OHURA NEWS.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 59, 11 March 1914, Page 3

OHURA NEWS.

i From the “Advocate,” March 6th.)

Congratulations to Crs. Sandifon and Hayward on their appointment as J. IV s.

Mr Wilson, M.P., informs a correspondent that the road from Okahukura to Matiere is gazetted a service road. Present deviation planned at 15-mile bend will be let by contract, and cost approximately £SOO. Goodshed at Okahukura has been started, and loads of ono ton to each pair of wheels may be carried on each pair of wheels' on new road. 15-mile deviation will shorten road to rail by twenty-two chains. THE RAILWAY ROUTE. Mr Peter Oliphant, solicitor, of Auckland, recently stated to a representative pf this paper that he was ono of the Parliamentary Party thattraversed the Ohura while on their way from Ongarue to Stratford inspecting the railway route in February, 1892,-22 years ago. At that time the Ohura was known as the Stratford route for the Main Trunk Railway, the other route being the present one through the Waimarino Plains. Considerable agitation had been going on as to the merits of the respective routes, which delayed the construction of the Main Trunk foi many years, and it was consideied advisable that representatives of flupeople should go through and Bee for themselves; but ultimately it was decided by the engineers that the present route of the Main Trunk was more direct and suitable as a main lino. The party, which was a large one, and in charge of guides, had each to carry ten days’ provisions, as there were no roads or settlement, depending to a certain extent on wild pigs and birds; and eventually found their way out towards Stratford. Mr Oliphant remembers the flat near the Mangaroa river (Williams and Bruce’s) then in heavy bush, and soon aftei crossing the Mangaroa , they wot, lost for a while in the dense bush, the old survey track being much overgrown. The country, he said, was so rough with bush and othei obstacles, that some days they only managed a distance of two miles. Mr Oliphant evinced groat interest in th. district and expressed bis desire t: j see it again. Ho also stated thru many enquiries had been made to him ' iiS to whether a motor car could gC I through from the Main Trunk <

Stratford. He was informed that i could now do so, also that Moore 1 coaches connected with the Man Trunk and the railhead at hangs momona on the Stratford side.