TUAPEKA NEWS

Evening Star, Issue 12523, 6 June 1905, Page 4

TUAPEKA NEWS

[Special to the -Star.]

LAWRENCE, June 6. There was' a heavy fall of snow here late on Saturday night, continuing for the greater part of Sunday. It must have fallen around Lawrence to a depth of from 4m to sin. It wag much heavier on the heigbte above Blue Spur and Wetherstones cu-so atWaipori and the country lying beuT "^E md Waitahuna. Nearly all the hydraulic sluicing claims fcave in consequence been closed down,' {he water races, particularly those having their source in the higher country, being blocked with snow, lesterday a heavy thaw set in, and hy nightfall there was very little snow lying on the low country in and around Lawrence The weather still-is far. from settled. The Druids have not cast in their lot with the other local benefit societies with the object of securing another medical man for this district. As I pointed out last week all the local benefit societies excepting the Druids hitherto combined to retain the services of a second doctor for the district, which embraces a wide extent of country but throush a fallintr-away j n the membership these societies have not latterly been in a" position ,to offer sufficient inducement to a second medical man to (remain here. And with the object of making this inducement stronger, the Druids, who have the benefit of the services of the resident surgeon of the Tuapeka Goldfields Hospital, were asked to give up their hold of that gentleman, and the Hospital Board in turn were to be approached to increase the doctor's salary to a sum in keeping with the loss that would be entailed by his surrender of the Druids' lodge. But as the Druids did not fad in with this arrangement, the Boa ™_ will now be asked to give a grant of £uo per annum towards securing the services of a second medical man for the district. Failing this, steps will be taken to form a,guarantee fund, which, with the help from the local benefit societies (outside of the DTUids), should tempt another doctor to take up his residence in our midst. Mr John Smith, of Greenfield, gave a lecture on ' A Trip Round the World' under the auspices of the local Agricultural Society m the Lawrence Town Hall tost Thursday evening. Owing to one or two counterattractions there was only a moderate attendance. The lecture, which occupied about two hours and a-half in deMverv was very iivterestms: from start to finish." Mr Smith is a pleasant speaker, has a good fund of humor, and without doubt makes full use of his eyes and his ears in travelling about. I understand Mr Smith is to ' give his lecture at Milton at an early date under the auspices of the Tokomairiro Farmers' Club. A reference was made in your columns lately to an accident to a farmer at Tuapeka West named James Real. Whilst engaged in wiring down a stack of sheaves he had the misfortune to slip, landing heavily on his back and causing injuries to his spine. Dr Sutherland, who attended Real, had little hope from the first of his recovery. The accident happened last Tuesday afternoon, and poor Real passed away on' Saturday evening. A great deal of sympathy is felt for his widow and three voun"children. " s The Molyneux River is at a pretty low level just now, and as a result the dred-es m the neighborhood of Miller's Flat and Roxburgh are making the most of their opportunities. The two dredges owned by the Otago Company are working away steadilv and doing very well. The luckv sharehold"ers are looking forward to a three-shilling dividend at the next meeting of the Board of Directors. lam yorTy to hear that your plucky townsman, Mr Joseph Sparrow, who owns three dredges near Roxburgh, is not meeting with that good luck ju?t now that should be his portion. The lowness of the riv-jr is against the No. 1 Gold King dredge, which operates on the bank above Dumbarton Rock, working to the best advantage, and it is just a to's-up whether she will not be closed down for a few weeks till the river acain. The. No. 2 Gold KiDg dredge (formerly the Endeavor) is not <!<£ ing very much at present; probably she will do better with the low river. The No. 3 Gold Jling dredge (late the Teviot) keeps pegging away, with ratisfactory results—the only one of the trio —last week's return being a trifle over 30oz. A rather unfortunate mishap befell Mr F. Vivian, in the employ of Messrs Herbert and Co,, of Lawrenoe, while at Island Block last Friday on his rounds soliciting business. He got out of his trap and tied his horse up, so that be could visit a customer. In the meantime a dwelling-house was being removed on 6kids along the road. The horse took fright at the sight of the building and the unusual noise, cleared a fence, and galloped madly over the face of on old paddock (some 50ft or 60ft deep) on the Island Block Company's workings, and landed in a deep pool of water. The poor brute was unable to free itself of the trap, and after struggling for some time was drowned. A football match was played here last Saturday between the Owaka and Lawrence Clubs, and ende'u in favor of the former by 3 points to nil. The ground, owing to the heavy rainfall, was very greasy and' 6loppv, and was greatly against anything like firstclass play.