COUNTRY NEWS.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 143, 23 July 1914, Page 11

COUNTRY NEWS.

'i '.<rrom, Our Special Correspondents.)

AMBERLEY.

On Tuesday evening a meeting in with the Open-Air Home for Children scheme was held in the library; when Mr F. G. Lewton presided over a very good attendance of local entlius? iasts. The principal speaker was ,Dr Blaekmdre, of Christchurch, Who gave a "very impressive speech on thie subject. Other speakers were Dr Perry, Mr G. D. Greenwood, and the Rev. Kriowles; The following committee of ladies wais elected ']to'"organise, funds for the cause: — Miss Greenwood (secretary), Mrs Perry,. Mrs Burgin ; Mrs Brown lee, Mrs 10. Chambierlaih, Mrs R. E. Wornall, Miss A.' Bristow, Mrs Mason, and Miss Knowles.' .

WADDINGTON.

The we'ather has been exceptionally •raW here winter, the mornings "and evenings especially so. On several occasions lately the thermometer in the .school, with two fires going, has not piassed 42 degrees by noon. Though there lias l)6en no very heavy fall of snow, there have been more snowstorms than for many years, and the frosts have "been hard and continuous. In spite of this, stock generally is looking well. 'On Saturday night, when returning from work, Mr John Halliday lost his Horse through it rearing and falling, breaking its neck. ' The school children made a! collection among themselves . towards ihe open-air fund and raised 30/-.

WAIAU.

The fortnightly meeting of the Loyal Waiau Lodge of Oddfellows was held in the lodgeroom 011 Tuesday evening. The sum of £4 6/8 was passed as sick pay to a sick brother. It was decided to visit Amberley Lodge on their next lodce iiight. The secretary of the ball committee presented a balance-sheet of the recent Anniversary Ball, and consideration of it was defened. Tt 'was arranged to hold a card party at an earlv date, and a committee was set up to carry out the project. The receipts Ifor the Evening amounted to £4 ;{/<>, and the expenditure to £4 6/8. ; ,The yi6ath occurred on Monday afteriioon of Mr Barnes Fishei, at „the advanced age of ninety-four. Mr Fisher belonged to the old school ot pioneers, and his death removes another of the few remaining links with the stirring early days of New Zealand. He arrived in the Dominion in the ship New Zealand in 1842, and settled in Nelson. He was assisting the sur\ey party at the time of the Wairau Hiasr sacre,,and .escaped, with his life through the action of a Maori woman, who p.ut him into a canoe and threw a blanket over, him, thus hiding him till all danger h&d passed. He was afterwards taken on board 11.M.5. Victoria. In the ierv early days Mr Fisher assisted iii" driving large moba of slieej) from poison','.' past" Tophouse, through the e, and over the roadless Jollie-s into (Canterbury. On one oi-casion a mob of 2000 maiden ewes hKought.'through by him realised £2 10/per Ih'.H'l. It is related that the Nelson Laird Board proposed to lease I'ar-

Dassus station to two different parties, the first one to occupy the land with his sheep to become the actual lessee. Mr Fisher was successful iu winning the land for the late Mr .Tollie as he brought his sheep in a day and a half before his competitor, chiefly through his skill in getting the animals through the rivers. He was afterwards employed by Mr George Dapper in carting stores from the old wharf 011 the Ferry Road to Parnassus station with bullock drays. His skill as a bullock driver was proverbial, and he has been known to take his waggon down same of the steepest spurs of Jollie's Pass, over country that no other driver would look at. Roads were few in those days, and spade and axe had often to be used to make a way for the cumbersome bullock-waggon. Mr Fisher's, connection with Waiau dates back to 1850, and forty-four years ago he built a house here which is still standing. For thirty years he was wool-presser at Leslie Hills. He spent some years at Upper Highfield. In later times he worked up till the age of ninety. Up till the last he was remai'kably hale and retained his faculties well. He eould tell many a good story of people wh6 are known to most of us only through the medium of history books. '