MATAMAU.

Bush Advocate, 15 September 1888, Page 2

MATAMAU.

(from our own repoetee.) Thinking that a few notes on matters not generally known, concerning Matamau, would be of interest to such of your readers as entertain the idea of availing themselves of the coming sale of Crown land to found a home. I visited Matamau on Thursday for the purpose of learning as much as possible about that settlement, and in the short time' at my disposal, without any apology, I lay the result before your readers. From what I could gather the first attempt at settlement here was made about ten years ago, when a few sections were put up for sale. Among the purcharsers at that time were Mr Larsen, Mrs Cross, and Mr Hendy. The two former still own the holdings then purchased from the Crown, but •Mr Hendy ultimately sold his section to Mr Leighton who still occupies the land then acquired. The place was then known as Whakaruatapu, taking the name from the creek which crosses the main road to Wellington at that place, which I will not attempt to translate owing to the fact that several different translations can be made of the name, and without knowing the Maori legend connected with it I might give the wrong translation. Mr Leighton and Mrs Cross at once set about building comfortable and pretty cottages, and, in addition to felling the Trash, beautifying their property, Mr Larsen also built and settled there, but being single, and not caring apparently, as much for the locality oj nis surroundings as he would have done had there been a woman's taste to please.' Mr Larsen contented himself with making things comfortable and gave himself up to studies such as bushraen seldom understand. About three years ago, however, a change from vegetation to active lif « began. At that time Messrs Mortensen and Co. were about to put up the Matamau sawmills, and two of the employees, who thought it better ! to build on land of their wn than to j squat on other people's property, cast j their eyes about to find a site which they could acquire and build a permanent home upon. At that time there j was a piece of land containing about 136 acres vacant, and which the Crown Lands Office was about to" offer— in one lot— for sale. Messrs Beatie and Box, the two men mentioned above, conceived the idea of { getting this land cut up into villagesettlement lots, and succeeded in getting about twelve signatures to a petition for presentation to the Lands Office. The land was cut up in lots varying from Ito 14 acres. There are now between 30 and 40 families living at this place, which received, or rather was known by, the name of Matamau from an old Maori legend in which a chief made an attempt to spear a pigeon and failed, the mala or head of his spear becoming entangled .so that he could not recover it, and the place where this occurred was called Matamau, or entangled spear head. The means of employment being to hand in working at the sawmill and cutting firewood, posts, house blocks, strainers, etc., enabled the new population to earn a living while clearing their holdings, and this trade is active yet. The houses are all comfortable, and taken altogether Matamau is as pleasant a place to live in as can be found. Life passes tranquilly there, away from the great disturber the railway, and hospitality is the rule, in fact, every house I entered practised this virtue, and I had to eat or drink before I could leave. The want of a school soon became felt, and Messrs Harwood and Box did not let the matter drop until they obtained a teacher, they finding a school room. I visited the school and found my old friend Mr Thomson in harness there still. There are 30 children attending school, but slight sicknesses have prevented a good attendance lately. Standards I, 11, 111, and IV are fairly represented ; the children appear to be well-taught and show signs of intelligence, but the school accommodation is not good. The room is 26 x 12 feet, with a low ceiling and no sufficient means of ventilation, there being rather too many consumers for the quantity of air between the close ceiling and noor. : If more school accommodation could be obtained the number on the roll would increase materially. The, next want was . " divine service," ancl this has been supplied by the Rev' Mr Webb, of Ormondville, who attends twice a month to hold service. The other Sundays are taken up by Sunday School teaching in the school room. In the way of postal arrangements, Mr McKearney receives and delivers malls every evening, and Mr Schaare's store provides for all t'ae wants of the little community, each family baking its own bread, which I know by experience to be excellent. A butcher visits Matamau from Danevirke twice a week, and supplies a very good article. Matamau is on the main road, ancl about a mile from the railway line. I do not know if the place is known to the Life Assurance agents, but the ever present " book fiend " has marked the place for his own, and I met Mr Hill, who is* running "Chase's last work " through Matamau. The land about to be sold is distant about two miles from the railway flag station, and is separated from the present settlement by a stretch of Native land,~through which a road is cleared, but not formed. The nearest portion of the land will be about half a mile from the main road. Tho Matamau sawmills, which werethe cause of the newest part of the settlement, are run by Mr C. Nordlof. He has two portable steam engines, one Hornsby and Sons, of 8-horse power, and one of Marshall and Co.'s, 16-horse power (double cylinder). The planing machine is by Bail and Co., of Mass., and will plane, but not match, a board 18'n. wide ; it is driven from ai shaft overhead. The two engines are coupled on the intermediate shaft, which runs underground, the distance from engine centres on shaft being about 25 feet, and the distance to shaw shafts about 22 feet, The sawing gear consists of a vertical saw, the sash of which will take a log 5 feet in diameter. After leaving the vertical the timber is ditched on a bench, which will take a log 40 feet in length, and in which a 54in. saw runs. It is then out up into building timber on a breast bench, with a 42in. saw, and furnished with iron rails. The shed is over 80 feet in length, without the engine shed, and the planing shed is also outside the main shed. At this mill there is a short line running down to the railway Un.e', g,n4 ga^nected by ft of

points with the main line^ so, that trucks can be drawn' up into .the timber yard and loaded, wheti the incline is sufficient to run them.-.bfick-to the railway yard; where they can be taken away to their destination. . v In conclusion, the fences are all 1 ; substantial and composed of durable timber,, and they, as well as the houses,- have a neat, homely appearance not often met .with,, the ..style, most in use ■ being that Jcnpiwh as -stab :' fence. ; ----.- - ; |