OLD HAMILTON.

Waikato Times, Volume 91, Issue 14230, 3 December 1919, Page 3

OLD HAMILTON.

(To the Editor).. Sir.—l am sure that: the; public of. Hamilton, like myself, 'will greatly appreciate our late engineer’s- (Mr Sims)) paper, which was read before the late meeting of engineers in Hamilton, and which you published in your Thursday's issue. It not only show’s the great advance of the Borough*, but will also act as a record in the future, and. for which Mr Sims deserves.- the- thanks; of the whole community. 1,, however,, find a slight error, for which Mr Simsis not to blame._ It; is-this,;. Mr Sims; says as the original! owners, of: the acre died or left the district, many of their sections were unclaimed and eventually were handed over to the Borough Council as endowments in aid of the Borough funds. It is quite true that a good many sections were so handed over, but they wore sections that had not been allotted to the Militia, as there were a great many, more section® sur-. voyed than were; required by the Military or Militia as they were called. I think that the first Militia man who died was Private l Norris, andl yeans, afterwards I bought his acre section Lot 116, Hamilton East, from the widow. [To my knowlege there are several sections which belonged to men who could not find any employment or any moans of making a living hereThey left the place, and as tne town sections had then no value they could not dispose of them. I, myself, know of five acre- sections that the owners have never returned and their section have now become valuable, and are at ■ present held by, in most cases, the owner of the adjoining section who has paid the rates and who expects to get a Land’ Transfer Title- in a short while. One section I believe to he now worth £IOOO. and the original owner I believe has relatives in New Zealand, hut the owner is dead. The owner of one section in Firth street was drowned at the so-called Rangtriri gold rush, which was a failure. To show the value of sections in those days, in 1878, amongst others offered was Lot 81 with : a river frontage now belonging to Mr .Grccnslade, the upset price was £lO, ! but it was not sold and I took it up ; afterwards at the upset price.—l am i etc., ! ISAAC COATES.