PROGRESS OF WAIKATO TOWNSHIP.

Waikato Times, Volume XI, Issue 880, 12 February 1878, Page 2

PROGRESS OF WAIKATO TOWNSHIP.

.8 doe« a business man so should a (■ommuniry pause occasionally to take stock of its condition, and well it is, as m the case <•!" the Waikato, when tin* retrospect is at so pleasant a chiiracter as the performance f «he tusk |>roteH it to be. We do not propose to go far D»ck m our .XHminatton of the j-rogress of tjkf <l strict, or to ntorn than refer to the •ime vthei panic »ucjpeeding panii* «ndered settlement, if not unsafe, • t least unattractive to the oajatalist and kept buck its rapid advance. That time has happily parsed uway, and, during the luat three or four yiars, Wa&ato has entered upon a uew era of progress. The district Jbaa fonod great favor m the eyes of -outheru capitalists. Waikato sticep breeders have shown the colony What. may. be fairly looked forward to m the lu'ure m that direction, and the rai'Wxy now opened and a^out to be exteid'd will pro^re that m a grain producing poilit lit view Waikato is second to uo other dintrict m New Zealand. Nor while her country lands have baen brought into cultivation, and subdued have her settlements languished. Ihese have prospered and kept plase with the surrounding di.ttiicui and. notably so m the cases of Cambridge, Te Awamatu, and Hamilton. If Alexandra has stiff* ered by the sulky state of isolation m which the natives over the border have of late yean* wrapped themselves, andNgaruawahii* has oeenthe more central position of t lamilton a < sorb the trade which it was thought nothing would have diverted iron* the fork of the Delta, the time is we believe not tar distant when each ot them -will enter on a new era of proHpvrity. The trade with the natives will extend m theonecastj, and what Ngaruawahia needs, a back country, will be made available m the other. The opening of the Waipa road and the sale and settlement, hh piMposjd, ox large q amities of waste lands lo* tinuti ised will make a wonderful change m the prosperity of t>uth Alexno ra and Newcastle. A» it is, I/O b tuwnshipH have made a soiid advjiiue of late.

N^aruawabLk is peib-ps the pro-tieat-iowuehipic thevi aika o,^icn.tted on tue lt'vtrl 1..r j ktci\ii,:! Iritf D')»nt of the D:*lt», wit/i a low i-xruihouseM do'tfd up and down me ouu-r tanks of either river. Wear the couttu. t-nca on the nurtli ban^ ot :Le Waikaip 1$ t|i«i t-x fu-ive fluir cuiil and timber tiiijj of Alt li. L'tui'b, and lie ri.y opposite are >v. odjiueti ot Uip Waikuto Cite m i\rtV»g. ion (Joiu.puny, ivhiuti lift-> Jts l>e<iCt qur ersa Hfi't: \yii liitvo a i/iuuuii . of (he Bank oi New Z alaud. ih e-i g^u^besj di^rjeti twjigu,^ brewer)',

a lemonade factory, two commodious hotels, and 'esten-«ive brickyard.. Theie is a court bouse, and at present the head quarters of the District Engineer and surrey office are,at Newcastle. The great work, ho^wever; M 4s the :■ handsome in>ir bridge whioK n •& been built during' ih^|ka(ii!i^i,year3 Over ti>e Waikator anllyrhic^ is av^ilab c both as a $pway ala^ ordiiiafy iraffic bridg#3 S nee the opening of the railway early m 1877 business m Newcastle has been considerably brisker than it whS before, an I the SrtleTof soriie^ thre^ tbousiitid acres ot • subiirljati" lan 1~, now locked up on account of tho absurdly bigh ri|»-b6'pr cc pujt v, ton them by the G »v- rnment, would, if sold m sm^ll lot a, give a gi and vitality to the district which. for Some • ears it h »s not esj>erieac» d. Ihe town it-el i has been much; im proved during the last two or three years. The übadey trees paned on either side, its principal streets givi a most picturesque aud agreeable appearance to the towub th oio»e v it >nU frooa a distance. The road , uad loot|)j»' bs 'have been neat iy formed au»f g.'avel e*l, and are kep inexfeileut repair. Wewcaail^ ha>some good stores and m the suburbs there are extensive br ckfields and the teU-tnonglry establißbmeat of Messrs , Carpenter and Byron. r ;

From to Hamilton by road is some leu or eleven mile*, aftu we then come to the* tiusiuess centr of Waikato. Hamilton is tbi f Urgent and moat flourishing town in\ the uiatiict, and has .quite recently been crca.ed a borough, with its Mayor ai.d Councillors. It i> situated on both, aides of thriver Wuikato, and has ma c very ra id progress dining the W three years], ia that time a new and handsome court" house, new Episcopalian and Komau Cathtf io churched, one v ot t^e finest "hotels., m tjie provinc^-Tthe yojßir vimnrcial— 'the yie:6icia Hall, rijgw bricK Public Hal«, handsome tw.o stored brick building for the Bank pi .New Zealand, White's b*tfdin&B, »|BO ot brick, consisting of auction room, shopr and offices, h»ve been buiit. Theae latttr bnck buildiiigb, if erected m Qneen Street, wbuiu compare favourably with even the best business buildings there, hi addition to these a l»rge number of stores, cottage residence*, and oibec hoobes hare been bui c either, of bricK or wood, m Tariuus parts of the township. Hamilton was till receutly the beud quarters o the Armed Constabulary m Waiku<o, auU,*. now that tineae are removed, the barrack room ai.*l >ld uospiuii are . bemg con varied into a gaol and police qtiafterajaud the orderly room., ia bt-uig enlarged for the, purpose of becoming, tue Public W ; orks Offiue 01 the district. Ihe Waikato police force, dustinoi from the Armed Constabulary, have tbe.r . hei^d, . here. In a 1 short; iioie uuuer che auspiues o| cue newly^ eiec^ Borough Couucii we, may expect' to s^e a solid (r.ffij bridge bui t across the river at au eatitiiated c>>st of home £7000, 10 conntfft the eariein aim wt*fimu tow n ßhips. Hamilton has 1 a Uine hotels, Catholic, 1 rosbyurian and uo- giega lonaJ cnu»*«ht>, its grammar school, high aobooi, two district fchooia, i.s biewfery, brickyards, bi**cuu laciory, carriage and agricultural imj»lumeuta mau • iaotnry, sotia waur manufactbi 'j , pottery, and a vaiie»y f other minor iuduitrie*. Is strt«uj .r. brond, well formed and metalled, with well keft footbaths, and it ha^ altogether a brisk ,ard flourishing bu mess look. The Banks of JNew Zealand and Union Bank of Australia haveeftabiibhmeutsin Hamilrpn, and professions and trades are preity folly represented. ' What Hamilto is .deficient m is country, .ferm. immediately Kurroun ing it. Tht <and is less valuable thau tha commei^ng some eignt or ten milcH turtber .South. , Jt iaueverthe^ improvabie and, from position,' ir not from actually lerality, oooipare« ; favorably m, sell ng pi-ice with tlhe | best land m the district. The railway station is a> prevent some dile and a half from the townr-bip, but the branch line .to the Thames running close to the town,' evenl if a 'special extension be not soou underi taken will ultimately connect the town more clojjely with the railway. Grossing the river and takiug the road through East Hamilton to Cambridge the traveller com«H when about half way into a splendid tract of country, ,aa evidenced by the rich griSti. paddocks enclose) with hawthorn hedges and dotted orvr. with .. fat- cattle- and . tieavy. sheep. About thirteen miles from Hamilton, he enters the township of Cambridge. If Hamilton has Wide rapid progress m the last three years Cambridge has done uearly as much —a great deal more m propor-tion-«-in the fast eighteen months. The lauds iwinedately aroun CunOriilge aud her omaiiie district; .re am , gar. the m -st fertile m the ! Waikato, and henoe it U non su*- ' prising. 10 fin- 1 Cambridge tn.D a«ut | of uhe Farmer's C«ub, an ABSociufion wljich represents the agric^LurMl iuierests of Waikato as a f/h >le. luia aoctaty had grown intu a mo it I iiKefui ami Valuable institution, duriig the pawt year has im\h a very baiulsoniH club home m C'trjj-' bridge for the n-eetiugs of its uieciiot j rs and oth<v coguate pur. jiOße!. Here, 100, L c most, succ^w- ; Jut agr cii-lurrtl and cutt. c sho . ov.-r i beeu m W >ikaco was held m » k-to .er j .ast, ami th. Uio, li m becomo a Cambridge ins ltutio i. Wituin the last w cix o. two LJamiJii -ge, ivluclj fcas »iWays bei^ one. Qr myre'

excellent race meetings every year, . ha.s e.'tsblinhed a jockey club with the iutdhitii'iu. of holding annual PAoel/ Since the tvmoval of the I^l-rqutfrteVs of the A.O. Force to CiVrabridge the business of the township, has considerably incretstnl. Largo farmiug operations by f be Waikato Gompuny m the ueighborliood, and the regular ctiltiy t(ion of "the-r lands by neighboring farmers keep up a continued and s >lii prosperity which warrants m m (iredieting 1 that before kmg Hamilton will not bi the only boroiigh town m the Waikaio. Withi-i a very >hort space of time a fourth hotel, a "very lu»nd%o.ne aud cummod ou-i buildiug, li.ts been a deti to the township.. Th. Pd .lie and Volunteer iJiil and liin Fiii:iuerrt' Olu«» nave heen erttcied; (he Pivsbytenau, X tgiisn, and Kouan Uatuot c Church s, 'lie manse ani parso age Uttve beeu bum, more ih.»u one vow ,iore and a iar^e nu.tjUer of dweiiug houses put up. Outsiie ttr. towu the im r>vemeuls have been ■&.& mai'Keil, <mi a, w Heoiiern au<> lUtpitaliSU frum the tnidd c Ulauu Jb.tve purcuiisud au i taken up tne.i i ;Bitie.io<-, and are -cgutrtuu ing towands t\ie general woric of progress Acrosu >o Te awhiulilu, a<ia w< Sad the advance ie^ in, irked, but aoue the less sure and certain. A more purely agricultural diatric ■ .■*. ill th .v Cam at ige, we must loon .tor the mgus of oi ogross <n tnetarm a,iid cultivated ian.is rather than i< tne town lots. l'tiev pretty townsnip of Te Awuiuutu, However, ii..b not eHcaped t>he general advance o> btie distriui. Io tiuS ics Public Hai., la Ohuiclies. auj Bank; its Hot* i, it-» Post and icie^ra^h Ottice^, Otore.-, aad ricuoois. A feature n. i'e Awaniubu is us Englhu Omrcn, ue«tliug m tiiH trees and gru'ss^ yard, iike an old tiugi.sh Ctiiuch at home. It wub uuilo by che tibopWhen Te Awaiuu-u was the heao,quarte.ri* of the Bwiidii army, am* uaa a remarkaoly nan- somb »taiue glass aitur wiudow. Te £.w»inuu. is now the tie.«(i-qu.;ri/ers. ao to buy ot the ioca. voiuutuer furees, ana i.. cavalry tioop la the oluest am liuesi m the d'smcu But, quiet.) prosperous as me towus .iv of i<Awumutu uas be*?u it will not lon . remain ao. Fo ( a year or mure if tau) temalu a q.uet iiook on the outokir ri i/t ctTiuoudion, but the railroad soon, Hud the opening ot the King cuntry by auu bye, will make m .-\WaliiUtQ a tiiiatt .uiU ousiiliig u.luuU town ot' no lmie lupuruncv. t»v«r ihe bouuuary line ib a lou 0 s retch of WdgtiiQceuc country, a. • me uitj t& uvi iar dia an. wiien tiio Luwu ot Te Awaiuuiu will becOiu-> d iiuo k»cai venire ot mucu oi tn»o il ana.;., Kven tbe esteu4ou of tue c 'railway will make a marked di&u- ,. euce by bringing it iuto unect and :i easy coinmunicaiion wiih Auckh.nvl c aud other p(*r aof the disa\ci. i a l ' \a ea.^ to dee this by the uasu o c ilaiuacoti, which, a «cv tiie rai'W. t> c, lias been opeucuy ua^ beeu viaiteu i> ( j uuiubfci'a vi jijfrtiousi ft v i uever wwu. v nuve veuiuieU v.» the longer a.. 0 lnote ceui us route by m»&eu r.i. a, . a biediuei'. * FioVu Te Awamur.u to Alexindi ttb«'Ut eight uiites div auue. Tii '' -ou ut>hip is aiuat^l aimosi at tti '♦ ».x .cmi yot «Ue Eaiop^au ttiriion .' and depeiiUh maiuij ior ita pruspi ri Ou the Mao n ir..dti. i l.ia has lam . vii conbidt rabi^ turn what it us* 1 >o be, out ao- v now there is v (ux> r juis, cci ot a change and a ienev\a '" vi tue trip hn<»& oi aiiuobt foigotte- '* iints. AltiXuuuia. Hue CambnUgi . h is a station ot u*e j±.G. m Waikau., i,' aud the i.d rcuouut .i.> still kejt v, 9 though very luadequaiely g«rrißoneu * It has its two ho t>J*, im public hal , » siore^t ciiurciies, hch<<oi», aud diifeii vni tradeo and occupations at c tail 1, reprtMsenied.

. Altogether, a retrospect, howeve« sursory a ou««, of the advancing prosperity of Waikato ia k vei : pleading matter lot- cougratulaiiou.