LOOKING BACK

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 56, Issue 27, 13 November 1935, Page 6

LOOKING BACK

FIFTY YEARS SYNE. (From t!i¥> “Guardian,” Nov. 13 1885) New South Wales Drought—Reports of the prevailing drought from parts of the north-western interior of New South Wales ai-e appalling. No rain has fallen since the beginning of April and stock are dying in thousands. The Baron and Mamoi rivers have dried into a chain of waterhcles and stations usually carrying from 80,000 to 200,000 sheep and cattle have removed every hoof. The present prospects are terrible and' cattle dying everywhere.

- Peas in a Bottle—A Wellington draper recently offered £SO to- the person making the nearest guess to the number of a jar of peas placed in his window. The ceremony of counting the peas took place last week when, singular to say, no fewer than three person were within one of guessing the right number of peas in the jar, and between these three the £SO was divided. The exact number of peas was 8069, and the nearest estimates were made by Miss Craig, Mrs Travers,, and Mr Stutfield. who each guessed the number as being 8070.

TWENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO. (From the “Guardian,” Nov. 13 1910). Water For the Domain Baths—-The baths in the Domain will, be considerably improved by a, constant flow of fresh water from the new borough supply. When this system is in working order there will !» no trouble caused by the present method of having to filter the water.

High School Picnic —The Ashburton High School pupils, about 72; in number left in two heavily-laden drags .for < Mr J. 1 Grigg’s Longbeach estate this morning to: hold a picnic. Ashburton Horses Prominent —Four Ashburton trotting horses were prominently placed at the Christchurch trots yesterday. In the Courtenay Handicap first and second places were filled by Ashburton horses, both by tlie successful sire Rothschild, and it was only by a head that St. Swithin defeated Emmeline after a desperate struggle in the straight.