WELLINGTON – MANAWATU RAILWAY.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XX, Issue 6065, 4 November 1886, Page 2

WELLINGTON - MANAWATU RAILWAY.

THK LiST SPIKE DRIVEN, (nr oun SPEOIII, eepokcbr ) The ceremony of driving the l*«t spike on this lino was duly performed on Wednesday. A large number of -visitors were present by invitation. The Wanganui contingent left hore by tho 4.15 p.m. train on Tuesday, and stayed at Palmerston until the following morning. Amoog thoße who . went from this end we noticed the lion J 1 Bryco, M.H.BJ, Mr J. G. Wilson, M.E.R., His Worship tho Mayor of Wanganui Crs jaudand Manson, Messrs Thomas Reid, H m^ atfc ' J ' D vi 8 au ' J - T - Stawart C.X,, T. Riweon, C.E., Reattle, and BuxtOn< v «? r a goad ai eM* "st at Palmerston tho Wanganui visitors loft for the ocene of action in a special train supplied by the Wellington and Manaivatu Railway Company, whioh convoyed them to Waikanae. Tho speoial train from Palmerston consieted of sixoam'ages, which wereerowdoj, a large number of Marton and Feilding visitors being of the company having driven into Palmerston earliorin the day, A stirfc was made it 9 a.m., and the train picked upafuither addition to its living freight at Longburn, where it met the Foxton tram. The linj from Longburn runs, after • crossing the Manap/atu river on a fine bridgo, through a dreary expanse of swamp, of which fiere is oomo 25,000 acres holongmg to the company, v/ho obtained it by purchase from the native owners. We believe the company contemplate running some deep dnins through this swamp with a view to making it fit for either grazing or agricultural purposes. After passing through this swamp the line is carried close in to the foot-hilla through thickly timbered land, which at present is moro or leis covered with water, ths fall to the river being very slight. After pissing Otaki, where a further contingent of holiday-makers was picked up, fie train had to proceed at a snail'a pace owing to some miles of the lino beiug unballasted and the sleopers not packed solid ; in fact they wero half afloat iaplads, making the carriages osoilUteinanythiDg but a pleasant manner. However, tin tram passed safely over tin? dangerous length until it ca-ne to tho scene of the ceremony, where it met the Wollington train, wbic'a consibted of three largo engines and fourteen American pattern carriages, in which >yore nearly thousand visitors from Wellington, including His Excellency the Governor and staff. The Premier, the Ministers of Public Works, Native and Defence, and Justice, as also the Chairman and several of the directors of the Wellington and Manawatu Railway Company. The ceremonj of driving the last spike w*s speedily taken in hand, Mr J. hi, Nathan, Chairman of the Company, reading a long address to flis Excellency, in which tbe history of the undertaking and its diffioulties were fully set forth. His Excellency, in on excellent speech, praised the enterprise of the Wellington and Manawatu Railway Company, and dilated upon the importance of opening up the country for settlement after which Mr Higginson, C.S., the Compiny's Engineer, handed His Exee'lancy a neatly-made, polished iron spike and a 'I specially constructed driving hammer, with whioh Sir William Jervoia, after a few misses, drove the spike home, and deolared the line joined up. Mr Nathan then proseated His Excellency with a gold spike, of, the same aiza as the oue just driven, and a handsome inlaid, highly-polished box of New Zealand woods to contain it. The Governor thanked tha donors for the sou- ' veuir, which he said wonld be handed down as a heirloom and as a momants of the cereaiony. Cheers for the Queen, His Excellency, and the Company wero then givon, and a move made for the, luncheon marquee, which was pitched on a green sward in a most picturesque spot; indeed the pace must have baon selected specially to impreas the visitors with the natural beauty of the country, as it was about tha only cleared and grasped spot we saw betweon Longburn and Waikanae: A good Band from Wellington played some good telections during the day, which had been threatsning up tj the time of the commencement of the ceremony, after which the enn broke through tbe clouds and shone brightly for some hours. The scene was a most- piotureEque one, as Udies in tasteful costumes were present in - large numbers, as also a number of Maoris of both sexes. A large marquee had been erected for the lunch and ita holding capacity was stretched to the utmost some 700 or 800 gueits getting sitting room; At least 500 more had to wait until those who were lucky enough to get seats at first were lunched and m»de room for their hungry friends outside. An imposing menu wts provided, and everyone seemed to h&ve picked up a first-class appetita by their trip. After full justice had bosn dons to the menu, the usual loyal and other stereotyped toaats weie duly proposed and honoured, Sir Robert Stont making a capital speech in returning thanks for tho Ministry. A long list of other towts fol. hwed, and speech making was in full swing fora couple of hours, during whio 1 ! the great bulk of the visitors betook themselves to the open air, and broke off into promenade parties, or Indulged in fern gathering in the adjao-nt bush. The Wangtmui visitors being anxious to get home, induced Mr Wallace to agree to send them on to Otaki by a special train to catch the ordinary afternoon train; but they were doomed to bitter disappointment; asaftv sitting some time in the carriage, a>vaiting the departure of the promised speoiai, they were ooolly informed that they would have to wait until the other visitors loft at i p.m., which meant that they would have to stop another nmht in Palmerst 11. Ws believe the -« Chairman, Mr J. 1?, Nathan, was tho person who was good enough to interfere and prevent the arrangements made by Mr Wallace for the convenience of the Wanganui passengers being carried out. It was a most annoying piece of interference, and caused tho reverse of blessings to be freely breathed against the officious busybody responsible for theoancellationoffchefirstorder. The return journey was safely made, the tivo train'; starting simultaneously on their opposite journeys, the North train reaching PAlmeraton at 7 p.m. Judging by what we aiw yesterday, tha line will not be finished for at least a month or six weeks, as there is a lot of work to bo done yet, before it tviJl be fit for ordinary t'affio. The land between Longburn and Wakanae belonging to the company is not very inviting to tlu eye, and will lequire a heavy outUy for draining and clearing before it will be fit' for small farm settlement, without whio'i the traffic on the line can hardly ho hrga enough to provo remunerative to tho shareholders. The through traffic must for some years bo the, chief sourco of the company's revenue ; but f tho presence of the line in the district it traverses after passing Pilkakariki will, no doubt, Ofen up that country, and be the means of inducing a larger popula> tion to oocupy the w»3to land within easy distance of the line, than would othotwise be possible- The expenditure, so far, including rolling stook and all -other materials and buildings, has been about £700,000 for the 84 miles of line constructed by tbe Company. The first twenty miles at the Wellington end, were very oostly, S3 tunnels, deep cuttings, and bi^h embankments, were the rule until Porirua waa reached, and the line oarriod ro.und Paikakariki, after whioh the rou^e was through level country.