ROMAHAPA.

Otago Witness, Issue 1762, 29 August 1885, Page 13

ROMAHAPA.

August 24. — The railway to Oatlins is now nearly completed as far as* the station at the Port Molyneux road. 'The rails are laid nearly the whole distance, and by the time this appeal's in print the ballasting will be finished. The carpenters have now commenced to put up the station buildings, having waited until the timber could be brought" along the line. The work of filling np the station yard is not yet completed. It has been a long job owing to the hard nature of the material 'to be removed, but still the party in charge of this part of the contract Ts greatly to blame for allowing last summer to pass away, working, with only a few hands when he could have put on ten times the number, as there were always plenty of men applying for work. Changes. — The store here is to change hands upon the first of October. The present owners have been very fortunate since they commenced business in consequence of the railway and roadi works, &c, which have been in hand. The men. on these works were all ready-money customers, and must have been a welcome addition to the regular trade in this and the adjacent districts. — I am informed that an old -established Dunedin firm intend to open a depot for the purchase of all kinds of dairy and farm produce as soon as the railway is opened ; and as they will do away with the "taking out" system, I have no doubt they will be successful in their enterprise. Thr New Hotel.— This building is nowfinished, and is a marked feature in our embryo township. The building stands opposite the railway-station, on the right hand of the main road to Catlins and Port Molyneux. It consists of two flats, the ground floor being 37ft by 48ft. The height of the rooms is 11-^ft on the first floor, and 9Jffc in the second. The first floor/

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contains nine rooms, including bar, dining-room, 'bar parlour, private sitting-room, and commercial room, three bedrooms, and kitchen and bathroom, which is supplied with hot and shower baths. Upstairs there aro eight bedrooms and one sitting-room. The building is well finished throughout, and an expert of 20 years' standing informs me that it is the most faithfully-constructed building, both in material and workmanship, that he has seen in the .Colony.