PAHIATUA.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 5, Issue 1443, 30 July 1883, Page 2

PAHIATUA.

(from our own correspondent,) Since I last wrole we have had quite our full share of rain, which has rather retarded out-door work. We are not likely to have so much bush down as was expected, tho fact of there 'being so many contracts in hand at various places makes men rather shy of bush work at the price, The district, on the whole, is moving'ahead in the way of building, Ac,, the Messrs Avery having one house furnished (which event' was celebrated by a very social gathering oil Wednesday night last), and another one in a very forward state. We have also another general store opened, and an accomodation house, which was badly wanted, the journey for pedestrians from Eketaliuna to Woodville being too long. And as soon as the weather is favorable Messrs Manns and Sedcole are going to start brickmaking, which will supply a want that is badly felt, the old bush chimney being both unsightly and unsafe.

Our Koad Board matters are moving very slowly, but we suppose its one of those things that won't be hurried.

The sooner we have our school now the better. We ave in good hopes that it will be ready by the latter end of spring.

According to the ideas of one of the members of the Waste Land Board it is necessary to have a few corpses on hand before there any need for a ceraetry in an outlying district, where the only disease is a man occasionally getting killed with a tree. The contractor for the Manawatu bridge has made a start which has proved rather a costly one to him, for in spite of what lie was told about the vagaries of the river, he built his cement shed too close on low ground, and when tlio fresh came down yesterday afternoon, the lower tier containing 300 or 400 barrels were wet about 18 inches up, they weie stowed on ends. About 5 p.m. last night the wire rope on which the ferry punt works, broke, and the punt with the boat in company went down the river. The boat was found about a mile down the river,- smashed up, but up till dinner time to-day, nothing had been seen of the punt, The fresh was then going down,

a triumph op obatory. A writer recalls a scene which he witnessed at Edinburgh at a meeting of Dr Guthrie's ragged schools. The Duke of Argyll was in the chair, and a brilliant audience was present.' To understand the allusion, it must be remembered that a venerated clergyman named Guthrie suffered as a Covenanter in 1661, At the close of the meeting Dr Guthrie came to the front of the platform to move a vote of thanks to the chairman. Surveying the audience for a minute or two without saying a word, until expectancy was awakened, the orator turned- to the Duke, and with great deliberation said "It is not the first time, your Grace, that an Argyll and a Guthrie have met in the same place to further a good work in this city of Edinburgh." The effect of the sentence was wonderful. It went like a shock of electricity through every one in that vast assembly. TheGrassmarketandthetwo martyrs had risen on the view of every one there,' The people, as one man, started to their feet; and the Duke rising from his chair, stepped forward and gave his hand to Guthrie. There the two men stood; face to face and hand to hand, while the audience burst again and again, into joyous acclamations, the tears streaming down the faces of stalwart men. It was a scene not soon to beforgotten by those who were present/ and it seamed to the writer in all probability the greatest feat of oratory that Guthrie ever achieved.