ALONG THE MAIN TRUNK.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 14988, 9 May 1912, Page 4

ALONG THE MAIN TRUNK.

PROGRESS OF SETTLEMENT. 1 • RISE -OF OWHANGO. . • ; fWIOM.', OT7K •. OWN ■ cob«ksw>sbesit: J • : Amoho the most notable , experiences of my life is that of witnessing thb-birth and j growth, within a couple of years,-of.:a; I fdrrsized town. .Early/ in" 1910";!' cycled, l from Raurimu, at the 3 foot of the famous s spiral' on the Main Trunk line, north; g wards to Eakahi,. a ..distance of "22 miles. c ThO road on which I travelled had been .{ made for .hauling material for; the con- i struction of the railway, but. at the; time ; i referred to it hardly ever bore'a wheel s mark or a hoof-print. The { busy period 6f ( line construction had gone, 'and the new a era of settlement had not."set in.' The t surface -of the road ' was,mostly of: white } pumice|i as' smooth,as velvet, and- on each t j side was " dense native bush,, as yet" un- j j touched by the axe. ' , > I J Very frequently, I noticed on the road- { I side the framework ;of an abandoned whare , I once tenanted by, navvies, but the. forest t I was rapidly obliterating i the ' traces. 'q! % I human occupation. , The-sense of solitude u was actually deepened' by the sight;of- ] i these deserted homes. ' Ten miles from < my starting plaice at Oio, that quaint'little, j station with its pretty name, 'I , found a { few Government cottages ,for railway.men, ] and at.Owhango, six miles further, was,a , repetition of these cottages, plus one store j and boardiiiighouse kept by Charlie Beau- i mont, thjS; pioneer 'storekeeper of that dis- , trict. " These buildings, with a tent or < two besides,' constituted the <o,whango -of -, that day. . I I found on' my arrival that the boarding- j house , was t unusually busy,; for "no . fewer j thah hslf i dozen guests,were seated. there at dinner.'; ,A settler ;from some miles , away had come in with a small s party ■-■ shearers, , who were that -day at work' on ; ( a flock they had driven along a narrow j bush track to the station yard^a. some- - What; primitive method of transporting-the \ wool to -the ratlway, each' sheep- being ,] made.to carry its"own fleece, ;- ■ \ ] 7,' , -The Change. ] this condition of Arcadian r simplicity 1 was not destined to ! continue.' Already. ■.' preparation had been made- for. a great ! change. ; • Civil servants retired under the : retrenchment>scheme'of -a. few years.ago . were to be converted into farmers.", I have before me, as I write, a " .lj*ho«'' v ' prepared by .the Government Survey. Office, and published 1 some time, before-my -first visit to Owhango. It is'entitled a " Pro-, ; visional Sk'etcli - and ' Plan of . Lands to' be Opened lender Improved -Farm Conditions, • Bhinua and' Kaitieke Survey Districts.' J A note- subjoined/explained that it was "subject to general' amendment oh»■ final survey, l and to alterations in area; and boundaries, also to; reservations ■ for roads, tracks, or any other purpose whatsoever. Scale,; 40 chains to one ; inch.'",' Anybody.' looking; .at that map .with ah intelligent. , eye could have foreseen the remarkable growth of Owhango. ; Six • surveyed roads,- ; converged towards it. Along each of these • sections- of land varying from 100. to: 200 acres had, been surveyed- and mapped. Most-of those wars already disposed of, some were,reserved, and a small number Were Bub available.. ;■<".<• ■'■/•'--- '/' ; Before long the settlers, began to : come in—very lew-: civil - servants f may, say-r- ---. 'mostly practical farmers or:sturdy vies who had worked oh the line.' At .first they camped along the roadside .in tents, but as the men - got the,' bush down, I and; ■ made homes for.their families, these moved on to the sections. ■/ It. was at this, stage : of development, some 18 ; months ago, that an article: of mine,. describing the settle • ment, appeared in : ' : the;BS!Eilj). , ';.'■ ;... : '•', , ::The Timber "Mills. 1 boon oh* jsavrmdi alter another.\was in- ~ stalled—there are now four of these. -. Mr.. G. L. Winger, of Taumarunui, installed the plant of a couple of mills for the Matai Company, of Wellington. . These now,employ over; 100 men. ; Then ';Messrs. Adzitt and Manning put one ih;whieh, mveslwork to 22 or 23 mill hands. .'The fourth was installed hy Mr. Carlson,' ; and gives employment to 20 or 30;mea. r Besides these ■ the Mitai Company, has'another mill in course of erection, .while Mr. Carlson has. secured the site for yet another, and will shortly put up his building- arid instaMiis. machinery. The bush'.from which ,ajr these mills arc supplied 'lies west -of the railway line, much of that on the east being withheld "as scenic reserve. .- The, timber consists %of matai, rimu, and white hirie, there being no totara; to speak of.; '•. . . ' ' . Towa. ;. / It- will be easily, seen that the town was bound to grow in response to - this influx Of men—farmers, bushmen, arid '.mill-, hands—and it has grown like a mushroom. Quite lately six business places were going ', [up at the same time. Nearly- all I trades are represented—butcher, . baker, drapers, bootmaker, grocers, etc.. There is a.fine new hall and a Commercial Hotel of two storeys, besides several ~minor~ boardirighouses. ■ Billiard,saloons provide- evening, amusement. -, A hairdresser lias,set up ift' : business. *-There is a "ladies'.emporium;" ' that supplies ,the, latent i thing'in 'hobble skirts. A couple of dairymen,, in their, milk carts, ; work their respective rounds every night and morning. -AH. about the town new and substantialf'private-houses have been built. ' - The;school, which;-was erected ■ before the : last Christmas holidays ■to accommodate 70 scholars, opened j after the holidays with 120. The .overflow had to be taught, in a marquee erected, on • the school ground. .. J': > 4 '\ . ' .;.. _ x. Tl l6 ; Future."' ', .'...- ; '' ■' It ' is: never safe to prophesy,, so. I shall not;venture to foretellw the ;>future of, Owhango.; v ; Much will depend ; ,oh;, the' :. length \oi time, the timber - industry, will last. , (It •is /likely "to continue for ' a good; many years).' A good' deal more will depend on how the settlers, progress; and ; ' especially ! asio -whether!; dairying will?be established among; them. Most ; of the- sec- ' tions ; are; perfectly 'i adapted or this.;;; ; The great drawback to- the improved- farm •settlers is shortness of 'original capital. But the :r fact , that Owhango , settlers are generally well situated- with ; respect-< to the railway, and are riot as badly off as' many others with regard to roads, should' greatly contribute?, ;to their ? success, and consequently to' the continued prosperity of the town. •■• ,~-r'"'.•'' > ' . •;.