EXTENSION OF THE RAILWAY TO HAMILTON.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XIV, Issue 5023, 21 December 1877, Page 3

EXTENSION OF THE RAILWAY TO HAMILTON.

According to announcement the formal opening of the extension of the Waikato Railway from Ngaruawahia to Hamilton took place on Wednesday, aud the svent was deemed of such importance to the Waikato settlers generally that a public demonstration was carried out to evince the satisfaction felt. This section of the liuc was opened for traffic yesterday. On Wednesday the trains between Auckland and .Vgaruawaliia ran at excursion fares. There was naturally a large attendance, and a very large number of visitors to the country availed themselves of the opportunity of the trip to Waikato in favourable weather and under particularly favourable auspices. The train, starting from the Auckland station at 7 o'clock in the morning, consisted of sixteen carriages drawn by two engines. About'2oo passengers, including a fair proportion of ladies and some of the leading citizens of Auckland, were amongst those who proceeded to Waikato. Amongst others we noticed Messrs. W. Errington, waterworks engineer, J. Ware, extractor, Dr. Hooper, 13. Tonks, E Phillips, L. Ballio, F. A. Whitaker, Captain Percival, Rev. R. £>. Ha-sacd, J. 1. Kim:, W. U. Itissling, Samuel Jackson, \V. Armstrong, A. K. Taylor, W. Hunter, and a great many others. The numbers were augmented at every statipn on the way up. At the coal mines a considerable number of Maories, who evidently entertained a lively recollection of the cheap trip and the delightful " kai " provided ou the opening of the line to Ngaruawahia, were in attendance, anticipating similar favours ; but, combining business with pleasure, they were provided with kits of ripe cherries, which found a ready sale. At Newcastle a very considerable number was in waiting to proceed by the train to Hamilton. Extra speed was put oj in order to carry out the advertised timetable, and at the same hour at which the trains formerly reached Newcastle, that conveying the excursionists drew up at liew station at Hamilton amidst the enthusiastic cheers of about 1,000 people assembled there from all the settlements in the \\ aikato. They congregated from 'buses and traps of all descriptions, hug* number, were mounted and others came on fool;, but on all sides there were signs of enthusiastic rejoicing. Flairs arid banners waved from every available roof aud flagstaff; and the train, in coming into the station, passsd under a triumphal arch of evergreens erected on a wooden framo. . , The section of the lino which was opened on Wednesday is 10i miles in length. It is a portion of Mr. Topham's contract for the eretention of the railway to Ohaupo, and when wo say that the work was only commenced on the 21st of October, and that it was passed aB fib for public traffic on the lo * December, our readers cau compreheud the expedition used by the contractor. lho manner in which the work, is performed dieted the highest encominnis from Mr. Stewart, the inspecting engineer, as well as from the visitors and the large assemblage of Waikato residents who were on tho ground. The lino has already extended a Ion" distance boyond Hamilton ; in fact, it is now aompletod nearly halt tho distance

between Hamilton and Ohaupo, and the contractor expects that in four or five weeks the trains can run over the whole of his section. In fact, he has undertaken to have the line available for traffic for the Waikato Turf Club's annual, race meeting, which takes place at the end of January,land if this is it will prove a material element of success in the race meeting. ihe visitors, as : we have already said, were received by a large as'emblaze, comprising many of the leading Ws.ikato settlers withtheir wives, sweethearts, and daughters, and Carter's big coach with the Cambridgo brass band just arrived in thei nick of time to receive the visitors with musical honours. Everjr available trap, coach, cart, &c., in attendance, was quickly taken possession of, in order to reach Hamilton, which is considerably over a mile distant from the station, and upon their arrival there they found active preparations progress for the banquet. Mr. T. G. Sandes, the Secretary of the Demonstration Committee, was indefatigable in his attentions to the visitors and in his efforts to make the affair a success, and to him, in a very great measure, must be attributed * the satisfactory issue of the whole proceedings. There being no room m Hamilton large enough to accommodate the large number of invited, guests, Mr. Vialou's workshop was converted into a banquet-hall. Two tables were spread in the length of the building, and about 200 guests sat down. The hall was festooned with evergreens and flowers,, and mottoes worked in flowers ornamented the sides and ends of the building. Amongst others were the following :—" Peace and Plenty," " Advance Waikato," " Cead Mille ' Failthe." Host Gwynno provided a really excellent lunch, which was rendered ample justice to. Mr. Cox, M. H. E. forWaipu, presided. He was supported on his right by Mr. Topham, and on the left by Colonel Lyon. The vicechair wa3 occupied by Mr. Yialou.

When tho cloth was removed, the Chairman proposed the toasfei of "The Qtieeu," "The Prince of Wales," "The rest of the Royal Family," "His Exccllency the Marquis of Normanby, Governor of New Zealand, the visible link connecting tho colony with the old country," and "The Ministry." In proposing the latter toast, he said they had not met that day to talk politics, but the Ministry of any day formed part of the Government of the colony, and it was therefore proper that they should be recognised on occasions such as the present. He would therefore ask them to drink tho health of the Ministry. ■ The toast was duly honoured.

Mr. Viaxou, from the Vice-Chair, proprosed the toast of " The Army, Navy, and Volunteers." .

Colonel Lyon responded for the three branches in a neat speech, and Captain Runciman, of the Cavalry, also responded on behalf of the Volunteers.

The Chairman, announcing that he was about to propose the toast of the day, called on all present to- fill bumpers. He said the toast he was about to propose was, " The Health of Mr. Topham, the Contractor." (Cheers.) Before referring especially to Mr. Topham, he would make a few remarks on the early history of tho railways of the colony. He could not safely except hero speak on this subject, but credit waa due to the man who devised the scheme of railways and who, as a member of the Government, introduced it to the House, and who, as a member of that House, supported the scheme and carried it through, and that man was Sir Julius Vogel. (Cheers.) He n"as no longer here, and was not likely to return to the colony, but to do justice where justice was due, to Sir Julius Vogel, and to him only, was due the success of the railway scheme in New Zealand. (Cheers.) Mr. Topham in responding said that railway contractors were as a rule better at making railways than making speeches. What was wanted was that they should push on this line to Te Awamutu, and another to the Thames, and he hoped that soon somebody would have an opportunity of pushing on these works. (Cheers.) have got on as well a3 he did without the assistance of Mr. Stewart and Mr. Macdouald. That was the great point of his success, and perhaps the completion of the line to Ohaupo would come sooner than they expected. He hoped in four or five weeks to be able to run tho engine right through. He thanked those present for the kindly manner in which they had drunk the toast, and expressed his gratification at seeing so many present. (Cheers.) Captaiu Bebre proposed "The Health of tho Engineers," coupled with the name of Mr. J. Stewart.

Mr. Stewart, in responding, spoke highly of the manner in which Mr. Topham had carried out his contract in regard to time and work. He would never wish to see better work than that he had just inspected. It was the only railway work he had seen that reuiiuded hiin of English work. Mr. J. S. Buokland proposed "The Health of the Ladies,"and Mr. Hill responded; and tho health of the Chairman having been duly honoured, the meeting broke up to attend the land sale, which was announced to take place at Mr. Hill's auction mart. The land offered for sale comprised the property of Mr. T. Jolly, in the neighbourhood of tho railway station. The land adjoining the station and surrounding it had been cut up into quarter and half acre building allotments for the village of Frankton. One corner section of an acre brought £SO, and the smaller lots ranged from £12 to £32. Tho bidding was pretty spirited.