THE DINNER.

Waikato Times, Volume X, Issue 805, 14 August 1877, Page 2

THE DINNER.

In honour of the occasion, the inhabitants of Ngaruawahia and the neighbouring settlers had caused to be prepared a repast, Mr Fallon, tha contractor for the completion of the line boing the chief guests At 2 p m about fifty gentlemen assembled in the largeroomatthe Delta Hotel, and bhi number would have been perhaps doubled had the requisite space been available. The chair was occupied by Mr W N Searancke, R.M., who was supported on the right by Mr D Falloa, the contractor for the permanent way, and Mr D M Beere, C.E., Resident Engineer on the Kaipara line ; and on the left by Mr James Stewart, C E, District Engineer, and Mr A J Hunter,, Assistant Engineer. Mr G Edgecumba occupied the vi?e chair being supported by Mr A V McDonald, C E, General Manager, on the right, and Mr F A Whitaker on the left Amongst those present we noticed Messrs W Errington, 0 Ft ; Anderson, C E j Carr, 0 E ; Otway, 0E ; Clarke, Traffic Manager ; Hewson, Lodder A S N O ; J WrLley, Hunter, Cunningham, Cruickshank, &c, &o. After due attention had been paid to the edibles prepared by host Harris, in hia usual perfect style, the Chairman rosa to propose the Toast of the daj — 11 Mr Fallon"— -saying that the want of time precluded the.drinkin j of th * usual loyal toasts, and asked those present to join him in drinking the health of the man who had so successfully carried his contract to an issue in a shorter time than ever was expected of him. Health drank with mus.cil honors. Mr Fallon responded briefly thanking the people of Ngaruawahia cor*. dittJly for the very unexpected honor they had done him, and haviag called on all present to charge their glasses he proposed the health of Mr Jafl. Stewart, C.E., the District Engineer under whom he had carried out hiß work, and he said that, both from that gentle* man, himself, as also from his assistants, he had at all times obtaioed the greatest assistance in getting ahead witu his work, and that, if he could at all times have the Bani9 facilities, there would be no fear of anything going wrong on any ooutraot he had to do with. Mr Stbwaep, iu reply, said that when Mr Fallon had taken the contract-, most people exclaimed at the low price, and said that the work eovld not be done for the money, but Mr Fallon bad, by indomitable perse verauce and energy, carried out the work to a most successful isdue, and he (Mr Fallon) vras one of the first (if not quite so) contractors who had finished their work under the spscified time. Just about this time, the martial sound of the bagpipes, played by that old veteran, Simon Fraser, almost in* duced many present to try a Btep, but time would not; permit, and the following toaata were duly houored and responded to:— "The Assistant-Engineers on the Line," " The General Manager," and the "Chairman," after which, most of the Auckland people proceeded to embark for the return journey, the train being quite filled, in spite of the numbers wlw remained in Ngaruawabia for the night.