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Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 18, 16 October 1907, Page 4

One of T the show-sights:of. Groytown.(writes our: tVairarapa correspondent) is a --collectionof woodon sculpture work in a front garden of a residdnce on tho Moroa Plain,_about two :miles-from'the town.; . This collection', which' ;is of a.sompwhat mixed nature,'comprises the ibiistSj'p^icminent-men, such as Shukespeaje, !Giftflsji>no J Sir. Gcorgp.Grey, with<that of Mr.' Cbieman Phillips, a well-known Wairarapa residentr;'and tho full figures of Greek god-' de'sseS/.lions, dogs', horses, and door. • AH [a'ro'scat'tijrpd standing about tho. garden, at ■tlie ,end-.bf' which, towers a mighty woodon 'odition; of Ajax, twenty feet high, defying the lightning;- Some months'ago, tho'lightning 'dolivereda set-back to Ajax, by'hurling hiin ;tothb .earth, fracturing his thigh and' arm, ■anjl ;sincb' that timo the "god has; defied" tho by the- aid.,.of guys'of. Amorican .fencing-wire connected with stout blue-gum itrees. .--'Every figure is piintedwhito, and to ithe visitor coming suddonly on this sepulchred iiianhnht'o me'nagcrfe tlio view , ' is droll in tho ioxtromq.,, The place is'yisited by. people frpm the Dominion. This work, which ropresents so much labour and;porsovoranco, is.the result of a twenty years' hobby bytho lato'-'Mr.- George Wakelin, who died about tlireomo'hths a'gPj'.'agod 84 years. His last ■\Vprlc viii; this direction was somewhat ani-.'.bit-i.oiis.';■-?■, a full-lon'gth figuro of oho of his daughters .in plaster-of-paris, Tho facial likeness is said to be very good; In his will, ilh'o Into Mr. Wnltolin bequeathed the collec-tion-txi lie divided amongst liis f.ainily, but tli« fiiriiilj;. has decided not to interfere, with it|r!tni(lT'it'"'ill thus remain in tho old npot v/iioroiit-was such-a delight to tlio heart of 'the old man.