EXCURSION TO KINGSTON.

Southland Times, Issue 3306, 24 January 1879, Page 2

EXCURSION TO KINGSTON.

In connection with the railway demonstration an excursion took place to Kingston yesterday. A special train with the excursionists left here about 10.30, with a company numbering about GO, and including the Mayor and Councillors of Dunedin, a number of Canterbury gentlemen; and the Mayor, Councillor.-;, and members of the Demonstration Committee, Invercargill. The trip proved an exceedingly enjoyable one, the weather being- gloriously fine, and the whole proceedings pas-sing oil: most satisfactorily in every respect. All along the line the inhabitants collected at the various stations, and gave the travellers an ovation as they passed. At Win ton a stoppage was mas made for twenty minutes, aud here one of the excursionists, a member of the Canterbury Press, delighted his fellow-travellers and the inhabitants of the township by discoursing sweet music from a violin. At Dipton a somewhat unexpected reception awaited the party. Under the superintendence of their master, Mr Kerr, the children had been assembled at the station, and as the train steamed up they sang " God save the Queen." The following address signed by a number of the inhabitants was then presented to i he Mayor of Invercargillwho made n suit able response : "We, the inhabitants of the Dipton neighbourhood, do hereby congratulate your worship on this auspicious occasion and bid hearty welcome to yourself and fellow visitors to this district, which we arc proud to inform you is making rapid progress. Our gratitude and admiration is due to Invcrcargill for bringing our neighbors of Canterbury and Otago to see the opening of the through line of railway, a consummation which we are certain will materially assist in the development of the country and add year by year to its prosperity. As you are aware, before the line wa:; made up to this point this district was comparatively a wilderness ; but now it is gradually obtaining an agricultural population and a name in the country, thanks to t\i<.} wisdom of the late Provincial Council in yielding to the expressed wish of the people for settlement on deferred payment. We hope our neighbors will enjoy their visit to the Southland district, the result oi which we hope will be to draw the various districts traversed by the railway into closer connection, to the advantage of all. Wishing our visitors a pleasant journey and safe return home, we beg to subscribe ourselves your worship's obedient servants, &c. ;l It was originally intended that the trip should end at the Elbow, but on the train arriving there an informal meeting was held and it was decided to proceed to Kingston. On arrival at that place the company assembled in the commercial room of the hotel and several impromptu speeches were made. The Mayor of Invercargill said they had now crossed the boundary line of Otago. but he was glad to be able 1o say that local jealousies had now all disappeared, a consummation mainly atlrihuiabh 1 In ihfi construction of railways. X I ■ - proposed success to Otago and coupled the name of the Mayor or! Dunedin, Mr Walter, with the toast. Mr Walter, in responding, said there wa;> ample room for all in the colony, and he was glad to Jind that petty feelings ol jealousy between localities were dyiny out. He was grestly pleased with those proceedings which had brought them together that day. It had done more than auvthing else to cement Duuedin and Invercnrgi]] together in one common friendship. He felt that the event that was celebrated on the preceding day was one over which they must rejoice, as it must of a certainty ho productive of the greatest good to Otago, Invercnrgill, and t!ie c >lony generally, and tend to unite in one bond of interest all communities in the colony. The Mayor of Invercargill also proposed " The Press,'' which was responded to by Mr (ieo. Jones of Oaniaru, the only member of the " fourth estate" present. The excursionists then turne.l their faces homewards, reaching Invercargiil about '.) o'clock in the evening. Another excursion is meditated for today, but the direction it will take has not yet been definitely determined upon, as some of the visitors incline to go to the Bluff and others to Kiverton. Should the weather be line, however, one or oilier of these places will probably be. visited.