THE RAGLAN ROAD.

Waikato Times, Volume XIV, Issue 1193, 19 February 1880, Page 2

THE RAGLAN ROAD.

In our last issue we published some information relative to this road, leading from Whatawhata over the ranges, and along the Waitetuna Valley into Uaglan. Since the publication of our former remarks our special reporter has gone over the road, and while iv the main his te.-timony corroborates what we have before said, we are in a position to offer a more detailed description of the route for the benefit of those who may be induct- d this summer to pay a holiday visit to Raglan. It may be mentioned in this place that the acoounts of the district and town of Raglan, which we shall be prepared to lay before our reader* in the oourae of the next few days will, in all likelihood, have the effect of inducing many, who have hitherto only known Kaglan by name, to pay such a visit, and we can, at the outset, promise that the trip will be a thoroughly enjoyable one. To resume, travellers leaving Hamilton proceed to 'Vhatawhata by a road «ertaiuly none of the best (bat a new road is in course of construction), the journey thus far occupying a couple of hours at the most, nere the first, and indeed the only serious obstacle exists. » he punt at present used is simply a nuisance, although we were out in saying it could only carry one hojroe at a time. Four horses is the limit. Still it is a work of the greatest difficulty to cross in a buggy, and it is only by the exercise of much care and patience that the operation can be performed. The communication will, as we have already stated, be materially improved on the arrival of tho old Hamilton punt, and before long we may hope to see even that superseded, and the river spanned by a good substantial traffic bridge. The river once crossed, the road is, generally speaking, an excellent one. About a mile from Wharawhata there is a rather dangerous bridge over a small tributary to the Waipa. The District Engineer, vi r Stewart, examined it on his late visit, and as Mr Breakell his since been over it, there is very little doubt that this together with the one or two other small bridges slightly out of repair, will receive immediate attention. boat three miles from Whatawhata the road which up to this point runs parallel with the Waipa, turns at right angles towards the range, and a couple of miles of level road is then traversed before the ascent is commenced. The road, with the exception of a few dips, is in good order, and travellers need not apprehend the slightest danger. The soenery on either side of the road up and down the ranges is picturesque in the extreme. The den^e bush almost encroaches on the roadway, which is pleasant and cool, and clear bubbling creeks wind around and through the gorges, and lose themselves in the tangled unde growth. Ihe ascent measures about one mile and a-half, and the descent is about the same. Ten miles riding or driving from Whatawhata takes one into the Waitetuna Valley. He c the character of the scenery undergoes a change. The bottom of the valley consists of a succession of low ferny knolls, and rises with now and then small clumps of buih in the creeks, b'or six miles very little is to be seen except the forest-clad hills on either hand, until > utton'<t naif- way Hotel is reached, i his house, which is exceedingly well kept and well appointed, is in every way suited for a resting-place ; and as there is excellent shooting in the immediate vicinity, it is also well adapted to serve as headquarters for a party of gentlemen bent on sport. Mr Button provides good accommodation for horses, and also lets horses and buggies on hire. Leaving thid place the road is not so good, as the york done by the natives does not extend further than the Waitetuna creek, a mile or two this side of the hotel. There are several rough pieces of road, but they are only bad by comparison, and need intimidate no one. Fassiug viessrs Moon's and Wilson's farms, the road w'nds considerably, and does not much improve until within a few miles of Raurlan, where roadmaking is now proceeding, far, therefore, as the road is concerned there is absolutely nothing to deter anyone from viaiting liatrlan. We cannot say that we would advise anyone to go there — not because there would be any dange , but simply because while the road remains without metal the journey would be an unpleasant one. Many persons are, however, compelled to use the road in all weathers, and as there is an abundance of metal near at hand we think a few of the more swampy portions should receive a coating while the summer lasts.

Errata.— -In Mr. Albert Potter's letter on " High Schools in the \Vai *ato," published on Tuesday, one or two printer's errors occurred, for seminary schools, read primary schools ; and for " who have attained the present standard," read attained p escribed standard. Commander Edwin, R.N. telegraphs that bad weather may be expected frcn any direction between S. and E. and N . E So mote it be ! Hajcmon Borough Council.— Or. W. Jones has given notice of motion for next sitting day (Monday,) "That resolutions No. 18 and 20, dated 12th January last, be expunged f rona the minute book, and that an apology is due to Cr. Beale by this Council, for the discourteous treatment and annoyance he was subjected to." These resolutions were first a motion carried by Or. Knox, "That Cr. Beale having been guilty of an offence under the Standing Orders, No. 25 and 57, be pro ceded against according to law," and secondly, "ThatCr. Beale'scase be placed in the h >nds of the Borough Solicitors, Messrs. Whitaker and O'Neill." Things Worth Knowing.— That boiling water will remove tea stains and many fruit stains ; pour the water through the strain, and thus prevent it from spreading over tho fabric. That ripe tomatoes will remove ink and other stains from white cloth ; also from the hands. That a teas^oonful of turpentine boiled with wet olothes will aid the whitening process. That boiled starch is much improved by the addition of a little spermaceti or a little salt, • r both, or a little gum arabic dissolved. That beesw.iz and salt will make flat-irons an clean and smooth as glass ; tie a lump of wax in a rag, and keep it for that purpose; when the irons arc hot, rub them with the wax rag, and scour with a rag or paper sprinkled with salt. Phat kerosene will soften boots or shoes which have been hardened by water, and render th m as pliable as when new. That kerosene will make tin kettles as bright as new; saturate a woollen rag and rub with it ; it will also remove stains from clean varnished furniture. An election for the return of a member to the Htimiltoa Borough Council, in

J place of Or. Harris resisted, has been fixed for the 26th instant. The nomination of candidates will take place on the 24th instant, and nomination papers will be received by the Returning- < /nicer, until noon of that day. The advertisement in reference to the election appears in our adverti Ing columns. We hear that it is the intention of the Union Steanwhip Company of New Zealand to take their magnificent steamer the Rotomahana off the trade, and place her in the China waters, whether under the Union Company's flag or not we are unaware. The travelling public will learn this decision with regret, as a more comfortable steamer, ana more genial captain, officers and crew it would be impossible to come across. Wis understand that on Tueaday, Mr Hugh Kirk wood became proprietor of Assuou's hotel, at Alexandra, a commodious and well appointed house. The interior of the building will require a little renovating, and no doubt in Mr Kirkwoods hands the hotel will prove a boon both to residents and the travelling public. Krom our own knowledge of Mr Kirkwoods experience and business ininasrement as a*i hotel proprietor, elsewhere than in W-iikato, we cannot speak too highly of them. At the Police CDurt on Tuesday morning, Frederick Sleman, James Broe, Peter Morris and John Lake were fined ss. and costs each, or in default 24 hour's im risonraent, for being drunk within the B >rough the previous evening. The latter prisoner was further charged with a breach of tbe Vagrant Act, by behaving in a way to provoke a breach of the pe^ce. Having heard evidence, the ' ourt warned prisoner that he had laid himself open to imprisonment for three months, but iv consideration of this being the first offence a fine of 40s and costs, or in default, seveu days' impris'mtneut would be inflicted E. \I. Bdgcumbe, Esq., J.P., was the presiding viagistrate. Aoookdinq to newspapers by last mail, the wages of farm -labourers and women servants in England — consequent upon the agricultural depression still prev<ii - in? — had suffered a oonsideraole diminution, says the Herald. > t the North of England hiring fairs, held in the month of November last, at most of the town* large numbers attended ; but employer.* were not willing to give the wages generally asked. At Kendal, for example, wage* were consiierably lower. Exceptionally good and known men commanded from £15 to £17; best men, £13 to £14; second-class, £9 to £12; lads and young men, from £4 to £8. Best women, fc"9 to £11 10s.; second olaas, £6 to £8 ; girls, £3 to £5. At Penrith a vast number attended. After a stubborn resistance, servants found they had to give way, and a brisk business resulted at a reduction of from £4 to £5 from the rates of last Martinmas. Best men could be had at £13 to £14; second-olass. £9 to £10; third-class, L 7 to L8 10s. boys L 3 to L 4; women's wages ranged from 1,5 to L 9; girls, L 3 to jLS. These rates were for the half-year, and include board and lodging. The Under Secretary of the Native Department, Mr T. W. Lewis, after paying a visit to the various Northern districts and portions of Waikato, has loft Auckland for Wellington Further reductions in native expenditure are contemplated in both these sections of the provincial district Mr Bush, the Resident Magistrate and native officer at Raglan, is to go to Opotiki, and we presume that the whole of Waikato Raglan, and Kawhia districts will be in charge of Major Mair. Whether the latter districts alluded to will be left entirely un der charge of Major M uris not yet settled. Mr Williams, late R.M. and Registration and Returning Officer for the Bay of Islands and Mongonui districts is likely to receive either compensation or a pension for his past services, and all probability Mr Yon Stunner, of Holdanga, will have charge of the judicial districts over which Mr Williams presided, in addition to his present duties. There is also some ground for believing that Mr übrey the Whang irei R.M , is likely to avail himself of the provisions of the Civil Service Act, and retire on a pension. Mr Aubrey is now about 30 years in the public service Should the Under-Secretary h ive time to go over other native districts before Parliament meets in May, ii is his intention to visit Tauranga, Maketu, Op »tiki, Whakatane, Gisbourne, and other places, so that if possible further savings miy be effected in this branch of the public service. We find that we are not quite correct in our statement laßt issue in reference to the Pukete ferry. We understand that if the chairman of the JPu^ete School Committee has received a letter from the Clerk of »h Council to the efiect stated it has been a mistake, as the Clerk had no authority to write to that effect. \t the last meeting of the Council what was actually done wa« to the effect, that having the punt, which has hitherto been working at <\ hatawhata at its disposal, the Council wa willing to place it at f nkete, on condition that the two Highway Boards would bear their fair share of working expenses, and the Clerk was instructed, to state thin. The question of no road to the river reters not to Pukete, but to an application made by the Ngaruawahia people t> have this same ferry placed in that Township ovec the Waipa. In looking over the account of the inquest on the body of the late James Purvis, we were struck by the plucky and womanly conduct of Mrs Devery, who, in the absence of her husband and neighbours, h© r adily went to the assistance of the dying man, and unable to move him to her house, ministered to his comfort as much as possible where he lay. Many women would have locked the door on { hearing groans, instead of going forth to , ascertain the cause and afford as.istance. Police Court, Hamilton.— There were two charges of drunkenness and vagrancy at the I'olice Court, Hamilton, yesterday. Both delinquents were fined 5s and co «ts. R. R. Hunt, Jisq., J.P. was the presiding | Magistrate. here is seme slight error in our notice of the order issued by the railway authorities with respect to cattle straying on the • ail way line. It is cattle wandering into the fenced station yards that are referred to, and the aames of the o vners are to be reported to the police. It is a breach of the railway by-laws for cattle to trespass on the enclosed, portions of the railway. Still we cannot see that iv the case of the Hamilton station yards this by-law should be strictly enforced since literally neither station yard is fenced, for owing to the branch line being workad by horse power the cattle guards are boarded over, and cattle from the private lands, through which the branch railway passes, and from the town belt, which it crosses, can get on to the line at the public and private crossings and walk straight into either station yard. It would be a manifest injustice, whilst the temporary working of the branch line by horse power continues, to enforce wuch a by-law, and we are glad to learn that our informant had to some extent misunderstood the intention. Now that the Hamilton punt i 3 about to be removed to Whatawhata, it is to be hoped that fomelhing will be done to lessen the gradient of the approach on either side of the river. Such alteration would confer a great boon on those using the punt. An impudent robbery — burglary, indeed, we may say— was committed on three successive nights lately upon a store in Hamilton. The parties concerned were well acquainted with the premises, and

went after nightfall to a side window of the establishment — no one bleeps on the premises— and taking out a pane of glass raised the window sash, entered and stole a quantity of goods. Hiey repeated this, it seems, pn two suooessive nights, and on one cocasion were seen by a lady living next door, who thought it was the proprietor himself raising the window. Do eaoh oocasion the pane of glass was put in again, and of course, the putty being soft, easily removed on each subsequent occasion. The more strange portion of the whoie affair is that the party robbed was made cognisant of hi» loss and tie names o) the oftendera, but deolinod to prosecute as they belonged to the name -ooiety or brotherhood as himself. The property stolen, it is said, amounted altogether to the value oc between £30 and £40. Wb are glad to hear that W. N Searancke Esq is fa»t recovering from his lite illness under the .md and skilful treatment of Dr Carey and will in a few daybe able to resume his business avoaitioos. By the courtesy of the offisi i\ in cha-are of the Hamilton Telegiapi Station (Mi' Flerbert Lotrie,) our reporter was presen last evening at a tplephonic converz isione, between Alexandra, Cambridge, Te Awamutu and Hamilton. Before the presence >f our roporter was made known to tht> performers at the other stations, they had been giving illustrations of their several powers of imitation on the instrument, by cat (mils, wood sawinvr, &c. On leiruin^ the reporter was present, and being asked to ring, Alexandra favored tarn lton with i duett " Home, sweet home,'* both voices *ere easily distinguished Cambridge reported ajracas between the proprietors of the Phonograph, now in exhibition there, and added that the lady " had the best of it. * Something ought to be done to the road >n the west bank of the W.^ipa, between Hirapipi and Wh<*tawhata, if only to render it passable for homes. The want if a proper means of crossing the river at Te Rore, and ' he utterly useless state of the track wo have referred to, have had toe effect of isolating to an extent which is deplorab c, the settlers in the Pirongia listricta. The distriot is pos-e*wd of otne excellent land, but the want of some means of oommumcatiot has kept it in the bock ground, and at the present time, it is, m regards progrew years bflhind its neighbours. he settlers are just begin - .ling to appreciate this fact, and hiving entered into the matter with some spirit, *iU no doubt soon see that their condition is improved by the erection of a bridge it Te Rore. In the meantime, however, much good might be done by the expenditure of a little money on the road on the we»t side of the river. Although no rain fell on Monday last, at least to be of any service, in the Hamilton district, it was not so in other places, rhere was a heavy fall of rain in Cambridge, and in the Piako we learn the rain continued on into Monday night, doing an immense amount of benefit to the settlers. This ia frequently the case, that while other parts of the Waikato receive fertilising rains in spring and summer, the district about Hamilton receives none — the rains being attracted away by the bills and forests which skirt the district—and this will prob vbly continue to be the case till tree planting on a much larger scale than heretofore is undertaken by the owners of the open flat land in the delta. It will be interesting to those burgesses of the Borough of Hamilton, who have not paid the current rate, to know that a batch of names is being now made up by the clerk, for whom summonses will be at once applied, as the Resident Magistrate's Court sits at Hamilton on the 25th instant. The rates are heavy enough, for there is little doubt but that property has been too highly valued in the Borough as in other li -trusts, without those who have to pay them allowing a large percentage to be added in the dupe of court fees. It is satisfactory, and is important to clerks ani chairmen of local governing bodies to know that by the repeal of the "Registration of Elections Act, 1876," they are no longer under a heavy penalty required at this season of the year, to I make up an alphabetical list of all real ' persons of 21 years of age who shall have j oeen assessed to and have made payment j of any rate struck by such governing: body, in respect of rateable pvopeity within the district. These returns were completed on the 31st of March, but are ao longer required. Piako Handicap Pigeon Match. — Mr John Wood, of the Nottingham astle lotel, Piako, has, we understand, bespoken a hundred utrong birds for th^ pigeon match to come off at I'iako on the lay before the races. The fault of thn pigeons at most of these matches is thu they are too young, and, just arrived off a journey, are cramped and rise badly. Mr vVnod is determined to meet both caso , md will have none but fine geown bird', md have them up from Auckland in time to be thoroughly fresh for the day's sport. Mb Fredrick Paul one of the agsnts of the Mutual Provident Society is now busily engaged in c mvas>ing ths Raglan district and has been very successful. This, indead, is scarcely to be wondered at considering that vfr Paul is the first insurance agent— who has even visited the district— ; so much for the state of isolation in which, up to very lately, that district has been left for want of roada.

A very important sale of live and dead farming stock will be held by Mr J. S. Buckland, on Wednesday next, at Pencarrow ; the estate of Mr W. and J. Martyn, near Cambridge. The Messrs. Martyn's., like many of our oldest and wealthiest settlers, have spared neither trouble nor expense in improving their stock. Two hundred and fifty head of cattle are catalogued, of which number, the larger half arc cows and well-bred eighteen-months-old hejfcrs. The sheep, some i,600 in number, are Lincolnas. and the horses comprise some valuable animals of various descriptions. The sale commences a one o'clock, immediately after the luncheon. Alic Jackson, will, in all probability, have the honor of driving the first public conveyance on the Waipa and Raglan road. He advertises to leave the Hamilton Hotel a half past seven o'clock to-morrow morning, with the Alabama Coach. Hamilton Borough Works. — Tenders for contract No. i draining works in Bridgc-stroet East, and contract No. 2 kerbing and channelling Bridge-street East, and about three chains approach to the bridge on the west side will be received up to noon of Monday next. The Waitoa Highway Board arc about to put up_ a bridge at Richmond over this Piako River, and will supply material to the ground. Written tenders for the execution of the work will be received, addressed to the Chairman, up to noon of the 28th inst. A dividend, at the rate of 10 per cent, per annum, to the New Zealand shareholders of the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company, is now payable at the Company s offices. Mr John Knok will sell on Saturday next the interest in a valuable property at Cambridge, being that of Mr C. E. S. Rose in the town section in Duke-street. The sale is made by the trustees in the insolvent's estate, and will take place at the Duke of Cambridge Hotel. The section, bolng a very valuable one for business purposes and situated in the centre of the town, has beon cut up into allotments, plans of which may be obtained from the auctioneer. An entertainment, to be followed by a dance, will take place in the Public Hall, Te Awamutu, on Friday, the 27th inst. Cambridge Cavalry Volunteers. — The Whitford rifle presented to this troop by Major G. D. Hay will be competed for on Monday next, together with other prizes, the members of the corps meeting at the butts for that purpose at io a.m. There will also be an ordinary target practice on Saturday next, and again on the following Saturday, when members will be classified according to prowess shown. Both practices take place at 10 a.m. Mk Kennedy Hill announces that he wilt sell by auction on Monday next, February 23rd, at Ngaruawahia, the whole rf the furniture and effects of Captain Spargo, at that gentleman's residence, Ngaruawahia, Mr. Knox announces that he will sell at Kirkwoods Hotel, Cambridge, next Saturday, immediately after sale of Mr Rose's property, Lot 1 311, Cambridge East, and buildings erected I thereon. • We are requested to state that the programme at the forthcoming To Awamutu soiree cotumences at 8 o'clgck, to bo (allowed by a (Una. I