timber. At four o'clock in the morning the wind veere J, ani came down the flat in the direction of the whare. Mr Mat. Kinnane, who was on sentry-go all night, roused up the other two, one of whom remarked, as he looked outside, that it was already daylight. The three men set to work to carry out the household goods to a place of safety to windward of the sparks, which were now coming down in torrents around them. The dog kennel caught fire, and a valuable dog belonging to Mr Mat. Kinnane which was fastened to it by a long chain was rescued, and the blazing kennel rolled down the hill on to a flat, where a heated householder was struggling with some of his household goods. "Gave me a start, darned if it didn't, lucky the dog wasn't on the chain," was his comment. The wind dropped at six o'clock in the morning, a light misty rain began to fall, and the fires burned low. Some breakfast was partaken of, and fire-fighting anecdotes told over what might have been the fourth cup of tea for each man. Around the whare in the morning, the patches of ash and the blackened barrel of trees showed how near the fire had been. The damage was chiefly local, and confined to a belt of dead standing trees—pukateas and rimus. Very little grass outside the radius of the sparks was burned. Mr Fred Klein, who injured his ankle while gving an exhibition of jiu-jitsu, is making a good recovery, being now able to use his leg. No word has been yet received here as to when the Government intends to have the Marakopa-Mairoa telephone erected. In our younger days we were often told that it was possible to catch birds by sprinkling salt on their tails. The next time a telephone is to be put up in these parts, we won't be "caught by little grains of salt" in the shape of Government promises. A meeting of settlers convened by Mr John Wouldes, at Mr Phillip Klein's resiidence, Moeatoa, was held on April sth inst. The object was to consider the state of affairs in relation to the wharf, telephone, and the settlers' shed. Mr Wouldes was chairmna, and the subscribers, eight in number, considered what should be done to keep non-subscribers from using the shed. It was suggested that a lock be procured and a caretaker appointed to safeguard subscribers' interests. Mr Wouldes suggetsed that the department be written to concerning the wharf site, as the present one is not suitable. Ths school was suggested as a site. Mr R. Gregg spoke concerning the proposed telephone line, and wanted to know why work had not been started. The line from Marakopa to Te Kuiti would cost little to put up. Only about twenty or thirty chains of bush between Moeatoa and Pomerangi would have to be felled for the line, which could be taken across valleys. A short cut could be taken across Neilsen' clearing, and the whole line should be run up in quick time. It took hours sometimes to get a message through the Marokopa office, which did an enormous amount of telephone work. A direct service was wanted to Te Kuiti. The bonds have been signed, and he considered it was time the line was started. The question of the Mangakolcopu road was also discussed. Mr Gregg pointed out that this was the most important road in the district. Three miles only remained to be widened to make a decent wide road of it. It was the chief mail road from Te Kuiti to Marokopa, he pointed out, and if the Government saw to the rights of settlers, this would very shortly become a main coach road as well. Speaking on the matter of the telephone, he said it would not follow the road, so there would not be much expense as to the felling of bush. The telephone line would go straight up the valley from the Moeatoa post office to the Pomerangi, spanning the valleys in spans up to twenty If this route were followed, only 2d or 30 chains of light standing bush up a straight ridge would have to be felled, as everyone present knew.

It was decided to draw out a petition in connection with the matter of putting through the bit of road undei dis.ussion, as 'it was urgently needed. It was only a link of a few miles, and when completed would, wiili trie widening of a small portion of the road at Pomerangi, imkc a dray road from Te Kuiti.

A general meeting of settlers will be held in the hall, Marokopa, on the -1 (j th inst when matters concerning the wharf site, settlers' shed, telephone, i\larokopa-Te Kuiti roans, etc., will be fully discussed. Meters Wouldes and (Jiogg are the convenors. Heavy rains are tailing, and settlers are taking advantage of them to sow their grass-seed. Several stone axes have been dug up out of the road formation on the VVaipawa road. The new dairy factory on the Marokopa river is almost completed. A stock sale is to be held in the Te Anga yards on the 20th inst. A large attendance of settlers is expected.