HYDE.

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume VII, Issue 366, 10 March 1876, Page 3

HYDE.

(I'rom our own correspondent.) " Pore Gad," as the man in the old play says, I have little or no news to put into my budget for the perusal of youv readers this week, but, such as it, I will try to do the best with it. The weather,, the crops, the land question, and the earthquake have all contributed to the ' Chronicle' as the occasion arose; but, alas! they are not inexhaustible, and the poor scribler must fain rack other sources of information if lie wish to keep the ink flowing from the iron pen, said "pen" being " mightier than the sword," for which see your sagacious and veracious 'Dunstan Times,' ''and when found," as jolly old Captain Cuttle remarks, "make a note on't " —if you can. But yet, for the honor of the craft, I will not say, with Canning's knife-grinder, " Story ! bless your honor, I've none to tell." I have, and mean to tell it.

Last Friday, 3rd instant, his Reverence Father Royer visited Hyde. He had just returned from a tour of mission duty through his recently much enlarged and extensive parochial district. One of the principle reasons for its extension, so I believe, is that the Reverend Eather should be enabled to devote a portion of his time to the spiritual wants of the Catholic Maoris resident at "Waikouaiti, Moeraki, and other places— these places, along with Palmerston, being the late additions to, his cure. When the rev. gentlemen reached here he was well travel worn and weary from long journcyings to and fro iu the district; but that did not seem to weigh anylhing with him, for he had scarcely dismounted till he visited (he Catholic school, and held a pretty protr Acted examination of the children. It appeared to give him satisfaction, and he appeared pleased with the general educational status of the little ones, according to their various ages and opportunities for acquiring instruction. It was well on in the afternoon when he came, so he recruited for the night, and left early next morning for the Dight, and left early, next morning for Naseby, to which place he was anxious to return, having made a rather long stay on clerical duties. I think it is his intention to offer up Mass on Sunday, the 11th instant, at this place. Three weeks have now elapsed since the Provincial Secret ai'y and the Chief Surveyor, Messrs. Reid and M'Kerrow, visited Hyde. Mr. Eeid promised, as he was leaving, that the matter should receive the attentive and immediate consideration of the Government. No reply lias yet been sent to the Progress Corumittee'or deputation as to the action intended to be taken with regard to the block, and the good people resident here begin to fee! uneasy, as the harvest is gathered andi stacked in most instances, and soon the work of breaking up, ploughing, and sowing will have'to be commenced anew. They are naturally anxious that some decision be arrived at ere the fine autumn weather passes away, and do not wish to procrastinate till G-reybeard winter,, with his icy breath, chills the soil, and places his veto on sod fencing and other necessary initiatory works of husbandry. *St,V;V

have heard it rumored that Palmerston people are averse to the extension of the railway from their bustling agrarian wayside town to the Waihemo, and that they intend strongly to oppose such extension. Well be it so; and without staying to enquire into the reason, I say " chacun a son gout." But the Hyde people have their Tittle idea about a railway too. A railway connecting from the Outram one, opening up the Strathlaieri Valley, would run through a fine and vast expanse of pastoral and agricultural country, facilitating and promoting settlement for thousands. It would embrace a comparatively new and unoccupied territory, ,fitted for the-profitable outlay of capital and la bor. It would be mure suitable for internal transit by Naseby, upwards and onwards, tliau by Pigroot, from Palmerston via Waihemo. Strathtaieri's claims, publicly as well as locally, are not altogether unimportant oi chimerical.