HAMILTON.

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume IV, Issue 246, 21 November 1873, Page 1 (Supplement)

HAMILTON.

(To the Editor of the Mount Ida Chronicle.) November 15th, 1873. Sib, —" 'Tis strange, 'tis wondrous strange, and strange because 'tis strange" that, among the multitude of your 'correspondents at Hamilton, not one of them appears to be guided by pure and disinterested motives, nop with a view to promote public good ; but ail betray a lurking sinister motive, which they dare not declare, and which is invariably self against public. Tour correspondent of the 7th inst. as far as he went, shewing the necessity, of a bridge over the Taieri River, wa; quite correct, and had he then closed it would have done him credit. But,- like a cow giving a good pail of milk, and then kicking it over, he must sound the tekbir, " Allah A mbar, we are saved, the Caliph, the ' noble' Caliph brought up his sugar round the lake." How sweet it is to think that we were saved from an excruciating cienth by the sugar bought by the <: noble efforts" of the noble Caliph., Would it not have been as well for tlie writer to have mentioned that Mr. M'Dermott at the same time, by double banking w.ith the Caliph, brought up a load of flour, when the last bag of the winter's stock in the bakery had been baked and distributed ? I would ask your correspondent, wa3 it also a noble act of the Caliph when he caused the opening up of the road from Hyde hero to be stopped by clandestinely sending away a public document entrusted to him for the purpose of obtaining signatures, and inducing the Government at once to commence the work ? ' "Oh ! for a thousand old rams' horns, "To blow the Caliph's praise, "And let the world around us know, " The secrets of his ways." Now, sir, the grand secret -is this : There are ' two would-be magnates with one henchman ' at Hamilton, unto .whom the opening of the Hyde and Hamilton road up a spur on the j right hand side of the Gorge coming up is a

perfect terror ; and, when I i :form you that i he-one is a waggoner and si: u-ek-i-p -ran 1 the .)th( r .) farmer, the cau-e of .heir i-er.-or nee m mo rtplanation. All that i» luc I your last corres ondent to write, and I say the whole object of his letter," rested iii this—" I think it would be far better to spend the money, granted by the Council for making a road from Hyde to here, on this new track from the Hyde crossing to Haniiltons." The ridiculousness of his proposition is so apparent that it needs but-few words (o wipe it out. His proposition in a two-fold sense would tend to augment and perpetaoAe-thejuagwsvili that he, in the first part of his letter, so deploringly laments. Firat : it ..ould preclude the possibility of our getting supplies from Hvde, as they would never come to Hamilton by any such circuitous route—about double the distance than by way of the Gorge. Second : It would necessitate their stopping at night at H-itrillons, for they could not travel eighteen or twenty miles, sell a load, and return in one day; therefore would not bother with it. And thirdly : when starving we could get no sugar from Hyde. What we want is for Hyde to stop all produce coming from Palmerston to Hamilton, by which, if done, we cau live for , about one-third less. On the other hand, if | *., he Government should expend a few hundred pounds on the old lake road, it would be quite natural for them to say, "we-can't aiford mouey for a bridge now," and our grievances would be answered by expending £2OO or £3OO in tinkering up on old _ ricketty road that no one would travel, except in cases of necessity. And the Caliph, stronger than ever in the exercise of his pristine anddiviue would, times without number, perform "the noble act of saving us from starvation, by bringing his sugar around the lake. Like a child saying •' Ma, give me that-apple or I'll cry,'' your correspondent says, "we must eifch l- have that or move away." Thej-e is no such intention here. We have demanded, and we intend to have our rights, as well as other parts of the district. Our demands are moderate, and founded in justice as "wel-Las necessity—in justice, for the reason that we have for ten years contributed our share to .the Government, and have received nothing iby way of public improvements. Other parts |of the district have received over £ls per | head for works which cannot properly be j called "public improvements"—local imi provements would be more proper. We only | ask about £3 or £4 per head for a bridge, a I real public requirement, which would increase I in value as the country became settled up. ; Besides, there is a pressing necessity for it, as ; this part of the district cinnot improve in any ■one tiling without it. There will never be j a greater population or more traffic until there 'is a bridge built. The argument of some who I soy the population is too small for the outlay is an.absurdiiy. a Government p.o-;-i'b«;n^-|w..ilu.;inu., they cannot be so blind as not lo khow-^i a fc>4lec 1 ece J p,an he ; ' no'progress without rouls and bridges" And, 1 whilst they are legislating for generations two i hundred years unborn, by way of expeuding a part of our revenue (t.o which we ail contribute) in seeds of .forest trees from California, they surely will not forget that they have kids of their owu, starving for a little sugar. Not to make my remirks tedious, I will close by giving you a little information,-which is of more than local interest. I.am informed, by authority which warrants me in. stating, that last week a deputation, consisting of James Hamilton, Esq., and.E._X3live_rf Esq., M P.C , waited on the-Executire^Si : reference to our bridge, and that the result of their conference was favorable beyond our most sanguine .expectations. So much so that it is more than probable a bridge will be erected this summer. —T am, &c., Photobohts.

As gels in tee " Pook."—A clepgsrman at Thorahill, Dumfriesshire, was" lately examining the parish school. In the course of the Bible clas3 was brought forward. After many questions had been asked and answered, greatly to the, satisfaction of the minister, he proposed that any boy might ask him a question, as he might then hare an idea of what particular information they wanted. A pause ensue'd. At last, a bright* looking boy said^—" Sir, I would like to ask one." ".Well, my little man," asked the "minister, "What is the question you are to ask ?" " Sir," said the boy. " what was the use of Jacob's ladder when the angels had wings?" Th*» minister felttaken aback, took out his snuff-box, and looked at the boy. "I think, my little r*ian, that is the very question t should hare asked at the class, and I-will »ive ' sixpence to any boy in the class who will answer it." After a somewhat long pause one little fellow, third from the rbottom ; held out his band. . "Well," said the minister, "can you answer that question?"_ " Yes, sir." " Well, what was the use of " the ladder when the angels bad wino-s?" " Oh! sir, the angels were poukin'iinoulting) at the time and couldnaV.flee,* The minister is taking an interest in that boy. An American speculator has commenced business on the great coming event for 1874—namely, the transit of Venus. He advertises front seats at one hundred dollars each. New London, Conn., ..has now the meanest man. He keeps a beer saloon. He rewarded a man who returned his lost' pocket-book, containing 200 dols., bj offering to " toss him for drinks." f *