INVERCAEGILL.

Otago Witness, Issue 1419, 1 February 1879, Page 30

INVERCAEGILL.

, (By a Visitob.) No one who visited luveroargill, as did the writer of thess notes, after an interval of sixteen yeard, could fail to be struck with the remarkable progress of the town. It has gone through vicissitudes, and at one period was at a very low ebb ; but the railway era has been coincident with its rise from a state of stagnation into one of activity and importance. Probably no better means could be adopted for gauging the progress of any municipality than an examination of the assessment rolls. The following information, obtained at the Town Clerk's office, will show the PROGB.FSS IN SIX YEAKS. Assessment 1873 4 .. .. £13,846 .„ 1876-7 .. .. 31,242 ",) 1879 .. .. 47,528 I question if any town in the' Colony can show greater relative progress than this. The fiisi; building that strikes the eye on arriving at the very plain railway station, is a red brick one, faced in cement, of considerable dimensions. This is the GOVERNMENT BUILDINGS, : but forms only one wing of the complete design. It includes Post aud Telegraph Office and other offices ; but a very great need is that of a Supreme Court, which, it is '"expected, will be shortly provided for by buildiug the other wing and its connections. Passing up a short street from the station, we arrive at ' ' i>EE STRBBT, I

which is, or will verysoon be, a magnificent street, containing as it does the chief buildings. It is two chains wide; and already contains some very handsome buildings. It is intersect id by another equally wide street at right angles, called

TAY STREET, and the foresight of thej Chief Surveyor, who gave the town these handsome thoroughfares, is to be commended ; though at the time, I believe, 1 it was considered somewhat ambitious on his part to lay off the town on such a scale. No' one who now glances at these fine streets, even in their present unfinished condition, but must'regret that Dunedin cannot Uoast of any such thoroughfares. The flatness of the town, of course, favours its streets. It is like Christchnrch in this respect, but infinitely Superior to Christchurch, considering its relative size, in the appearance of the business portion of the town, i Dee street was on Wednesday and Thursday in gala trim, with fliigs across it and< on every principal building, and the 'fineness of "the weather and the holiday crowds made A it: look its best.- Where illuminated by the excellent gas' from the Corporation Works, 'wish stars, and Prince of Wales' feathers, and other devices, at short intervals, it really looked remarkably well. The electrle light, from the. summit of the Athenaeum, when directed along the street and on the crowd below, had a very fine effect. I cannot name all the buildings, but will name a few of those which strike the eye as not unworthy, of Princes street, Dunedin, and as far better placed to show to advantage.

THE ATHEN^UM. with its tall statue of Minerva on the top, is one of the most conspicuous buildings in walking up the street from the station. It is a fine square block of . buildings^, with shops below and 'handsome rooms above, including a. fine reading-room, library, ladies' room, and a 'small museum. I was much impressed ' with ' the arrangements of thia' yery.preditable Institute/ co much superior, at least to the casual observer, to those of the Dunedin Atbenseum. The whole building cost, I believe, some, thousands, and is partly supported by subscriptions and partly by Government endowment, the r rentals of the. shops beneath' paving interest on -the debt, which is still considerable. In another paper- some -further, particulars of buildings, &c;;" will be given, and I will only now add that every inhabitant. of the, metropolis may learn a good deal by Visiting' the rising city of the South, w;iiieh is evidently peopled by a race of the true mettle. \To continue my description : Opposite' the Athenaeum is the Albion Hotel, a very effective,! building in the .French style, .with turrets at each end'like those of the Louvre in Paris. At the junctionpf fay, and Dee .street^, 'the Bank of Ne wZe'aland has nearly completed a building with 'a semi-circular . front in . bluestone cemented, and large" windows" the whole height, of the building, about 30 feet, which give it a bold appearance. The ornamentation of the baiiking-room ceiling is very handsome, and the strong-rooms I ,' which are in concrete, in two storeys, are entirely impregnable to fire.' The Union Bank is building next door , with Oaaiaru stone front. Mr Burwell, the architect, for both buildings, informs me that Oamaru stone costs, here 2s 6d per foot. , It is brought by sea to the Bluff. ' £' may mention 'in this connection that the architect informs me that all the ironwork, strongroom' doors, &c, &c., for these buildings are made in, Invercargill. Further along Dee street than the Albion is a very fine block of buildings.' ia the Italian style,, etabracing a range of Rhops %t ■ one end^ ■of ■ which Mesßr&EKenstfcßn and Hall have in course of erection an itninense buildiug, with tower, which' forma the projecting and' prominent wing of the main block. ' When a similar building is placed at the placed at the other end' the whole" symmetrical design will have the effect of one building, with broken sky-line and turrets at each end, the wnole iagade being five chains in length. Tbe'property belonged, aud still partly belongs, to Mr Lauglancta, of Dunedin,'and the laud on which the building stands 'is .said now to be worth LSO per foot one chain back. One or two of the shops in this block which I entered ■ struck me as superior to anything rhad. seen in Dunedih.

I ]?oriustauce, a biUchei's sUop was fitted with i a lanre in#r.*l-i; »I*k i* i*tnk •£ the window; ft chemist's with a gallery, which, when complete with glass cases and lamps all round, will have a very handsome appearance. Mr Rogers stationery an'l fancygoods sbop has an extra depth, and is something like 100 feet iv its entire length. All have great height. . This block bystem has "taken" in Invercargill, and Mr Burwell courteously showed me a plan of a magnificent pile of buildings which he expects to put up some day for tenants of Mr J. T. Thomson on the other side of the street. We have nothing in Duuedin to compare with this extensive and palatial block, which as yet is, however, only on paper, one small portion of it only, which abuta oa Esk street, having yet got as far as a contract. I cannot go on describing all the buildings in the street, and must leave Tay street imdescribed; but I will mention one new building on the opposite side of the street, in a line with the Club and Prince of Wales Hotel, MESSES MACRORIE AND CDTHBEKTSON'S. I do so, not because the building has any very remarkable pretensions to beauty, but because of the completeness of the arrangements. The premises go right through to the next line of street, and are fitted up with offices in front, auction-room behind, and further back a horsebazaar and stockyard ; while in an old building alongside, a plain but comfortable farmers' club-room is being fitted up for the free use of all and sundry of that class, without any charge whatever, the proprietors being quite willing to give this accommodation in older to bring their customers round them. I am not sure but that they might not more wisely exact a guinea a year as a test of membership, but they doubt less know their own business best. The walls o£ the passage leading to the club-room will be covered with business notices and plans of property for sale. I shall have something to say about the senior in the firm who are providing this room presently ; both are Volunteer officers, but Major Macrorie, being the Commanding Officer of ihe district, and in every way a man of "commanding" proportions, deserves a few lines all to himself. The National Mortgage and Agency Company, under the management of Mr G. F. Martin, have erected large stores in' the Crescent, near the Railway Station. The New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Co. have also, I believe, large premises, which I had not time to see. Guthrie and Larnach (Limited) have an extensive hardware. business in somewhat scattered and inadequate premises,' and will shortly build. There are the usual number of ohurches and chapels— about a dozen, I think— but none of them very remarkable specimens of architecture. The outer portion of the town has every variety of wooden house, but not many brick, and spreads over a widb space, running into extensive suburbs. The number of inhabitants in Invercargill and the suburbs is said to be about 7500. I believe that in five years' time these numbers will double. THE VOLUNTEERS •of "the Southland district, Colonel Brett told us at the banquet, were a very fine and efficient force, and my eyes told me the same ' story. Major Macrorie is a man of immense but symmetrical. proportions, and in his uniform does credit to his rank ; though I fear in actual combat he would be a dangerous mark for the enemy, even at long range. The gallant Major commands 300 men and 100 cadets, and many more cadets would join if permitted. Volunteering here has been gone into con amove. THE BAND, under the efficient and enthusiastic conductorship of Captain Hey wood, is certainly the best in the Middle Island, if not in New Zealand. If, the enemy comes, the gallant little army of Invercargill and R,iverton will not want at all events, for Phairshon's " four-aad-twenty pipers," or their equivalent, to lead them into battle. But here, again, I must pause, and leave my-last paper fora few general remarks.' Energy and pluck is stamped on all I saw in Invercargill,' and the" people that have surmounted such great difficulties and have passed through such a crushing period of depression as for years prevailed in_ the town and have not yet been crushed or disheartened, need not fear mow that, comparatively speaking, they had " the'ball at their foot."