PATERANGI.

Waikato Times, Volume X, Issue 750, 7 April 1877, Page 3

PATERANGI.

March 29, 1877. It is seldom we see anything chronicled in your valuable paper from this place, and with your permission, I will inform your readers how we are progressing. Farmere are at this season all very busy, either preparing land for seed or Bowing the same. In this vicinity many of our settlers are laying down fresh lots in prase, and the country is gradually changing from the monotonous fern nd ti-tree into beautiful green paddocks. Houses are being built in all directionsj fiesh aettlers are arriving j land is changing hands, and everywhere can be seen that the district is keeping pare with other portions of the Waikato. Fifteen months ago we were obliged to travel to Alexandra for our mails, a distance of from five to eight miles ; now we have a semi-weekly mail to and from Paterangi, which is a great convenience to all the settlers. "What we are justly proud of is our school; for the two acres of ground and the handsome building upon it we owe nothing to the Board of Education. Tho settlers have put their shoulders to the wheel, and as they were determined to have a school, raised about £BO by private contributions, and became liable for about £6O, which they will in all probability have to pay, as the Board has hitherto refused to assist us, Recently an application for funds to build a teacher's residence/ was forwarded to the Board, and

the result is that we are to receive £l5O for that purpose. On Wednesday last the first examination was held in the school. It is now fifteen months since Mr PE Stevens commenced his duties as teacher, with an average attendance of about 75 children, of whom scarcely one half'we;e beyond their alphabet. The attendance now averages about 40, and the progress made in the whole school has been wonderful. The result of the examination of the first and second classes was highly satisfactory, and shows that the energy and zeal of the teacher have borne their fruits. At the conclusion on the examination a number of books were distributed as prizes, to those children most deserving of them. The settlers are now taxing themselves to buy and fence land upon which is to be built the teacher's residence.—A Cobrespondent. [We shall be always happy torublish correspondence of this kind in the interest of the particular district concerned and of the Waikato generally.—Ed W T.]