MAURICEVILLE NOTES.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3768, 24 March 1891, Page 2

MAURICEVILLE NOTES.

[By Rustic]

The whirligig of time has brought us once more in the vortex cf the maelstrom —the aforesaid maelstrom being another term for excitement. Mauriceville has a grievance 1 We have beeu represented by the Waiharapa Daily as being addicted to litigation. In the name of the enlightened residents of this community I protest against this damaging indictment, and I call upon that organ of public opinion to show cause why it should not come up and apologise. It is but just to say that of the many cases (hard cases) from this district, which have sought the precincts of the R.M. Court for solution within the past few months, enly two were from the Scandinavian Settlement proper, and only two of the litigants were Scandinavians. The others, to a man hail from that bright land

" Where lawns extend that scorn Arcadian pride, And brighter Streams than fair Hydnspes glide."

I beg to remark also that generally speaking when a Scandy does bring a case into Court it is Borne legitimate business, which requires legal adjustment, and not for the mere purpose of throwing mud. In making these statements lam not actuated by any motive save alone for truth. I have nothing to do with them or their history present or past. In fact, I might take this opportunity of saying that it is not a fact, -<8 is popularly supposed, that one of my ilustrious ancestors, was Knighted on the field by the man who took possession of England with both hands. But in all fairness and to give honour where it is due, it must be admitted that some of the British residents around Mauriceville are a greater affliction to the community than the very worst of its foreigners, [ The Easter holidays will be ushered in with a sacred tea and concert, to be holden in the Choral Hall, Mauriceville East, on Friday evening next, 27th inst., which promises to be somewhat of a success. The affair is in the hands of a number of ladies under whoso management it is sure to succeed. The proceeds are intended as a bsnefit to Mr Christiansen, our popular Lutheran Minister. Already the Ladies of the Committee are on the war path and won't be denied you know. The choir is a most efficient one, and the music par excellence. As for the edibles you can bet your stars (Wairarapa Stars) that the reputation of Mauriceville will be sustained in a manner worthy of the occasion. About the liquors I can't say very much, but I hear the ginger pop is to be of the finest quality. I tiy to imagine strong men regaling themaelves on it, but I can't, I'm cloudy in some things! I'm going to it if it ills mel

The damp weather still continues, and grass and vegetables of all kinds present a luxuriance quite unusual at this time of the year. Settlers wiih bush to burn despair of being able to burn this year, and those who have tried have for the most part made a sorry mess of it. Bushfelling has already commenced in some parts of the district. On Gleeson's property .alone about eighteen hundred acres have been successfully tendered for andoperations are commencing.

A subject which is exercising the public mind here is the delay of our Road Board in letting the contracts for the extension ofthf Dreyer's Hock road. It is now nearly twelve months since the loan was negociated for this road, but at present nobody seems to know whether it will be done the next five years or whether it >s likely to be in its present condition when some traveller from the Antipodes, in the midst of a vast solitude, takes his stand on a broken ledge of Dreyer's Rock to sketch the ruins of Mr Jack Baunister's wool shed.

Talking of the Road Board, a rather amusing incident occurred in connection with that sapient body, Tha Board recently had a new office erected and when the members assembled in it for the first time, it was found that through some oversight no furniture had been provided. The meeting at once resolved itself into a Committee of ways and means. It was decided the members should go out in a body and forage round for something to sit on. Some little time after the townspeople were a good deal surprised, not to say alarmed, to see men carrying ugly looking weapons, issuing from all points of the compass, and all converging to one spot, namely, the newly erected office. Like wild-fire the news spread that the members of tbe Board were going to settle their differences, and an excited crowd soon gathered in the neighbourhood of the office and were d'scussing the advisability of interfering when Mr Hugh Jackson, a member of the Board, strode bp bearing on his shoulder a huge fence post, and entered the office. This was too much. The crowd besieged the door, and demanded to know what it meani. The inside of the office, when the doors were opened, presented a strauge sptctacle, Merebers were sealed round in loose order—some on packing casesj some on billets of firewood, others on inverted w-ashtubs.and when Mr Jackson placed one end of his post on the floor and lilted the other end against the wall at an angle of forty five degrees, ho took his seat amidst loud applause, which he duly and perspiringly acknowledged. Explanations ensued, and ths crowd dispersed. I might add that the office has since been furnished in a most elegant manner. In closing these notes, I very much regret to record a rather severe accident which happened to Mr John Rossiter, an old and widely respected settler of Mauriceville East, a few days since. Mr Rossiter was thrown from his cart, the wheel passed over ( his shvulder, inflicting a fearful bruise \

though fcrtunaiely no bones are broken. The sufferer is at present doing as well as can be expected, Mauriceville East, March 23rd, 1891.