PUBLIC OPINION.

Patea Mail, 25 August 1881, Page 3

PUBLIC OPINION.

Contributions, Letters, Inquiries and Answers thereto, are invited on Farming. Commerce, Politics, and matters of interest to the Patea district. Names of writers need not be printed. BAIL WAY A CCIDENT. Did you hear of that fearful and peculiar accident on the railway this side of Normanby ? Since the news readied me, my nerves have been quite unstrung. The accident is worse by happening on Sunday. A special train had been laid on to convey a deputation from New Plymouth en route for Wellington, on Sunday morning ; and when the train reached Normanby the deputies were impatient to run on to Hawera to catch a special coach for the south. Rails are laid to Hawera, but the line is not open for traffic. They could not stick at trifles. They were outside of New Plymouth, and a little Sabbath wickedness would not matter so long as their brethren at the Sugar Loaves did not hear of it. The deputies were determined to run over the unfinished railway to Hawera. They saw a contractor, who objected. But they insisted. Very well : the contractor asked them to stop a minute. That contractor went behind and tied a wheel to the rail, and then told them “ All right : drive on !” But the train couldn’t move. That mean contractor came dodging around the other

side, and sa ; d “ Here now, this is Sunday, and this radway belongs to me. If you mean to go pic-nic-ing over this line, yon must just pay toll. I will take up a Sunday collection, if you please.” And he did. Those deputies forked out; and the contractor untied the rope ; and the train steamed on to Jericho. All’s well that ends well. The contractor went to church, and the deonties went to Wcllignton. Passenger. Note. —Another version of this “ accident ” is that (he train had run through and was returning, when the parties in the train had to pay toll.