OPENING OF THE RAILWAY TO FAIRLIE OREEK.

Timaru Herald, Volume XL, Issue 2919, 31 January 1884, Page 3

OPENING OF THE RAILWAY TO FAIRLIE OREEK.

: Tha extension of thfr Albmry braucb railway from Albnry to Fairlio Creek was opeced for general tramp on Monday latt, and this , event wait celebrated jre«terd*y by the running "., of am esenrsion train- from. Ximarti: -M the new ttnuißtu of the line. Ih* impottanon to Xlmara at increased facilities of communication with : tbs . interior nee pntetioblly ,'j acknowledged. . by the-, townspeople^. » re- .'.-;■ qnUition. being handed &o the ■ Major , Biking him to. proclaim a.pnblie .holiday m , Timanicin order to allow bavin cm peopl* wd •j, other* to bonoe the occasion by joining m fehe eiaaiuoa. Xbe proelsmation was mtd*; and „ . the holidiy waa well kapt, near]}' all the/tb<Jpc being elotedU fip*eial arrtogemenla "were „ made tiy the nilnaj . authorities for ./ the •iicuriion, * notabfr oi' csr- . -rUge» being broagtit downi from! Ohriit* .j. charoh •oo Ta«td*y m'^ht. Tintenhiy , inontioga traia woe made op eonriiting of foarteen carnages »rd ; brake , Taa and : two . . eqzinef.—an 'Am»ric«iD, tb# " Waahington," .' " aod on*, of the 9 elaM-r«nd, seeing the ,■ ■ unmbra* .of people who irafe erowdibg the platlona aa the hour oftUrtang drew nigh, a , eoupleipore carriage! were i>WS on, (ritb the :. •. , jiem of nceommodating comfortably; all «'bo might join the, train »t Fleitctoit Paint iwd ■-■/. Albnry, iia well aa these booking at , Xiau.ru. Fewer. ;{«qnlo joined at tboto ptaoea than was ; expected, howerer, and tbs long train w»a by no meant fall, tbo total number 0f, . . jiMenum y 6 imm bark iag at BVurlie Ortelt 'beinf etUtoated al. about 600,— a nice little crowd, liowever, to tjirn loose ia that amoplii»tie»t«d ( little; comitry townahjp. The preriooi njjht had been net, aodtbe ndrnibe was dall.arid very many lrbo went only made np their mind at the last . monienb, onseeing that thanky.iraa {,Tadaally gettiag. brighter, and tbere sosmed, tojbe » goctfpr(«pecv of a Sne day after all, otber- . .V wise tfcs_ number of holiday makeiv wonld probablj' have been cotniderably larger. • As . it tonwd oat, a fine* day could pot iitolieen . . desired^ except thai a olearur sky wonld have '■ permiti^Kl the mountains snrrouadiag Fsirlie Creek to be seen to better adrantejp. Mr V. Bacit, District Xraffio Manager, Mr A: Smith, Superintendent of the Lcoomotite Departtßeot, Mr J. Jonns, Statiosmiuter at Timtru, and Mj; Dickenaon, Lc<jonuitiv» Voretaun, aceompaoled the train, and among , the^xßirsionuU were the lilayor of Tlaiaru, Mr Butter, M.H.B. for Q}ad;|tciie, s Urge turn • borofbluinewmenoflicnan^iradagjoriaiany "old idpntitiet," whohad beeo familiar With Bairljaoraek m the old. days, and deiirtd a pleasant " shock" from seeing; the iron liorie eareetiiigpTer grouod where they bad been acoattismed to canter their bo^jta of bone ond •ineir, without a thought oj! r»ilwayiior e:tonr•ion tnuns. , ' „ ' ; ■ '"■ Thtf train etajrited pnnottwily at the time appointed, and as the long string of oariioges wopn^ ground the ourres r.esr Utm\\, allowing ittleriijth to beaetn by the passenger*, many were pc- jokes made aboot its " aitcnlihing the uhtireß." Kb* tw<| . unginis . J»>pre<l . he»Tily io taking the train, with cold *n<\ sthT ' wheeu, through! the cuttiag,! ronni the/Bay, belching forth sUaro pnd duit and aibes ■ lfkie tranatare Krakatoas, wi if anyntnsual degreo ot redness is noti cod m thn lomet ■ku* iif th» nexfr few dayi, it nmy Im at- • ~tribnl(:d by anyone who p) essei tothii ontbtmrt.: Ths ontwilrd joeroey wa« cot rery etwtfiil. The oslysbit ions calltid at w«re PleasßOt Point and Albury. At tho former aboot. loo persona fofned bh« trnin, and a good sa«irimMe^iaeladiiiKHfawti>f obming

and hat- and handkeichief-waving tobool children were assembled to ace tho train past. As it matter of courde, no such train having passed up the line before, every resident along tbe line came out to oe«it pa»», both going out and returning. At .Albury about a aoore oi adults, and tbe school children m a, body, were added to the load, and the plaoe was laft apparently deserted, en 3 most disconsolate looking. The scenery along tbe route presents little that is very nimarkable, but plenty that is interesting enough. A mist obsoured tbe distant hills, compelling n cloner attention to the nearer features of the country pawed through. As far us tbe Cave there were oropa of grain to be seen, whitening to the harvest, and plump oattle and sheep happy among plentiful feed, and cottages and homesteads seattored among the paddoclts, looking very calm ami peaceful m contrast with the hurry ' and ra&tle of the train. At the Cate the <nve was looked for, and its vicinity declared to be just tba place for a picnio ramble. The Tengawai river here runs near the line, iind it wa» sees to be muoh discolored, though not m high flood, indicating Ibat a good deal of rain had fallen among the hills durioe tbe night. The cave on the right hand side has its opposite on the other aide, m tbe shape of a prominent blook of limestone which withstood the action of the, destructive forces — glaciers, probably — which carried away its former neighbors. Seen from this sid» the Cave station this rock has a ramarkable resemblance to a deg'a head, vory much m repose, a very disoonijqlate dog, with very tearful eyes. (Has this observation ever beet made before ?) For several miles beyond th< Cave.nearly all the way to Fairlio Greek m fact tbe line runs along a sarrow valley. Tbi country to the left it muntonous and not ai all, interesting from a icenio point of view On the right, howeror, rises the steep, slip scarred western face of The Brothers, iti general brown tints relieved by many atripi and patches of . green scrub m iU narrow guHies, by the black or yellow stripes o Water channels running itraight from top to bottom, and here anci there by a silvei thread of water trickling over a rocky ledge Half way from Albury to Fmrlie Greet the line enters Mr 3iltingham'a downs, through which ifc paeseii by a series of heavy cuttings, which gave the excursionists glimfnei of the "interior," anil showed that Mi GiUirgham's land has v depth of subsoil he will never plough to the bottom of. The new stations of Orioklewood and Winscombe, one at each end of the series of cuttings, wore passed at full speed. Each station consists of a sWiug and a shingle platform, a small portion of the latter covered over bj a lean-to shed— forming a " sixth class," not a first-class station. The outtiaga are of oonsiderable depth, ami, to sava the expense of making them still deeper, the line rises to them on each side by : very heavy grader. Mounting the up grade ; made, the engines puff; descending tbe ((own grade, which is continued over a long; embankment across Coal Gully, steam vtas shut off, and gravity took the train down flying, at a very cheap rate. In oae of the liollows between cuttings the " Fairlie Creek coal mine " was passed. The mouth of the pit o-r drive is within a few yards of the line. To ere v/as ■bo sign of activity m the coil trade. Pouibly the miners were on strike. . Possibly thero is no demand for tbe coal. It contains too muoh sulphur ;" stinks like H say they who have tried it. While crossing Conl Gully thu-Fairlia Oreak district coma* iota .view, a triangular plain burroanded by mountains or high downs bitoked by miuntains. Bight ahead lay the Two Thumb range, its upper half unfortunately hidden by clouds; to the left the western continuation of the Hunter raaget and to' the right, close at hand, the western end of tbe Brothers, cleft by the really stupendous and almost, impassable gorge through which the river Opihi finds its vay oat of this deep basin, sod further off, the rugged western summit of Mount Four Peaks. The Ashwiek Flat, on which the outlines of a few goodsized farms were to be made oat, backed by | a long sloping stretch of tussook, lay m the middle distance, and m the foreground, divided from the last by the now muddy stream of the Opihi, Mr Gillimrham'a and Mr McLean's well-grassed paddocks.:, A little more expenditure of iteam, and, the houses oE Fairlie Creek appeared m sight; still a little morOj and the exirarsiooitts were jumping from the train at the station, and reading from . a conspicuous placard,, " Welcome, Timarn. ; Better late t'iißn never." , On arriving at tha terminus, each one was left to his own deroee. Three or four coaches were m readiness to convoy to Barke's Pass those who desired to make the trip. These appeared at first to have some difficulty m obtaining f«t ronage, bat eventually sis or seven coteb md express loads i set out for that township/ About rt dozen persons procured vehicles iind visited the Gorge ; a number drove as far as Silverstienm j the reit contented thamselves 'with strolling •boat the township -and m tha riverbed., where the treat m the river obliged them to observe that tbe Upper Opihi resembles other Canterbury rivers m having a [decided aversion to bridges. Mr J. G. Allen's new mill came, m for a good share of attention, a large nttmlwr taking advantage ef the permission given to inspect iti. Unfortunately*, it could not be sung " Merrtlj goes tho mill wheel,", because the stock ol grain we* exhausted, ■' and it does not paj to grind millstones for exhibition or anj other purpose. Soon after the party arrived the son, aided for a time by a light breezi from tbe west, snoceeded m dissipating to i considerable extent tbe clouds wiiioh had bidden the mountain tops, ' and dttriog th« afternoon the Two Thumb range looked verj beautiful, its rich, blown summits, fleoked and chequered with brilliant pa<cbei>of snow, appearing above tbin clouds w'fiioh wreathe'! toe range, while Mount Four Peaks stood oat clear and bold, bnt snowies* and lesi richly colored. The sky oVefhonct became quite clear, and after three o'clock the Ism stone very powerfully, making Ibe nir rothei uncomfortably warm. The visitors wer< heartily congratulated! by tbe residents ot being favored with soph agreeable" weather and the visitors as hetirtily returned the com' plitnent. - - : A large marquee had been erected nea? Mi Winter's 1 hotel, anil viirious conjectures wen hazarded m to its purjiose, " luncheon booth ' being tbe most favored. About half an houi after tbe arrival of thp train tbis was throwr open, and its purpose ■ was then more surelj guessed. Along the middle Was erected i table, on which were displayed bottles ■oi " fliz," provided by tbe residents', and chani' pagne glasses. A general move was . madi tvwards the marquee, the crowd finding mon room outside than m,, notwithstanding that i good many persons hid by thin time strayec uway. ' The only fortial eeremoDy'of the daj tben commenced. '■■ Mr T. W. Marenaht, Xngineer and Olerl to the Maokeorie (Jounty Ooondl, witbii whose temtory Fairlii) Greek lies, addvessei the visitors. He had been wqaestod by tbl inhabiUnts to bid tbtm welooitie" i» Fairlii CreeV, and be did so rith very 1 great pleasure He was very glad indeed that, the sunba( oondesoended to nhiae on their visit. Tbi Fairlie Greek line, if lie might take a Hhertj with a quotation, had been a case of " linkec ironwiMfk long drav-n ont." It was nof practically finished, bowevor, and he trustee that it would be of (treat service both to tbi distriot and toTimara. He ventured to pre diet that the district opened tip by tbe exten sion o£ the line bud » great future before it and that with the important means of com muuicalioo now provided, time alono wa needed to render it a source ot gre».t commei cial benefit to the town and port of Tlmaru He hsd much pleasure, therefore, m bidding hearty welcome to Bit Worship the Mayor o Tifflarp, to Mr Suiter, Member., for Ql»d stone, and to thii Other visitors frot Titnaru. „ ; Mr jl. Jackson, Miyor of Timsrii, relurno thaaki for tbe welcome given .them. H quite appreciated tbe remark of Mr Mai ohant'tbat the line 'ironld be pf great benefl to Tin«ro, for if it ;»ere not (or tbe trade o tbe country distviotii, he for one, would nc be able to live. Tie town, he had alwa) felt, was dependent on tbe country* it w« through the prosperity of the country peopl that the townspeople must look for their He believed with Mir Marohant that this dii triot had a great future before it, and tb opening of the railway would .bring tb« future nearer. . Mr J. H. Butter, M.H.B. for the distrio also returned thinks for the welcome aooordc them. They could hardly appreciate tb

trouble he bad bad to Ret the station place < where it wa», and possibly tome ill-fe^liegbat been aroused m the mind of tho beaten party He hoped and believed, howerer, that tho would »on be forgotten, and tbat it woulc come to be universally acknowledged taut Ihi station was m the proper plaoo. Now thai the line '*as finished so far, ho thought thai it would prove suffloient, and further oxten lions be unnecessary for some years to come Mr F. Back, Diatriot Traffic Manager, proposed " Success to the Fairlie Creek District.' In doing to he (aid that if the oountrr mere likened to tho backbone of the town, the railway might safely be likenedjto it* npina! marrow. Many years ago he had been a cadet m this distriot, and at that time any person who should bare ventured to eny tbat within his lifetime thero would he » railway to Faitlie Creek, would have been looked upon as neither more nor lets than a m&dtoan } jet a railway to Fairlie Creek win now an accomplished faot. Mr Baok remarked that he looked upon thin district and the Maokemie Country as tbe sanatorium of Canterbury, and ftatrd that he wag m communication with tbe Government on the subject of making arrangements for tbe itsue of excursion I tickets fbrougb by train and coach to Lake Tekapo at a low prioo. If that could be arranged he antioipated it would result m an inoreaae of railway traffic, and m benefit to the people, who would thus be enabled to avail themselves of tbe reinvigorating atmosphere oi the mountains, amid grand and beautiful; soenery. He begged to propose " Success to the Fairlie Creek district." a Tbe toast was warmly received, and three b hearty cheers given, after whioh the oham- ;, pagne wns libomlly circulated, and tho formal b proceedings terminated. t Mention must not be negleoted of the pro- • parationa mado by Mr Winter, of the Fairlie - Creek Hotel, to meet tbn demand for refreshs ments for so large an influx of visitors. On s tbe way op it waa remarked that he could not r have expected bo many, and would be ill f prepared for them. Suffice it to Bay that > tbe table m his dining room was r laid and reUid time after time, and . the last man got a capital luncheon ; as well as the first, while ladies, of , whom there waa a good proporlion among ' tbe excursionists, were well attended to and ) supplied with a enp of good ten m a separate • room. A good many small parties took ) " hampers " with them, and lunched on the ' grass beiide one or ottier of . the many little i streams near tbe township, and others were ) invited guests. of neighboring tattlers. i As the time fixed for returning drew nißh, i tbe coaches returned from Bnrke'a Pans, the i strollers oolleoted near the station, and by the l lime appointed, 5.20 p.m., all had taken their ' seats on the train without Confucian or ' trouble. The platform was crowded with i residents of tbe township and neighborhood, and as the train moved off hearty cheers were i given on both sides. The return journey, waa i made without mishap and m good time, i scarcely two hours being consumed. Tbe ' very bait of good humor bad been shown all i day, and all the visitors to Fairlie Creek api peaxed to bare enjoyed their excursion im- ■ meniely. ' LAND BATJ! AT FAIRLIE OBESE. One of tho attractions for some of the 1 visitors, and one of the pastimes for others, was an auotion «al» held by Messrs W; Cpllins and Co., of horses and land, during the afternoon. The horses, about a dozen light > harness horse i and haoks, were sold first, at fair prices. The land offered consisted of a 20-aore geotion belonging to Mrs Freame, whioh had boon sub-divided into building Allotments. The section presented its "frontage" or smallest dimension to the AUaniiale road, its longer one being parallel to and abuttipg on the railway, to the west of the township, reaching neatly to the mill, one corner (Motion No. 1) ' beiag 1 near to and nearly opposite the Fairlie Oraek Hotel. Great interest wts taken m (ho sale, and the biddings were keen for most suctions —up to a certain point-, beyond which' they were, as usual, confined to perform who really wanted the sections. ' BeotionH 1 i to 10, it nay be stated, are tbosti near the present township; Motions 14 to 18 ' are on broken ground, and sections £9 to 86 1 lie towards the mill. Thesii remnvka will i explain the differences m the prices obtained. The following is the result of the unction : < —No. 1, la Or 4p, Mr J. Feeney (Fairlie : Creek), £133; No. 2, lr 23p, Mi- Watts , (Bank of New Zealand), £50 j No. 8, lr 33p, Mr D. McKny, £38 } No. 4, lr 26p. Mr W. , Manning, £18 j No. 6, lr SOp, Mr W. Man- j . m'ng, £17 ; Ifo. 6, lr 84p, Mr W. Collins, , £18 i No. 7, lr 87p, Mr P. Clanoy, £22 j No. , B,lrSSp, Mr P. Chapman, £18 ; No. i,9, lr , 35p, Mr B. Chapman, £17; No. 10, lr 37p, , Mr J. Urqnhart. £17} No. H 2r 3p, Mr D. McKay, £20 ; No. 16, 3r ' 3r Sip, Mr D. McKay. £16 1 No. 16, lr 29p, Mr W. Jones. £18 1 No. 17, 2r 2p, Mr S. H. , Bennett, £12; No. 18, 2r 13p, Mr "W. MoLeoil, £12; No. 28, lr 26p, Mr JHartner, £10 6s j No. 29, lr 12p, Me J. Bartner, £10 6s ; No. 30, lr 4p, Mr W. Burgetn, £9 5s j TXo. 81, lr 2p, Mt,W.\ ; Burgeai, £9 6s; No. 83, lr Ip. 4li ; A. O. MoAUiiter. £8 6s f No. 33, lr 2p, Mr W. : McLeod, £7 1 No. 44, lr Bp, Mr Sounders, : £6; No. 86, 83p, Mr 8. B. Graham, £5; , No. 38, 2r 45p, Mr T. Hennessy, £10 10*. r The sections whose numbers are not given f were withdrawn at the auction, bat two of j them were sold privately afterwards, and f enquiries have been made about most of the others., It ie said that jp.ne. buyer. Bold his , pnrcbt.se at an advance of £6 within tk few i minutes of i 'hit samo being takeo by the i Mintmtiftfil*.