Provincial.

Bruce Herald, Volume X, Issue 912, 8 June 1877, Page 7

Provincial.

♦ The Wanaka correspondent of the 1 Cromwell Argus' narrates that, in the good old days, before tbe Wanaka and Cardrona districts were widely known, there lived a jolly old chap, known aa Parson Andrews, who had a sheep station on the Waitaki. One Sunday the Parson was holding morning service in one of the men's huts when one of the " hands" noticed a wild pig outside. Nudgirjg his neighbour, he remarked in a stage whisper that a pig wa3 there ; but, for reply, waa told to " Be aisy now and don't be after disturbing his rivirence." " But," answered be, in a louder tone than before, " I say there is a pig." This caught his *■ rivirence's" ear, for he immediately Btopped prayers and enquired if there really was a pig there. " Sure an' there is," replied Mike. *' Well, then," quoth Mr Andrews, "we will adjourn prayers for a while and catch hini.'* Accordingly a rush was made outside ; one man seized an iron standard, another a crowbar, and the third an axe, while the fourth had to content himself with a saucepan.'*;- The others modestly followed with sticks and stones. After an exciting chase of twerty-five or thirty minutes' duration, the pig was secured, prayers were resumed, and everyone pursued the even tenor of his way as before. The ' Western Star' says: — "Eureka, they have found it !" waa the well-worn expression we made use of the other day* wben Mr D mglas, prospector for the Invercargill Company at tbe Longwood, showed us several specimens of stone from the claim, which he obtained near the surface after tunnelling through tha ridge of the hill for a considerable distance. In each of the specimens the gold was plainly discernible, one of them apparently being very rich. As this is the first stone brought from the reef in which the precious tnetal haa been visible to the naked eye, tbe result of the trial crushing of the stone brought down will be awaited with great interest, not only by the shareholders, but by everyone in the district. If it were only as a reward for indomitable perseverance under numberless difficulties of the various shareholders, and especially of their prospector, we would say that we hope the test will exceed the company's most sanguine expectations.