ON THE LINE BETWEEN FOXTON AND HALCOMBE.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XIII, Issue 3146, 7 June 1878, Page 2

ON THE LINE BETWEEN FOXTON AND HALCOMBE.

[by our special bepoeter.] FOXTON. The traveller from Wellington usually arrives in Foxton wet, weary, and wretched by steamer, or sore. sad. and sandy by coach, and is oblivious to all considerations, save and except the allimportant one of getting to the inside of a comfortable hotel, but it ia not till he has removed the superfloua sand that has collected in his eyea in abundance on the way up, that on this tho completion of the journey he has alighted in a Haven ' of liest and comfort in Whyte'a Hotel. This comparatively new hotel is one of the most commodious and best on tho coast, and the landlord, Mr Whyte, sees that the requirements of hia customers are properly attended to. From this hotel the coaches start for Wellington, and it beiiig in euch close proximity to the railway, it is of course the regular halting place for travellers. Foxton ha*, however, two other hotels — the Manawatu and the Family. The former ia a fine building, situated in the Avenue, and is I believe comfortable, while tho latter is most pleasantly situated on the banks of the liver. I understand that some difficulty was experienced in obtaining a license here, and that a monster petition waa presented to the Bench, signed by no less than six people. By a natural transition from hotels we turn to Churches. There are the Scotch and Methodist Churches, and also the Anglican, all in Main-street, and of sizes suitable to the requirements of the place. The Rev. Mr Duncan has charge of the Scotch congregation, but there is no Church of England Minister at present residing in Foxton. Foxton being the port for the Manawatu, of course the railway and wharf are tho principal features of the town. The lines are laid along the centre of Main-street, and the station and carriages would prove, I think, a serious obstacle if there was much traffic in the streets. As it is, however, the goods trucks are shunted on to the wharf, and are there loaded or unloaded alongside the vessels, and therefore a vehicle is seldom seen about the place. The wharf is a miserable affair, not anything like suitable for the traffic going over it, but I believe the Government is stirring in this matter, and very soon berth accommodation will be provided for more than one vessel at a time. It is also proposed to divert the railway ao that it shall go along the Terrace on the bank of the river to the wharf. The goods shed, engine home, and Government offices all near together, and although not imposing edifices, are well adapted for the requirements. The principal export now is timber ; but it is to be hoped as the country is brought more under cultivation, grain and flour will form lars;o items in the export list.— On standing in Main Street perhaps the two buildings that most attract the eye are the Post Office and Public Hall : the one for its picturesque appearance and the other for its gaunt ugliness, which, however, might in a great measure be removed by judicious outlay of a trifle of paint. Tho post and telegraphic office is certainly the prettiest building I have seen used for the purpose, and forma a great contrast to the Head Office in Wellington.— The Public Hall, adding much to the appearance of the town, iB admirably adapted for the purposes for which it was built. In this hall is held the meetings of the County Council, and several concerts and entertainments have been given with great success, proving that the hall, although large, ia by no meana too big for the place. — In addition to tha above Foxton possesses an Athenaeum, situated near the Post office. It is a comfortable little building, and till lately it has been well supplied with books and papers, but it i 8 to be regretted that the literary spirit is not in sufficient force to keep it goinc, and fears are entertained that it will ere long be closed unless more support is given. — The Court House is of the usual style of such buildings, and is standing at the corner of Main Street and the Avenue. Constable Puvcell keeps order in the place, and is almost as old a resident as the town itself. — Burial accommodation is provided for those requiring it in a cemetery some little distance up the Avenue. — The old cemetery opposite the Court House having been closed, In the latter may be found the graves of some of the pioneers of the district. — Tho school house is an awkwardly shaped building standing a little way off the main road, but inside Mr Hulke, the schoolmaster, as by the great number of interesting objects and apparatus he has collected, given the interior quite the aspect of a museum. Of the business places the most noticeable are the Bauks because of their importance, but not for their appearance or size. The Bank of New Zealand and tho Sank of Australasia both havo offices in Main Street. — Mr Thynne's new auction room and offices near Whyte's Hotel is a handsome building, but the stores in the town generally as buildings do not deeply impress one although some are a good size and all appeared to be doing a good biisu^ss, I could not help noticing however, the (( Beady Money Store " that being conspicuously painted in place of any proprietors name, This is a handsome building on the far side of a ditch or drain which crosses the Main Street, and what particularly struok me was the way it was painted, It is in imitation of the Theatre Royal Hotel, Wellington, and the effect is very good. There are no less than six stores in Foxton including those of Mr London, Mi Liddell, and Mr Crowther, so I should fancy Foxtonians ought to be well supplied. Opposite the " Beady Money Store" is a very fine butchers shop, and jugding from specimens of meat I observed therein people thereabout should bo in good condition. Having got so far I, after just glancing up the Motoa Road and seeing very little there, made my way past the ferry, (which is worked by a wire rope stretched across the river and

which when not in use is slackened to [ let vessels passj to the Wharf and noticed quite a fleet of small boais. One, the Palmerston, supplies the district with fish. Past the Wharf I made my way along the newly formed Terrace and from thence I viewed the only pretty bit of scenery I could find in Foxton. The view taking in the many reaches of the river, with the pleasant residences one could see made tae believe that it would be possible to live with some comfort in Foxton, a fact that until then I was beginning to doubt. There is one drawback which must always render Foxton unpleasant and that is the sand, sand, sand everywhere, sometimes ankle deep, and if there is any wind it is horrible. The greater portion of Main street is metalled, but still sand is everywhere, and made me heartily glad to take the train. Nevertheless Foxton being the seaport, (and it has a thoroughly maritime appearance) must always be an important place in the Manawatu, even if the proposed HuttWaikanae Railway should divert some of traffic, and the Maori element is very strongly represented in the neighbourhood. On leaving Foxton the train carries the traveller through an apparently endless tract of sand, and my advice is, that, after seeing a short distance from Foxton some relics of byegone time 3in the shape of some dilapidated cars, which in ancient times used to be used on the tramway between Foxton and Palmerston, the said traveller may quietly indulge in a nap till he gets to Oroua Bridge, as the only station on the way is Carnarvon, which seems to have been dropped by some means in this wilderness of sand. There is a township I believe somewhere about, but the prospect was not lively enough for me to j try and find it.