TE AWAMUTU GOSSIP.

Waikato Times, Volume XXIV, Issue 1995, 21 April 1885, Page 3

TE AWAMUTU GOSSIP.

Last Wednesday was .1 glorious daj,glorious as regards weather, d..ublv glonoim iw being thrbudal day of civilisation and semi-barbarism. The unclinched link, consisting of the fertile expanse of wild uncultured King Ci.untiy, was to be connected with tho mun trunk line of railway, and ho bi ought under the smile of comforting en illation, until it burst forth m all the splendour of tho follies of political, uv>ral and egotistical advance, interspeised here and there with virtue*, that will have to be systematically hunted for. and an mn pi singly discovered as violets would be, utruggling in perfumed beauty in the rirnmy, dank depths of a brake of snuffy fern. Early in the morning the Volunteer Cavalry mustered at the di ill-shed, and there was much hurrying and mounting in "hot haste" to take a message here or a letter there. The people, aroused from then chronic state of apathy by the buttling Mfiht, came out into tho sunshine and laughed, and looked upon, and gossiped with each other ; m some cases the gentler sex kissing one another with such sounding unction a« to make the sterner beholder uncomfortably desirous " the envied kiss to •bareV' The Fiemiei diove in fioin Alexandrian a "one-hoss -hay," enveloped in a cloud of glory -Loid Palmer.ston glorified dust or dirtbv delining it as "matter in the w rong pl«te ' -raised by his attendant •' chummies." The Te Awamutu Cavalry went forth to meet him, and having done bo, wheeled round to the right-about face, ami escorted him a* a guard of hoiioui, to Devm's Hotel. After giving him tune to wash and biush off the glorifying tint he was covered with, the lepiesentatives of the people interviewed him. I applied for .in audience. 1 *m a.kcd which paity represented, and who would introduce me ' I proudly replied, touching my white waistcoat with my jewelled hand, I lepreHentedthis paitv, and introduced myself, and I wanted the ceiem..ny delayed for a day or two, a- my dai lings beautiful dress wasn't finished. My advanced etiquette was not approved of, and, as we used to say at "Trin. Coll. Cain.," the mahogany was planked in my face. Tho ceremony of turning the nod was delayed until the excursion train arrived, not for the sake the people, but becaaie it brought along with it the historical barrow and spade, emblematical of ministerial diUtonness, and dilatonness is a safe policy, fishy perhaps but non committing. Home statesman always delay "wiringin until, by procrastination, 'they lo.e the opportunity, and with it tlie (tower to do 10. fhir .Julius Vogel ih disappointing me. His wonted fire of youthful " vim "is decreasing to the sinouldei ing glow of " cautious age, and all i« vanity, the worst vanity of all, the\.unty of wordx.) The vehicles, standing at the station for hire, wero very soon filled with fares, and cai ned their loads via le Awaniutu, to the Pnniu River, across which the all important ceremony took place. Dnving through Te Awtmutu we «oon looked down upon a beautiful view. The largo extent of mission country, which stretches down to the river— the silver ttreak that divides the wild, bronze-coloured King country from the emerald huo of Waikato cultivation— consisting of grass, lands, ti-tiee, patches of evergreens, toi-toi, swamps of yellow and green, homesteadh encircled with towering gums and less exalted firs. The undulating coimtiy gently descending down to the Puniu, acicss which the fern-dad hills gradually use until they culminate into the lofty, rugged, picturenque mountain, Kakapuka' or the lesser one to itt left, name unknow nby me. I only describe immediate vicinity ; it would be cruel to strain the reader's eves with a more extensive panorama." Between this mountain and hill the route of the proposed, or, rather, determined railway line pas-es. On arriving at the Puniu, a large bridge of plunks, set on ticstles m the stream, gave passage to the string of people, who, when they didn't stop to taste the water of the river, filed over and v\ alked up the steps cut in the terrace to facilitate then climbing, and such a getting up stairs 1 never did see. On landing at the top of the Bteps a banner was sti etched by tht Maoris acioss the pathway, upon which the following pleasant legends w.-ie painted.— "Te ika a Mam (fho fish of Maui.) Tt refers to tho misty past and mythologically tells of a Maon diving into the sea, and fishing np their countiy New Zealand. "Te Rangi Mane, ' (The day of peace.) Beautiful sentiment of a worthy people. Better expressed in its laconic simplicity than could have been done by a conclave of " Lniveisity Cracks" m the mightiness of their eiudition. And to such people you, Oh Premier! ipoke as if you weie addressing a nursery full of childien. Liberality, a vaunt ! give place to common sense. Passing under the inscribed banner, and walking a few ymds further on, wo arrived at the tent, and saw tho sods cut by Wahanui, who spat on his hands and piesnhed over the Job. They weie thru put into the barrow and wheeled along the plank by the Piemior, and tipped up in a plrasant business-like m.vnnei. The Premier didn't perspue, but he forgot to spit on his- hand-*. Robert is a groat Premier, Wahanui a great Maori chief, but the thought came rushing on, what splendid navTies they would make. While the people were cheering and the band playing, they hid their brawny imncles with their shut sleeves and put on their coats. Then the Premier addressed the Europeans, "softmvvdeied " to the Maoris, and summed up brilliantly to everybody -except the cavahy. The band told him in music "he was a jolly grod fellow," and we stamped the assertion by murmuring " So say all of üb." Outspoken praise is always acceptablo to man, or woman either. It is the oil of human kindness that lubricates the mainspring of terrestul conventionalism, and only descends to flattery, when it, instead of appealing to self-respect, does so to nolfOHteem. But earthly praise oftentimes passeth all understanding, as was the case the other day, when the Premier was so overcome by the gallant appeal ance of ti.e cavalry, that he for once in his life, found the medium of speech too utterly too for tho proper expression of his feelings. Never a word said he, but trannhxedlv looked upon them, his eyes beaming with the admiration he couldn't express, or, to put it sentimentally, he straightway fell into unutterable love with them, and that love was only tardily made known in a written declaration of affection. The air is %ibratiti{,' with bellicose sentiment aud scarlet if np in the market, and ought to be served first. But as we used to say in the classic, sometimes a thing is bettor understood than expressed. Wahanui then addressed the circle of people and charmed them with tho poetry of his speech. He wished a name to be given to the railway, but would only presume to christen that part of it that spanned the Puniu. He suggested "Turomro" as a name for that part of tho line stretching from bank to bank of the river. Turongo was tho name of a much beloved ancester noted among the Maoris for his peaceful and benevolent attributes. He hated strife and bloodshed and was always formost to tender to a peisonal onponent the hand of reconciliation, or ally tnbal disputes by pleading according to his lights tho beautiful creed of "friendship, love and truth."' The memory of that chief ia to be kept green by a section of the railway being named after him. Kowi was thei enrolling pleasantly, *h if anybody couldn't smile pleasantly on three hundred a year, (Joy eminent screw. Alexandra has a Maori chief, supported by (ioveinment ; Kihikihihasone aUo ; T« Awrfmut'i wanU one, so the (iovernment had bettei huny up and get one. Want of aboriginal material to make one cannot be accepted as as excuse for not doing so, for Te Aw^tnutu would not object to a w hite chief, well endowed by Govern nient, and I freely offer myself as a maityr to the circumstances. Te Kooti watt present at the turning of the sod an well as other chiefs of high standing and much Und Home of them addrossed the people, letting one know when they had exhausted their Bubjoct by winding up thusly —"That is all I have to say." Water, clear, beautiful sparkling water, was made the theme of eugolistic speech by white an well as dusky orators. And quite right they were, for ncienco says the earth is cooling, and as it cools it becon.es porous, so that water will sink, sink until it finally disappears ; therefore, it behoves all to honour it while they can, for the time may come when a supplicating prayer for even a single drop will be mockingly unheeded. A gossiping letter needs no classification. The principle m to acquire the gossip and stick it in wheio you can. Ho I'll mention here that the Pi emier took a stroll around all that is left of Te Awamutu, visiting the churchyard on his rounds. He was asked to father a few of the Native Ministers promises, and true to the toachings of Laptain Cuttle, wherever he found he made a note of them. A Texas politician once advised a harassed Minister to retain power for a ffsaion longer by adopting the. following

doubttul policy :—" Pi oiniso oveiythiug, fri.n t nothing, and if the outraged poople lound on you, «hy, repudiate." When the " sod ' ceremony was ovur tlie Piemici left the Pmiiu, accompanied by the commanding officer of the c.v airy and other gentlemen of military (it civic impoit anco, and lode over to Kihikiln. I saw him in tlie e\ening at the ball I caught Ins glance, but ho did'nt as en wink at mo ; but what dors th.it matter to a man who is going to be enrolled in the militia to fight for a, blooming country, .md whose only possession in it is patuotically nnd •.entiinent.illy donned by tho personal pronoun " his." Photographers were busily engaged taking portraits. I pushed up along-idt> the Premier, put on n m.irlial mien, and was fdcussed beautifully, when sonm envious wretch dug .i tooth-pick into mo and spoiled the effect. Some of tho people liked the water of the Pimm so well that they took away a lot of it in theii clothing. Carried away by then enthusiasm, they slipped into the mer to aeo what sort of a bottom it had. They uro satisfied now it is wet, yielding, slimy and disagreeable. The sod is turned, but we will h.ive to wait " till tho clouds roll by" before tho railway is started. This letter has grown under the pen to a greater length tli.m I intended, but in the chaff of it l'\e tluown ill a goodlj quantity of oats. ftn I-y-