SOME CIRCULAR NOTES.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1249, 6 February 1896, Page 10

SOME CIRCULAR NOTES.

BY " SWAN PEN"." (Specially in'itlenfor the New Zealand Mail.) The ordinary city, or even country resident, has very little idea of the land he lives in, and this I say though knowing that a great many of your readers have travelled from one end of the Colony to the other by rail and steamer. Lately the experience has been mine to walk some 200 odd miles, and having learnt something thereby, the possibility of making " copy " struck me as the journey drew to a finish. In the Christmas number of the New Zealand Mail "Scrutator" so well described many of the scones that were included in my wanderings that there is a danger of repetition, but by endeavouring to keep clear of what has already been written, there is a prospect of getting through without inflicting on the Mail readers a double dose.

The walking tour really started from Hawera, but before commencing it a brief reference to New Plymouth and Stratford may be allowed. New Plymouth is noted formany things—among them the "Rec" (as they all call the Recreation Grounds), and Mr E. M. Smith, M.H.R. Strange to say, the two were conjoined in my case, for the first individual I "met there was "He Hem" in his shirt sleeves, and the first question he asked was "Been to see the Rec?" Thinking there had been a wreck, I innocently asked on what part of the coast the ship had come ashore! But the Recreation Grounds are well worth a visit —though, unfortunately, people have taken to suiciding in the lake there. Knowing that the ! Mail has readers all over the district between the Empire City and —well, I might say all over the Colony, as well as in other parts, there is no necessity for apologising for mentioning names. In that same Rec I came across an old Wellingtonian, now in Blenheim, Mr Pattie, who was on his way to Auckland full of a newly-patented process of his for saving gold. He believes it to be better than the cyanide process, and I shall believe with him when the results come to hand. The New Plymouth Bowling Club's green is a sight worth seeing, but the pavilion is "unco sma\" As a town New Plymouth has gone ahead wonderfully of late years, and its streets are creditably kept. It possesses some decent public buildings—the Post Office and Courthouse among them. Inspector Thomson, an old friend in Wellington, has his home here, likes the place, and looks after a large district in an able manner ; and Mr O'Callaghan, whom your Blenheim readers will recollect, finds it quite to his liking as Clerk of the Court. The Reading-room is a credit to the town. Among the churches St. Mary's, belonging to the Episcopalians, is the one which stands out most prominently as worthy of mention. Built of stone in the early days, it has recently been enlarged and the extension duly consecrated by Bishop Wallis. Witliout pretensions to architectural beauty, it is substantial, and, with the ivy growing up the western end and graveyard all round, looks for all the world like an Old Country church come to life in this new colony. It is impossible to go to New Plymouth without hearing of the breakwater, butter, petroleum, and the old time war. The breakwater is giving a great deal of concern because it is crumbling to pieces and will not last long unless a great deal more money is spent in preserving it. Butter has saved Tai-anaki generally, and no part of the Colony is so well favoured for dairy produce as is this. The number of creameries and factories, both butter and cheese, that may be seen between New Plymouth and Hawera would astonish a South Islander, just as much as it does perhaps many of your readers to know that in one shipment alone one agent sent home 4000 boxes of butter, to say nothing of cheese. As to the old time war memories, well there is still to the front LieutenantColonel Stapp, who led the Avay as a lieutenant at Waiareka, and makes the boast that he was the first man to take British Volunteers into action—and fetch them out again. The Colonel looks as well as ever he did, and the volunteers who have been under him in the different Easter encampments at Nelson, Wanganui, New Plymouth and Wellington will be I pleased to hear that he is enjoying the best of health. The Taranaki Rifles, by the way, are not the smartest in the world, even though they have such an old hand as Okey as their lieutenant, and the drill I witnessed was distinctly disappointing. Mrs Tabor, late of the Masonic Hotel, Wellington, has one of the leading houses in New Plymouth. A truce, however to what may be seen in , the City of Ironsand, or one might go on • for hours and not finish the story. Stratford is the next place worthy _ ot mention, and it deserves it as a growing centre. There is every sign of activity m and around Stratford. An enlarged school (400 pupils), two papers, five hotels, six churches and a Salvation Army Barracks, new courthouse, new post office (under the charge of the well-known " Tom " Rapley, who looks as genial as ever), aud immediate enlargements coming on at the railway station. The East road runs in from here, and quite a large number of men are employed on it on the co-operative principle. At the present time it is possible to get quite forty miles from Strat-

ford along this road, which is to connect Taranaki" with the main trunk line to Auckland. The weather in Stratford is generally moist and the streets abominably muddy, but for a change at Christmas time it was that hot that mud was impossible, and dust came blowing down in clouds. The business portion of the town lies all in one street, but as the Railway Department own nearly all one side of that street, and only grant seven-year leases, the buildings on its side are not imposing. Mr McLellan, who used to keep the Custom House Hotel in Wanganui, is located here, and is still in the public line; and among the notabilities from the other side is Mr John Tucker Robinson, who was for years the ruling power in Marlborough when, and, indeed, long after, provincialism held sway. He is wheelwrighting. Telegraph men, as well as many pressmen, will be pleased to know that "Mick" Murray is here, also, and enjoying life. Passing Eltham, where our old friend Walter Hill, of Single Tax, Protectionist, French Grand Orient Masonry and other sorts of fame, cairies on a successful business, also Normanby, where the leading personage is Mr R. S. Thompson, Native interpreter and chairman of the Town Board, who wields a facile pen and governs a community in which there is an unruly member named Gane, who has been the terror of all local bodies for- years past, we come to Hawera.

experienced a fire at the end of August last year, from which it has not yet recovered. There were t;vo hotels (the leading pubs.), thirteen shops, a new Post Office, Courthouse, Star newspaper office and stables all destroyed, and, with the exception of the Post Office and Courthouse, all have been or are being replaced. The hotels destroyed were Mr J. W. Kelly's Egniont and Mr S. Hooper's Commercial. Mr Kelly was at one time "on the road" for years for Messrs Ross and Glendining, and Mr Hooper, after years of hairdressing in Wanganui, took to the public line, in following up which he has been landlord in different parts of the Colony. Both the new houses will be in keeping with the times, and ought to be ready for the public at the end of this month. In the meantime, Mr G. H. Gibson (well known as owner of Egmont and other horses) is making hay at the other corner. In its public men Hawera is a little unfortunate. Mr C. E. Major, who is now mayor for the sixth or seventh time, has on his Borough Council some gentlemen who take a delight in thwarting him, and so rendering abortive all the schemes for water supply and drainage which the ratepayers have placed him in position to carry out. The result is seen in outbreaks of typhoid, which last year was very prevalent, and is experienced in abominable smells in the very centre of the town. As to water tanks and wells, both are in the habit of running dry every summer, and there can be no question but that without a water supply Hawera is greatly at the mercy of the incendiary and the high winds that blow there. -

Hawera runs two auctioneers, Messrs Nolan, Tonks and Co., and the Egmont Farmers' Union, for whom Mr A. A. Fantham sells. To the weekly (alternate) sales of cattle and sheep must be added occasional horse fairs, and this being a great horse-raising district these fairs are generally well attended. Mr Nolan is a popular man all over the district, and has just lately been installed as W.M. of the Hawera Lodge of Freemasons. One of the most unassuming of the public men in Hawera is Mr Martin, the postmaster, to whose unceasing effort was due the erection of the fine new post office, which was unfortunately destroyed by fire before it could be occupied. This time it is to be built in brick. Mr Martin gets through a great deal of work,- for Hawera is a large distributing centre, and seems to do it with the least possible amount of worry or friction. The Hawera library is not as successful as it might bo with a little more up-to-date management. The brewery run by Mr Hutson, who is also the proprietor of two of the hotels in town, does the leading business in the Taranaki province, and turns out an article that deserves the support it receives. In the newspaper line the Star and Morning Post fill the bill, the latter coming out as a morning daily and the Star in the evening. Mr Parkinson, late of Hansard staff, owns the Star, and a rattling good little paper it is, well, suited for country readers. The Post is owned by a company, with Mr 11. M. Stowell as manager, is run on Government lines, and witli care should become a good property. This is an awful district for " rags": two at Stratford, one at Eltham, two at Hawera, one at Manaia and one at Opunake, and if one takes in the Patea County Press there are within a radius of 30 miles from Hawera eight papers. Four of them are the result of Joe Ivess's ragplanting labours. It is time, however, to be making a start on the walking tour from Hawera to Wellington via the Wairarapa. Leaving there early one fine summer's morning shortly after the New Year, a pleasant tramp down to Manutahi lands one in time for a good breakfast at Mr Gallagher's hotel. This part of the district has not changed much during the last 15 or 20 years, and it is questionable whether it will ever improve so long as both sides of the road are held in large areas by Lysaghts and Bavleys. Hawera was one of the places that the late Mr Ballance had in view in introducing his Land Acquisition Bill, for it is hide-bound north and south by large estates, which prevent the land being taken up in the small areas which go to make a town and a district prosperous. Between Manutahi and Kakaramea lies the Manawapou Gorge, where, in old coaching and waggon days, many an accident has occurred. At the time of my visit Kakaramea was in the midst of grass*

seeding, and men were in great demand at a shilling an hour for this work. Pour miles further on lies the once-busy town of Patea, which now seems but the shadow of its former self. Where has gone the great G-. F. Sherwood, sturdy opponent of Major Atkinson? Died in London. Where Wm. Dale, the Major's i*atea henchman ? Did the Pacific-slope to the States, where, he. is now wealthy. .Skipper Odgers? Keeping a small billiardroom at Waitotara. Alec Black, of the Patea Mail? Running a job printing office in Pahiatua. John Milroy, the most com-mon-sense man in the town ? Dead. A truce to these reflections. There are still left some of the old hands, whom many of your readers will remember and like to Hear of. Messrs John Gibson, R. A. Adams, W. Brown, J. Ifenworthy, G. T. Potto, "Jimmy" Rhodes, A. A. Gower, W. Howitt and J. McKenna ("Mack" is now Mayor) are still to the fore. The trade of the port of Patea has increased gradually, and Oldham's Meat Works have been a regular godsend to the town, the hands employed totting up to between 40 and 50. Captain Gibbons, so long and favourably known to the trading public between Wellington and Patea, whithei he has run the Waverley ever since she was built, is now a landsman, having taken over tbe brewery from his brother, Mr Hope Gibbons, who has gone in for a larger sphere in Wanganui with Mr Harry Holt. A pleasant tramp of four miles, or 24 for the first day's march, lands one at the Whenuakura Hotel, a comfortable wayside " inn at which to put up for the night. So far the-Koad has not been marked by any special attention to cropping, though here and there are to be seen healthy-looking paddocks of wheat and oats, while hay is being saved in large quantities. There seem to be more sheep than used to be the case, but beef is still the leading "crop." Starting- betimes next morning, little over an hour fetches one to Waverley, which lies about half a mile from the railway line. The racecourse has so often been described by sporting writers that the mere mention that it is looking in first-class order will suffice. The town itself is cleanly, and well-kept are its footpaths. There is more cropping going on round about it than was the case further North, and the State Farm, or at any rate that portion of it which Can be seen from the road, is in good order. A visit to this farni should be paid by all who have the time, but from what I gathered in the township there is no doubt as to the success of this experiment by the Hon Mr McKenzie. To those who have been in Waverley at any time within the last 15 years the only change apparent will be the erection of a new hotel opposite Mr Ellis', to" take the place of one destroyed some time ago by fire. Mr Ellis himself has not aged in the least, and is still the same cheery individual as ever. The road from Waverley to Waitotara is almost level and most uninteresting; but it is rich land, and fairly well cropped. The changes in this part of the coast "since the war time must be great, to judge by the remains of fighting days which even yet are pointed out to the stranger. Waitotara township is on a flat at the head of a valley running along the banks of the river of the same name, up from the sea. Here again there is little new, except .that the store formerly kept by Mr -T. W. Fisher has a new front, and that a new shop has been erected on the opposite side of the street. Mr Fisher, who is now Government agent under the West Coast Reserves Act for the Public Trustee, has still his head-quarters hero, but can be very little at home, for I met him at Now Plymouth, Stratford, Hawera, to say nothing of continually seeing him pass to and fro. He is a popular man with the Natives, and the Government could not have appointed a bettor. The leading hotel is kept by Mrs Harle, widow of the well-known and respected Jonathan Harle, and in the management she is assisted by Mr A. B. Py onion t, her son-in-law. There is some talk of Mr Pyemont, who is an ardent Liberal, contesting the Wanganui seat at the general election this year. lam informed that there is a growing feeling in the country portion of the electorate that it is time they had a voice, and if this be correct, Mr Pvemont should have a good say. As this made about 17 miles for the day, a halt was called here, and the next portion of. the journey to Wanganui was done by rail. {To be concluded.)