OUR MANAWATU-RANGITIKEI LETTER.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 4419, 19 May 1875, Page 2

OUR MANAWATU-RANGITIKEI LETTER.

(from our own - correspondent.)

Marton, May 15. Having recently returned from a run through the Manawatu-Eangitikei district, I am enabled to send you a few notes of what is going on in this flemishing locality. I shall begin with Foxton, and am pleased to have it in my power to report that this township is showing signs of more active life. A new schoolhouse and various other buildings are in process of erection, and what with the large timber trade doing there, and the coni stant arrival and departure of coasting steamers, the place is beginning to wear an air of unwonted bustle.

Palmerston is still going ahead with wonderful rapidity, buildings are going up in all directions, and after an absence of a few weeks, visitors are struck with the change in its appearance. The dilatory manner in which the tramway is being converted into a railway gives very great dissatisfaction. It is now upwards of three months since operations were commenced, and little over two miles have been completed. The locomotives, which months ago were promised “in about three weeks,” have not made their appearance. I fancy that the date ol their arrival, and that of the completion of the telegraph line, trill be about simultaneous. However, until the conversion is completed, it would be unsafe for them to travel, as the tramway is in anything but a healthy state.

Sandon, too, is looking up and showing signs of increased animation. Thursday last was a great day here, there being a large sale of timber, the product of the Emigrant and Colonists’ Aid Corporation’s mill at Feildiug. Upwards of 100,000 feet were put up to auction, and disposed of at an average of a little over Bs. 6d. per 100. The attendance, though not very large, brought buyers from a long distance. After the timber sale a quantity of shrubs from the Feilding nursery were disposed of, but at very' unsatisfactory prices. On Friday there was a large picnic in the grounds of Mr. .Grace, of the Wainuiomata, who, I hear, is coming to reside here ; also a parade of the cavalry volunteers, whose band was in attendance, and formed the principal object of interest.

At Bull’s building is all the rage. One enterprising citizen, who purchased largely at the Sandon Sale, I hear, is about to erect twenty cottages. Laudable efforts have lately been made to found an hospital here for the Rangitikei district, for which the sum of £450 was promptly subscribed. The committee have been somewhat disheartened by the action of the Provincial Government in the matter. All that they (the Government) would downs to promise to propose a vote of £2OO as a grant-in-aid. What a pity one of the Executive is not a large owner of property in the district! The Rangitikei Amateur Steeplechase comes off on the 3rd proximo. I am informed that about £SOO is at the disposal of the committee. This surely ought to attract a good field, and if the weather is anything like, a day's good sport may be looked for. At Morton matters are rather quiet. A melancholy case of suicide occurred here on Tuesday afternoon, when the wife of a settler named Cawood poisoned herself. The unfortunate deceased, I believe, has scarcely been right since her confinement some six months'** - ago. Soon after that event, the husband wa-i down with the measles, then the baby, and "" finally the mother. The jury at the inquest found that her death was caused by poison, administered by her own hand, appending a rider attributing negligence to the husband. It is satisfactory to know that the infant is being well cared for, having been kindly taken in charge by Mrs. Betts, a widow lady, residing in Marton. The first number of our new paper is to be issued on Thursday. So far as I can learn, the proprietors have met with a very fair amount of support. We had some nice showers last week, and the genial weather which has prevailed since has caused the grass to spring up very rapidly. Should the weather continue as warm as it has been for the last few days for another week, we shall have any amount of feed. This, owing to the long drought, was beginning to. get rather scarce.