EDENDALE-TOI TOIS RAILWAY.

Southland Times, Issue 3417, 3 June 1879, Page 2

EDENDALE-TOI TOIS RAILWAY.

TURNING THE FIRST SOD!

(BY OUR SPECIAL REPORTER.}

Yesterday marked an epoch iiiSthb'/nis-f/ tory of the Mataura district, for the reasbn • that it saw the initiation of another of those lines of railway which are gradually being SMOiteßP.tefe breadth of New Zealand/That the day" was regarded^as ,a red-Jietten pne ?s by^ the residentsMh itlielllistrjctjiwas demonstrated by the. cosmopolitan assem-" .-3)lagfi^haferniat^vfe r \^niUian^^ so to.speak.jwNearly^ all the settlements., of /any impprt'ahce"/ whatever were. /represented, and represented tooby /that 'sturdy and ■ hardworking^ class /fche-yepjttian 'farmer, who seldom leaves Insijhbirie^and | avocation' Pxcept :.Pn^sUch im^rtanifl b^ccasiphs as'-tlla'tibf'yesterday,^yhen*^his;dnj--1 terests arc closely allied wit^tfipJ/Wprkiv tb :be inauguratedi: ; /The asspinblage, "as ;'! nas : been said, was a thoroughly representative ! one;liS'regftrdsjdistricts/r;bu.fc; /wefragijefe \tOf ■ BayTitavas>n6 l so : in -. .another/ respect,. lihe; stern sex predpmiaating? ipi a rieny -greafi I degree. It isa'ihaf/t;er^b'£- : fact that only three-br jf oniv.ladiesjgra&ed/tli.o scene ;i with : their-presence r and, lent their, countenance. ;to the proceedings. This meagre attend- ; ance on •tee^partol^the'&ir^sex-^w'as much j tbtbe.rpgfettedv-j t: j ?/;•!!>!;>};;}/ , .///„^! : From an early hour, Wyndham — always a 'thriving and bu3tliug township-— was all with:;excitement.! Tlieyinercantile "portion .of the . poinmiini.ty, tb-a great ■ extbntjliiadthrpwnU : ness/ for the nonce, -and/weh'triti f or ihakihg/ the day— a glorious one as regarded the , weather-T-a thoroughly enjoyable one in ■I all respects. By mid-day a very large ; number /of; setrt] ters, i rofn ; the- ou tly ing d js- ': ti : ictJ3 /had- arrived, /.'and-as..-tna:'dd.y!-'.\TO^/'bii. [ the^ ( cf bwff vgreatly \ |)()ur. fixp^°^Ofi^fp.r tilie'hfa^h/i^^thbrah ; h^u^t' ii^yp' ) b >^cn'^ | p£ ,tlj§s/e/ we^e, ! lpj>k^ii t af^'fif. ■ the-j.prppyietprs]' p£, ,ij;lie;j^yj>i "hc^|eiiie^' ! vh ! to \YM ,- in ( a/t nipst , a ( tte ( nti,ye' /,/T.he ; Messrs^Lunny's Wyndham; !fipt^L"wa"s,;pjt: ! course;- tliengreati reßoi't,Kand; r ,;he!re itlie, '/ edibles/bbth' as-regarded^yacietyj, quali ty 4 j and n qhadtlty,<wei%'ia;ll!/.tbat the- mpstscou'-i firmed t epicure could desire. The arrange* | mjeirts -;bf th'etenergetic : p>ropHettirs Pf f tbis roally'yfinb' ." PPuntiy'^^ptel'' ; \veve} ■ froni a' J gastrohomw ,l>i pp.int' '^f^yiew^^mbist complete,-, as, and*eed; : .was/johly, .tp^ pec^l^'li£lie-^eputatlbiij_pi^ by no means confined to the limited : circle of Wyndham, but is well-known ; throughout tli'e province. The 'Farmers' ; Arms sustained the reputation it has held j in times gone by as being a first-rate , house of resort. The township was; rendered considerably more lively than | it generally is from the fact that about a : hundred navvies had flocked iv in view ot ; commencing work ,on the railway lina on ' the morrow. Some of these had b&en iv .; thßfmpJ[QV£of Mr Shirley ahecynto :tnr &Jm ».^^§# ##d? ; one ofnns contracts just rampleteny arra | had /r .come T Wvpdliam-wai'd. , . in order to ' c^AAAV'th'e 1 mwfijtfctiM* popular j contractor. As } -fy .w^ Pjay^day amongst these workmsi'i there was' considerable ; hilarity displayed,, .but.thisjWJiSrpnly to be expectecl, and even the mostVigid abstaiuer could ;ohly ihave jlooked < upon the ©roce.edings as the natural outcome of several months really hard work. THE TOPOGRAPH r OF THE LINE can easily be explained. Blanching from the m'aih trunk linbi'at!-E:lendale=fit takes an alm'o^t ; dire'ct' course for ''/Wyndham across the estate of the New Zealand and Australian Land Company. After a little more than apouple of miles of country is' crossed, tlie; Mataut-a. River/is. reached. On; the • /^yndham side p £ ; 'the -river,' the line will run,,t4ubugh..'&!oyerhri pally in fact through a recreatiph reserve. It skirts the township,..but biily'"tb a-very-small degree, the proposed* station build-j ings being only : one .hundred yards, distant from the main street. The most, important work on the section at present let, is the. bridge oyer the Mataura. This: will b.e a Cbmpbsite one 'of nine- spans of 60 feet^ two of '13, arid two of ; 11] the top boom being of wood, arid the bottom of iron. It will thusbe seen that the structure will be of a most substantial nature;;. Five- curves ( occur on.; the, section and one cutting vvill have to be made in the neighborhood of -Menzies' Ferry, 19 feet deep, and about 30 chains long. There will bb a brace of flood openings, and n other minor matters the line will be well provided for. The deepest grade will be lin 90. The total length of the. section at present contracted for is between three and, fpur /miles, and. the' time .':.allo' wed for its completion is eight I moritlis.'" I The contractor is Mr Jamee, ..Regarding the remainder, of tli'e./ line, .itrNvil^-he (recollected that: the : G-overnn^ent-, haye not yet determined the route it is ; to -stake.-: It is satisfactory to know, however, that whichever route is chosen a' vast tract pfi agricultural country will be rendered available for settlement. The total length of the line, when finally consfructedj is 'expected to be nearly thirty miles. ' THE CEREMONY. Shortly before. three o'clock,. a start was made for the spot selected for ''tlie cere : mony. A large crowd assembled, amongst whom were several of the most prominent settlers in-the; Mataura districVincluding ,Me|sjr^ iShanfe, vMiH.R^,|Barr;; v EbbsPn, ; - Eichardson, McKay, Canterdn, Trurh/ble, Templeton, Grant, Hay,: fanning, and v Dr ; Dunn. Mr Black (of the Public Works Department) and Mr J. Wilson (of the firm of Hawson, Petchell and Co.) were also present. The Hon. Dr. Menzies, M.L.C., to Avhoni was acceded the honor of turning the first sod, having performed the work amidst hearty cheers, made a few remarks appror priate to the occasion. The work, said the hon. gentleman, was one qf great interest and importance tq the district. As many of »tho3e" present were aware, they had -had a -hard struggle to. - .attain jthe object which that 'day /they had metilto •lA'augurateV^ Some "five- years : 'agb, the then Provincial Council agreedy that = thir line ' should TSe • '-f brrijpd',-' but, !: 'as ! was the ! case' with'mariy other w^brks'yho practical "ateps weie t tdken to give effect to the lesolution. When it was found there was no hope of getting the line constructed by the Provincial Government, strong repiesentationsiwere made to /the General .Assembly, 'and finally a vote was secured. As they would be aware, the position -of the line was a somewhat singular one. 'The necessary block of land — some 40,000 acres, he believed — bad been set aside to pay fqr the construction of the , whole liqe,^ so there would b'ef nb occasion 1 to go to Parliament in future for an annual vote. He did not thiqk it necessary to dwell upon the advantages that would_accrue from the construction of ,this iline, but would merely refer them "to the increase it, would, add to ,the / value of f their properties, and to the conveniences s that would ensue upon , its completion. v He showed tup, i enormous difference, between the rates of carnage by road and rail, and pointed out that all that 'difference must go into the pockets of the producers. He then went on to to the magnificent 'wheat cquqtry that existed at Fortrose, averring that'it was the jfinest in thb whole province of Otago. ' When tlie f railway waS opened they would find this ""vast"! tract of land under the operation of the ' plough, 'and capable of producing heavy crops, while on the other hand there would * be greater, facilities afforded for raising stock. In concluding, he wished the line every success, and called f or three oheers for the contractor. These having been lustily given, - Mr ' Shirley, the contractor, thanked Dr Menzies for. turning' the first sod. He

would endeavor to turn the last one himself, but; bsf ore that -could ybe done he should do his utmost to fulfil the con-ditions-and bring his contract to a successful issue. /. ;' //7-

/ Mr Shanks, who was. loudly called for, /then -: cams forward, and expressed the i-gmtificatioh hV-expsnehcecl at the proceedings of that day. He paid a liigh compliment to Dr M3nzie3 for his un'/trangrexerthSs/lh:!^^ of the district.

An adjournment v ifaen piTafle to the Wyndham Hotel*, 8 4vhere refi4shinents _ were., provided and ■partaken of. At the | : Mehzies occupie^iithpchsir, and Mr' J. S. Shanks filled the vice. .-..._„.___

* ; lAfteri the! Usual formal proceedings, The Chaimiah' proposed? the toast of the ; day J" Success to^- the :•; Railway." In doing : so, he said;~that from the natiice; of ' the country :^ i b^t^Kttte'i'dMb'i^Hht-'fifiaincially' the line > would prove a payhi'g' concern. . Th^fe 'wduld- 1 he large/ amount: iof;! grain -'aiid wool expoi-ted fr9nS;Tther'^P«ntry.-... i pTer ■ .which- it Tvn r :-and---'thoseiotW)^oVikn«wr!inat ; country, and were aware bfoitsivasfcl-e- --| sources, would agree with Him ;-in « f the I assertion he had made.'^Tu6 f - speakerre- ; fer'red to the receipts aecruTO'^trjbhi' the ; Otago arid Canterbury llJiuesi&Sl.cbm'pareld witli •th6se/ifhrther::riorfch' ! ass an'other''in,:'stance'of the hope he felt of/ 'tlie ultimate ■successor! the : lihe;: ,r ' ; • ;v'- vi /!; :: -' i:fV The to^,t was drunk 1 wiWveh'thusi^hi' 1 The ' ? /Vige^Cfifiu i ma : h -'t'ieti 'g/ave^'The : contractor;^ iflviZ -J fI; OT r/Dfri Mr Shirley reSpondedy^nd assuue'drthose present that ifciwould be his/endeavor/to ; iiniah'f :the! iHne^in,-? the{iShortes.t-jtifap.pps-6iblei'd nj '.Jil:.'}'rf'i?'-piK ( j'/{;J>-- .....k,|-;,;,'l '"ri-frjflJ-CuV! i r fTheivehairriian'.^tlierh. proposed": 'WFhe Maytiep^^(^f^'«»ttblibV■W*6fe%^Tife^^woi'^: they had v .that day initiated w'bul&iMjV carried;' MtfifiMaf 'his- husp&es? , Having had iS'me experience in matters connected with r,aif\vay%,;«^e ( : ls6iiVd r asMfre fchem-'ibat Mr'^MacahdiW 4iad, both formerly as Superintendent "■; /and-/ now as: a member of the House and/^finistfy, brought his influence to bea/riiri-it.he^iuitiation of the "EdendalerToi'JEpis; Railways He> thought •they. pjv.ediMm aideitMof/gi-atitu/dB/ and was sure they would all regret Itfraejhe was MP.t pres.enfrtoy.seejthe "<PQmpa.enpehient/pf -&wt>rkcinJw;hioh>lie had; J;afceri/ such a/ftefp interest. — I'-^lma 3«.Xl(K>i '•:. Tdie/toastiWas-heaTtUyvdrunk, •tbejieojn- ' pany signing, [*. F or, he's, r ,a jolly, . good, £ el- ■;■ Mr/Slia^^^ and j pastoral 7 ihf ef esfe' of Mataura." ! --loffll ,s m ) ,jkP.9 n^''- r 1 the Mataura or eleven years agb r3 'with,_the ; Mataura of -the-present-day.--^hen^it-was j a " howling wilclerness;'' now the land was j cultivated, and dpi&sii about were smihng ; homesteads, an^bjfwhißirtended to show 1 • tub -progress the place l hau^jna Je. J ' f "He^fi|d not the slightest hesitation in saying 'tlrat : the'MMhMffihWtWMmgmn the polony, and; inhabited it would kola 'their own- against any in New-^eafand.^He thought the "railway was decidedly a step - in" the* right direction, as it w^a^d^ender fit for settlement a large sHe^^ agricultural land. 1 Mr Hafy, in^Very^ la^e'ri%slttvni3,'^p|c»--posed "The Erigirreer," and Mr Black respMleuT- -'*™: .KArreaAS-.O , name of Mr-, D, qlanjgre, ywhgj^sponded/ . " TJie\ £re ; ss " "•■ was, -'proposed .-by,. Mr 'Blacky and responded ;: fo'' by'-£he 3'repfeienflatiVes .^ent;;;j; ,( ;: r ■^4 > .:; , s :i K . /. :. ■': r "' "Mr^Kob'sbh'prppPsea ""'Tlie i i^iairraah'," .and ,, in ; .doing, sol% ref erre,d , tp t [^h'e^lpry iVes l.renderes to; /tjhat';. district, ,by ,Px/'Mehzips during his political. ;careei:..V jAnJappip-"'priate-response-was-made.-~-— -.~, — J/-,-^,,' •r At Mr "Winter's/ (invitation, the healihjbf the Vice-Cliairmaa was heartily d/qnk, aljter; whiclvthe toast of, ",The. . Host \ind Hostess" wks lionorecl'?/' A ; i'Vy.""' ! , The company, jthen ; brpke p.pj jthe Ghaivman, oh' rising, making' use of the exceedingly apposite, saying—- ( " Happy to meet, ■ [ '- Sorry- to 'part; ; - ~f V- I Happy to meet again " on the completion "of "the first section of the {!Ed^endale : ,Tpi;-; Tois '/KaiJ'jyay,' ,a few months hence. ■•"'-■- - -^