NOTES OF A VISIT TO CAMPBELLTOWN.

Manawatu Herald, Volume II, Issue 59, 19 March 1880, Page 2

NOTES OF A VISIT TO CAMPBELLTOWN.

By JExicosi Having for a long time past desired to see Campbelltown, of which t had heard a great dealj it was with gratification I noted an invitation to attend a meeting there last Wednesday. Mounting my steed, I started off early in the day, after a snaclc of breart aud butter for lunch. On reaohing Motuiti Ihe temptation to have a look at the new Maori ruminga whare was too great to be resisted, so I rode in and reined up. As usual, there were a great raaay Maoris* about, but very little work going on. The rununga bouse is a large and handsome building, and when completed will be the feature of Motuiti. At the time of my call, the native carver was engaged in cutting out a portrait in wood of Some wonderful ancestor or Other, whose demon looking face will adorn the building when completed. After a stay of a few minutes I re iched the road again, and pushed rapidly on towards Carnarvon station, being desirous of avoiding a collision between my horse and the train. Itwould be a great advantage if the Government would fence the line, as its present state is extremely dangerous to 1 any person who happens to be riding a 1 timid beast. Gotting past Carnarvon «ta--1 tion, ray horse had a good blow, nnd soon we jogged on again about 8 miles towards 1 S melon, when I espied a board marked Rosina Line, and knowing that Jones' Lhe • (leading to Oampbelllown) was immediately 1 opposite, I turned my horse's head for the bush. Along the Sandon road, the land is rather light, and continues so for about halt : a mile doivn Jones' line, when it shelves off into a large flit of rich soil, beyond which lies a heavy bush. The soil of this land is r black and rich, with a heavy clay subsoil. A* T rode aiong, signs of progress soou met my eya. The greiter number of the sections are fenced on each side of the road, 1 and scvoral very 1 irge drains have been sut to drain the low lands. On the north side ofj the road there are several houses. I noticed two belonging Messrs. Mudford Bros. This family have taken up 300 acres, and two of the brothers are now residing on the land. One (who is married) lias recently put up a neat little cottage near the bush.and a large slice of the land in front bus boen ploughed. Soon I had passed several houses scarcely so pretentious in their appeavajee, occupied by settlers who were evidently what they call on the diggings " hatters," or in other words, enjoy that state of life known as " single blessedness." Meantime the road was getting appreciably worse, for though hard, the broken fascins sticks stood up almost on onJ, leading to the conclusion from the manner in which my horse jumped, that any Campbelltown horse should be good at the hurdles. The road formation after you get into the bush, is of har:l clay, and I pictured to myself what it would be after a week's heavy ruin iincl a tolerably good truffle. I would beg to be excused from attending Campbelltown meetings during the winter — that was ray conclusion. Besides, the roads through the busii (as in all new districts) are worn away round the edgo of all sfcumps and 'in consequence one must ride carefully to avoid a catastrophe to both horse and rider. After about three miles of this, I c;ime to a road callei Hanks' line. Ami sunh a roarl ! We (that is my horse and I) turned into a track in the buah. Tiie busli certainly had been felled and the big trees taken off the track. That is all I cju say for it. The great tangled roots Unit wind across and about the pptli are " perfect terrors," and in fact it is a labour to get along. In winter I believe it is far worse Then thu horses drop their feet in the most extreme dnubt as to where they will find a footing, the whole road being in a dreadful state. After about a quarter of a mile of this tangled bush track I suddenly came upon au opening, which was evidently a natural clearing, and I saw, on the top of a gentle slope the residence and premises of Hessrs F. Rich & Co., who are the Campbelltown agents for the Hp.hald, and carry on the business of butchers-, fanners, Sea. Their premises are by fur the best in th<* Settlement Bloelt, their bcinsc an appearance of progress which is not seen everywhere iv the district. The house is a large and roomy building, almost new, and only needs a coat of paint to finish it off. A short distance behind the house stood the large tackle which usually adornd a butcher's yard, and the numerous sheepskins which were h»ng along the fences showed that the population must be considerable. But what chiefly attracted my attention were three large ricks of oaten hay. These I was pleased to sfie, for they save conclusive proof of the quality of the soil, and indicated that at somts future time Campbelltown will be a worthy competitor with even > sandon in the production of cereals. I learned that good judges pronounce the yield to be equal to at least 60 buahols to the acre, inquiry at the house gave me the rather unpleusant information that all the settlers had gono to attend the meeting at the Square The information was unpleasant, because by this time I was ravenously hungry, and knowing the "longwimledness'' of country meeting's, I feared the clock would strike six before my cravings were appea-e I. But duty (which some Sco'chman has said is 4C doing what you don't like to do"— ju'.ged by that standard it was real duty in my case) compelled me to leave, so I bestrode my horse and started for the Square. I may here explain that the put of the- roid which passes through the natural clearing spoken of is very fair, the formation being hard, whilst the coun try dips considerably at one point, making drainage very etuf. Immediately opposite Rich & Oo's , is the section owned by Mr Costal. This gentleman is a very old Oivil Servant, being ohief overseer in the Government Printing Mfioe, and has taken up >i scotion of (I think) 300 acres, with it view of making a comfortable home for his old age. At present his four sons — a stalwart lot of young men — are working the property, being engaged in fencing, clearing, &c. A very neat house is being erected on the land, near to the road, the old building not being sufficiently respectable for the advanced condition of the settlement. I learned with great satisfaction that in about a year Mr Costall expects to quit the dingy Government Printing office, and bring up the remainder of his family to settle on the laud. He was visiting the settlement at the time of my visit, and from the amount nfenergr and spirit he is known to possess, will make a capital settler, and on-; likely to push Campbelltown ahead. He intends stooking his pro-

perty shortly. After petting thro'igh the natural clnaring Bnd into the bush once more, Batiks' line becomes watte and wofßß. Thti track' is narrow, and the large tangled roots stand at least a foot above the ground Just fancy, gentle reader, such a road in winter. The ground is then soft, and between those tangled roots the soil of course becomes mudhoies, and your horse sucoeedn in getting one leg over a root only to drop his toot on the other side down to beyond the knee in a mudhole. No wonder that the settlers prefer in winter time wading through the mud up to their knees or clambering along logs, in preference to BO dangerous a method as travelling on horseback. As I passed along the road I was surprised to find so large a number of settlers. AH along the track there are cottages, many of them with neat vegetable (jar don 9 in front. I Bhould think I passed some 20 houses between Rich & Co's house and the Square, a d t could see more beyond. In front of two cottages owned by (reman settles, I noticed the tobacco plant growing, and from what I could see it appeared to be thriving. Were the road improved, it would of course greatly ndd to the appearance of th<» buildings. The im preasion I formed, however, was that the settlers were an economical, hardworking set r.f men, possessad of " real grit," and likely to become a prosperous and contented community. At last the Square was reached. This is a »pot at the end of Campion's (or Hickford's) line. The bush has been felled, and burnt, but no other improvements effected. This leads me to say a few words on the vexed question of the expenditure of £300 on Hickford'a line. From what I can judge of the feelings of the settlers, they are not favorable to the expenditure of so largo a sum upon one road, when there are two other roads which have claims equally as strong, if not stronger. Having been over Jones' line and Banks' line, I may express an opinion that the former does not need a large expenditure to put it into very fair order for the winter. If the drains were cleaned out, the fascine* sticks cut, and some few other improvements effected, — and £50 would go a great distnnce toward these works— Jones* line would be fairly passable. The same remarks apply (I believe) to Hbkford's line. The settlers tull mo that for £50 or £100 at the outside Hiokford's line could be put into capital order, hut not having been over th*»t road I cannot suy. So far as Banks' line is concerned, the settlers one and all complain ' of it as a terrible slough in winter, and they literally dread the prospect of winter setting in without some improvement being effected in it. The first work should be to drain the level part of the road. This could be done by carrying the water down to the slope in front of. Rich & Co.'s property,whence jt o.ould easily be drained away. The stumps or roots should also be removed from the roadline. Those works cost a considerable sum — probably £150, — but they must be done at some tima or other, and the sooner the bettor. For the benefit nf those who do not kuow the country, 1 may explain that Jones' and Hickfold's lines run at risrht angles from the Foxton-^andon road into Oampbelltown, but at the extreme ends of the district. Banks' line runs throngh the township and district and unites Jones' and HioKt'ord's mads. The three lines therefore form three sides of a square, and are all absolutely necessary to the welfare and progress of the district. Jones' and Hickford's |roads are neceeary to enable the settlers to communicate with the outside world, but Bauk's line is absolutelj r necessary to enable them to communicate with one aa other, and to enable settlers living in the heart of the town to reach the main roads running out from ;he district. After this long 1 digression, I must hasten to a conclusion. The meeting, Mr Editor, has been duly reported in your columns, and I have ouly to add that after it had concluded your reporter got back as speedily as possible to Messrs Rioh & Co.'s, and partook of a repast fit for a king, prepared b y Mrs Browning, the " better half " of one of the partners in the *"Jrm of Rich & Co. This satisfied the hunger from which I suffered, and as " the shades of night were falliug fast," I started on ihe return journey, reaching home about 9 p.m., very muoh pleased with the country about Campbelltown, and firmly impressed with the idea that in the course of three or four years it will be one of the most pretty and prosperous country districts of Manawatu.