SOUTHLAND NEWS NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2308, 26 May 1898, Page 31

SOUTHLAND NEWS NOTES.

(From Oujr Own Cobrfspondent.) iNVEKCAEGILt, May 24. Since my last note 1 ) Southland has been treated to a good share- of wet weather. Ploughing amongst the farmers is now general, though there is still some crop to harvest. While threshing was being carried on on Thursday at Mr Jervjs Wilson's, Wendon, two stacks of oats caught fue and were deatroyed, as were also 130 sacks of oats. The mill (Mr Geo. Woods' s) was also damaged to the extent of about £25. The Lands department has issued maps of land in Otars, JLillburn, Lindhuwt, Hew Kiver, Campbelltowu, Hokonui, and Waiau district?, wbich will be or.en for selection op. and after June 2. Each week sees a steady increase in the amount of grain carried by the Kailvi ay department. Last week there were over 4000 zuoie sacks trucked, the total for the six days being 54,152, bringing the quantity for trie season up to 258,631 sacks. This is, however, still over 3G0.000 less than at the same date la.st year. At the aunui>i eale of cropping leases on the Waimsa Estate on Friday the following prices • were obtained :- Wheat-growing land: 75 acies 46?," 123 acres 40s, 106 acres 345, 167 acres 325, 210 acre 3 31s, 122 acres 28s, 247 acres l&s. Oat-grow-ing land : 33 acres 28s 6d, 110 acres 263, 89 acres 255, 100 acres 23?, 108 acres 235, 152 acres 22s 6d, 179 acres 2'.e, 179' acres 21 «, 189 acres' 2lf>, 260 acres 1 20s 6d, 02 acres 17s, f49 acres 16s, 210 acres 15s, 208 acres 16?, 293 acres 16s, £63 acres 12s. ' The steamei 1 Wai ma re, which sailed for London > on Friday, left the' harbour drawing 27ft sin aft and 22ft sin forward. -This js agreater draught by, - 7m than tha;, .of any previous steamer which has left the port. Although a sprin» tide it was not ; by any means a high one, but the vessel was : swung iv the basin without any difficulty. The Waimate to-'-k from Southland 1758 hales wool, skins, bair, etc , 300 cases preserved meat?, 188 casks tallow, pflt=, and casings, 4234 carcases lamb and mutton, 4912 crates rabbits, and 4i logs mutton. She also had a number of passengers. The tteamor Star of England sailed for London at 830 p in. yesterday. Her cargo from Southland comprised 180 bales wool, 16 bales rabbitskins, 389 casks tallow and pelts, 1310 cases meat, and 5358 crates rabbits. A meeting of delegates from the Southland ; dairy factories will be held in Mr Latham's office, j Gore, at 1 o'clock p.m on Friday, 'May &7. The ! business will be : Regular direct shipments from | Bluff next season ; leduetion in railway and sea i freights ; matter for discussion at the annual meeting in Dunedin. The headquarters coips of the Southland volunteers was inspected by Lieutenant-cojonel Feldwick on Tuesday night at the Volunteer Hall. There was a good muster of the Garrison Band, City Guards, Fusiliers, and Bluff Navals, and the interest displayed in the proceedings by the large j gathering of spectators augurs well for the in- t creasing popularity of the movement iv Invercargill. After inspection, the companies had a march out, and oa their return to the hall a short time was occupied in drill. A statement of the estimated receipts and expenditure of the Invercrrgill Corporation for the year ending March 31, 1899, gives the former at £19,790 103 and the latter £20,901, showing a deficit of £1110 10s. During the recsnfc visit to Southland Bishop Nevill made arrangements foe the settlement for Gladstone and the Bluff of the Rev. D. G. Bates, from the diocese of Goulburn, New South Wales. At Wintqn a mesting was held in promotion of ! the erection of a vicarage, aud about £150 was ! raised or promised. j The Irish Athletic Society hold a sports meet- j ing ibis morning to decide the winner of the ] Sheffield Handicap. The weather was very bad and The attendance poor. Fowler (15yds), Quickc (lSyds), and Fitzpairick (9yds) Qualified for the final heat, and finished^ in that order, Fowler wincing by three yards in 13 4 ssec. The Champion 200 yds race was won easily by Fitzpatrick.' The batting and bowling averages .of the First Eleven of the Star , Cricket Club show O. Kane easily keads the batting averages with an average of 27-4, and J. Fiudlay the bowling with 3*7. • The first round of Senior Cup football finished on Wednesday, "when 'the Star team defeated Britannia by two tries to nothing. This leaves the Sfar unbeaten again, Britannia one win, one : defeat, and Pirates two defeats. The Inverjavgill Cycling Club' held the first of a series of smoke concerts to be held during the winter months on Wednesday evening, when Mr A. E. -Smith occupied the cluir, and a very pleasant evening was spent. • At Orepuki there is at present quite a raining 1 and building boom. The hydraulic claim at the "Waiau has struck good gold at last, and promises to give a handsome return tor the heavy expenditure the company has incurred. In the township two large buildings of 27 and 3_7 rooms respectively are being erected. These buildings are intended , for hotels, but as the present Licensing Committee have already refused au application for a new license, it is almoat certain that both applications will not be granted, aud doubtful if either Will. A banquet was tendered to Mr James Ritcbi", j wl>o is about to take a. trip to Scotland, in Giiffen'a Hotel on Friday night, when there were about 40 friends present, and Mr A. M. Carmichael presided. Mrs (iriffen had provided an excellent repast, and after this had been partaken of a, lengthy toast list, well interspersed with musical items, was gone through. Mr Prendergast, in proposing the toast of " Our Guest," referred to the many excellent qualities possessed by Mr l>itchie, and wished him a speedy return. In responding, Mr Ritchie said that 19 years ago, when he left the far-famed Taieri plains, he was I told he was going to a wilrteiarss of tussock j where nothing would grow. However, he had came, and, liking tha district, had determined to , stay, and was glad to-day that he had done so, for ■ he bad neighbours around him of whom any man might consider himself pioud to call fiieuds, and they had proved themselves his friends that night. There had been many and rapid improvements in the district since'he.went there, and the most important improvements had been made by the farmers themselves. Southland was the best part of New Zealand, and their district the beßt part of Southland. After a few months at Home M'ith his own people he would return and spend the rest of his days amongst them all. The usual toasts were honoured, and a very enjoyable evening was spent. The directors of the Winton A. and P. Society intimate the postponement of their winter show until Wednesday, June 15. This change has been made at the request of the directors of the Southland Society, in order to prevent the two shows from interfering with ,each other. The ready acquiescence of the Winton folks is to be commended. Two accidents which might have ended fatally occurred at the Bluff last week. A man named Crozier while roupling trucks got his arm badly crushed, and through a derrick carrying away a man named (jirdler was severely hurt. An oid man named Kenneth M'Kenzie, aged 79, a settler at Roplyn Plaius, was found dead alongside his horse and dog on the road on Sunday morning. Deceased, who had been treated „ for heart disease, had ridden out to mend a gap in the fence where some sheep had been getting through. Half an hour before he was found his daughter saw him riding through the paddocks. Tha actiag-coroner has decided that there is no necessity for an inquest. Deceased leave-? a large j family, and was widely respected in Southland. For the first time in 26 years the royal salute j was not fired in Invercargill to-day — the occaBion of her Majesty's seventy-ninth birthday. The day was, however, observed as a general holiday, but as it rained steadily and the air possessed an arctic chill, vary few ventured beyond I town, where the attractions were football matches ! and the Irish Athletic Socist-y's sports. The at- j tendance at both was marred by the unfavourable weather. , ■

Owing to the heavy penalties for delays none of.- the Queensland shipping companies will tender for the carriage of Queensland mails.

Borne senseless individual placed a message in a sealed bottle, which was deposited in Auckland Harbour, purporting to bo from some lurvivors from, the Maitland^ wrecked near Sidney during the recent £*lei