TE AWAMUTU GOSSIP.

Waikato Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2056, 10 September 1885, Page 4

TE AWAMUTU GOSSIP.

Somi- of tlio inhabiting of To Awanmtu unrlortmtk .1 pilgrimage the ether day right up the King Country, even unto tho site of the tunnel. The object of then journey was to spy out tho countiy and ascertain what s<ut of a load could be made for tho transport of inateiial to that place, a* well a> to hnd out what necevi.uy material, m the way of timber, clay, &c., the immediate vicinity of the tunnel n (folded. To sum tlie nutter up shoitly, they went up, in haled the lanfied an of new countiy, nnd then came down again. Of course 1 say nothing about stithies, soreness and all those other little pleasantness which mad- them joyfully hail again the welcoming smoke that cuiled fioui the ehnnne\ - l>ots of theii hearths and home*. To me it seems the conclave of e\ploiers nni-t hive bound themselves tf) secrecy, as regard imparting any knowledge concerning their trip, for any information of general inteiest they chose to imputwai <sn qualified by " lfs and buts " :i" t<> amount to nothing. The plijsical natuieof thefiithei paiti.f the route is smuewhit as follows :— A piimitive load— muddy, narrow, s-t-'ep ascending, abiupt declining, bu-.hy, ferny, logkTV, witli octopus hso ten'icity, pumice, stony, and abominable, libeially scented with a delicate aroma an-mg from d.-nse decaying, .is well as thriving vcgctition. The nature of the countiv on the other side of "Tunnel Hill"' is by all accounts nioie suitable for piolonged and heavy traffic than that on this sidi>, and In. w over disappointing what I am about to say may be, T cannot help thinking— knowing that loads arc now being foiined between Wang.mui river and the proposed tunnel — that .ill material for T'orotor.iu contiact will be tiansported that way, for the simple reason there is no other way at present of doing it, and no road this side will be made by Gov eminent, sive and e\cei>t the gradually lengthening tailway. Buonaparte took a huge contract to cart ovei the Alps, and earned it thiongh to, bit ho could not have done so without the millions France gave him in skill, muscle and capital? Does Te Awaniutu possess eithei ? The great gum tree at the entiance to the parsonage, wiuchi 0110 of the forefather m foremotners of tlfc hamlet planted, ha* been cut down, and .split up into posts and hiewood, and not a voice was i,n>ed to stay the woodman's a\e, although "tdkingTßC and whispering love' hive lepc.itedly agitated the atmospheie beneath its shade. The d;ep inteiest Mr Kr,% r tike-. 111 volunteer nutters \va-> practinlly shown at the jni/e firing theotl.ri day. He collected from tho citizens of Kilnkihi a number of pn/es, comprising valises, whips, spurs, flint tiees, &c, which vveio pie-ented to those volunteer* who sooied highest; two of the pile's b'lng luscrvod for those tioopprs who scored lowest. These piv.e.s cieited an inteiest in the shooting winch would not have existed otherwise, foi all who, by low "coring, weie ont of tho belt contest, still had an incentive to try and am one of the presents given by liberal Kihtkihi. Ran-gia-ihia is getting her gifts reidy for next firing dny, anil I suppose Te Aw.-iniutu dreams not of foigetting the cavalry boy* shs pioudly calls her own. The cheese factory dnectors held a meet ing the other day, but as I cintiot speak glow ingly of the lesult of it, I'll " cheese "' it, and if they take my advice they will do so too. As my rcmnik* may offend some of them, I will ghdden then heart's by piophesying a speedy ' upwaid move 111 chee.«e, and that a "mite y "' one. The Public Kail tiusters met on Saturday night and talked Hall affair*. Te Awamutu's Hall is like the piovcibiil gun th.vi only wanted a 7ic\v look, stock .m 1 bairel to make it a fii^t-cl.isi piece i>f oidnance. Benefits me a g.-ncious feature peculiar to this disti ict, and I think tlieie would be no difhculty in undoi taking one foi the purpose of renovating and nnpiovmg the hall. Jt is public property, and, as it now stands, a disgrace to the public. Kilukihi and Ale.vuidi.t, have halls to be pioud of, but. To Awaniutu leaves her wheel sticking in tho mud, loudly calls on Jupiter for assistance, but puts no shoulder to the wheel hei self— hence hei stationary position in the mire. The M.ing.ipiko bridge id finished, and the honour its construction gr.antn is divided between the aitlntect and contiactoi. The new buildings aio now occupied, and the way they were lit up on Saturday night last showed a lavish disiegud for the e\pence of kerosene. The biilliancy of then appe.viance almost amounted to a fo*tivc illumination. Any how they had a foKtivo gay appeal .nice, delightfully cheeiing. The ConlliHicl.ll Hotel here and the Star in Kilnkihi have pas.sed into other hands. Mr James reigns at the Commercial and Mr Bond " rules tho 10.1st " at the Star. Both landlords aie .so well liked that theic is little doubt of then doing well. Mr Lewis now occupies hih new hotel which is considered by some to be the best hotel in Waikato. The memben of the Rink Club will largely support that pastime. Some of them look rental kably well a* they gracefully glide lound tho hall. Beauty on wheels, when the wheels aie obedient to beauty, looks beautiful, but when the w heels are not so, beauty only looks — so HO. There is some talk of instituting .1 weekly quadnllc el n. sri, nnd .so making this sombio city a little more lively. Sundays are light, proper and good, but .1 Sunday eveiy day of the week even Solomon in all his <floiy and wisdom would not vote for. Let those concerned institute proper amusements, guarding against the follies of youth but now frowning in hot disapproval at its legitimate pleasures. Bandmaster Sibley was piesentcd on Saturday night last with a, purse containing 40 sorereign*, the proceeds of 1111 enteitainmcnt lately given foi his benefit. Mr J. B. Teasdale, Chan man of Committee gave a short addicts, eulogistic of the bund and its master, nt tho close of which, after the applause had died away, he presented the purse to Mi Sibley, who expressed in a few well chn«en words his thankful gratification at the kindnem, done him. Three cheers were then given for the band, and a few minutes aftei the consumption of kerosene ceased for the night. Sunday wnu a miseiable foicnoon. It lamed and rained again. The wind and ram wrestled together and the thundei applaudingly chuckled at the tiiH*le, while the frightened sun now and then peeped thiough her " tea leaved-like" veil in sickly fear at the confusion of the element*. Bum.

A Wisp Di aeon — "' Deacon Wilder, I wint you to toil me how > on kept jourself and fimily so will the past season, when all the r( st of us \\i\c born sick so much, and hive h.id tho doctors running to in so ofton," Urother laylor, the answer is vorj easy. I usrd Hop Hitlers in time, and kept my family well, and saved laru^ d(i( tor's bill-i. Jour shillings' worth of it kopt us all well and ililo t > work all tlir time, and I will warrant it has coit you and most of jour neighbours /.10 to AlOO apiece to keep sick Uio same tune. I fancy you will take my medicine hereafter." See