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Mataura Ensign, Volume V, Issue 248, 20 April 1883, Page 2

Mails for the United Kingdom and America via 'Frisoo close at Gore Post office *at 12 noon, this day. A Chinaman named Ah Chin was murH dered, it is not known by whom, at the Teviot on the 16th inst. The * Tapanui Courier' gives it as a rumor that Moa Flat estate has been sold to an Australian squatter named Keogh. From Auckland oomes intelligence that the late Mr Edmund Castley has left £135,000 to seven pablic institutions. According to the 'Bruoe Herald,' "the * Bruoe Herald ' still retains its original premier position among the country newspapers in this province." Oock-a -doodle-do ! / Tenders are elsewhere invited for the erection of aR. C. Church at Wyndham. Its cost will be something like £200, a'ld towards this amount we are glad to learn that the Catholics of the district have already sub" scribed £117. Bro A. Crisp, P.G.M. of the Inveroargill district, visited the Loyal Lumsden Lodge, 1.0.0. F,, M.U., on Wednesday evening, Ilth April, and presented it with its dispensation which came to hand by the laßt English mail. He complimented the Lodge on the manner in which its affairs were conducted, and also on the progress made since its formation less than a year ago. At Wednesday's meeting of the Otago Land Board the following looal business was transacted:— Messrs Connel andMoodie (on behalf of Daniel M 'Kay) applied to purohase , the dam reserve, block 11, Chatton district. : —Referred to" the ranger for report, and to see -.the adjoining proprietors. The up« Bet ;prices of- educational runs _un Wai- ; -kauV and ""Wendon were fixed at from £ to £2 10s per acre. ' •' i Our ('Southland Times') attention has been drawn to a consignment of six twotooth pure Romney rams passing through to Mr Brunton. of Toi Tois, from Mr Gardner's Birchwood flock. These sheep deserve special notice, being remarkably well-grown for their age, well covered with an even olass of wool, and give evidence of oare having been taken and , money spent to tarn out a high-class sheep of this fashionable breed. Passing the farm of Messrs Tayles Bros, at Otama the other day, we noticed that the stubble waß being horse-raked, This ie a very common practice in the Old Country ; but in this new land of ours the return generally would not warrant the expenditure of labor involved. Tho crop gathered by this means wonld be fit for little else than fow* feed. From an advertisement in another column it will be seen that there is to be a concert and dramatic entertainment at Pakerau this evening, in aid of the local Athenjeum funds. A capital programme has been prepared, embraoing a scene from Othello, songs, readings, recitations, &c, and a farce brimfull of fun. Performers have been in active re* hearsal for some time past and this part of the entertainment should therefore be highly successful. The Clinton Brass Band will be present and will give selections during the evening and also, we presume, supply music for the dance to take place after the entertainment. The objeot to which the funds realised are to be devoted is a commendable one. and as trains suit and, Pukerau has attuned quite a reputation for its con' certs we hope to Bee a very large attend* 1 ance. A very interesting ceremony in connection with the local lodge of Good Templars took place in the publio hall at Lumsden on Monday evening. The o .caßion was tho intended departure of Sister Crutch, who is leaving to join her hußband reoently removed from the Kingston-Winton section of railway and appointed Inspector of permanent way on the Christchurch section. After partaking of tes provided by the lady members of the lodge, members present enjoyed themselves in what is known in lodge meetings as •' harmony," not the least pleasant part of the proceedings being a presentation fc o Mrs Crutoh by the employes of the per manent way department of a very handsome work-box. Whilst residing in tbe locality Mr and Mrs Crutoh won golden opinions from all, and will be followed to their new home by all good wishes. At a meet'ng of the Lindhurst Road Board on Wednesday, a letter was received from the Mataura Town B >ard remitting interest and sinking fnnd on its proportion of the road district d _bt, as allotted on its separa^ tion from the Waimumu subdivision— lt wag resolved to r< quest Mr Grant to complete bis agreement to repair the bridge over Golden Creek. Mr McLarjn appeared to urge upon the Board the necessity of looking into the mntter of the Waimumu flood I channel, Mr Allison suggested, and it was eventually agreed to, that a committee of the whole Board should be appointed to visit the channel, and report at next meeting on. the works in progres?.— Messrs Hall and Manson wrote requesting that cp rtain uccesaary additions to roads ia the Wain mnmu subdivision should be made.—Refarrefll to the N._J Land Qo. to report. _-_• Plans of ths land required for the Wainjuinu flood channel were submitted by Mr T. B, McNeil, and approved.

,/ We are glad to learn that our predictions*, yofth^ncreased; quantity of graiij gjfcVfcnthl sea'sohin the "Waimea Plains district are being fully borne out/ The -New Zealand AgricuW tural Company^ settlets alone; have. now in. Btaoki^kd^stol|adin^j._^r^»% -bsd-ifa-li^ad^- been thMshed-^306 / stackiß' of \ri&at, Containing 140,000 bushels ; 270 stacks of oats containing 180,000 bushels and 2000 bushels barley; over 2000 bushels linseed and about. (50QO, bushels grass^eed. We have not been able to arrive at the et&ot quantity of; potatoes available for sale,, but do not think : it will be large, Thus fully " 8000 ton s of grain have been grown by these farmers, and when we add the amount grown by the deferred payment settlers in the same district (of whom there are about one hundred) the total number of tons must be very largey Thus far the railway department seems to have kept up to the farmers' requirements as to trucks, but only a small proportion of the above grain is as yet threshed, and we would like to see a much larger number of available trucks on this section, or we fear great inconvenience will be oaused. Next year we hope to report a still greater increase in the quantity of grain in this young and rapidly growing district, and we oonfess we confess we would like to see an increase in the quantity of barley and linseed, both of which are highly remunerative crops, if done justice to. At the Invercargill R.M., Court on Monday last Thomas Donnelly was charged with lunacy. Constable Fretwell arrested accused at Fortrose, on Saturday. He had visited him on the preceding day, having re« ceived information that he had threatened to kill his wife. He then found him very quiet, and consequently did not then arrest him. However, on Saturday, Donelly became worse, and set fire to a stack of straw Remanded for medical examination, Our report of the proceedings of the last meeting of the Southland County Council is from the ' Times.' From the other paper's aocount, we learn that Samuel Walker wrote that he had been appointed at a meeting of Longridge settlers to address the Council on the state of the roads there. From his description, humorously given, the main and other roads were nothing but sloughs, ahd judging by the progress made hitherto the residents now in their prime would be old men before muoh was done. This state of matters he attributed to the fact that the district was not sufficiently represented in the Counoil. To a complaint f.,that the bridges over the creeks were too narrow, the Engineer said they were the usual breadth— twelve feet. There being no funds available, it was ordered that the letter be received. We are reluctantly compelled to hold over an interesting letter from our Chatton correspondent. The following paragraph is ext« tracted, being of more than ordinary interest : — " The Rev. J. H. Mackenzie ,of Blue Ribbon fame, gave a very interesting lecture (rather dry though)on Temperance lastTuesn day week. The address was explanatory of the principles of the Blue Ribbon Army. The rev. gentleman was listened to with rapt attention by his audience, and at the conclusion of^his lecture ' some forty-six or forty »seven joined the Army's ranks. Whether they will all keep the pledge is very hard to say. A substantial committee wis formed, including Messrs Chisholm, President ; Watt,. secretary f and treasurer ; the Rev. Mr Wright and a .number of othor.., fqr fche purpose jpLturfcher. . ing the cause." The remaining portion of the letter wil! appear in our nest issue.