RAILWAY TIME TABLE. ALFREDTON—PAST AND PRESENT.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 7678, 30 January 1904, Page 1

RAILWAY TIME TABLE.

ALFREDTON—PAST AND PRESENT.

[Waikakapa Daily Times.] Subject to alteration on Puhllo Holidays.

Specially Contributed to the Waiearapa Daily Times).

Roads and Bridges. — Away Bach in those Early Days—Hard Times for the BackBlock Settlers—The Newly-wed Couple who had to Camp Out—''Honeymoon HUI" — A Eemenisence of Sir Patrick Buckley—Nobody to " Say Grace"—A Tribute to Mr Eli Smith-First Bridge over the Tiraumea Ri' er-Mr Bremner's pi ans — The Fight with the Government Engineers — How it Ended - How Mr Bremner Scored his Pomt — A District Full »f Absentees — Wonderful Changes Now-a-day—A Bridge Opened by Candlelight—Alfredton as it Now Is — Fast Getting on Top. " Alfredton " said Mr Hogg to the Minister of Public Works on the occasion of his visit a day or two ago, •'has been the neglected child of tne Wellington Province." "Yes," added Mr Holmes-Warren, " in the early days the Provincial Council sold the land here and spent the money between Masterton and the city." "Boads and bridges were hardly known in these days," continued the member, " I remember myself when the settlers in here could only drive out to Eketahuna during a couple of months or so in mid-summer." " They must have had a rough time of it when they ran short of supplies," was the Ministerial comment. " Nearly all the supplies were hauled from the coast over the hills by bullocks," said the County member, and he went on to tell a delightful but rather pathetic story of an energetic young pioneer who had captured a most handsome bride, but before he could bring home his trophy found himself bushed, and had to spend the night on the crown of one of the highest hills overlooking Mr W. J. Saunders , homestead. " And they call the place ' Honeymoon Hill' to this day," added the relator. "Ah!" remarked Mr Hogg, "the country owes a lot to that couple:— warm — open-hearted — hospitable — brimful of energy. I recalled that bride, then the mother of a family, declaring the first bridge open over the Tiramiea river as she smashed a bottle of champagne against one of the iron bolts." " That's about fifteen years ago," soliloquised the County member, " How the time flics!" " It seems only yesterday," continued the other, " the afternoon was gettiag advanced when Sir Patrick Buckley arrived on the scene, and made a good opening oration to the crowd. We had a dinner that night in the Public Hall and Mr Eli Stcith the County member presided. The chairman wanted somebody to say grace, but Sir Patrick helped him out of his difficulty by getting rid of a steaming plateful of beef and potatoes with the celerity of a conjuror. He had eaten nothing from early morning."

" There was a lot of trouble over that bridge," Mr Holmes-Warren explained. "In what way?" asked the Minister. " Well, you see it was a Government job, but it was entrusted to Mrßremner, the County Engineer. Mr Bremner took great pain? with the plans, but they were condemned by the Government engineers, and a lot of trouble arose. However, the bridge went up at last, and Mr Bremner's well-abused plans have been adopted and become the plans of the department." " It was a real good engineering fight," said the M.H.R., " if no blood was shed plenty of red ink was spilled. I caw the County engineer's plans. They were fit to be lithographed when they went away, and when they returned they were smothered with red lines. Mr Bremner wouldn't look at them and the Government engineers insisted on their alterations. The squabble hung up the bridge for a year, but at last there was a compromise and the department caved in just as it did over the piles." '• What about the piles '? " asked the Minister. " Just this," was the reply, " The Government engineer wanted the piles driven through solid papa rock, and the contractor declared it couldn't be done ; so he put in sills and the job had to be accepted." " I suppose the bridge helped the settlers a lot," said the Minister. " Yes," said the County member, " it has been a capital bndge and it is as sound as a bell. The span is a wide one and the Government engineers wanted a pier in the ceutre. The absence of that pier has saved the bridge again and again. You should see the big stumps and trees that come rushing along when the river is in flood." " It was the construction of the road from Eketahuna that led to the erection of the bridge," chimed in the M.H.R., " and now there are three bridges over the river at places where the traffic was stopped and people used to be drowned occasionally. Mr Eli Smith, who used to represent the district in the County Council, stuck to the road till it was made. It was a difficult job. He had to persuade the settlers that they must borrow and get into debt to get out of the mud. When a poll for a big loan was taken the proposal used to be lost because Alfredton was " full of absentees," and every absentee meant a vote against it. It was only by making a most inequitable rating area that the loan was carried at last. Metal was scarce and bad to be carted for miles costing as much as twelve shillings a yard, and the road cost over i>lo.ooo. That is why Alfredton is so heavily rated." The minister pondered over the figures. "Over ten thousand pounds 1" he remarked, " but the road must have been badly wanted." "Badly wanted! I should think so. One poor fellow that had seen better days and was coming out to be a tutor to Brannigan's children was found dead on the road. Mud and exposure were the causes. Harding, the carrier, picked up another man. He was up to the arm pits in mud, and had been half buried for twenty-four hours. When dug out he was found to be paralysed, and he spent some weeks in the Masterfcon Hospital. I saw him after he came out hobbling about the pavement in Masterton on a pair of matchers." " The settlers themselves must have been pretty well buried then " suggested the Hon. W. Hall-Jones. " They were that. Twenty years ago they had a mail once a fortnight; then they gol it weekly. Now they have & daily mail and coach, and a telephone, and money order office. Churches and

schools were luxuries unthonght of. Now all these civilizing influences are supplied. Two tiaxrnills are busily at work, and the population is growing rapidly. Aβ, I said, instead of one bridge there are three bridges. The first bridge was built by the Government; the Becond by the Government and the settlers ; and ihen the farmers found the two bridges so useful that they built another one themselves. The second bridge was opened by candle-light." "By candle-light!" exclaimed the Minister in surprisa. "Yes by candlelight. The Hon. T. Thompson represented the Ministry on the occasion, but the horses were slow and when the bridge was reached it was nightfall. I won't forget that spectacle. When it came in view the bridge was abkze of light. A long table extended from end to end, and among the good things all provided by the settlers were scores of candles all burning brightly for luckily the night though dark was calm. Full justice was done to a capital spread, big speeches followed, toasts were enthusiastically drank, and ' Auld Lang Syne' was never more vigorously gvj rjrr •''Alfredton is not such a dull place then ? " " Dull,! By no means. Where can you see finer flax or sheep or cattleaye, or settlers. The neglected child of the Wellington Province only wanted fair play. With pioneers and settlers like Sauuders, and Napier, and Cross, andßoustead, and Kebbell, and HolmesWarren, and Wingate, and the Burlinga, who are getting like the sands of the sea. Alfredton is bound to come to the front. It has long been down in the mud, but it has plenty of elasticity and a look at the fine homesteads, green flats and fields of oats will tell you how it is getting on top."

Hapieb, dop. Woodville, arr. V/oodville, dep. Bketnhuna, dep. MASTEBTON.arr. Mabtekton, dop. Cartorton, dep, Feathorston, a.m. 6 0 8 0 9 30 10 5 10 40 1136 p m 1215 a m. 8.45 p.m 12.50 110 2 24 318 8 23 3 44 417 p.m 210 3«W 5. 5 5.15 5.48 6.80 p.m 3 5 5 55 8. 5 8.35 pm, 6 45 8.40 9.55 a m 7. 0 7.27 8. 6 Cross' Creok, arr. Cross' Creek, dep. Wellington , arr. Sew Plymouth.dep. 8 2R 8 37 11.28 7 65 p m. 4.52 4.55 9 0 4.37 4 43 7.20 655 7.10 10.23 1080 ' a.m 7 25 tramoho, arr. \ramobo, dep. Pilmeraton, arr. 12.46 1 0 1. 5 P&lmerston, dep. Dtaki. arr. Dtftki, dep. SVellington, arr. p.m. 4.20 5C5 6 58 8.15 a m 6.80 9 S 9. 8 12.20 p.m. 4 55 7 30 7 33 10.30

HOB' Wellington, dep. Kaitoko, arr. Kaiwke, dep. Cross' flreek, arr. Cross" Creek, dop, Featherston, arr. Feathcrston, dep, Woodside, Sep. Oartermn. dep. MA8TEKTON, arr. iu.m. a.m. 8.45 9.41 9.46 10.33 10.36 10.53 10.56 11.11 11.30 11.50 p t m. p.m.i 4. 7 6 64 G 3 8.33 9.0 9,lt< 0 40 10.5 a.m. tio.iB; i 120 145 2 30 6 55! 718 716 7 34 7.58 8 25 3 55 4 35 Masterton, Sep. ».m, 0-30! jll.55 6 40 10. 0 Maurloeville, ,, Eketakuna, arr. Eketahuna, dep. 6.57 7.35 7.50j 10 65! * ! ip.m. 112.26 12.54 12.57 6.221 7 0| 710 110.55 I * ill 36 8.20 11.46 a.m. 1.16 Pahiatua, dop. 9. Oi [12.00 1.44 Woodyllle, arrs 9.36 p.m. 1. 5 2. 9 8J5 a.m. 9.46 11 5 pm. 2 45 4. 6 9.68 Woodville, dep. Dannovirke, dep. Napieb. arr 2.29 3.15 6.50 Woodville. dep, PAL3IEB8TON M err. a m. 9.45 10.50 p.m. 3.40 8.46J PALMEBSTOSlJdep. 11.36 P ni. 2 3S 2.58 6.88 i 5 C i a.m. i 7.10 Aramoho, arr. Aramoho, dep. Heiwera, arr, 8.65 1 8.53; iill.28 111.25 8.1l| 11.50 p.m. "2.10 5.40 4.12 7.50 Hawera, dep. New Plymonth, arr, Wakqanci, arr. 5.48 8.15 s.m,' 7. 0i 9. 6i a.m.j 8. 0| 11.85 p.m. 12.33 p,m. 2.2G p.m. i. 0; 9 s .40 Wanganui, dop,