Thomas Bloomfield a remittance man and well known in this district, where he lived off and on for 25 years, was found dead in his bed on Wednesday morning. He usually lived in a hut in Wilsher Bay, but on the night of his death i he was staying with Mr : M'Millan. Heart disease was the cause of his death. ! As we mentioned last week, the Rev. Mr Kilpatrick gave a special address on patriotism - last Sabbath evening. There was a good ■ attendance, and the : preacher took for his text Proverbs 14, ;Hi _ "Righteousness exalteth a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people." A snecial collection was taken for the Patriotic Fund, amounting to about L 6. It is quite refreshing^ observeithe heartiness with which peqple are responding to appeals made on behalf of this most praiseworthy fend. A fat lamb weight-guessing competition, in. aid of the War Patriotic Fund, elicited a considerable amount of interest at the Clinton games on Monday, and Resulted in the fund being augmented to the extent of L 3 4s. ' The idea originated with Mr Jas. Motion, who kindly presented the lamb for the purpose. One shilling a gnes^ was charged, and the correct guess won ths lamb. Messrs W. E. Sanderson and W. M'Lachlan both guessed the correct weight — 501bs, while Messrs Walter Murray and J. Ritchie came next " with 49 Jibs each. At the Hillend Sports on New Year's Day one little fellow won 3s in a race, and not knowing what to do with it the little chap ' said he would give it. to the "War Boys" (Patriotic Fund), as he called it. Others, and some of his elders, followed his example with, the result that the idea caught on in an extraordinary degree and a subscription list was drawn out, at the end of the afternoon's sports the fund was augmented to the extent of over LlO. This is only the beginning, for the district is • now taking the matter up heartily for which the little chap referred to is entitled to no small mode of credit. A very successful picnic was held by a few of the young people in Wairuna on Christmas Day. It was held near Goai Bush, on Mr Tolmie's property. In the afternoon the party visited a waterfall which is in the centre of another bush about a mile distant. It is a lovely fall about, soft high, and is very hard to get at, as it is ; down a deep gully, but when once there it is worth all the trouble. After spending a while in the bush, admiring the scenery and gathering ferns and grasses the company returned and had tea. • The rest of the evening was spent in games * and amusements, and all went home highly " ; delighted with the day's outing. A sad and fatal accident occurred at Kaitangata about 9 o'clock on Wednesday morning, by which a young man named Pennell, butcher, lost his life. It appears Pennell was riding out for orders, and was at Mr James Hislop's place. At that |me a train was coming down from the mineLcomprising . loaded trucks of coal. The hoVse became restive, and. finally bolted dowft the line, alongside the train. Pennell got qff.or fell off , and his coat got entangled in the brake of one of the trucks, and he was dragged alon" the line a distance of some 30 'tor 40 feet before the driver of the engine <sould bring the train to a standstill. When picked up he was unconscious. It was found tqat he had sustained severe injuries to the head. Medical attendance was sent for immediately, but after lingering for about an hour death supervened. The.Glutha C.E. Union held ; wbat has -now become its: annual rally at Wiflsher Bay • on New Year's Day. The Rev. '-■- Mr Kil-patrick-(President) presided, and the attendance was good. There were not any '• set addresses," and yet the meeting was very interesting throughout.' The President gave as his New Year's message Psalm ' 65, 11 " Thou crownest the year with thy goodness ; and thy paths: drop fatness." Mr George .M'Neur, of the C.V.M., the. Rev. S. W. Currie, MrA.'Hislop, Mr Geggie, Mr A. M'Neur, and Miss Sinclair all spoke words of encouragement and cheer, and at the close of the meeting a collection was taken up forforeign missions. Altogether the meeting was ' well fitted to stimulate and encourage they * soldiers of the cross in their holy warfare. The meeting was closed by singing the hymn " God be with you till we meet again," and the benediction, and thus the Clutha • Christian Endeavour Union entered upon the unfamiliar. and the unknown 1900. " A very successful concert was held in Paterson's Hall; Owaka, on Boxing night by the Industrial school band assisted by local talent. The programme opened with the duet '! Westward Ho " and «.« Silvery ijfours" by Mrs Morton and Miss Oraig, followed by [ selections, choruses and songs by_ the Indus- ' trial boysl Mr •• Resteaux contributed a ' comic song "Vote for Raferty," and Mr . Baird sung "The /Village- Blacksmith." Mr - R. Blyth sang '* Sb.ldiers of the Queen," Mr Wingfield " Mermaid," Mr Sharp "Fiona," Miss Allen " Their heads nestled closer . together," and Master Allen " If I was single again," all of Which jyere favourably received. • Physical and dumb-bell exercises by the boya constituted : a very enjoyable and popular interlude. The Owa^a; string band rendered a selection in good style and had to respond to an. encore. Mrs R. 'Morton played the. accompaniments in Ijev usual accomplished '. ; manner. The chair was occupied by Mr W. , Carltqn, on whose mation a hearty "vote of thanks was accorded Jto all those who had ' assisted to make the concert a success. Half " bfc the ip^oceeds, {after: flaying -e?peri«6s, W4nt: ' t£ th^ InMstdal'scnobtbaM %$&,.-. ./• *7 " .f I

Mr Bottert Stewart; son of Mr DI Stewart solicitor, Balclutha, has received intimation of his having passed the* final examination for soliditor, x We regret being obliged to hold over our report of meeting of County Council till next issue. i . " ? The death is announced of Mr W. H. Warreti, proprietor and editor of ?the Wakatipu Mail, aged 66. Mr Warren founded the Mail on the discovery of gold in the district, and has lived in Queenstown since 1863. Mrs Ramsay,; wife of the manager of the Ourawera Gold Mining Company at Round, Bill, died after the administration of chloroform in a denistry in Invercargill on Wednesday. A medical man was -present. The Right Hon. G. H. Reid, ex-Premiev of New South Wales, is now on a tour to this colony; He is accompanied by Mrs Reid and is at present in Dunedin, having passed through here by the express from the Souifh on Wednesday afternoon. On Monday morning James Kellor, aged 28 years, bis wife, aged 20, and Lewis Stewart, 26, left Kellor Bay, at the head of Croixelles Harbor, Nelson, in an open boat, for York station. When a quarter. of a mile from land* a squall upturned the boat which sank. Mr: and Mrs Kellor were drowned, but Stewart managed to swim ashore. ! The. gathering at Willshire Bay on New.] Year's day was taken advantage of by a numbed of young ladies for an effort oh behalf of thfe' patriotic fund. The receipt was a red, white,; and blue badge, which the young ladi^ pinned on the doner's coat, and from the' numbers of these visible in the crowd it was evident that the ladies met with considerable success. The Presbyterians of Catlins are to be congratulated on the fact that a minister is to be settled among them next week. On Tuesday next, itth inst., the Clutha Presbytery will meet in the Church atOwaka at 2.30 p.m., to induct the Rev. John P. Macallister, M.A., to the pastorate of the congregation there. This service, always solemn and interesting,' will doubtless be largely attended The service will be conducted by the Rev. George Miller, Milton, and the Revs. Spence and Fairmaid will address the minister and congregation. In the evening at 7 p.m. the induction soiree will be held, and will take the form of a welcome to the new minister. Several members of Presbytery and others will address the meeting, and the choir, in its usual efficient way, will sing several pieces during the evening. Needless to say, z large meeting is expected. We hope the seating capacity of the beautiful little church will be taxed to its utmost.