A TRIP TO LICHFIELD IN THE PATETERE COUNTRY. [BY OUR SPECIAL REPORTER.]

Waikato Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2147, 13 April 1886, Page 2

A TRIP TO LICHFIELD IN THE PATETERE COUNTRY. [BY OUR SPECIAL REPORTER.]

' , The Start Thrrk are two things necessary to the complete enjoyment of a railway excursion. They are/fijie Wfather and pleasant compiny. If I were asked to name a third, I ■tiould say good cuisiue, Those who Availed theuiselveit of the generous iuvitakatityi of the director* of the Zealand Thames Valley Land Company's director* v> upend a night and a day'at Licbfield, the capital of th« huge Patetere di»tiict, cartainly enjoyed the second and third. The first was absent on the trip up, but was lavishly bestowed upon us on the journey back. Friday was, indeed, a* uninviting a day a* one could expect Rain had fallen during the night, and though the barometer obstinately refused to fall, the chances of Jraproyjument , in the weather were very slim. In Auckland the continuous downpour damped the ardour of numbers who had made.up their minds to join the excursion some days previously and swithsfthe-- prospect of a drenching before them, they decided to remain behind. Thus, when the train reached Hamilton, only some fifty gentlemen occupied seats in the carriages. The rain also served to reduce the numerical strength of the Waikato .contingent, which did not exceed twentyfive. As the train moved Out of the Hamilton station the sky gave indications of clearing, but before Eureka was reached the cloud* closed in again and a smart shower fell, the precuser of a succession of others which lasted throughout the day. The excursionists were men representating almost every interest in the province. There were lawyers and doctors, bankers and brokers, engineers and architect*, merchants and inanufacturCTS,~anctioneenrand agents, men who combine in their own persons many~ and -various occupations and men with no occupation at allr- Then there were runholders and squatters, farmers and graziers, a publican or 'two, and, *s it were 'to balance things, a parson, complete in all respecttfsave the white tie. Last, butbjrno means least, in a physical sense at any rate, there was a Member of Parliament, and some half-dozen representatives of the mighty engine that moves tpe world—.sometimes lam afraid— to tears. ,W© were a very jolly company, and it would have needed something more than wet weather to make us miserable. _ We were going to inspect "a, district which td most of us. was- a terra incognita, , a part of the country, moreover, of 'which we had been accustomed to hear the most dismally doleful account*.. It bad been a part bj-.to.uie people's education to regard the terms *- Patetere tnd'"howlihg' wilderness" as synonymous jterms. Naturally, therefor*- much •of our conversation - was taken J >up .in 'discussinsi the ;land and its prospect*. Much 'interest/ too, was taken m the country through which we were pausing by the Aucklanders, and as" far as" the rain and the engine steam, which perswtently clung to the sides of the train, would Mlow, the swamp and dry .land lying between Hamilton and ' MorrinaviUe was keenly regarded by many pairs of skilled eyes. My next door neighbour^ a wellknown old resident of the Tamaki distinct plied me with questions about the Piak-6 "ifofrip, which I answered to the b^stof'my ability, detailing such facts connected with its drainage and cultivation as I was fully acquainted with, andstriving to give him a general idea of the extent and Character of the operations. He was very favourably impressed both with what I told him and what he himself saw, and was sanguine, as to the future of the swamp, whioh htcsaid reminded him strongly of some of the Irish bogs. On the opposite seat two gentlemen of decidedly opposite views were holding an animated discussion on the subject of land nationalisation. But transeat ! for lo ! the door openi to admit two dapper waiters laden with sandwiches, bread and cheese, tumblers, sundries, in bottles labelled with a variety of pleasant names, and cigars. The Auckland portion of the excursionists had been afflicted with this species of spiritual visitatiou several times before, and judging by the kindly expressions of welcome they bestowed upon the visitants, the apparitions had no terrors for them. Under the influence of a sandwich and a glass of ginger ale my heart warmed towards the directors of the Land Company, and had the news of some rich relation's death reached me at that moment, I would undoubtedly have bought the whole block out of hand. Be that as it may, thi* thoughtful attention to the weakness of frail humanity was of a piece with our treatment by the company all through. Their hospitality wa* princely, and my pen cannot hops adequately to express the gratitude of the whole body of visitors, who were never tired of remarking upon tne attention given to their wants in every ipay. It is unlikely that they will forget >such kindness. To be sure, the object of the/ directors was to get as many people, and as of as good substance aa' possible, .to see the land and judfce for themselves of its worth for colonising purposes, and it was biit natural that they should treat their visitors well. But at the same time there are different ways of doing things, and the 'Thames Valley Land .Company hit upon the Very best way, and stuck to it to the end. We reached Morrinsville junction well up to time, and stretched our legs (though not after the ' manner of Squeers) while the engine, , took iji water. By the way, A( there is one thing more noticeable than another in connection with tne train* and on a wet day one is reduoed-to remark such trifles, it if the frequoncv with which the locomotive requires a drink. Even Mr Joseph Newman, who was on board, could scarcely approve of such excessive imbibition, albeit the liquid was harmless.

The Country En RouteAt Morrinsville we glide on to the linn constructed by the Thames Valley andßotorua Railway Company, but since purchased by the Government. Very few of our party had travelled over the line, and the vast majority had never seen the district at all. Familiar as the country is to many Waikato people-, the- railway takes them into strange places, and, affords them ma,ny novel views. Notwithstanding the rain, Vfe managed to get a sight of the various points of interest in the Ticiuity of the line 2a wej swepjt by. Some yearii have, elapsed since I saw the Richmond district. When I was there the pioneers had just succeeded in housing themselves,' but had done little else 1 . Now, to my 2 surprise, there lay before us and stretching; away to the hillv'wide'are** of ***** and *° nt cro PP < > while the homesteads nestled comfortably in pretty plantations of timber. Mr John Hunt's residence was particularly noticeable, while the improvements which have been effected by Mr Glassford on his extensive estate wen, also distinguishable. Operations upon this valuable property are being pushed steadily ahead, and Mr Grlassford has already spent several thousands of |>ounds upon it. By and bye we pass through the boundary fenoe.of Matamata, and thence for seven miles we run alongside Mr Firth* paddocker admirinsr his pasture, bis plantations, his sheep, his cattle, and most of all the heroic spirit which has been at the root of all his work at Matamata. Through the mist of rain, Te Aroha and the vast moun- { tarn range running southwards loom out in ghostly indistinctness, and \Vairere, f&ti great waterfall is not visible, though we .keep a bright look-out. Presently w« are abreast of the home statiqn, and can see the tower, when Mr Firth keeps hi* archives, the manager's residence, and the multitude of smaller buildings which give the place the appearance of a respectable village. The station is, however, miles •away from the railway station, where we pull up (for a few minutes. Out of sight, but nob out of mind is Thompson's Monument, and the story of its erection and the. legends connected therewith are once, mere passed from mouth to mouth. On we go again; we pass through well grassed paddocks, bisecting a prolific 600 acre turnip crop, and so once more into the region of fern and ti-tree. Then' the seven miles come to an cod. and on our left we see Mangawhero, and on our right Mangawhara, the Agricultural Company's treeevelopad station on the former, and the pleasantly situated residence of Mr W. Ring in the latter. The line here seems to get mixed up with the cleaned-out bed of a creek, which we cross and re-cross I don't know how r many times. Then we heave in sight of the cultivated lands of Okoroiri, and thence a straight run of a mile or two lands us at the Oxford station, where, amongst a score of faces, we discern the pleasant countenance of Dan Fallon, the worthy contractor for the completion of the Rotorua railway.

An Unpleasant Surprise* Wo had been under the impression at first.,, that the journey over the ,I4ohfiel(J station would h*re to be per*

formed in op«n trucks, but while cooling our liceli at Morrinnville it wm openly stated that the effoits which had been made to induce tho railway authorities to allow the carriages (all tirst-cUss saloons, by the way), to travel over the unopened section, had been crowned with success. Mr Hudson, the fenial manager of the Auckland section, had accompanied us an far as Morrinsrille, but instead of keeping company with us up the Rotorua line, he had mounted his " jigger " and gone on to To Aroha. Great was our surprise and indignation, therefore, whan wo heard tho stentorian voice of Guard Such announcing that we must "change here for Liehneld." The crowd indulged in polite language not easily translated, and openly talked of seizing the carriages by force. To travel in truck in fine weather might have been a pleasant change, a break in the monotony of the journey, but the prospect of facing the angry elements in such vehicles was not by any means charming, and we growled loudly and deep. However, Britons are an orderloving people, so we made the best of the situation, deriving some small emmbs of comfort from the fact that Mr Fallon was in charge of the foremost engine, and would without a doubt make her "speel." We were not mistaken.

We bowl alone to Lichfield. The line, after leaving Oxford h mostly uphill, and the work of construction over the undulating lands of Patetere must have been no joke. Up banks, and through enormous cuttings through the living rock we went at a tall speed. Mr Fallon had raadt> the line and laid the rails, and with a well warranted confidence in the work of his own hands he rattled along at an exhilarating speed. Here and there the metals had not been sufficiently ballasted, and occasionally we slacked off a little, but the track had been well and truly laid, and no mishap occurred. The rain fell in torrents, with blinding force, but behind the ramparts of a rug judiciously spread in front of us, I and two compagnops de voyage fared very well, and kept our best clothes dry. What little we saw of the country failed to impress us Very /favourably under the circumstances, but we were determined to form no hoaty judgments, which was very wise on our part, as I shall show further on. At Putaruru juuetion, the point where the proposed line to Obinemutu will debouch, large quantities of timber and material of other kinds were stacked, including a pile of totara sleepers, rails, &c. from the Waotu bush, the products of which will henceforward find their way to market by this route. The bush is only some eleven milts from this point, and is connected with the lino by a good serviceable road, duly formed and bridged. Still under the lash of Jupiter Pluvius we rattled into Lichfield past the residence of the managing director, Mr Rich (lately the Home of Mr Halcombe), and on for about half-a-mile, till we finally drew up close to Mr Heany a Hotel. That we lost no time in alighting goes without saying, and that we made a bee line double-quick in the direction of that admirably-kept hostelry is also hardly worth mentioning. On the journey from Morrinsyille to Oxford we had been served with tickets, indicating the places where we were to be billeted. About twenty-five of our number, including all the members of the Fourth Estate, were consigned to the care of Mr Heany ; another batch were assitrned quarter* at the manager's house and the cottages adjoining ; a third were provided with quarters by the chief surveyor of the company, Mi Howard Jackson, while the balance were allotted sleeping room in the Town Hall, a spacious building, with board at MiRich's house. Had the company been more numerous, a portion would have had to go on to the Club House, two miles and a-half to the southward. Here then, at about half-past five, we separated, and the state of the weather prevented a social-re-union later on at the Town Hall, such as was projected by the musical spirits en route.

Our Quarters. The hotel is excellently well apapporated. The landlord and his good wife gave us a most hearty welcome, and put themselves to no end of trouble to see that we were comfortably boused. At six o'clock we sat down to a sumptuous dinner in the billiard room, a detached building constructed of the splendid stone which id found all over the estate. The tables were laden with every thing that could tempt the appetite, and had we not performed a long railway journey, and had wo not betm wet and hungry— as we were— we had been bound to eat heartily. Too much praise cannot be bestowed on Mr and Mrs Ueany, not only for the rare excellence of the fare with which they provided us, but also for the quality of their accommodation and their attention t» nil our wants. The directors of the company found in them most admirable agents by which to dispense their generous hospitality. How We Spent the Evening. After dinner, we disposed ourselves about the house, a jolly company assembling in tho cosy drawing room upstairs where, with the aid of a pianoforte, we instituted a musical entertainment. No one could have supposed that so much vocal talent existed amongst us; From " Eileen Alannah" delightfully rendered by a brother of the pen, through various strata, down to " Paddy don't Care" mmg by a well known Cambridge settler and advocate of cheap bread, we sMunded the whole gamut, and though the clouds continued with a persistency worthy of a better cause to nour out the vials of their wrath upon a wicked world, we were snug and happy under the roof of the Lichfield Hotel. Elsewhere I have reason to believe that our friends fared equally well with ourselves. Mr and Mn Rich mads everybody happy and comfortable at their house, and our brethren who had occupied the Town Hall found that Cheir lines had fallen in pleasant places. No report of our famous trip could be complete without something like a true and particular account of the proceed^ ings at the Town Hall. The company there gathered together was, not to put too fine a point upon it, somewhat mixed. Sedate gentlemen on the shady side of— well, thirty, were thrown into the society of youths not yet out of their salad days, boys in nature if not in years, and these latter not requiring so much sleep as their elders, waxed not only eloquent, but, as the night advanced, boisterous, and the fun grew fast and furious. There is a tradition extant, to the effect that just as these turbulent spirits had been coaxed into a state of comparative quietude, a party from the hotel paid a visit to the hall, and upset everybody's calculation*. The story is based on unsufficient evidence, and cannot be accepted as true. But, be that a* it may, things arrived at such a pays that one of the patriarchs, that is, one of those above thirty, felt constrained to make a speech. In language and tones that brought tears to the eyes of the company, he expatiated on the enormity of the youngsters' conduct, and suggested that a vote of censure should be passed upon them. Thin might have had the effect of putting an end to the open evidences of hilarity, were it not that upon tho conclusion of the harangue it was repeated, word for word, 1 * and with diverting emphasis by one of the condemned. Over tlie remainder of the proceedings I inercifullydrawa veil, contenting myself with observing that the daylight wiped out all angry feeling, and everybody made friends. I slept soundly, as all do who have good digestions and clear consciences, and was awakened by the sound of voices in the next room, where two newspaper men were engaged in discussing Imperial Federation, at half- past seven i o'clock a.m. ! It was joyful news to hear that the sky had cleared, so with light heart I arose, discusaed breakfast, and went out to view the country.

The Pfttetere Country. Far as the eye could reach nothing was to be seen but the property of the company, for the giant mountains of Te Aroha and Maungatautari were still voiled in mist. The estate, which comprises an area of about 160,000 acres, is a portion of the block of 300,000 acres acquired from the native owners by the Patetore Land Association five or six years ago. Roughly speaking, it is in the form of a parallelogram, about 25 miles long by broad. The eastern boundary line runs along the top of the wooded range overlooking Rotorua, while its western limit is generally the Waikato River. Southward it is bounded by the retroceded portion of the original block, and northward by the Auckland Agricultural Company's property. The central portion of the block, about 100,000 acres, is practically a continuation of the Thames Valley, and is composed of tine rolling country every acre of which is suitable for the plough. Looking northwards from any eminence here at Lichfield the eye reaches over Oxford, over Matamats, and away down past Waitoa to the Frith of Thames. On a fine day, such as Friday happily proved to be, the prospect is indeed a delightful one. To the right riws the forest olid, rango that, running in

an unbroken line from C.ipe Colville, ends abruptly at the lofty cone of Horohoro ; while to the left ato M inngatautari and Maungakawa. Outside the central belt of cultivable hind the country is btoken until the top of the range is i cached, when k<kkl level ground is met with, the »oil of which U exctptionably fertile. This is covered with good mixed bu>h. The K<itorua road, as well as the projected railway line passe* through the company's property, seven miles apjit. A feature in the landscape is the abundance of •tone which crops out here and them all : over the vast estate, and forms the substratum throughout. It i* a specie* of trachytic sandstone, soft when quarried, but quickly hardening when exposed to the air. In density and the power of resuting moisture it has been proved to excel the famous Oaniaru stone, while it can be worked with equal facility. I might mention in tins connection that Mr Heany has erected a handsome billiard room with this stone, and those whe inspected it were at once struck with the excellent character of the material employed. The whole of the chimneys on the estate are also constructed of this stone, which will doubtless soon come mt; general me. Contrary to expectation we found the country to be well watered. Besides those streams which can lay claim to the title of " river" such as the Waihou, the Waimakariri, the Oraku, tho Wai pa, there are several, of scarcely less importance, such as the Pokaiwhenua and the Ngutuwera, and at least a dozen others in which trout might live and flourish. Numerous npri»gs have also been met with, winch throughout the whole of the late severe drought never showed signs of exhaustion. The soil throughout the valley in a light loam, resting on a subsoil of greater richneu than itself,, and is admirably adapted to the growth of clover. What it stands most in need of is th« weight of the borine hoof, which will in tint* render it fit for the reception of cereals. That it can grow whit* crops has already been demonstrated, as a line field of oats was mown this summer near the Club House, The soil is similar in character, but richer in quality on the hills. During the two and a-half yean the present company have been in operation, they hare not been idle. About 3000 acres have been ploughed and laid down in grass, while a similar ar«a has been cleared of tha natural growth, fern and tussock grass, and surface sown with grass and clovers. Same twenty miles ot fencing have been erected, and about 40 miles of roads have been made. In the midst of these improvements, and almost in the centre of the block, stands the embryo township of Lichfield, within the surveyed boundaries of which is the home station. The future city is admirably situated. Like Washington it is amply supplied with fine broad level streets only waiting for houses, and wide open squares ready to receive the monuments and fountains which future generations shall erect to the memory of the great men of the present. The buildings at present consist of the manager's house, a spacious residence, prettily situated in the midst of tastefully laid out grounds, the residence of Mr Howard Jackson, the chief surveyor to the Company, Heany's Hotel, a commodious and well appointed house, Isaacs's general store, Harray's butcher shop, the Town Hall, and about a dozen private houses, to say nothing of numerous outbuildings. The Town Hall is used aa a schoolhouse on week days and as a church on Sunday. A lady teacher, subsidised by the Government, teaches an average of fourteen young ideas how to shoot, and Mr Howard Jackson usually conducts divine service. A fine American organ, paid for out of the proceeds of entertainments, is part of the furniture of the hall. The Club House, situated about two and a-iuilt miles from the hotel, aud on the south in 1 ouposite side from the manager's house, 1-. hidden, except the roof, by intervening' knohs. It it> a line large building, containing ten spacious rooms, with coach-house, stable Ate, attached, aud was intended as a residence for cadets, who having purchased land on the estate might be desirous of goiug through a period ot probation, while at the same time they would enjoy the privilege of congenial society. This scheme, however, fell through, and the Club House, together with about 1000 acres of land surround iug it and fenced in, is for sale. Four hundred acres of this area have been ploughed and are now in grass. Sixty acres were in oajs last year. Adjoining this thousand acres is a compact block of 3000 acres, nearly all fenced by natural boundaries. On the forest plateau, near Kaituna, alongside the Rotorua road, the company have cleared two patches of bush, each about 50 acres in extent. The land has been sown with cocksfoot and is doing extremely well. I must not omit to say that all over the block there is plenty of natural feed. Trees grow well on the estate, and the wonder in that more have not been planted. But everything in good time. Lichfield is well provided with water, and will soon have a respectable water supply laid on which will be tho envy of many a larger centre of population. Mr Fallon is now engaged in laying down pipes from the Ngutuwera stream, a mile and a quarter distant. A hydraulic ram has been fixed at this point, and the water will be sufficient for both railway and township purposes. When the towu grows, a much larger supply can be obtained by gravitation by going two miles further up the creek. At present the water will be conducted through 3in. pipes. The town is just on the watershed between the Hauraki and Waikato systems. The Oraka, a mile and a quarter eastward, flows into the Waihou and so into the Hauraki Gulf, and the Ngutuwera a similar distance to the west into the Pokaiwhenua, and so into the Waikato.

Railway Extension. It u probable • that any extension of the railway southward will start from Lichfield, as the country, nnlike that beyond Rotorua, in well adapted for the purpose. A junction could easily be effected with the main trunk lino from Te Awatnutu at a point not far from the big tunnel, and distant from Lichtield only about 38 miles. The CUttle and Land Sales.

Having completed our rapid and imperfect survey of the country, our attention was claimed by the auctioneer*, who proceeded to knock down (XX) choice well-bred steers and heiiers, in suitable IoU. The hammer wa« wielded uucceuively by Mr John McNiol (Mr J. 6. liucklaud), and Mr W. J. Hunter (\V. J. Hunter and Co.) and good priced, showing an advance upon Ohaupo rates, were realised. Then Mr Samuel Vaile, of the linn of Vuile and .Douglas, mounted a platform outside Mr Jackson s office and proceeded to dilate on the excellent quality of the land he was about to offer, some amusement was caused by the exhibition of a gorgeously g»t-up map of the North Island, showing the railway system and indicating Lltchfield as the future csntr* of such system. This bad been prepared under the eye of Mr Vaile, whocatneinfor much gqod-huuiouredchatf. Two £-acre sections were knocked down at £10 and £11 respectively, and a few acre sections, residence sites, brought from £5 to £7 each. These were sold to prove the bona tides of the sale, but as phe upset price wan not reached no more were offered. Though a slight shower fell during the sale, the sky had declared for tine weather, and us the. company adjourned for lunch, prepuratory to leaving, we were back into suinnier.again.

Coming Back Again. The engine, with its stately following of trucks, wm awaiting us opposite Heany's,' and in response to an imperious whistle we tumbled on board. Aa the train moved away three hearty cheer* were given for Mr and Mrs Heany, with one cheer more for Lichfield. Opposite the manager's house we drew up for the purpose of taking in the balance of our passengers. Mr and Mrs Rich, with their family, were standing alongside the line to ace us off, and needless ! to say they were accorded hearty cheers as we once more got under weigh. While the guests were assembled on the lawn, just after lunch, Mr R. C. Barstow took the opportunity " on behalf of himself and his fellow passengers, to thank their kind entertainers and ?the other directors of the Company for the very pleasanti outing and the attention paid to their comfort in every respect. Four and a-half miles from Lichfield we passed the Putaruru junction, and under the altered condition of the weather were enabled to take a fairly good survey of the country, which all on board agreed in saying was far and away hotter than they had expected to find it. Indeed the expressions of surprise and admiration formed quite a feature of the trip. The line is nearly all down bill,and we returned.as we had couie, at a spanking pace, so that the distance between Lichfield and Oxford, a little over eleven miles, was covered in twenty five minutes. On the way we obtained a glimpse here and there of the pretty little Waipa river, it* waters sparkling in the bright sunlight, and its low wooded banks suggesting visions of many a pleasant day's angling in the future, At Oxford wo wow detainw nearly

half an hour, the special tr.un oeing advertised to •'tart at 3 p.m. Sumo of the more venturesome spirits tilled in the interval by p.iyifog a visit to the well kept O\f«rd Uoyal Hotel, the property of Mr F. R >se, lato of Cambridge. Ju«t before the train started, Me J. (J. Fiith on bctuilf of the visitor*, add res«ed a few wmdi to Mr D. F.i I lon, thanking him heartily f>>r the kindness he had extended to tlu-i > under bome»vh«it trying circuinstnnc •. The country owed a debt of "gratit.idu to men of Mr Fallon's stamp, who were pioneer* in th» true seine of the word. He trusted that the contract would prove a profitable onr, and concluded by calling for three cheers, which was enthusiastically r.^p >nded to, the compuiy singing " For he's a jolly good fellow." Mr Fallon, in replying, said that ho was grateful for the compliment paid to linn. He trustt d that the gentlemen present had enjoyed their trip, nnd that they would raturn home with a better opinion of the Pateteio country than had been usually held. People had been prejudiced against the land, and when he first went there he wm not greatly impressed with it, and he had told hi-? friends t<> hnv* nothing to do with it. A fuller acquaintance with the soil in the cuttings on the line changed his views, and he had earnestly endeavoured to_ remove any faNo iinpiv»»«ion which he might have produced. (Applause.) It was unfortunate that the .state of tho -vcather had prevented th<>in from seeing as much of the country as they might h ive d .no, as there was much better land on the block than that in and around Lichneld. As the train moved off, hearty cheers were given for Mr Fallon, and we sped along towards Morrinsvtlle. On the way we enjoypd a magnificent view of the country, and astonishment was expressed at the vast improvements effected at MatatnaU and else where. Refreshments were again served out in the carriages, and the re<t of tho journey passed off roost pleasantly. A I half-pant five the train drew up at Hamilton, and we parted with our Auckland friends with mutual regrets and expression! of good will. In conclusion I may repeat that the tiip, taken altogether, was a most pleasant one, and the directors and those who 10 ably carried out the arrangements are deserving of the thanks of everybody who participated in this delightful excursion. '

The following is a pretty complete list of those gentlemen who were passengers in the train on Friday :—: — Messrs J. E. Pounds, E. B. Walker, J. M. Clark, E. W. Hamnar (directors of the company), Gerald O'Halloran (secretary), Hon. James Williamson. D. L. Murdoch (Bank of New Zealand), C. B. Griereon (Union Bank), J. A. Connell (Perpetual Trustees and Agency Company), C. M. Crombie (Deputy Property Tax Comnrismissioner), J. B. Whyte (M.H.R.), J. C. Firth, Captain H. F. Anderion, Dr. Purchas, Rev. J. Campbell, A. Buckland, W. J. Hunter (Ohaupo), Charles Hunter (Ohaupo), G. M. Reid, J. D. Wiokham, G. M. Main, J. M. Geddes, J. Newman, R. C. Barstow, Hugh Campbell, S. Vaile, Alexander Saunders, G. Cheeseiiihii, F. C. Cheeseman, S. M. Jackson, T. M. Jackson, H. M. Jervois, jun., J. C. Wihon, Stead, E. P. Donnelly, W. R. Vines, Wakefield, T. B. Hickton, J. and J. B. Burgoyne, F. R. Claude, Robert Hall, William Hall, Frank Lawry, W. S. Cochrane, R. C. Carr, James Stewart C.E., J. Mclhvain (all of Auckland), Thomas Allen (Mount Albert), A. B. Suttor (Eureka), H. H. Hayr, C. Washer (Mangare); John Wallace (Boswell Park Pukekohe), Coptain McGill (Waiuku), A. E. Uloth (Ohaupo), T. (J. Sundes (Hamilton), James Hume (Hamilton), Gra\ illo Smith (Hamilton), Primrose (Hamilton), Captain Bteele (Hamilton), Andrew Kuy (Orakaii), J. Fisher (Cambridge), Captain Runchnan, H. Reynolds (manager Waikato Land Association), R. Reynolds, E. Hewitt, (Cambridge), G. W. Russell (Cambridge), H. Buttle (Morriusville). Anderson (Richmond), Hunt (Richmond), Burnett (Richmond), Wright (Richmond), W, T. Firth (Matnmata), Anderson junr., J. L. Tule, Edward Alleu, Glassford, John Grice, C. Gmild, Chas. Tuck, F. D. Smale, and others.