Alfredton Notes.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume IX, Issue 2792, 7 January 1888, Page 2

Alfredton Notes.

(FROM A SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT,) , I purpose in this letter giving you some particulars of the improvements we have made locally, for although back-countrymen, it must not be supposed that we cannot in our own quiet way. steadily afifect cbangesfor the better. Perhaps bush-clearing is the most important work we have done, and in this regard,.] may say that during the winter, about 1000 acres in the Alfredton and- Tiraumea Districts have been cleared, Usually, by this time, these operations have been over, and now, too, bush work has been pretty well relinquished, for the sap is well up the trees, and makes them riot only, difficult to cut, but bad to burn', afterwards. The wet season was a great cause of this work being carried on so late in. the year. Of course you know we are not a cropping community. A few settlers have put in some oats and turnips for their own consumption,but that is all. ' I am not able to boast of many new-comers, but three or four people have recently settled in our midst. ' Two men —one of them hailing from Wellington, have taken up small seotious (12 and 20

acres respectively) in'the ! Aliredtoni township allotments. The land certainly is good, but with our distance from a market, ' such small holdings can only with extreme exertions be mads to produce a living. I know I shouldn't like the prospect. I have heard too, that another mafi thinks of coming up to one of these little farms, but he hasn't definitely decided; yet. The 1200 acres of Government land which were sold on deferred payment in October last are gradually being improved. This was bought mostly by local settlers, but not by landholders-: more by people who were bushfalling and otherwise occupied, but who were awaiting the chance of getting land.' There are three " squatters" on it now, their respective' acreage's are about 200 acres, 59 acres, and GO acres. / One has put a house up, and the other two are clearing sites. The Government Surveyors are now working in the Mangaone country, at the back, and are surveying some very good, bush land-light bush with a considerable proportion of flat. ' The surveyed road lines are exceptionally straight and level for new pountry. It is likely to be thrown open for sale next April or May, and will no doubt be quickly taken up. The situation is good because it is adjacent to the main road to Pahiatua and Eketahuha. : v v '

To go oil to-other subjeots, I may mention-that our. present mail con-, tract expires in about a month, and we are hopeful of then getting a biweekly servioe instituted. It would be a great improvement; for once'a week is really too limited a service, and everything is really quite ancient before we get it. We all.spent a very quiet Christmas and New Year. We have always had the reputation of being a homely sort of people, but this time weparticularly deserved that character. Times have been bad, and have made an absence of money and of inclination for • much festivity. Strict economy is the ruling spirit at present—at one time whiskey was. Even the" hands" are .feeling the effects of the depression, for I overheard my old shepherd get the following - reply from, a shearer, to whom he applied for a. loan of a pipe. " Well, I'll lend it to you, but only for a short pull, for it's the only pipe we've got among four ofusl" Alas things have got very bad when it comes to this, but stay, it won't do for me to commence moralising, or my already long letter will become endless, so perhaps I had better "downbrakes," and not submit myself to the temptation of giving way to my "favorite indulgence. You will, hear from me again ere long, for a scribe like a prophet has to go abroad for glory.'