COUNTRY NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVIII, Issue 8557, 4 May 1891, Page 6

COUNTRY NEWS.

~ . - ♦ ■- — . : - ■■■■ : : WAIKOMITIWe have had a fine week, which was very acceptable. Log-hauling still goes on, much to the injury ot the roads, which will be worse this winter than they have been for

years. , . , The "Rev. C. Worboys gave a lecture m the schoolroom on April the 20th, on a trip to Malta and Italy. The room was well filled, and the lecture was well received. Mr. Campbell, of Henderson, was in the chair. The; tring band, under Mr. Levy played three selections, also the music for the hymns. Mr. Sharp sang two songs, which, as usual, were encored with applause. A vote of thanks was given the lecturer with much applause. , Votes of thanks were also accorded Mr. Campbell, the band, and Mr. Sharp. Mr. Worboys returned thanks, and hoped to meet all again, as he would come any time he was asked. Mr. Campbell said he was very happy to meet so many. He took a great interest in Waikomiti, and would be happy to take the chair any time, as he considered it a great honour. (Applause.) Mr. A. Coclmui, jun., returned thanks on behalf of the band, and said that when required again the band had only to be asked and they would be there. Mr. Sharp said he was always happy to amuse them when he was wanted.

Ou April 15 a marriage took place which caused a large gathering at Mrs. Parr's residence, Albion Vale, when Miss Parr was married to Mr. S. F. Jonker, of Riverhead. Miss Jane Parr was bridesmaid, and Mr. Cherry best man. The Rev. C. Worboys performed the ceremony. The cake being cut, was passed round, and all present sac down to the wedding breakfast, after which they all went out to the paddock, where all sorts of games were got tip, and a luncheon was spread under the trees, when all sat down. At 7 p.m. all went to the schoolroom, which had been given for the occasion for a ball, the Waikomiti String Band supplying the music, assisted by several guests on the piano. Mr. Watt played very nicely on the tlute. Shortly after the ball began a tin band turned up, but when spoken to by Mr. H. E. Sharp, chairman of the school committee, who informed them that the committee had passed a resolution to prosecute anyone that caused a disturbance inside the school enclosure, or annoyed any party in the school, the tin band went out and played on the road, but the school being a good way off the road they were not heard by those inside. After about half an hour they went away.the night being rather cold. The dancing was kept up till 5 a.m., when all went away after a pleasant night, all happy and well pleased. Mr. and Mrs. Jonker went away on the 16th for their Riverhead home, with the well wishes of a large number of friends. Mrs. I Jonker will be very much missed by the Baud of Hope, of which she was a leading member. i —[Own Correspondent.]

WAITAKEREI. The low price of gum seriously affects the floating population, for there is no denyirfg that the gum is getting very scarce. Small cum is gladly picked up now that once would have been passed by. A few still nid,ke a passable week's wage, but these are very few. This i 3 felt to be a great trial by many of the village settlers, several of whom have made very creditable 'efforts to make their places comfortable and surround themselves with such comforts as small orchards, gardens, paddocks, with their necessary adjuncts—cows. But all these things take money, and the scarcity of gum is a, serious matter. ' t I am sorry there seems to be no prospects of any more labour being required to meet this demand. The road-work in this district, instead of being placed to fair open public competition, seems to be a monopoly, otherwise the little public funds spent in this riding might be more equally distributed to the mutual benetit of employer and employed. The local option question is likely to attract a certain amount of interest for the next week or two. As far as I can ascertain, the only desire for a public-house is to be found in those who are pecuniarily interested, and who would freely sacrifice the public weal for their own selfish interests. The great majority of respectable settlers are desirous of keeping the curse of drink from their door, truly reasoning'that there are neither local nor travelling patrons sufficient to keep a respectable hotel going, and the consequence is that there is 110 alternative, if tho rent is to be paid, but that the said hotel will degenerate as of old into a low drinkery, shunned by the very travelling public for which it is pleaded by some that it is wanted. As it is at present, better accommodation can be obtained at reasonable prices than was to be had for years when a licensed house was open at Henderson. I see also that accommodation paddocks, and, I suppose, also accommodation for the driver, are to be obtained at what was once known as Farley's, so that the public lack no accommodation, and certainly the neighbourhood is much more respectable since the hotel was closed. —[Own Correspondent. ]

• POLLOK. At a meeting of the Pollok Mutual Improvement Class held on the 23rd April, a good programme was successfully gone through, consisting of songs, readings, and four essays. The readings were of a humorous character. An astronomical essay was given on the planet Mercury, and its transits across the sun's disc, one of which was observed by Cook on Mount Shakespere, Mercury Bay, hence the name. Also one may be seen on Saturday, the 9th inst., with an astronomical telescope. Master Tom Cochrane gave a nice little essay, with a little help, on the various articles and the various conditions requisite in building a comfortable and suitable cottage in the country. The essay was fraught with good common sense. It would be well if more of our State schoolboys would endeavour to put their education to some practical use. A pleasaut essay was given on the beautiful little island of St. Helena, its vicissitudes since discovered by Juan de Nova Castella, on St. Helen's Day, 1501, and now*about to be abandoned by the British. An attractive essay was giveulon the land of Rob Roy. The essayist said :" In a late London Graphic there appeared to me a very familiar landscape. The green | and wooded slopes of the Grampian Mountains, the peaks of Ben Ledi, Ben Venue, and Ben Lomond towering upwards towards the clouds ; also the deep blue waters of the charming Loch Ard, Loch Chon, Loch Kktrine, and Loch Lomond. The scenery is wild and grand. An extra charm is added by the writings, of Sir Walter Scott having thrown a halo of romance around this country of Rob Roy. The only object in the landscape which "appeared foreign was a locomotive steam engine, connected with a long train of carriages, newly-arrived at the Ciachau of Aberfoyle, uear the Bailie Nicol Jarvie Hotel, from the Queen-street Railway Station, Glasgow, just ninety minutes oil the way. 'My conscience,' the same journey took Mr. Frank Osbaldistone and the Bailie nearly a week. The site of this grand Highland "hotel is the spot where the old inn stood, kept by Jeannie McAlpine long ago, when Rob Roy was levying blackmail on the gentry all around the country, driving off the cattle of the rich, and in some cases giving to the poor. It was in this inn that Bailie Nicol Jarvie played such havoc with the red-hot poker, bravely assisted by the Dugald creature. There has been many changes in this land within the last 3is years—a large tunnel going nearly under Kob Roy's fort, the strong walls of which are in some places still standing ten and twelve feet high. When this gigantic Glasgow undertaking was successfully finished, Her Majesty the Queen, accompanied by Prince Albert and the young princes, arrived at the appointed place from the Trosachs in the steamer Rob Roy, to inaugurate the great work. The hills round that portion of the lake near the entrance to the tunnel were crowded, terrace above terrace, with mauy thousands of ladies and gentlemen from Glasgow and other places. The Duke of Athole and his meu, clothed in full Highland costume and perched on a high promontory, where they had hauled their cannon, fired a royal salute as the Rob Roy advanced with the royal party on board. Many pleasant thoughts traversed through one's mind when seeing the little steamer with its royal freight in the distance, passing Helen's Isle, and many other places of interest. Here, where James Fitzjames first met with the Lady of the Lake in her tiny skiff, as illustrated and immortalised by Scotland's greatest novelist, there is something intensely grand in this fairy scene of romance. On arrival, Her Majesty was conducted to an ornamented platform with a silver dial plate in tho centre, built over a portion of the lake expressly for the purpose. After the ceremonies were over, Her Majesty turned a small index finger to a certain number on the plate, which instantly set a-going a tiny engine opening the great flood-gates. The royal party then lunched in a cottage built for the occasion, costing £5000. A large force of volunteers from Glasgow formed a guard of honour. It so happens that one of the officers of that guard of honour is at present a settler at Poilok. Such are some of the changes in this laud since the days of Rob Roy McGregor.—[Own Correspondent.]