The Wairarapa Daily. SATURDAY, JUNE 21, 1879.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 2, Issue 191, 21 June 1879, Page 2

The Wairarapa Daily. SATURDAY, JUNE 21, 1879.

A year ago when settlers were expecting to see that section of tlio Wellington and Masterton railway which crosses the Kimutaka opened for traffic, they regarded the new method of crossing the ranges as somewhat hazardous. It was said that the line would constantly be blocked up by big landslips, and that the pressure of the wheels of the gigantic engines would wear away both the rails and the flanges which gripped them, It was prophesied that the coaches would have to be put on again some time or other over the old road, and the old method of transit would be safer than tho new one. Nearly a year has passed since then. Over a thousand well-laden passenger trains have ascended and descended the steep grades of the mountain, and there has been a perfect immunity from either accident or danger. Tho interruptions on the line from slips have been but nominal. The giant engines have never failed, but through frost, snow, rain, and sunshine have fulfilled their allotted tasks week after week and month after month without let or hindrance, Had coaches performed an equal amount of work with every care and precaution, some checks, some dangers, and a few accidents would necessarily have had to have been recorded on an exposed road like that which winds round and over the Eimutaka, It is evident that the great railway department has learnt its business well and thoroughly. That both in the construction and the /maintenance of railways the utmost care and vigilance is exercised. The engineers of New Zealand deserve all honor for achievements such as the one to which we have alluded. The forethought and skill which planned a line to run up a steep mountain range, and pierce the crown of it with a tunnel a quarter-of-a-mile long and which did all this, so that from the day the line was opened passengers could travel over it in comfort and safety, should command the respect and admiration of all. ' Had the line failed or the rolling-stock proved deficient in any particular, great would have been the outcry against the -engineers, but as happily no iault has been discernible; our appreciation of their labors should, as far as possible, be manifested.

: Tlie" adjourned.mooting of t^o'creditors of ,Mr tt A, Cpwper will be hold at; Grey town to-day at 3, p.m. :

• Mr . and Mrs Alexander, announce , a :matinee for this afternoon and appeararioe this evening in the Town Hall, Mastorton.

At ft special meeting of the members of the Miisterton Trustees held last overiing, Ml' James Wrigley-.was elected to, fijl the vacant seat on the Trust.- ■ '

Yesterday was the 42nd. anniversary of the ascension to the throne of Queen Victoria. And yet tho banks did not keep it as a holiday. ;

The annual dinner in connection with, ilie Greytoivn Lodge of Masons 'will be :ield at the-Working Men's Club, Grey-. ;own, on Tuesday next. ,

■ A race between two ponies, for £lO a side, is,tobo run on tho Tauherinikau Course to-day at 2, 30 p.m., the owners being Mr R. Tilson and Mr H. Gillies,. - The Greytown Volunteers are said to he anxious for the Government to send them on aotive service against the natives in the north. Such a spirit must be graifying to the defence department W-3 hear that Mr Clayson's furniture was disposed of yesterday by valuation to Mr, G. Coker, who'intends to carry on in tho same premises 'a Cafe' Royal and Working Man's Club.

The competition between coaches on he Masterton and Featherston line is raxing lively. Next week, all of Hastwell, Hacara, and Co.'s vehicles, without excepion, will wo understand run for' a falling,'

Residents in Greytown will be sorry to hoar, that John Macara is about to relinquish the business which he has conducted in that town for the past few years. He is, we understand, about to hold a clearing sale of'the whole of his well-assorted stock, full particulars of which sale will be given in an early issue of this paper, At the usual quarterly meeting of the Court Wairarapa, No. 5354, was held in. the Foresters' Hall, Greytown, on Wednesday last. The following officers were electedßro. Wickerson, O.R ; Bro. Palmer, S.C.R ; Bro. Bright, S.W.; Bro, Trotman, J.W.; Bro. J. Smith, 5.8.; Bro, J; Doclcery, J.B. The retiring auditors were re-elected.' Wc understand that this Court intends recognising the services of their past Treasurer, Bro. H, L. Byrn, by a presentation on a suitable occasion, Bro. Fuller was appointed his successor.

• We hear that the Foresters' of Greytown and the Wesleyans of the same township are in negotiation with regard to the exchange of buildings for their several purposes. The Wesleyans could not well do better than have that large and commodious building known as the Foresters' Hall, while the present chapel would make a nice comfortable hall for friendly societies. >

A requisition is being signed by the residents in West-street, Greytown, at'the South end, with a view of laying the same before the Borough Council to have some-, thing done to that street. It appears that this portion of West-street was a boundary between the Fcatherston Highway Board and the Greytown Local Board, and neither Board would do anything towards the repairs, and it has been left in the disgraceful state in which it is at present, It certainly deserves the attention of the Council. We learn that at a meeting of the Lower Valley Ploughing Match Committee held a the Aftiihanga Hotel, it was resolved to have a match at Waihanga, on Wednesday, July IG, The Hon, J, Martin having offered the Committee the ground for the match, a sub-committee was appointed to select a site, and report to the Committee at the next meeting to bo held at the Wailienga Hotel, oil Monday, the 80th June, at two p.m., when the Committee also hope to be in a position to settle the amount of prizes. They have already received subscriptions of nearly £2O in aid of the match. The London Tablet of April 19 contains the followinglt is stated that the Rev George Harold, J. P. of Wicklow, in the Diocese of Dublin, has been named by the Holy Father to the Bishoprie of Auckland, New Zealand, of which See, it will be remembered, his Grace the Archbishop of Cashel was formerly prelate... Father Harold had been, previous to appointment to the pastorship of Wicklow, curate in Kingstown and Ballybrack, County of Dublin," A \veek or two ago a Napier tradesman handed debts to the amount of £lB4 Is 2d to an up-country lawyer -for collection, The lawyer's bill amounted to only £72 2d. That lawyer evidently does not know his business. A sharper practitioner would have made his bill £lB4 Is 2d, Why, the charge for collecting £l3 through the medium of the Resident Magistrate's Court was only £ls, and this bagatelle actually included court fees. Who says law is expensive 1 asks the Hawke's Bay Herald. The Southland News says that 120 bushels per acre is the yield of oats—as shown by the result of the threshing—from a field owned by Mr. John Bisset, adjoining the one in which the trial of reapovs and binders was recently held. They vreof Dainish variety, and were put infuiliwing turnips and potatoes. The paddock in which the reaper contest was held—after grass-yielded G8 bushels to the acre of the same kind of oat. Such returns demonstrate the quality of Southland's soil, and show that the district round Wallacetown is in no was inferior in point of fertility to the celebraced New River flat.

Mi'E. Briglitwell has a little grey mare, which, for purposes of protection, is equal to a Colt's revolver, or a bull-and-terrier. A few clays ago (says tho Manawatu Times) the owner was holding aw animated conversation with an excited stranger, towards the conclusion of'which the pedestrian indulged in some artistic motions, and as a prelude to posing himself for "ye manly,art," stripped off his coat, Having accomplished that preparatory, lie proceeded to attack his opponent in the rear, but before lie had time to strike a blow, the grey came to the rescue, and by a well-directed kick, placed the pugilist hors-de-combat, The battle was over in one round, the cries of lamentation from the wounded gladiator being more boisterous than were the threats of vengeance e few moments before. A. new spark-catcher has been constructed at tho Auckland railway workshops, under tho superintcndance of Mr W. Elliott, locomotive foreman.. The want of a really good spark-catcher has long been.felt, and at last the.correct thing appears to ue intrpduefcd, The. engine, to which tho new invention wasj fixed,, took a 65-ton train to Papatoitoi and back, and scarcely emitted a spark from the funnel, and those v wliich found vent w t ere extinguished »before .they reached the ground, showing a very great improvement 011 the old system. The pettick pipe/ which leads from; the exhaust pipe into the funnel,'constructed on a new principle, is expected to prevent further fires on railways,