FROM GREYMOUTH TO THE KUMARA.

Grey River Argus, Volume 21, Issue 2935, 10 January 1878, Page 2

FROM GREYMOUTH TO THE KUMARA.

CONTRIBUTED.

Taking advantage of the facility afforded for travelling by the Greymouth and Kumara Tramway, the writer of this letter proceeded to the tramway station intent on leaving for a timo the amusements and other attractions that induce the country visitors to spend the holiday season in Greymouth, and go and see the far famed Kumara and its surroundings, securing a ticket for which we paid seven shillings, a very moderate amount consideringjthe expense that would have been incurred in the coaching days, travelling the Bame distance. We took our seat in the tramway car— the cars seems specially - -aviaptecTfdr the tratnc— still the*travelfing public would be greatly benefitted if the seats were provided with cushions if only of a moderate quality. The cars used ou the middle stage of the tramway are provided with cushions perhaps with the object of giving the lower extremities of the passengers a spell so that they will land at either end of their journey without feeling any inconvenience from the sitting position during the three hours, journey. Punctually at the advertised time the cars started with a full complement of passengers evidently mostly on pleasure bent, some returning again to the Kumara after enjoying the sights of Greymouth. For some distance the tramway runs through a portion of the town that is the abode of the opulent citizens, as the numerous villas to be seen on every hand demonstrates. When the public school is passed a unanimous opinion :of pleasure is expressed at the handsome appearance of the building by tbe passengers, and various opinions are given concerning thejeducitional system that erects such an establishment to instruct the young of both sexes the geueral opinion • being in favor of tih.3 secular system. When the present additions to the building are finished the Greymouth Public School not alone wUI be a credit to Greymouth but will be a credit to New Zealand,andno doubt many of the rising generation will be educated within its walls will both .in private and public life reflect credit ou the teaching staff of the school. Farther on a handsome private residence is being , erected for one of Greymouth's most energetic citizens— Mr Perotti, which when finished will greatly improve the appearance of its surroundings. The Immigration Barrrcks farther ou, from an exterior view seem to be able . to accommodate a considerable number of immigrants until they secure employment, which generally take 3 place within a reasonable time after they arrive — particularly good female domestic servants being in great demand in Greymouth and surrounding districts. Some distance from Greymouth the Greymouth Hospital is passed. It is a commodious looking building and erected in a very healthy : situation the sea beach being only a short distance at the rear of the buildiDg. Judging from a previous personal visit the various details in connection with the internal management of it are carried out in a very efficient manner by the officials, under whose managemeut it is. Quite a number of visitors were to be observed going towards the Hospital no doubt with the object of calling on some friend whom accident or disease compelled to make a temporary sojourn within its walls. For some miles the tramway being parallel to the famous South beach Black Sand Lead — from which an immense amouut of gold has been extracted but the only signs to be seen of its former prosperity are several abandoned water wheels and heaps of mining debris. Comfortable looking ! cottages surrounded by well tended gardens are too be seen at several places along the route, no doubt .the owners of which are successful miners settled down enjoying the pleasures of country life. After several stoppages at different hotels on the way, including changing carriages, the Teramakau Rivar is rtached, the great drawback against safe and uninterrupted communication being carried out between the Grey and Westland Counties. Here the passengers are transported across the river by boat. The place is very suitable for working a ferry, and little danger of any accident occurring except the river

is in high flood. Very shortly the ferry will be done away with, as the company have nearly completed a wire tramway from bank to bank which can be worked without any chance of being interfered with by any flood that should ever be in the river. A powerful engine is being erected to work the machinery required to work the wire in pulling the goods and passengers to and fro, over the river. After the Teremakau is passed the tramway for miles is as straight as an arrow, and runs through an immense forest of pine timber, which wUI be valuable for export at no distant date. The original pioneer snrveyors of the tramway, Messrs Kilgour aud Cheverton, deserve great credit for the route that they discovered, and which the tramway was constructed on. Six miles from the Teramakau, the Kumara Tramway Station is reached. The station is admirably suited for the traffic requirements at the present time, and within a convenient distance of . the central business portion of the town. A visitor can not fail to be greatly . impressed with the wonderful progress that has been " made in the Kumara' iri so short a time. A large town has sprung up out of a wilderness. Some of the buUdings would be a credit to any town in New Zealand. The Main street is about half-a-mile long, and lined with' business places on both sides. Sedden street is another fine street of considerable length, more or less built en. FoUowing the course of Seddon street for a little distance comes DiUman's Town, a large scattered collection of buildings, that from their outwardjappearance would bear the appellation of Shanty Town, .instead of DiUman's Town. The Ku mara public school is a fine commodious looking building of which Kumara may justly be proud. The Westland Education Board have wisely expended the funds at their disposal in erecting such a building, as the beneficial results accruing from their action can not be over estimated for on every hand there are to beseen numbers of children whosefuture welfare and prosperity in life . will greatly depend on the manner in which their youthful minds are trained. The Post and Telegraph offices compined is a large twostoried building, fitted up with every convenience to transact business in. The police seem to have very comfortable quarters; in fact no expense seems to have been spared in erecting Government buildings suitable for the requirements of the. place. Kumara lately was formed in to a municipality, the council of which is presided over by one of the oldest and most'esteemed residentsjof the district— Mr Seddon, who will no doubt fill the Civic Chair with credit, and with the assistance L of his brother councUlors ;no doubt the' L town improvements will receive every i consideration and attentioh. The Coun- . cil Chamber is far from being a preten- ■ tioua looking building, but itis probable i that a Town Hall will be erected shortly. " The place supports a daily newspaper, > wherein local events and the current topics of the day are creditably put before l its readers. The hotels of Kumara seem to be one of the principal institutions of l the place; their number ia legion, tbey ; are here there and everywhere, and a very l large number of visitors could at any time be able to take— mine ease in mine lira;— T»ro old Greymouthians— Measrs > Stewart and Bulstrode— each possess ' establishments where their numerous patrons receive every attention. There - are numerous well appointed houses welli fitted up as hotels. One distinguishing feature of the Kumara hotels is the large L number of barmaids that the houses are > supplied with to dispense smiles and wine 1 to thirsty souls. I was informed i that there ase nearly 60 hotels in Kamara and the suburbs, and about 200 shanties defraud the revenue by seUing their t wares without paying the customary fee to Government for doing so. The town ■ presented a yery animated appearance during the holidays, visitors from all parts i of the Coast having congregated to view the sights of Kumara. A good pro- ' gramme of sports was got up by the citizens, [and the various events were closely contested by a large number of competitors — local and foreign. Thegroundse- ' lected for the sports— Keech and Molloy's > on the banks of the Teremakau, at the i foot of the Zig Zag road —was in every > way suitable for both the competitors and the general public. Several wet days ' somewhat interfered with the sport arrangements, stiU every fine day was taken advantage of and aU seemed to thoroughly enjoy themselves. The Zig Zag road appears to be the resort of the beauty and fashion of Kumara. The mineral resources of Kumara deserve more than passing notice,, as on the yield of the precious metal depends for a good number of years its prosperity, pure and simple. The lead is a moat extensive one and of great width. From the prospectors, the lead has been traced in a southerly direction for five miles, though the terrace has a distinctivejiame, still it i 3 ali one continuous lead of gold; ' The large number of boulderajthat scattered through the gold bearing drift retards greatly the miners,~operations, and claims that would otherwise pay first-class wages only give moderate returns. Great expense has been incurred by a number of the claimholders in erecting suitable machinery for bringing the wash dirt to the surface, thereby lessening the amount of manual labor required. There ia a complete net wdrk of tramways on the course of the lead, used for taking the wash to the paddocks and bringing timber to the claims. An abundant supply of water is to be had for many purposes, suppHed by the different water-race companies at a moderate price. The week previous to my visitl was informed that there had,been 100 applications for water by claimholders, proof that the principal portion of the claims is only coming to the front as gold producers. The uneven nature of the country has entailed considerable expense on the race companies in fluming, and in some instances it is a considerable height, so that the claimholders can avaU themselves of its use. Several fatal accidents have lately happened in the working of some of the claims, but as as the nature of the ground is understood by the minors, accidents wiU be' of less frequent occurrence. No doubt the future of Kumara will be a prosperous one for a number of years, as a large number of miners wiU'be located on it earning wages more or less, thereby supporting a business community to correspond with the amount of bona fide miners. After several days residence in Kumara, I fouud myself seated in the tramway car, leaving behind me the premier alluvial goldfield of New Zealand, and soon arrived at the premier coalfield of New Zealand, the future Newcastle of the south— Greymouth.