OTARA.

Mataura Ensign, Volume 17, Issue 17, 5 October 1894, Page 3

OTARA.

I am glad to be able to report each fioe weatber afc present in Otara — very different to my last letter. It's qnite a pleasure to visitors — tbey stop their burses and gaze around and wonder to see sucb changes and improvement* as have been made here daring tbe last few years. The farmers are very busy sowins ( he seed broadcast over tbe land, three who are not. so far B d vanned as to get a machine. You see the boy or man following close behind with the barrows, whistling or s'nging, just as happy aa if i b® sun waa always shining, with never actoudserpsstheßky.

9 y Oar dairy factory commences opera--1 liins to-day, and now is the time to bear a th« milk boys whistling and sinuing us :, they drive along the road with their r supply of milk to the factory. Perple , who reside in town may louk »t the big l o'aeqaes the farmers pocket ever/ month, a but the men, women, and children who I • milk for the factory hare to bs> ouc o ? bed and milking the cows at 4 a.m., and t they deserve to get a big cheque every I month. I am happy to say we aie not going to lose Mr McLay from oar district. He ba* taken a place here in Otara and i w " going to start afresh on his own responsiI I biltty as dealer in stock, etc. lam sure he has the good wishes of everyone of us. Daring the few years he has been manager on the Ocean View estate he has proved himself in every way an estimable neighbor. A very quiet wedding took place here last Thursday, the happy couple, Mr Peter Anderson (son of Mr Anderson, schoolmaster, Taieri) and Miss Bella Moir, being joined in happy wedlock. The wedding took place at the bride's father's house, the £cv. Mr Smellie from Wyndham officiating. We wish them health, wealth, and happiness. I think the unemployed on the OtaraWaikawa road were better pleased with the last month's pay. Between the butcher and grocer last Saturday over L6O were paid. There is some talk of the dredge commencing work on the beach again. We all hope it's true. It will be a great boon to many. The work in oar district is not so brisk as it used to be long ago, for people who used to employ hands have' sons, grown up now and able to help their parents in whatever occupation they follow. If it is true that Bs Barns has bought the dredge he will no doubt take some of the surplus labor. The schoolmaster, Mr McClure, has had great worry for the last few months, for between influetzi and whooping cough the attendance had been so .small that it was scarcely woi th opening the school, Oar old friend and neighbor, Mr Kenneth McKenzie, of Green Bushea, has bought another farm in our district. About twelve months ago he purchased from the Ocean V iew Company the Otara farm, 640 acres. Many strangers will remember the hospitality they received 13 years ago last April at the time of the Tararua wreck from Mr F. Brunton, the then owner. Now Mr McKenzie has purchased another firm from the Company near the homestead, over 300 acres. The milk supply to the factory from that gentleman's properties this season will be a big one. We have another new settler at Ocean View, in the person of Mr Coster, late of the Mataura Island, who will be another new milk supplier, so that I think Mr Dumbleton, tUe manager, should have his bands full this season. Flouriih Otara ! Oot. 3.