OUR WAIRARPA LETTER

Manawatu Times, Volume IV, Issue 45, 5 June 1880, Page 3

OUR WAIRARPA LETTER

Gb^ttown, Jlay 31«t, 188O._ Since I last wrote; many incidents worth relating have trap spired m the Wairarapa Valley r and I^shalL, there?, fore briefly relat^iidm; my spare time being limited. LaitweeV, whilst thr,ee; men weTe'phtting cattle across the ferry »t the mouth of the Lake, it was found neeessary (to, iise- tJieitferry boat for the purpose, as the water was running out with too much, fqrqe foj^heir; hciMea jto withstand, la the riieanti me, the'i>reez;e/ had freshened from North East, which made matters still worse, and the water' flowel with greater? Velocity through: the narrow channel.'* The three men put,, out into the stream m the boat, which . when about halfrway across, was struck with an unusually -heavy ■-.•.roller, or breaker, capsizing the. boat, and two of the unfortunate occupants were carried out to sea and dt-owned. One of the, f fcadies has been recovered and interred; but the other, up to date, has, not been found, There appears to be quite »' fatality hanging^ brer this Lake lately. Wi^Ui 4boi|t two months 4r«W©a^aTe

.wafcery graves boats accidents. ' .... Durihfif^the past week more slips have occurred on the Rimutaka Railway, oausirig more stoppages of traflto and " great loss to Government, as well as our mercantile friends m the . It has been whispered— but \ oould not vouchfor the accuracy o| the stater mant-rrthat Government are oontemplating the abandonmeritjQf th|si' hill route -and- taking the iine^feorp / liower, Hutt to the sea; cpaat, and thence by the Coast routh into, the YaUey. Of course we - all know tlxat that should have* been the route ia the first place, instead of takingit throiigTi the mountains.; Theriidea of constructing that- ; line J was a. mQAstrous engineering swindle! There ; are^ at the present day a 'class of people; styling thiemselves engineers and surveyors, ' '&&, ' These gentlemen, as far as I-pan perceivej have^ formed tAemseWes into' a rin^, at the same time each one is drt his '<own heoferv WeIUM Kewl Zealand Go, ; •vernment /h^ye. Wetj" , v ( ery l?irge eraployersof ; tHese engideering <gentlemen, who are v lik-e -doctors or lawyers—ronce itoto theixji clutches it iisharJd to <get rairay again,^ So the Government have •been> and.stiU/are^in the grasp of the! jengineers, who take; alifkinds of? care f to keep themselves under 'employment of the. GoT;Ornment.:c The : .little game fis worked Hn' r the following simple '■ but ejßßcient manner.,- .An engineer- is employed to lay; off and survey so "Many miles of railway lipe Oft bourse this gentle jnan fias 'm^hy supernumeraries, consequently' 1 he ""does the lobking-on ; b^uiinessi^ but -^very; flittle>: -yFork^ and vdr^aws; a salary to, the tune of j about ■'£2ti per month. Well,. in course of •time his work isicqmpleted ; his chartsj/ 'plans, and specifications ■ are handed dver'to some other higher Government p%ials,jwhp.say»; ; ';': Very good/ 1 But soon another " eminent engineer, -who is on the look-out for a; "cwitoh^" inspects the charts, 4p.;. pj, Ncv.li::and after, seriously studyjng_the m.a.tt ; er for some time, at lengtn dectar^s the whole thing to , be wrong.; lilevelaj g>rades,' _'cur ves', ■ or somethiitg seiabu^; is radicallyvwrong. T. he consequence is another survey must; ; be made, and : • then/ of .^ourse, engineer'No*-2-ha's gained his "ends. A. great deal might be said upon .this t queßtibny:bufrl-wifi only state-that this was the way m which'itho Rimutaka Hill line iwas managed, : until four or^five engineers had 1 engaged on -the; work,' and now Government can see the." result of too much civil engineering. On the paltry three miles of the Greytown Branch Line, -no less than three survej's were »a.de t .e.ach;time;by a more eminent man \ The ground was, nearly a ■perfect level .the whole distance, but when the plates were laid, the/line was found te be seven feet too low at the itatibri end, so itjcjonsequently cost hundreds of pounds more to raise it. On Sine day last ah,,energetic citizen; having a little more than ordinary consideration for' the young "fblk^gbt up a railway :; excursion to ' Ctoss'«. Greek. : Tihe young people showed th.c appreeia.; tion of h|s tl^bug;tit£u.liie.ss»._ind/.tiirned, out en, massed somethihg^ Kke" 300- child - -ren,> and^ about thirty ■, 'adults . in -.•'■this-' manner spent a most enjoyable day. ...... GartertonVhas. not found its M.D.j and,' I surmise/ is ; not likely -.to- do so ; at all events ,b«e act wisely m placing « rpsnectable distance between himself arid the \eM, as I hear there is a case of abortion against him," to" be heard at the R.M. Court shortly. Business m every line still continu.es. very dull, and money tight.' Mr. T. W. Pilcher, forwardirfg agent at JPeatherston, is, I hear, about to relibqui3h that brflnch of his business, and intends establishing himself at Masterton. ; . i ['''"- -. ;^j; ■