SOUTHLAND NEWS NOTES

Otago Witness, Issue 2490, 4 December 1901, Page 48

SOUTHLAND NEWS NOTES

(From Otjb Ows Comiisposdint.) INVERCARGILL, December 2. Although, not nearly so cold as throughout the earlier part of the month, the weather during the past week has been very unsettled, raining more or leas every flay, with a full day '|rf persistent downpour yesterday. j Notwithstanding the high state of the rivers, Borne very good baskets of trout continue to be made, one of the best being 11 fish, averaging J3Jlb, heaviest 61b, caught by Messrs Steans and M'Kenzie at The Rocks, mouth of the JNew River — a very dangerous place, fishable only at low water. Another very satisfactoiy itake was a- bag of 40, averaging ljlb, captured (by a youthful angler in the Aparixna, near Cjfeautau. , CTae Wysdham Anglers' CKib's bare-fly competition was- won by Mr Joe Tough, with a. .fcasket of 18 fish, weighing 231b l£bz. M'Auiiffe had hard luck, his tally of 27 fish only scaling 16lb 9oz. However, genial Mac is a- clever ■ngler, and. may safely be expected to carry off • ■"irst sooner cr letter. If our rowing men do not come out well in the forthcoming regatta it won't be for want or practice. They are at it early and lite, and Bre now about as hard as nails, and the diffelent cTews are learning to work with more perfect combination. They are pleased to hear /that the Queen's Drive Club, DunecHu, will ■end down ifor the seniors in the BhifE Regatta tax 2nd January practically the same crew as .iron the championship two years ago, and that *he Dabs intend to send down the crew which proves most sticcessful 'at their own fixture. Rowing men are rather disappointed •t the omission of pair oar and sculling events irom the piogrammes of local regattas. The inclusion of these would greatly popularise the *port. The prizes offered by the Bluffites are better than we have 6eeii for some years : £15 for the Senior, £8 10s for the Junior, and £3 for the Maiden ; while the Hivertonians are giving £10 fe- Senior, £7 10s foi Juxior, and £5 for Maiden. "Rowing has become wonderfully popular this Jear, and the membership of the I.R.C. has increased, from 40 to 100. Some time ago the tR.C. numbered among its oarsmen two mem•fcers known as "the long and the short of it." One was a genial giant of 6ft 4in ; ' the ofher *a athlete of •Xt 6in in thick woollen socks. £They went out for a pair-oared spiirt one morning, when, unfortunately, the G. G. cp-ugbt B cold, and sneezed violently, with the result that the boat was capsized. Both struck out for the shore, and 6ft 4in soon left 4ft 6in- behind, but when he had gone 100 yds he turned 'on. his aide and ran aground. I am. assured <that when he stood up on end and saw his (companion 75yds behind standing up to his ; knees and smiling uproariously, he nearly had i • fit. ; • The extent to which boating has caught on j *eith the rising generation of InvercargiH may ! foe judged from the fact that the Boys of 'Avenal and Gladstone held, on Wednesday, a regatta, inaugurated and carried through by j themselves, even to the furnishing of a very j good report to the local papers. But this is _a»t all. Every one of the boats engaged in .this liliputian aquatic tournament was built I fiby the boys themselves. The residents of the ! Bistrict cordially supported the function by ', their presence and presents, and to the num- j "her of about 300 cheerfully sat out, or rather ] stood out, the performance in a drizzly rain ; em a terrace overlooking the Waihopai River. The contestants suffered for want of training, i *nd the best item was the greasy pole compe- j tition. This was a great success — from the j onlookers' point of view. i The continuation of the cricket match Star v. I.C.C. on Wednesday was marred by rain. ■Shortly after the resumption of play a drizzly lain set in, and eventually put a stop to the game, the pitch on the cessation of the rain teing quite unfit for play. As this was a two 'days' match unfinished, the game is decided en the first innings. The Star therefore win by 5 runs. Want of suitable ranges has been a serious handicap to volunteering in this district in the past, but the completion of the new ranges e.t Grasmere and the supply of the new .303 rifles should greatly improve out marksmanship, and make "the profession of arms" more popular. | In consequence iof the anticipated short ! crop of ryegrass, there has been a sharp rise j in price, the best heavy dressed samples commanding 8s per bushel. Not only are 0tf.50 and Canterbury buyers purchasing her*.-, but I Eawke's Bay merchants are endeavouring to j "repurchase the Poverty Bay shipment recently | ■old to Southland dealers. The new season's wool is beginning to come in for the annual sales, but the state of the Home market is not encouraging, and I notice •that at the Wellington sales prices were 2Jd less than last year. Hitherto farmers have had a pretty good time, but I am afraid that they will not fare very well for some months to come, as there is very little demand for sheep I or cattle, and they are not likely to get more than 4Jd for their wool. At last meeting of the Southland County Council, en the motion of Cr Ravmoncl, it was resolved to urge upon the Government the necessity ot offering a substantial bonus to the discoverer of a specific that would tend j to eradicate small birds ; and that the Government be informed that the council has during I the last five years expanded several thousand pounds in endeavouring to minimise the pest, I>ut with little appreciable results, so that the ( council was not disposed tc continue its / past policy of expending £1000 a year, when ' the results were practically nil. Speaking to the motion, Mr Raymond said that in offering | the bonus for birds' eggs the council had done a good deil to encouiage local industry, and ' the boys had ably seconded their efforts by always leaving one egg in each sparrow's nesi, and thereby encouraging the birds tc kepp on producing. He was afraid the only buds killed by the egg bonus system died of overwoik. When vacating the chair of the county coun- ' cil in favour of Cr Robinson, Mr Raymond expressed his appreciation of the wonderful c>i<3- • patch which charactpriseel the council's con- , duct of its business aucT tli^. regular attendance. With regaid to Cr M'Cdllum, who had served ior ever 20 years, Tie was confident -fhai in all that time he did not al/sent him c!f from his place at fie table 10 times. Ref -rring to the state of the finances, he s->ic! tii ir if the board for two years could refrain fro-u expenditure outside st^.ff requirements and u;'keec of existing woiks, they co ild gft cut of their only liability— the overdraft— hvd for such extensive outlay as theii growing -ic-cW demanded, the present .income wrs qu te inadequate. The B]r,K Harocu ■ Board ha- ju? f firuWiPc 1 extensive j«i>«,jj| £«£ «£t«a«£a6 i« iiivrf wii*ii

; T and other accommodation. The main whprf, , ' which is about sOoyds long, can berth, a large [ number of small craft on the inner side, where the depth of water runs about 15ft; and on the outward side three berths have been s dredged to berths of 23ft to 27r$, while there 1 i 3 a sufficient depth throughout fUe whole . length for boats of a very fair draught. A [ long stretch of the wharf has been renewed by the laying of new planking, and for a considerable distance the width has been extended 1 by 10ft. The lighting has been greatly improved by the installation of six long life arc lamps, each of 1000 candle power. The Harbour Board is in the happy position of being able to pay all its expenditure, including £3000 1 a year for interest, out of revenue, and to put at least i>l2oo a year into a sinking fund for the extinction of its loan. This loan of .£50,000 at 6 per cent, is due in '1913, and as the sinking fund already amounts to £22,000, there is a fair prospect of the board becoming . in a- dozen years quite free from debt. I understand that during the holiday season ' the Theresa Ward will run a bi-weekly service to Stewart Island on Wednesdays and Saturdays, returning on the same day. There , will be a reduction in the single f»res and spe- . cicl inducements will be offered to families. . Full particulars will presently appear in the advertising columns. The Mombassa. sailed for Durban, S.A., on ; Saturday morning, with a cargo of oats, and the Union S.S. Company's new boat, the Wai- i pori, which arrived from Sydney on Thursday passed on to Port Chalmers, two days later The Wooaung is now discharging guano, and the Blackheath 15 expected daily, to load oats lor South Africa. This will be 'the last of the oats cargo for South Africa. The stores at Bluff are pretty empty, and no more grain is j coming forward at present. j Mr Frank Marisco. a former resident of'lnj vercargill, who has been fighting with Bra- • bants Horse in South Africa, returned on ! Thursday, and received a hearty welcome. ! M r J. R. Colyer, clerk of the Magistrate' 3 _ Court, has- been appointed registrar of the Supreme Court. The work of the combined onuses will be transacted by one staff in one building — the courthouse. Mr J. Day, of Gore, has been elected to the Southland H. and C.A. Board as representative for Gore, Mataura, Winton, Bluff, and Stewart |si*nd. Mr A. Bain has heen chosen by the Invercargill suburban boroughs, Mr St. Omer will represent Lake County, and Mr Egau. County. Mr J. E. Watson has been etected by Wallace County to represent it on the Southland Hospital Trust. The following have been elected to the bodies . mentioned by the Invercargill Borough Coun [ oil:— Cr D. Roche, H. and C.A. Board; OJ. Stead, Southland Trust; Mr W. R. Cotter Aiiow Trust ; Mr J. C. Thomson, Wallace and Fiord Trust; and Mr F. St. Omer, Wakaticu Trust. The Southland County Council has made the following appoiHtzneDts:— Arrow Trust, Mr Thos. M'Docnell: Wakatipu, Mr E. H Tur ton; Wallace, Cr Fraser; Southland Tiust, Cr M'Queen; Charitable Aid Board. Crs Rcbeitson, Hamilton, Green, and Lenme. At last meeting of the Southland High Schools Board the chairman (Mr J. A. Hanan) strongly urged the need of providing facilities for physical culture in oui schools, and Messrs Macahster, J. L. Watson, and J. C. Thomson cordially endorsed his remarks. The secretary ■was instructed to write to the Southland Education Board, seeking to secure united action towards the establishment of a gymnasium for the benefit of pupils attending the primary and secondary schools in Invercargill. We have here a " stmkum awful " which j in the heat of summer is almost as powerhxlly I odoriferous as the nosegay near Pelichet Bay station. I refei to the Puni Creek, into which some of the town drainage goes. It is recogrised that thia is becoming a menace to the public health, and at a meeting of representatives of the Invercargill and suburban boroughs hekl a few days ago various schemes for the modification or removal of the nuisance were discussed. It was eventually decided to get estimates and particulars regaiding three suggested schemes— viz., for a covered drain down j Tyne street, a covered dram down the bed 1 of the creek, and an open drain sunk along I the bed of the creek, with facilities for flush-

At the last meeting of the borough council the sanitary inspector reported that the watei in the park drain was being drunk by cows supplying milk to Invercargill, and recommended that the dram should be fenced 06 or cows excluded from the paddocks adjoining it. At the same meeting the Mayor stated that he and some councillors visited the abattoir, one of their objects being to make some inquiry regarding complaints made in a somewhat public way as to a smell supposed to come from the abattoir. This was found to be incorrect; the smell really came from some manure spread on the land between the abattoir and Invercargill. The smell was not injurious cr noxious, and it certainly did pot arise from the abattoir. Cr Roche said it had been a pleasure to visit the works and see how sweet and clean everything was. There was nothing that could be found fault with, and he was surprised and delighted to find Everything in such perfect ordei on the busy day at the works, when 40 men were working and a large number of animals were slaughtered. At the annual meeting of the Southland Poultry, Dog, and Pet Society it was reported that the annual show was not a success, owing to the wet and stormy weather which prevailed at the time. The takings were only £28 sm, as against £53 8s 9d in the previous year. The loss on the show was £31, and ou the year's operations £33 5s Bd. The district officers of the Shamrock, Rose, and Thistle and the St. George Ledges paid theii official visit tc the Awarua Lodge, Bluff, ou Wednesday evening, when there was a good attendance of members. After the business was concluded, a lecture meeting was held,

snd degrees conferred: on several cendidates. Subsequently an adjournment was made to Georgeson's rooms, where the visitors were entertained at a social, a very pleasant evening being spent.

The Oamaru Caledonian Society have at last decided to engage the Southland Pipe Band for their games at New Year, the fee to be £55, which will piobably leave the band £25 after paying all expenses. At the meeting of Caledonian Society a member, speaking in support of the motion to engage the Pipe Band, said that if the band were present at the games scarcely a soul would stay at home in the Upper Waitaki on spoits day. The Pipe Band's acceptance of the Oamaru offer and rejection of the overtures of the Southland Caledonian Society is now being discussed in the columns of the local paper very frankly by the bandmaster of the pipers and the chairman of the Caledonian Society.

The animal congregational meeting of the InvercargiU F^rst Presbyterian Church was held last Tuesday, the moderator (Rev. Gibson Smith) presiding, when satisfactoiy reports and balance sheet were submitted. The les.gnatioa of Mi Jaiuea Manson, sen., who has been trasurer of the church fund for 17 years, -vas pccepleci w.ith regret, and it was decided to minute a motion sotting forth the congregation's appreciation of the ability and time that he h<td devoted to the duties. Dur: ig the evening 0 number of musical items were contributed, and addresses were delivercl by the Rev. Messrs Giay, Cnmrairg, and Lindsay, pnd a humoious speech by Mr W. Mohafitcy, •who cho=e for his subject " ilkfeeft" *»4 felted it wiU* & guugl itwpfis£

suggeat.v'c o. jlark Tv,am, to v/hoiu. by the way, his appearance suggests relationship

The Athletic Football Club's gymnasium was the scene of a pleasant ceremony on Tuesday evening, when the physical exercises were suspended to enable the presentation of a handsome drawing room clock to one of the members, Thomas Gilloolpy, as a mark of the club's esteem, the occasion being the eve of his marriage. Mr J. Crosby Smith, formerly p member of the Caversham Borough Council, has been nominated fo» the vacancy for Third Ward in the Invercargill Borough Council.

After an absence of nearly 15 month?. MiThomas Fleming has returned to Inveicargill. Mr Fleming has in the interval made an extensive tour in Australia, America, and the British Isles. Partly in pursuit of health and pleasure, an<ii partly in the interests of business, Mr Fleming made much longer stays in th > countries which he visited than is customary with the ordinary traveller. In Australia, for instance, he spent three months, while five months passfed away during his visit to Canada and the United States. Mr Fleming also spent a considerable time in 3£ng!and, Scotland, and Ireland." He is much benefited by the holiday, and returns to Invercargill with health and vitality reinvigorated and increased. — Southland Times.

Profound regret was expressed when it be* came known that Mr Alexander Ferguson had. passed away on Wednesday, (from pneumonia, after bat a few days' illness. Deceased came from Glasgow to Invercargill, with his mother and twin brother James over 26 years ago. Both brothers followed the same calling, and always worked in company, six weeks being the longest time they had ever been apart. "When one took a holiday the other did likewise. Both were bachelors, always lived under the same roof, and their characteristics were almost identical, as were also th°ir pastimes. They were the same height and weight, and resembled each other so closely that only their intimate friends could distinguish one from the other apart. Trite brotherly love always existed between them, and the oiie that is left will have tne sympathy of a wide circle of friends on account of the loss of his life-long companion. — Southland Times.

The following sections were sold by auction at the Land Office. Invercargill, on "Wednesday morning:— Sections 31, 32. and 34, Pourakino township, upset £13 7s Bd, Emily "Watson , sections 52, 54, 56, and 58, block IV, and 23 and 24, block VII, Fortrose, upset £6, H. A. Elliot: sections 60, G2, 64, and 66, block IV, Forferose, up3et £4, Hugh and Joha Ch:shclm; sections 9, il, and 13, block IX, Fortrose, upset £3, John. Paul Maloney; sections 4, 5, 6, 10, 11, 12. 13, and 14, block "i, Calcium township, upset £20, purchased for £22 5s by Donald Sutherland; part of section 5. block I, Alton, upset £1 4«s. purchased *at £10 19s by John Hunter.

W. C. T. Moorhouse. a Clifton (Invercargill) youth, recently set himself the uncommon task of collecting funds to provide a stone font for the Anglican Church there, and was so successful m his mission that on Sunday a handsome stone font, designed by Mr C. ' H. .Roberts, architect, and executed by Mr J. Fraser, sculptor, was dedicated by "the Rev. D. C. Bates with appropriate ceremony, ths rev. gentleman, thereafter administering the sacrament of baptism to a number of children. The font, which stands upon a base ncai the front door of the church, is 4ffc high and 2ft 9in across the basin. It is a credit to all concerned in it 3 erection; most of all to the youth who devoted his spare time to the gathering of the funds which placed it where it stands.