LOOKING BACK

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XLV, Issue 10168, 25 July 1924, Page 2

LOOKING BACK

TWENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO.

(From the “Guardian,” July 25, 1899.)

Addington Stock Market.—The entries at Addington to-day were: 4850 fat sheep, 800 lat lambs, 856 store sheep, 316 cattle and 31! pigs. The weather was very cold, and snow was lying about the yards. There was a small attendance. Cattle—The 225 fat cattle included 50 bullocks from the North Island, which brought from £6 to £9 2s 6d; local steers up to £8 5s for best and from £5 to £7 for others ; prime heifers £6 to £7 10s, and others down to £3 17s 6d; good cows up to £B, and others from £3 10s to £6. Per lOOlbs, best beef was 16s to 17s 6d, medium to good 14s to 15s 6d, and cow and inferior down to 11s 6d. Fat sheep: Fat sheep included some fair lines of freezers, which sold well at from 15s to 16s 3d, extra heavy wethers up to 21s; prime trade ewes were in good demand at from 14s to 16s 3d, but other sorts sold irregularly at from 12s to 14s for medium, down to 9s 6d for inferior and aged sorts. Fat lambs declined slightly, and freezers brought from 14*s to 16s Id, and butchers’ .sorts from 10s 9d to 12s 6d. Store sheep: The few store wethers m brought from 11s lOd to 14s. breeding ewes 12s 3d, and lambs 9s to 11s sd. Pigs: Fat pigs, were easier, baconers selling at 3|d and porkers at 4-J-d per lb. A Cold Wave.—On Tuesday afternoon what appeared to be smoke was noted apparently rising from the tussock near Springburn. It appeared to cover a limited area, and travelled rapidly towards the township, which it struck with great force; and though there was no fall of sleet or snow, everything in its path was left coated heavily with ice, men’s beards and exposed 'portions of the face being frozen hard in less than a minute. The cold experienced was intense. The evening train ran into the wave near Hackthorne Road, and though the blast lasted for only about five minutes, the engine brakes were rendered immovable, and the covers of the saddle tank were frozen to the seating. The driver and fireman bad a rough time of it on the footplate. The engine and carriages were a mass of ice on arriving at Springburn. Those who happened to meet this wave will not easily 7 forget it.