The Bruce Herald. TOKOMAIRIRO, FEBRUARY 13,1900.

Bruce Herald, Volume XXXI, Issue 3141, 13 February 1900, Page 4

The Bruce Herald. TOKOMAIRIRO, FEBRUARY 13, 1900.

; Owing to pressure on our space, dne to the insertion of Contingent Notes, we are : compelled to hold over Leader and other matter. Mr Hugh Nelson is the successful. tenderer for fitting up the machinery of the Riverbank Dredge. The vital statistics for the month of January, kindly supplied by the Local Registrar, are as follows :— Births, 10 ; marriages, 2 ; deaths, 7. A peculiarity of the present wet weathe in Otago iB that in the North Island, especially in the Auckland province, the settlers are complaining of a drought ! I Two truck loads of piles for the bridges | on the Fortification Railway and Coal Company's line arrived at Milton yesterday. Mr Hugh elson has the contract for the construction, of these bridges. The funeral of the late Mrs Thow, who died suddenly on Friday morning last, took place on Sunday, and was very largely attended. Deceased was a very old resident of Milton, and was highly respected by all who knew her. Since our last issue, four other young men have given in their names to Captain Stewart for service in the Otago and Sonthland Contingent, viz— W. Lilburne, (who provides horse, saddle, and bridle), and Sergeant Lilburne, Private Drinnan, and A. Thomson, who each provide a horse. A visitor from the South states that the crops in the Southland district are fairly well forward, and with fine weather from now harvesting will be started within the next fortnight. Several crops show evidence of the small bird nuisance. Everything points to the belief that; harvesters' wages will be higher in the Mataura district than for some years past. It is expected that they will be at the rate of lid to Is per hour, as against 9d of late years. i Mr Jas. Gow (Mosgiel) and Mr Jas. Duthie (Dunedin), of the Horee Selection Committee of the Fourth Contingent Fund, were in Milton yesterday, with a view to purchasing some suitable mounts for the Contingent. After an inspection had been made, only three horsw were purchased. Mr Duthie and Mr Gow left for the south by the express. They will pay another visit j to Milton on the same errand, when, no doubt, a larger number of purchases can be counted on. Cereal crops in the district are beginning to show the effect of the long spell of broken weather whioh has been experienced lately. All over the Plain patches of heavy wheat are to be seen beaten to the ground. Oats, however, has not so far been much affected. As. a week or two of fine weather would ripen the grain, and the harvest would be with us, farmers are anxiously looking forward to a change. We notice that barley crops are well forward, and the binder should be at work, particularly in the Milburn district, next week. The regular meeting of the Kaitaogata Athenasum Committee was held on Thursday, Bth inst. Present — Messrs J. H. Moir (chairman), A. Blackie, and J. Hislop. An apology for absence was received from Rev. R. Fairmaid. The Secretary reported that a number of periodicals, ordered from Home, had not come to hand, and it was resolved that the chairman and the secretary inquire into the omission, and take such action as may be necessary. Accounts to the amount of 123 6d were passed for payment. It was decided to hold the next sale of papers and periodicals on Saturday, 24th inst. The Telegraph Department is a peculiar mixture of red tape and business-like acuteness. Lately aMiltonian received a wire from a Dunedin firm of brokers. The wire was spnt under their registered name, and the reply wag dujy forwarded to theirs registered address. Then tjje redtage^ness of the department crept in. The Dnnedin office refused fa deliver the wire unless another was sent at the sender's expense, to the on>cer in charge, instructing him to deliver the telegram to the registered addressee. The officer iv Dunedin knew officially what the firm's registered name was, yet it absolutely refused to deliver the wire. Can anything be more absurdly un« btwneadtitel

* w^lSKo^fruit»fdwef ieWt» tcwirUwt week, from his orchard, half-a-ton of plains to the preserving worts. The most striking feature about the ware of the last quarter" oFaoeiitriii^ i» their brevity. TakQ the la*b one between Spain and Uncle Sam, which was all over,, bar shouting, in leis than four months. The little skirmish between Turkey and Greece ;■ only lasted a month j while Japan and China ■'-; settled their, little affair in eight month*. ' The great FrancO'Frusßian war was begun and concluded in six months, and all things,-' considered, it was probably the sharpest piece of work ever accomplished. Ihe Russq-Turkiah war lasted nine months; while in 1866 the Prussians had humbled Austria in seven weeks ! The present campaign against the Transvaal practically began on October 11, but the British Were found in a bewildering state of unreadiness, i It will last— how long ?— ' Daily News.* Messrs D. Reid and Co. report that prices ruled as under at their action sale* yesterday. Oats — Only medium and inferior lots were offered. The demand for. these is slaok, bat there is a ready sale for short feed ; quotations : Prime milling to 2s Id, good to best feed 2s to 2s o£d, medium Is lOd to .Is lid, inferior Is 6d to Is 9d per bushel (sacks extra). WheatPrime milling wheat is in fair demand. Fowl wheat, which is offering freely, is selling at prices a shade below late rates. Prime milling 2s 5d to 2s 6d» | medium 2s 3d to 2s Id, fowl wheat — whole 28, broken Is 8d to Is lid per bushel (sacks in). Potatoes— The market is more folly supplied. Beat kidneys sold at £2 10s to £2 15s, others £2 5s to £2 7s 6d per ton (sacks in). Chaff- They catalogued several trucks, mostly good to prime quality. This was the only class in demand, and sold at £2 17s 6d to £3, medium £2 to £2 15s per ton (bags extra).