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OPENING OF THE BREMER BRIDGE.
[From a (!nm-snnnilnnt. I
Woodchester, May 1.
xne mnaoitams oi tins locality were somewhat
astonished on Friday, April 27, by seeing a large
concourse of people in carriages and on horseback,
attended with what, I believe was termed a brass
o.uhi, coming uown unauncey s main line towards
the Brenier. On ennuiry it was found that some of
the residents in and around Mount Barker had
taken it into their sapient heads to come down a
distance oi 14 miles, into another district, to
christen or name the bridge across the Bremer, on
Chauncey's main line, which has only recmitly
been finished. It appeared that they had invited
the members of the Central Road Board, the
members of Parliament for the district, and other
influential gentlemen; they besides had engaged
the celebrated carriage and four greys which figure
so conspicuously on these occasions; but they had
either thought it beneath them or else overlooked
the precaution of getting the Council of the district
in which the bridge stands and the inhabitants of
the locality to take a share in the affair. The con
sequence was what they might have anticipated.
When they arrived at the bridge they found no
preparations made to receive them, with the ex
ception, I believe, of an empty tent; those resi
dents who knew of it thinking that, as the Mount
Barkerites had come so far to do what properly
belonged to themselves, they would not in any
way countenance their proceedings. The consti
tuted authorities, too. of the district were absent :
and I should think that the members of the Board
must have thought them very much wanting in
common civility, not to speak of that respect which
is due to thein. However, the ceremony was gone
through with, and the bridge named 'Chauncey's
Bridge,' after the Surveyor who originally sur
veyed the line; the farce being still kept up by the
lady who christened the bridge being a perfect
stranger both to the residents and the locality, and
thus casting an additional slight on the district.
The cortene almost immeHi.itely started for
Mount Barker by way of Woodchester and the
Everlcy up the new main line to the Scrubby Hill,
the inhabitants expressing their astonishment at
the procession as they passed, nearly all being
quite in the dark as to the object of it. I am glad,
however, to he able to report that the District
Council, through their Chairman, have taken steps
to clear themselves of their seeming want of
respect to the Central Road Board. An I I do
hope that if ever the Mount Barker people want to
have another opening spree that they will either
stay at home in their own district, or else let the
people in the locality they intend to honour know
in time, so that they may be prepared to give them
their lunch, at the least, for their trouble.
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