LAKE COUNTY.

Novejtbee 20. — Once* more there is a change in our mails. The late arrangements, which were so bitterly opposed at first, were just' beginning to become popular, when lo! there is another change, which in its turn is being objected to, and with good reason. Under the new arrangement the Monday through trip to Dunedin is done away with, which is a loss greatly felt by travellers, and wa are further reduocl by it to a triweekly, instead of a daily mail with Dunedin. A representative public meeting was held last Mouday at E^chardt's Hotel, Queensiown, at which a resolution was carried abking for a oneday throu^n mail and train to Dunedin. The dissatisfaction caused by the recent change is felt as far down country as Alexandra, a fact which shows the capabilities of the Kingston railway if properly managed. A Strong Pcjff — Last week a squall passed over this district which if it had touched any of the chief centres of population must havo <dooe considerable damage. At the Phoenix mine the machine house was partially uncovered, and .other naitjor damage done. In one of the suburb* •of Arrowt«wn, a gentleman had his library reduced to chaos, the wind shaking down a bookshelf and blowing about the books, some hundreds in number, in the most erratic manner, Thejfactthatthelibraryisezclusivelycomposedof philosophic and scientific works such as Herbert Spencer's, Tyndall's, Peter's, Principal Fairbtirn's, Schiller's, Goethe's, Humbolt's, &c , none of which can be termed light literature, speaks all the more for the strength of the wind. FfSB —A fire, the cause of which is a total mystery, destroyed Mr Pdter Henderson's dwellfng-hoHse at Hogan's Gully, last Wednesdag morning at about 2 o'clock. The house was a stone one, and the usual precautions having been tiken, it is supposed that a Rpark from a fooiler furnace, which was used the day before, •must have gotjblown'under the iron roof, which had a thin layer of straw underneath. The inmatefe, consisting of Mrs Henderson, her daughter, and her niece — Mr Henderson being absent from horne — had no iime to save anything, just managing to escape from the house with their lives. Some outhouses were saved only with the greatest difficulty. The house, which contained five rooms, was insured in the Liverpool, London, and Globle office for £200, and the furniture for £60 in the same office. Hatching Trout.-— In spite of the trouble vflntW last winter with dirty water, and an .©xoess fif it, there is now a large number of young €ry available for distribution at the Queenstown breeding poads, and Mr E. Davidson^ the new .suriitor, is to.bo complimented upon his success. Mr L. Hotop alsoojanaged to bring out abatch of SO.OOO young trout lean experimental manner at his private grounds, che water being obtained from the Queenstown waterworks. Great care was taken in filtering the water and otherwise attending to the wants of the ova, leading to a complete success. jSjAroRAL Elections. — At both Queenstown -an 4 iLtrowtown the past mayors were declared .jre-eleeted without opposition, so that Mr J. ■fteid at Queen-town enters upon the fifth year an uninterrupted succession of his mayoralty, and Mr G. Heller at Arrowton upon his second -consecutive term. Convalescent —The friends of Mr Andrew Sleid, who met with so severe an accident by a fall of earth in his sluicing claim afc Kawarau on Uihe iasfc day of last year as to confine .kirn for eight months to the Arrow Hospital, wili be »3»Hcased to hear that he has now so far recovered as to* ft bl e to resume regular work in his claim, and it is *0 koped he will retam nis health and strength t* A sufficient extent to enable him to make g^ocF &c toss he has sustained, and that his claim* «&?* « one of the most valuable mining propeW *» this diyWet, will turn out better than evert bfl expects. Mr Read speaks in terms of the B'gsest praise of Dr Donaldson, the resident surg^Dj anu air f and Mrs Rintoul. the wardsman and maJ*QB P* the Arrow hospital.

HodSb Warming. — About 100 ladies and gentlemen assembled last evening at the invitation of Mr William M'Kibbon (of the late firm M'Kibbon Brothers) to celebrate the completion of his new house at the Crown Terrace, .and were right royally entertained by their •host, who had spared no expense to make the .affair a success. Very few, if any, more happy ; and genial parties have ever met in this district. Mr M'Kibbon is effecting very extensive improvements on his Royal Burn farm but these will be dealt with in your Farm columns at an early d&te.