MAURICEVILLE NOTES.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3568, 23 July 1890, Page 2

MAURICEVILLE NOTES.

[bt rustic.]

To say that Mauricevilio ia looting tip is putting it very mildly indeed. Bushfelling has commenced in good earnest, and the presence of a largo number of the homy handed from the South Island and other parts of the colony tend to make things lively in this otherwise funereal Battlement, The ring of the despoilers axo is heard almost incessantly on the surrounding hill Bides, and the lofty pines whose proud tops catch the first and last rays of the rising and setting sun are fast yielding to the relentless edge of this destroyer of wild and beauteous nature. The lion's shire of the destruction of timber and magnificent scenery is being carried on in thoso fertile valleys of the Upper Wangaehu and lhurana streams which are situated from six to ten mile 3 from Mauriceville in an easterly direction, and are opened up by the Dreyer's rook and Bartons roads. Something over one thousand aoros are already being felled on what is known as the Brandon estate recently purchased by Mr Kennedy, of Wellington, and I am informed by his pushing and affable manager, Mr Gleeaon, that he expects by the end of December next to have two thousand acres levelled. The oponing up and improving of thislarge block of splendid land is a great boon to the district to which it has long been a scandal. Purchased iu the. old provincial days at ten shillings per acre and having had a road felled and cleared along the frontage of thesection, it has notwithstanding been allowed to remain in its virgin statu ever sinco; but it a thought that it has fallen into good hands now and will form an important factor in theprosperity ot the district.

The progress hi tho way of settle, ment in this part of the distriot is really wonderful, Eighteen months ago a wilderness, now dotted with, homesteads, smiling pastures, fat stock, and all the rest of all this under great disadvantages with regard to wads, which are at present well nigh impassable, Everything «p to tho present time such as stores, grassseed, wire, otc, has hadto be taken in on paok horses from tho settlement as tbo only thoroughfare for the greater part of 'the distance is a bridle track six feet wide. But the settlers hope soon to have a road past their doors. Tlioy are represented, on tho Mauricevillo road Board by' Mr S, Drew, of the skull and crossbones head of tho Ihurana, one of the first to take up land in that Valley. Great things are expected from this young gentleman, who has beconio very popular with all classes of the' community during the last twelve months.. This gentleman has had upwards of four hundred acres of bush Med, grassed, stocked, and fenced, and seems on the high road to prosperity, _ By the way, I hear that it is the intention of the settlers t<r connect Alfredton and Mauriceville by means of tho Dreyor's rock and, Barton's roads, a distance I believe of sotno sixteen miles, which they, intend to pnsn through and . complete as quiokly as possible and thereby obviate the necessity, of people living in those wilds having to'go round by Eketahuna when they, want to seo civilisation, or in other words when thoywaut to go:to:to'\vn.::T6the stock owuorS of Alfredton and the ■ surrounding district this would he an,

unmixed blessing, £and tho movo- -:' .inent will no doubt nioet with thoiihearty co-operation, By this moans Mauncevillo will become mi important centre and may safely look forward to having in ( • tho near futuro a hotel, sale yarSj, and all the other necessary ajufimsof a thriving township, It already boasts of a tailors' shop and a , buttor factory, and when tho rest is added I think it may fairly claim to be tho Chicago of tho Forty Milo Bush. There is some scandal in connection with the Muuricoville East School, Tho last mooting of tho Committee was yery stormy, and business was suspended, high words and fierce denunciations being tho order of the day (or rata llio night), The result of next meeting, which taltos place on evening, is looked with hushed and 1 toothless suspense, of which I will Rustic. , Mauviceville, July 21st.