KAITANGATA.

Bruce Herald, Volume VI, Issue 402, 17 January 1872, Page 7

KAITANGATA.

(From a • correspondent.)

dll^Gbristttas -and New Year holidays "passed by here*. quiet and sober, and with "less stir 'than is often on a Sunday. The forge pic-nic promised to take place on the ~sand"pit on Christmas day was a failure — ; partly owing to the disagreeable appear•ance of the morning, but "chiefly to the Inch Clutba road being impassable for • dray 8 by the ■ number of trees blown down across ; it. Those /who could nor. come farther, betook themselves to Mr Smith's bush, a most pleasant situation, and both 1 parties- made the best of it, the. day having ■ greatly improved, and all returned home • satisfied. -New 'if ear's day was so beaufi- ■ fill that a groat num her went on foot to : see the Balclutba games. Macdonaid has opened his new hotel ' here. It is a large <md unshapely structure, in the shape of a lean-to, used chiefly ; for storing goods going or coming by steamer; the end fronting the road serves •*as a bar. As a. bit of news for members of T. A.'Society, "I may mention that this 'hotel, though opened on a New Year's 'day, ''amongst a people nearly all Scotch, with drink in quantity p.nd . variety, and ' two" specially obliging barmen in attendance, yet the only customer of deep drinki ing propensity j could learn that- patronised it was a 'leading athletic sportsman 'in the -neighborhood, who, though at pursuing humble callinjrs'had seen better days; and once occupied positions •of such' honor and consequence as doctor, : general, and statesmen, with extensive • landed property. . _ - The flax and sawmills in this neighborhood are regularly working. I notice bales of a beautiful white colored flax •arriving forshipment jrom Mr Ewings. Ihey have only commenced lately to • scutch at Mr l^avidsdns, but large quan - 'tities of bleached and dried fibre well « dressed can be seen in the store.

Messrs "Potter antTFothergill are getting -another engine of six-horse power to put -alongside the one at present working in SKaitangata bush-^-tbis will increase the ; power to eighteen Worses. They are also busily erecting'the engine broaghtfrom 'the "Taieti, in the bush, Inch ' Clutba, and expect to be ready to -start in a f few weeks. They appear to -start in '-a very substantial maivner, having 'formed and rgra veiled a good breadth of road leading to"*febe -aiiHs and making ; alongside' it, and erecting rjetties for the steawer to comeup alongside, and Tun the timber f tn fromfthemills on trucks. 'The steamer 'engaged to convey the sawntimber to 'Dilnedrn, 5 ! believe, is the Pretty -Jane. -IShe'ca-n eas% .take^OOO feet a*t a ; tißoe. <fiesiities. supplying the Port *Chalmersrailway with sleepers, they have '' lately, ( I hear, dndertaiken to*exeeute ■ of the Clutira'cofltract. •White >iosing'one of our teachers "we 1 ■• were" vefy*nearly deprived of our esteemed : * parson J fefely. s lf mistaken the cgoodfpeOpMe^f Tl'apanui must ill interpret 'the necessary -grounds of a call. It-isnot x thirsty^srouis, 'nor-a 1 bleak, r cold , and '-poorer * district 'that -can .* be ' compared to a place •like the Mate ay where the climate is -genial -and -salubr'dus, the scenery and 'beautiful, ''with pleasant^farms, comfortable : and -happy %otnes'on 'the rich -alluyial settlers long resident,"faith"ful and 4i^fluetitial. \Chough ; in Mr ; Ha w- ? son's ■> he can pretend to no I call ' than his ability to teach, and v the 1 anteresf^f-himiself 'and- family , -I ; cannot rregret his '-departure, -satisfied • he 'dSH it(to f'better » ! his position, and many will ijoia 1 wiV%>me : in the f hope ; that his varied genius' •wi'll'iSn'd better encouragement and^greater ? reward at- Swkzers.

f Onr -school- house 'here : is« disgrace 'to' v the - place. It is- a> mystery to me' how the ♦ children, healthy •ar : d : hardy as they un-j +doubtedly -are. stood the ; many cold'and: < chilly winter days. . ; In fact, our 'farmers not be guilty of sirch'inhumariiry to 11 ftheir- 1 working horses as not to provide; 'them- with 1 better accommodation.

-As •"' far -as my little • experieffce 'goes I « see' no » interest ; taken in 'educational mat'tersihere.' 'The -same committee 'have'tbe 1^ Ihonor- 6f proposing>one anotherover- again,' <or'e'lse some -absetit 'member. The 'in- 1 tfluence that seems toinducethem to occupy 1 '• so 'important a public ! trust'is because one! 'mayjhave a- pique against' theteadber/orthe! < happens >to make a hobby <oi 'him. 'Otirj 'committee 'has been for -some -time 'back; 'wrangling "with the representative -of thei 'Government about asitefdr a sc'hodLandas -'schooPhouse^; •the % lafter : on c predsome i liiind i r in asuirablesirua'tion, and 'assistance. f to put'up'tue-school house. This would not ; «ido wifh'Sdmej'biittheymtrethave'it upin : the l luriv^te tow-uship and pay 'bigh.-foiva- small i ; plot' df ground, whJle the ' Government had 7no fund* -to i do -so. 'land they themselves never dreamed ot subscribing a penny. 'This 'fell thfrpugh, and lam 'happy to'learn ■that the'Gdvernmerit ground is-decided on,' ■^with^'Teasonable prospect of a new schoolhouse soon. >2 cannot see ; tb&t there is any practical benefit m a good from a bad : system of -education, so )on'g : as the 'com-. Dounity are 'not public spirited or intelli-^ gent enough to take advantage and make ■thejbest'uses cti its clauses. . . . ' „ .....

•I am pleased to welcome again the re-turn-of ■some calm clear weather after over; =a "month storm of or less violence, in. which farm and garden crops ■of every description suffered, particularly go ion .the , ridg-es, where the cereals "look •^extremely light, short and thin, and the Ipotatoes, 'too, sbowing a dried sictly 'appeairarice. The sral'ks r>t the .more advanced wheat on the flats have been greatly broken. The potatoes and tntnips, though looking well) have been a good •deal damaged anH checked in .their groveth . Sho;uM the wtather prove more favorable now, the .yield will yet be very 4arge and good op these fertile low lan;ds ; which only require a dry season like this I to render^ih«^grasses and oitiet vegetation 'pf ejuct i luxurinnr, erowrh, that one requires «cc it to be able to imagine it properly..