JOTTINGS FROM ROXBURGH.

Tuapeka Times, Volume VII, Issue 384, 22 August 1874, Page 2

JOTTINGS FROM ROXBURGH.

There is " a good time coming " for Roxburgh ; we are at length to reap the reward of our patience, and the years of cruel misery and disappointment we hare suffered through hope deferred, and oft repeated promises of good thing 9, which said promises were only made to be broken. Roxburgh is at last to take its place amongst the cities of New Zealand, and become as some of our friends here say nature intended it should be, the Premier City of the goldfields. We are to have aMayor, Alderman, Councillors, Town Clerk, &c, who are to meet in a new Town Hall ; we are to have a handsome stone bridge built across the Molyneux, which is to connect the east and west sides of that famous rirer ; we are to have an Athenaeum, a free library, a working men's club, a young men's mutual improvement society, a Dorcas society for the ladies, a Good Templars' Bociety, and I don't know how many more good things. Surely then we shall be supremely happy! Our new post-ofSce is likely to be finished sometime, but at present there is nothing to be seen but tho bare walls. I hear it is intended to build a handsome stone church on the west side of the river for the use of our Presbyterian friends, as the present wooden building (which : I believe was part of the old camp) is too small and ill-adapted for the purpose ; besides, ifc ia found very inconvenient for the minister to live on the one side of the river and have the church on the other, as in time of a flood or high winds the punt cannot cross. I believe it is intended to utilise the present building as a school, to accommodate the rapidly increasing juvenile population on the east side, and so prevent the danger attendant on the little ones having to cross and re-cross the river, which in winter time is very unpleasant, and causes some persons not to send their children to school at all. A new parsonage is also to be built for the Rev. Mr. Dewe, the respected minister of the Church of England. The gentleman you named in a recent issue as likely to become first Mayor of Boxburgu is very sanguine of success, and has, I believe, received many promises of support from influential parties, including several runholders and members of the squatocracy. It is his intention to give a grand supper on the night of bis election, which will be followed by a fancy dress ball, which will no doubt prove very attractive. He is daily surveying the township to see what improvements can be made, aud amongst other things he promises is a new road down to the punt on the north side, as the present one is alike difficult and dangerous. The matter of water supply and drainage he will take under bis own special care ; he intends covering over the present open water race, so as to prevent the pigs, ducks, geese, dogs, cows, and horses from polluting the stream, a practice, I am sorry to say, _they at present daily indulge in, and which Mr. Le Bedel considers very prejudicial to the health aud, of course, the happiness of the community. It is also his intention to petition the Government to erect barracks here for the accommodation of female immigrants, as he is of opinion that such an establishment •would have a very good effect in correcting the morals of the surrounding neighborhood. He is strongly in favor of replacing the present unsightly post and wire, sod, or manuka rail fences by, hedges of hawthorn, sweetbriar, honeysuckle, , and wild roses, as such a change would add greatly to the beauty of the township, and would encourage the feathered songsters to come and settle amongst us, thus makiug the early mornings (of which he was so fond) delightfully redolent with sweet sounds. One other good idea I must not omit to motion, he is determined that the meetings of the Council shall be opened, and closed with prayer. Ifc is to be hoped the adoption of this plan will prevent those unseemly " wars of words " which so frequently disgrace the Council Chambers of a more pretentious character. We shall of course require the services of a chaplin, or perhaps the Town Clerk will be able to perform this duty. lam glad to inform you that the gentlemen who are engaged collecting subscriptions for ,the Athenseura are meetiug with great encouragemeut. The same remarks apply to the youn* ladies who have undertaken to clear off the debt of the Catho'ie Church, aud also those ladies who are selling tickets for the art treasures lottery to remove the debt of the the English Church. All honor to them. Let us gefc out of debt, and when once clear of this bugbear, let us give it a wide berth. There is some talk of purchasing the large stone building now being erected by Mr. Thos. Featheritones, opposite Ormoncl's hotel, for a working men's club. The promoters of the Young Men's Mutual Improvement Society and Good Templars' Society are very backward in making a start. Could you not persuade some of your Lawrence and Blue Spur ladies to pay us a visit up here. lam sura they would meet with & warm reception, and they might do a great amount of good here. It is quite useless trusting to the young men here, and most of my lady friends are engaged either nursing their babies or else making. the necessary preparations for babies in prospect, so that they are unable to render us any assistance. — I am, &c., Nil Despeeakdusi.