COUNTY.

August 17. — The winter is evidently trying to , fio its worst before clearing out. After some mild and broken weather, a truly wintry blizzard on Wednesday last ushered in the keenest frost we have had. Thursday, yesterday, and this morning the- frost was as hard as we have known this winter, and will still further delay the beginning of mining and farming work.

Auctioneers. — Up to a few weeks ago the district managed to get along with one auctioneer, but he is now to be improved upon by two knights of the hammer, Mr C. E. Gudgeon, to whom the Queenstown Borough Council have recently granted an auctioneer's license, making the second, so that with Cotter Bro3. at Arrowtown in the same business, people Trill have no difficulty getting- rid of their properties. Mi Gudgeon's extended goldfields experience and bonhomie will be a valuable acquisition in his new business. Acclimatisation. — The Lakes District Acclimatisation Society held its annual meeting last ■week in the Town Hall, Queenstown, Mr F. St. Omer in the chair. The following gentlemen were elected office-bearers : — Dr Douglas, president; Mr St. Omer,. vice-president; Mr P. M'Carthy, treasurer; Mr T. Mehaffey, secretary. Messrs Gardiner, Bone, and the secretary were entrusted with portioning off the lakes, with a view of letting Ifche sections for netting purposes, and. to attend to some other business. Horticultural.— The Wakatipu Horticultural Society also held its annual meeting a few •weeks ago, Mi D. F. Sutherland in the chair. There was a good attendance of members and much interest was taker m the business before the. meeting. The following gentlemen •were elected office-bearers and committee : — P~atron, Mr W. Fraser, M.H E. ; president, Dr Douglas; vice-presidents — Captain Wing and Messrs St. Omeo and [Warkheim; treasurer, Mr Mehaffey; secretary, Mr A. Borne; committee—Messrs Hotop, Black, Sutherland, Salmon, Gavin, Ballsintyne, Dagg, Bryant, M'Kenzie, Richards, Searle, Rowell, and Tirnpany. Steps were taken for" preparing preliminaries for next show. The society has done a great amount of good, but singularly enough the native flora is neglected by it. Prizes might •well be offered for a fairly large range of native flowers and shrubs.

Arbor Day. — On the statutory Arbor Day, the 17th of last month, we were hopelessly out of it. Scow and ice reigned supreme, it being a day more for burning- wood than planting trees. Queenstown is arranging for an arbor day of its own on she 23rd September next ? consistently keeping up the institution, having been the first town in New Zealand to introduce it a nthe colony, two years ahead of any other in the colony, two years ahead of any other towns, no doubt, will follow at dates still to he fixed.

Obituary. — Deatn. n-as drawn heavily upon the ranks of the remaining old pioneers of the place during the last few days. Captain Jamea M'Dowall, who was one of. the passengers of the Philip Laing, and comaequenily a. colonist erf 52 years, passed, away in tha fifty-eig-kth. year ibf his ag« last Sunday morning at his xesielence, Queenstown, leaving- a. widovr and 13 children. Sickness overtook deceased about 14 months ago-, and- since that time he- had been mostly confined to his house. To a weak heart other troubles were added, leading- up to the end-. For many years deceased was well and favourably known, as captain of the Lake TTakatipu Shipping Co.'s steamer, Ben Lomond, being one of the most trusted of ths company's employees. Though of a quiet and retiring disposition, deceased's aid and pocket were ever xeady in the furtherance of any charitable and ipublic cause. The funeral took place at the Queenstown Cemetery on Tuesday last, and was largely attended by deeply sympathisins friends of the family. Rev. Mr Brooke, Anglican, officiated at the grave. — On Monday night last Mr John Brown, farmer, of Speargrass Plat, paid the last debt of nature at his farm, near the Lower Shotover. Deceased came with the -early pj.o-a.eers of the Wakatipu, and being well educated and endowed with great intelligence, he started the first school, a private one, in the district, which, however, was soon superseded by a Government school, of •which the deceased became the first teacher. Being gifted musi&ally and socially and with a quick and alert mind, deceased could not fail to become a landmark in the early social and public life of the district, and every good cause for its- advancement -found in him a staunch and consistent supporter. After retiring from, the teaching staff he, in partner- ', ship with Mr John Turner, was the first to ' take up land at Speargrass Flat. After dissolv- ' ing the partnership, both partners continued farming on their selections, the deceased dying on his farm in his seventy-eighth year, after having been in failing health for some years. Deceased was of a straightforward and honest • character, and was- held in high esteem by his •neighbours and friends for his many sterling ■qualities. The funeral, which took place yes- • terday at the Frankton Cemetery, was largely attended, the Rev. Mr Brooke conducting the obsequies at the- grave.— A'-ews has been received liere of the demise in Dunedin of Mrs Hicks, •wife of Captain Hicks, both beloaging to the very -early pioneers of Queenstown. — The demise of Mrs Dawson, mother of Mrs Henderson, Arrowtown, and resident for many years in that town, where she is kindly remembered for her g-enial and hearty manner, occurred at Cromwell the; other day. For the relatives of the deceased the deepest sympathy oi a large circle of friends is felt.

Tennis. — A movement that is meeting with much support is on foot, haying for its object the establishment of a Tennis- Club at Arrowtown. The amount of support promised is sufficient to assure the success of the movement.

Arrow Jockey Club. — At a meeting of thw Arrow Jockey Club it was decided to hold a. clay's sport on Saturday, November 16. A cash surplus of £13 from last year, assisted by subscriptions and other revenue, it is estimated ' ■will put the committee in the position of raising the amount of the stakes m an appreciable degree. Brass Band. — The Arrow Brass Band, which * is somewhat famous for the number of resuscitations, is to be once more galvanised into life. The material, from the leader downwards, is ta ' hand, and has only to be licked into shape. Mr P. Battigan, Arrawtc-wn, was unanimously elected bandmaster. Mr Rattigan possesses musical talent of no mean order, and having had considerable experience in several large regimental bands in the old country, should make an efficient bandmaster. Mr P. Webb •was appointed secretary, and the band met for practice for the first time last night. A Voi«e Out of the Past. — Just when I began cogitating whether I was the only survivor of $he Old Man Flood, over the date of which a discussion, recently broke out in the Witness, ■without anybody volunteering information . about the event, Mr G. M. Hassing, an early end kindly-remembered pioneer oi theae parts, gave proof that there was at least one survivor who thought it worth the trouble to put on ..record, the history he helped to make-. MiHassing's thrilling experience recalls the dreadful disaster in the Shotover, where it was proved that 63 miners lost their lives during the floods. How many more fell victims to the. swollen river will never be known. That Hi» date of so sad an event should give rise to. _

disctiEsion in the public press is rather humiliating.