LOVELL'S FLAT.

Otago Witness, Issue 2528, 27 August 1902, Page 45

LOVELL'S FLAT.

August 21.— As the Taiatu-Kaitanajat Company's line is approachn.g completion, tho ■v orkmen and other employer's oi the line a - shcmbled at the clo^e of tho day's work on Wednesday and presented Mr Garden Watkon (the mp,nager) with a solid pod hunting le\ er watch, i.uitab!y inscribed Ganger Lynch, jn making tho presentation said -as the works were near completion, and the majority of those piesent would have to Leek fresh rields ci labour they had determined to subset ibe to a. tcstirnonal to Mr Watson tc show m some way their appreciation of thp.t gentleman and the esteem in which he was held by all those ♦»i«£e4 pa the wflika. Mi Ljuoli xefeued to

the quiet and gentlemanly manner in which Mr Watson had performed the onerous duties incumbent upon him during the progress of th«- woik, notwithstanding frequent and great piovocations to act otherwise, and although he had occasion to indn'ge in a civil growl now and again, the men took it all in good part. Mr Lynch went on to say that Mr^Watson had met with many obstacles during the progress of the work, and only by tact and good nature bad th"y b?en surmounted. He had the gieatest plepsure, on behalf of the whole of the employees and himself, to ask Mr Watson's acceptance of a gold watch, suitably inscribed, hoping he would Jive long to wear it, and thereafter hand it down to his children. The m&cription "was as follows. — "Presented to Garden Wa*.»on, Esq., by the employees of the Turatu-Kaitangita Railway and Coal Company." Other speakers also bore testimony to Mr Watson's general demeanour and the good tact displayed by him in the handling of a large body of workmen. When Mr Watson mounted the engine to reply, it was evident he h.id been taken completely by surprise and vad considerably affected. In thanking the men for their very ha-ndsome present and the feelings wluch prompted the action, he said it was quite unlooked for, and it v/as difficult to find words, adequate to the occasion. However, the occasion would be indelibly impressed ou his mind, and would remind* him oi a work which hnd been carried on with complete harncnv between the workmen and hmi3elf. He expressed a sinrpre wish for the future welfare of a body of men who he had only treated as he would wish them to treat him, having the interests of the company at heart. He expressed tne opinion that although at various times he had had a considerable number of men under him, en no occasion rould he say he had htd to supervise a finer body of workmen than tho»e standing around Hm. For the •short space of three and a -half months of actual woiking time they had completed about four miles of heavy cutting, bridge construction, and formation work, to any nothing of about 10 miles of fencing. They had put down .ieven miles of ruiU and s'eepers, and ballasted the whole line from Lovell's Flat to the company's mine at Taratu. Mr Watson considered this a record in railway construction, which could not have been reached had the men not been good honest workers. When the directors visited the line they too s had expressed the opinion that they were a fine, intelligent f.tamp of men. Mr Watson again thanked the men, whereupon Mr Lynch called 'for three cheers for Mr W(itson and another for Mr Haynes (clerk of works), which wire lustily given