RAMBLES IN MANIOTOTO.

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume XII, Issue 645, 11 February 1882, Page 3

RAMBLES IN MANIOTOTO.

A Visit to Gimmerburn, and a Chat with Quinn, the St. Bathans Poet.

[by SAM RAT.]

As I often travel in the numerous districts of the Maniqtoto County, it is my intention, with your approval, to write to you at various times my impressions of the several places I may visit. The other day I was over in the Gimmerburn, and spent an evening with my old friend, James Quinn, wellknown in the s*t. Bathans district as the composer of some poetical pieces of no small merit. Mr Quinn and I passed a vei-y agree : able evening, and 1 would advise any person who wishes to pass an hour or two to advantage to pay a visit to Gimmerburn. He has quite a large assortment Of songs—comic, sentimental, descriptive, and humorous, and all having the true ring of poetry. He showed me a number of capital pieces. FewYear's Day in New Zealand, one of the pieces I saw, is a piece of considerable merit, and was published in the , c Witness.' some time ago. These are only a few of the many pieces placed in my hands by Mr Quinn, and I am sure that anyone who would take the time 1o pay him a visit would find themselves well re-paid for the trouble. That Mr Quinn is one of nature's poets anyone who has read his poetry will at once admit, and I am quite sure that, had he possessed the advantage of a first-class education, he would have ranked high. Mr Quinn is a shareholder with Mr William Wood in a very good coalpit, which is leased from Mr Shennan. Thty have a house erected, and a garden enclosed, and are verv comfortable. I was also up at Garibaldi Diggings, and had a chat with the miners there. Scarcity of water has been a complaint tbi? year, and washing-up" has not yet taken place. _ When coming home I had a talk with Mr Fallows, the new schoolmaster, and saw the new school, which" is not a very handsome looking buildin?, though no doubt it will do for a while, until a better' one is got for the purpose. I am informed that it is likely & concert will be held in March or April. As this will be the duck-shooting season, no doubt, a good many will attend, the object being to raise a school fund. The farms are being fenced, and some of them are already cropped. I observed a splendid stack of hay reaped of the unbroken pasturage, where clover had grown naturally. In conclusion I may remark that I enjoyed my visit to Gimmerburn remarkably well, and my chat with Quinn was really very interesting. Mr Quinn evidently is " A flower born to blush unseen, ' And waste his fragrance on the desert air."