THE CYNIC ABROAD. SOUTHLAND IMPRESSIONS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2572, 1 July 1903, Page 85

THE CYNIC ABROAD. SOUTHLAND IMPRESSIONS.

Bt Bengalee.

4.— NIGHTCAPS AND OTHER PLACES. Nightcaps is not a name to charm with, but, like the rose, it would smell as ewect under any other name. No one ever looks romantiu in a nightcap, especially fchepe peaky affairs with a tassel hanging down; still they are quite as taking as some of the hats worn nowadays by some of the ultrafashicmable ladies. Why a fairly goodlooking girl should appear in public with a hat not unlike a cr<x>9 between a saucepan hd amd a sou-wester is one of tii-e things that require thinking out. No Ooubt if it was fashionable to wear a soup tureen it would be done.

The production, of ooal is the leading industry, the Nightcaps coal being of good quality and easily worked. The owners of the> principal mine have a very good thing on, as they havo a fin-e largo body of coal, with every convenience for hauling and trucking. There is an old Spanish proverb which cays, "The man who find? a gold mine will never be rich, the finder of a copper mine may bo a rich man, but the finder of 'a coal mine in sure- to be rich." Theie me other seams of coal besides those in the principal mme — in fact, the whols district is coal aud lignite bearing. Tho Nightcaps men are great a+ Association football, but this g-ame doe^ not scorn to tako on lika Rugby football or the Victorian game.

Wairio and other small centres aie desirable places in their way, and at VVaino in particular Ihe Hibernian element is predominant, inoro power to them. With coa], timber, and good land t'ho district between Thornbury and Nightcaps v ail exceptionally prosperous one. The Seaward Bu.->h railway line passes gome fairl busy littl-o placs. Tho populations of Tisbury, Waimatua, o*c nro a 6orl of eonp'om^rato of '•-v.-m'" r=, woodjammera, and small oooknes. &.»•

puka can boast of some 1 airly large farms and several mills. Tho way.the wind whistles and performs ».-er tne open ground L» a caution. The whole district aeem3 to be resting on a bed of gravel, mostly quartz, and in more or less quantities can be gob anywhere. It is within the bounds of possibility that a wellorganised prospecting party might find a payable streak. Waimahaka ia Si© preeent terminus of this line; -those in the know pronounoe it Waimahike, but it all comes to the same tiling in the end. There is a good deal of controversy in the local papers about the continuation jf this line, gome holding that_ it ought to go one way and another section somewhere else.

Going up the railway line towards Dun-« edin, Edendale is the first pjace of importance met with. The station is graced with one of New Zealand's gold-laced railway officials. There is one .tiling to be said, however, about the railway people in New Zealand : they aro courteous and civile guards, porters, and even die frook-coatea, gold- laced gentlemen, with tho air of general officers, are as affable as any ordinary mortal. Possibly th© leading srtationmastera will blossom into cocked hats and feathers before long. A few of the young ju'bs in some of the main centres are inclined to put cm airs, but they are exceptions, and by the time they roach the dignity of a goldlaced cap may turn out competent and polite stationmasters. At Edendale the company pervades everything — it is all company. The reason for this is a large property surrounds Edendale. This company is a going concern, and grows a pretty considerable lot of oats and turnips. It; nl6o breeds a good many black polled Angus cattle, said to be excellent cattle for fattening purposes. The company employs a good many men. and its management -.hows a strong predilection for cheap labour in the form of the Mongolian element. _ Wyndham, a snug little place in a corner, is oonoiectad with the main line by a short branch line. At the first glance Wyndham imprp.^es one favourably, so possibly it would be a pleasant place to sojourn in for a week or so, but not longer. The hills near Wyndham are pretty and die-erful looking, and the country round about 19 of exoellent quality. The Wynd'ham belles are reported to be something out of the common ior fine figures and charming faces.