Kaitangata Railway.

Clutha Leader, Volume I, Issue 50, 24 June 1875, Page 6

Kaitangata Railway.

TURNING THE FIRST SOD.

.. The ;Cerempny ,of turning the * first sod of the , Kaitangata Railway . wasSnformed by* the* Hon. v. Sir John ichardf on on Friday last The spot ch6sen 'for -the cdreihoriy 'was the Jtilittlbgata terfiftniif, i paddock in the' rear of the Bndge|Hotel.. One o'clock was. the hour appointed, and by that time a considerable crowd had collected on the ground. Amongst others were the Right Rev. Bishop Neville and. Messrs James Davidson, J, P. Maitland, K. P Kenyon, and A. J. Smyth, from Dunedin.

Mr Davidson, addressing Sir John, said : — As chairman of the directors of the Kaitangata Railway, I request you to turn the first sod.

Sir John replied : I shall have much pleasure in doing so. He then stripped his coat, and taking the. spade handed to him speedily heaped the barrow, with sods, his actions being accompanied by numerous humorous remarks, which kept the company in a roar of laughter. Referring to the barrow being full to OVer-flowing, he said he had done so as an example to the company of the measure of coals they should mete out to the. public. He then wheeled the barrow along the plank, and deposited its load upon the line of railway, Mrs Smyth at same time breaking upon it a bottle of champagne. Sir John then addressed the assemblage. He said he was much gratified at the opportunity which was afforded bim of turning the first sod of the future Kaitangata Eailway. There were, he said, auspicious omens for good on that occasion, for the 18th of June was associated very closely with their earliest recollections — the battle of Waterloo ; and there was a congruity in asking an old soldier to commence a work which was certain to have a successful termination. They all, he said, must have observed on reaching K'oitangata that a rainbow embraced the coalfield with which the railway was connected, and this inspired more than hope in the undertaking. He said he well remembered his first visit to the district, along with their worthy Magistrate, some 23 years ago. There were then but few inhabitants on the Island, and none on the spot where they now stood, and he was amazed when he looked around and saw pleasant villas, smiling homesteads, and the rapidly rising township of Kaitangata. He little thought in those early days of the magnificent crops which were now raised in the district — the garden of New Zealand. Indeed he had heard that about 125 bushels of oats to the acre had been grown ; but he doubted this till he had heard from the gentleman referred to that such was die actual fact Nor in the early days did he think of the immensely valuable coal beds, of which their railway company had secured so large a slice. It appeared to him that very great improvement had been made all around Kaitangata, and he only spoke the sentiment of nearly all the. visitors from other districts that v three star" Hennessy was. the finest in all Otago. There were two characteristics of tbeir railway undertaking which, he said, much pleased him. The first was that they had resolved to act a self-reliant part, and not to rest helplessly on the Government to do what the people themselves ought to do, and which they could do with so much profit to themselves. The second was that the landowners through whose property the future railway -would pass had exercised a wise and generous discrimination in making voluntary concession of the land required for the purpose. These characteristics formed a very pleasant feature in the undertaking, and his advice to all would be to come forward and support the work by taking shares in the company ; and if they would be dissatisfied with the dividends, which he had no fear of, they would at least have the nd mean gratification of canyingcomforttomariy a fireside in the interior of the country. He observed that he was astir before 7 o'clock that morning, crossed the bridge, and mounted the opposite hill, to have a look at the busy township of Balclutha, which -wasj being- tinged with the glories of the rising sun, and to catch' a glance of the scene of the da^'s works at Kaitangata, but which was concealed from his gaze by intervening bushes; nnd recollections of the past crowded on his mind, and expectations of the future came boldly before him. Though, he said, he had sold his Clutha property, he had still a -few sections here and there throughout the district which bound him to the soil, and he felt sure he „ could honestly say of the Clutha in the language of the poetr— Where 're I roam, what other lands I see, My heart untravelled fondly turns to thee. - After several hearty cheers were given for success to the railway, Sir John Richardson, etc., the company "repaired to Murphy's Bridge Hotel. The directors had issued a large number* of invitations to" - • 07.? ' - ' iUNCHKOJf, and shortly before 3 o'cloelqfrom 50 to 60 gentlemen .sat down fto "-a table furnished/ s£ abundantly and "tastefully i as is seldom, witnessed- ev£n on such auspicious ioccasjons. \ Mrs Murphy* cer^a^W deserves , more than proTnary praise ior ihe exceptionally elegant and superabundant /spread provided} and no, oneAcoulo". ever have imagined that anyfbing on such a scalecould jiaveb'een

jirepaieof at J&t^erala.; i -Iff was, however, prepared at Kaitangata, and was fhe subject of universal .praise. Mr James Davidson 1 , phairihari of the coin-, hany,' took the »ch^tr ; pin. his ' right, Sir' John Richardson and tlie Right 'Rev. pishop '> Neville ; on his left, J. P. ■Maitland,' Esq ., R.M, Mr A. J. Smyth! . occupied the yice-Chair. , On the, cloth being removed, the Chairman gave the usual loyal and patriotic toasts. •The Vice-Chairman gave the Superintendent and' Provincial Council. —

Sir John Richardson responded, saying that no Superintendent or "Executive had ever shown a greater desire to promote the best interests of the country than the present Superintendent and his'present Executive. Mr J. P. Maitland said . the pleasant task w*s devolved upon him to propose the health of Sir John Richardson. He said that in the course of his remarks it was more than likely some confusion might arise through his using the old familiar title (t Major," instead of the hew title Sir — but if such confusion did occur, they would all know he referred to the, one individual. Many old and pleasant memories, he said, rose up in his * mind at the mention of the " Major," and he had no doubt the same would be experienced by those present. Sir John, he said, had uniformly show** a desire to do what he could to promote the best interests of the district in every way that lay in his power, and hence he had attended to take part in the ceremony of the day. For this he thanked. him in the name of the promoters of the undertaking and the public generally. He (Mr Maitland) then referred to the early days of the district which had been mentioned by Sir John, and which he recollected well. Although it was then called the promised land it presented a very unpromising aspect. It had, however, progressed steadily and rapidly, and had culminated in the line of railway being undertaken by the people, unassisted by Government — the first railway in the country he believed which occupied that position. The toast was received with continued applause, and " with all the honors."

Mr Maitland then addressing Sir John, said that although they were quite well aware the eyents of the day I were not likely to be forgotten by him, still, they had resolved to ask his acceptance of a small memento of what had taken place. While, he said, the day was remembered everywhere as the anniversary of a great battle won, it would be remembered by the inhabitants of the district as the anniversary of a great victory Won over the many difficulties they had had to encounter. He then handed Sir John a silver spade 7 inches long, by 1^ inches wide, and which bore the following inscription :— " Pressnted to the Honorable Sir J. L. C. Richardson by the Kaitangata Railway and Coal Company, in commemoration of his turning the first sod of the railway, 18th June, 1875." After the applause had subsided— Sir John said he could not be too deeply sensible of the kind manner in which his friend and relative, their worthy Magistrate, Mr Maitland, bad spoken of him, and the hearty reception his words met with at their hands. He said that on occasions like that he found it' hard to control his feelings. They would, he knew, withhold, during the time he was speaking, those expressions of kindness they generally bestowed, otherwise he might break down. When his fellow-settlers of the Molyneux lately entertained bim to a dinner he observed that he had not received any communication of the honor Her Majesty had been graciously pleased to confer upon him. Since then he had received a copy of a letter from Lord Carnarvon to His Excellency the Marquis of Normnnby, and forwarded by him, in which His Lordship informed him in kindly language, which he (Sir John) need not repeat, of the gracious act of Her Majesty. It was a somewhat curious coincidence, he said, that things are sometimes inverted, he supposed from their being at the antipodes. Success sometimes crowned our early efforts ; sometimes only when we have little time to enjoy it. Fortune in a pecuniary point of view had never smiled very, generously upon him as on many of his-fellow-settlers. His opportunities hall been many, and his success scanty,, but- he had been fortunate enough from- time to time to secure what he valued more, viz., the kindly feelings of those around him. Their present of that afternoon sent him back in thought to hisMearly'i career, in 1832, when impelled by grateful feeling for small kindnesses, a detachment of young soldiers whom he I temporarily commanded sent, him a letter which the most cultivated might read with pleasure, for the elegance of its language, and the most sensitive for the warmth of its gratitude. He had since received some fsw similar acts of. kindness, but none did. he value more and . cnerish the recollection of more heartily than their spontaneous expression of regard from the young soldiers of Northern India. It" was, he said, | the settlers of the Clutha which had led jhim on;' step by step to ' become the pecjpient ; pf this act of Her Majesty's fconaecensipn, and of their kind present i j'rijeyjkad called him from agricultural •fascination to the Provirici al Council, [to the SnperinlendentaL chair, and at [length, raised him to the position he {had attained. He valued, their present very highly, and the moi& Bo because'

it; would hereafter be handed to one how absent, but whom wheapreseit^itheyi found not- unworthy of tbeir ; regard. (Applause.) Sir L John then proposed tojthework"" and advised them again if they had any money to invest to take a few shares in thei -Com|>ia'nyi for. if ever geological science dould'de-* clare anything' with confidence, fh^y had' the assurance of Dr Hector' ahar Captain Hutto^ that there was no measure to the quantity 6f coai 'in the 10- ( cality. fie had tried this coal, and had; had his mutton chops cooked upon, it, and.he could assure them there was, no sulphurous flavor about ; them~(Laugh-: ter.) It was good, honest coal. He would now ask them to drink the toast, and couple with it the names of Messrs A. J . Smyth and R. Grigor; ( The toast was received .with applause Mr R. Grigor, in returning thanks', said he had much pleasure in'representing the local interests in the railway of which he thought . Kaitangata would reap the benefit. Referring to the cereV mony of the day, he said Sir John Richardson's interest in the undertaking was not only in words but in deeds ; he had asubstantialmterest in it. He (Mr Grigor)' had been associated with the original coal comrjany since its commericemeut, two and a-half years ago, when it was a very poor looking thing. Two gentlemen had asked him to get up the company, and he had done so, and now ie had turned out a success. They had to thank the shareholders: for sticking to them as they had done through their difficulties. Now the company had amalgamated with the railway company, and there could be no doubt whatever it would prove a success. They had to express their thanks to the local Bankers for the assistance they had given them during the season of their difficulties.

Mr A. J. Smyth said he had no doubt whatever the railway would be a success, and they intended to go through with it. In seven or eight months they would have the line opened irom Kaitangata to the main line at Stirling. Whether the line would be a success or not it would be formed at once. He asked all to take out shares, and also recommend it to their friends. He concluded by proposing the visitors, coupled with the name of His Lordship the Bishop of Dunedin. The toast was received with applause, some of the company taking the initiative in following it up with the customary " For he's a jolly good fellow," but which was suppressed as inappropriate. His Lordship in replying said, the honor just conferred upon him was an unexpected one, as he understood the previous toast was to be the last of the programme. He thanked the proposer ibr the kind words he had employed regarding him, and also the company for the hearty manner in which the toast was , received— more so, considering the indication they had given, that they •iconsidered him as " a jolly good fellow" j (laughter). He had not the least objection to ibis, and was rather pleased | they so regarded him, as he always desired in reality to be a jolly good felfow. There were some people, he said, who were unacquainted with him, who considered him perhaps somewhat distant. On one occasion he met and had a a talk with one who entertained such an opinion of him, but who afterwards remarked"tkat the Bishop was really not such a bad fellow after all (laughter). Some, he said, might consider it somewhat out of place for him to be present at such a meeting, but he did not consider it at all incongruous for him as a colonist to countenance every thing which had for its object the furtherance of the best interests of the province. He felt a special interest in the opening up of railways, as it facilitated his travelling from place to place ; and considering the great abundance of good things which had that day been placed before them, he rejoiced in the prospect of being able frequently to visit Kaitangata. But there were higher grounds than these upon which the opening up of railways should be encouraged. They brought people more into contact one with another, gave them opportunities of becoming acquainted, and rubbing off the rough corners of their natures. Thus they tended to promote a good feeling and brotherly love throughout society. As to the Kaitangata railway enterprise being one by private individuals, he should like to see more of their enterprises carried out in this way. There was, he said, a possibility of a government being too paternal in its character. As an evidence of this; he related an incident' of his travels in Switzerland. When passing/a vineyard he observed the fruit was. oyer^ripe, and rotting upon the trees. Upon .enquiring at the owner his reason for thus, allowing it to go to waste, he wasinformed : that he dare not gather it until the day appointed by the Government. It appeared that the Government pi* that country always proclaimed a day upon which to commence ingathering, and before which no one was allowed to pull his. fruit, however ripe it might be, This, he said, was paternal Government with a venffeance. His Lordship concluded • his speech amidst much applause..,.' This concluded the proceedings, and the meetingseparated.