Morrison’s Bush.

Wairarapa Standard, Volume XX, Issue 2059, 25 April 1887, Page 2

Morrison’s Bush.

KAITARA SCHOOL ANNUAL TREAT. Though there was a threatening of rain on the afternoon of Friday last it did not appear to interfere with the attendance of a large number of visitors, in addition to the children at the Kaitara school house, who are under the superintendence of Mr T. Wakelin. The ladies of the district were well represented, and all took a warm interest in the proceedings. About 3 o’clock Mr Coleman Phillips and Mr W. C. Nation arrived upon the ground by invitation, and the exercises of the afternoon were commenced by the Chairman of the School Committee, Mr Ward, taking the chair. He expressing the pleasure he felt at seeing such a large attendance of visitors—a proof, he thought, that they were not going backward. He then called upon Mr Coleman Phillips to distribu e tha prizes. The table was laid with a most of books andseveral fancy articles, and the following were the principal prize takers ; Standard VI. —Lilian Morris, 1. Standard V. —Mary Wakelin 1, Jane Murphy 2, Jane Beard 3. Standard IV.—Henry Heeve 1, Ellen Waite 2, John Cross 3. Standard lll.—Joseph Wakelin 1, Alice Perkins 2, Lydia Wakelin 3. Standard ll.—Jessie McDonald 1, Jane Selman 2, Ada Sears 3. Standard I.—Annie Perkins, and Wm Reeve (equal), Margaret Ay ton 3.

Primer Class.—H. Dick 1, M Wood

Sewing Prizes.—St Y, J. Murphy 1; St IV, Ellen Waite, 1 ;St 111, M. McDonald I, C. Leach 2; St 11, E. Bridgewater, 1 ;St I, 0. Wood 1. Mr Phillips spoke of the gratification be lelt in meeting the scholars and their friends once more, and said he felt that it was a mutual interest. It was good to see advancement among the young, and he would that every boy and girl would remember that whatever they had to do it should be done with all their might. If they acted upon this they would grow up to be good and useful men and women. To the mothers he would say that if children were taught to be thrifty and orderly they would be so when they were grown up. It was the want of thrift that brought distress. After the distribution of prizes for learning and sewing Mr Phillips called Lilian Morris forward and told her that the scholars had subscribed for her a little present as she was about to leave the school. It was a brooch, and he was glad to find that she was so popular, in addition to being dux of the school.

Mr Nation chose for the subject of his address" Looking Ahead ” and pointed out to the young folks how important it was that they should look beyond school days. He complimented Lilian Morris upon the position she occupied in the school, and as she was about to leave and enter upon a wider path of life he expressed a hope that, while looking ahead and watching carefully the steps of the future, she would look back with pleasure to her school days and the gift of the play fellows she had left behind. (Three cheers were hero given for her by the scholars). After some further remarks, during which hetwi ted Mr Phillips, a confirmed bached r, with talking about thrift to the moi hers of families, Mr Nation proposed a vote of thanks to the school committee for the entertainment they had provided that day and to the teachers Mr Wukelin, Miss Ward, and the sewing mistress, Miss Campbell. This was taken up in a hearty manner and Mr Wakelin in return thanked Mr Phillips and Mr Nation for the part they had taken in the day’s proceedings. An adjournment was then made to the playground where the Waihenga band played some selections and the children went in for different kinds of sport. Meanwhile the young ladiee laid the tables with all sorts of tempting delicacies kindly provided by parents and friends. A committee consisting of Mrs Mitchell and the Misses Campbell, Ward, A. Hodge, Leach, and E. Beard carried out the whole arrangements connected with the tea.

During the afternoon Mr Buchanan, M.H.R., visited the school. Wo may here mention that it was chiefly owing to the endeavors of this gentleman that the teacher's bouse was erected in this locality.

In the evening a largo party assembled for a dance, which was kept up until a late hour in the morning.

It is gratifying to notice the great progress made in the Morrison’s Bush district during (he last, twelve months, A. new and cou.Lor'ab'c teacher’s lesideuce has been erected close to the schoolhouso. On the other side of the road is Mr Henderson’s sawmill, where all is business activity, and behind this again are several tenements built for the hands employed there la different directions the native hush is fast disappearing. While the sawmill is being supplied by some of the finest trees, (ho late tires have brought down a largo amount of standing timber, and instead of being hemmed in by hu.-di the settlers can now see the homesteads of their neighbors for a long distance "ff. If the fire has burnt trees, and grass which would have sustained the cattle throughout the winter, it has also dene a vast amount of good in stumping the ground and clearing it of refuse. When another spring comes round Morrison’s Bush will ir -sent a better appearance than ever it ha? dpne before.

Opposite Mr UolO-d’s orchard the ooweis that bo are making an excavation wide eno'-yh for a dray to go into, and some six feet deep. Complaints are made it may prove dangerous. Should two vehicles meet at night driven by stumgors to the locality there

is more than a possibility that ono ( f them would come to grief in trying t,i puss. Attention should be given by the Featherston Road Board to Ward’s Line. Between the church and Mr Knapp’s the fires have burnt away the timber in the road, and it is positively unsafe in some places to travel over it at night. The holes should at once be filled up. The continuation of this line past Mr Knapp's property will, when finished, be a boon to' the settlers living at Kaiwaiwai and Kahaulata It will shorten the distance between these places and Greytown consider ably.