KAKANUI.

Oamaru Mail, Volume X, Issue 4097, 29 December 1887, Page 3

KAKANUI.

(FROM OUR OWS CORKE3POSDBSX-) Thursday, December 29. Shortly after eight o'clock last night a fire broke out at Riverview, Kakanui South, by which a four-roomed house, owned aud occupied by M.r Murray and family, was burnt to the ground. It can oolj be surmised how the fire originated, as no one was in the building at the time. Mr and Mrs Murray left early In the day forOimaru to consult a doctor regarding the health of ono of their children, and did not return home until eleven o'clock, when nothing, of course bnt the debris was to be seen. Miss Murray and the children wore at home, but the latter were aw»y playing, and Miss Murray was attending to some cows in an adjoining oaddeck. It 's supposed, however, that the bursting of a kerosene lamp must have been the ciuse of the conflagration, as only a few minutes before the fire was noticed Mias Murray had entered the home for the purpose of iighting the lamps, which she left burning. The flames spread so rapidly that it was found impossible to save any of the contents. Fortunately tho most cf the loss is covered by insurance, the bailding and furniture being insured in tho National Insarance Office for L6O and L3O respectively. Mr Murray states, however, that his loss is considerably above the insurance. Tho annual picnic iu connection with the Presbyterian Church Sabbath School was held yesterday, at Kakanui South, and passed off most successfully, the weather, unlike that experienced on several previous occasions, being almost all that could ba desired. The passing clouds sheltered the children from the direct rays of the sun and tempered the atmosphere, which was most congenial. A alight sunshower fell about three o'clock, but no one was inconvenienced thereby. The fine stretch of green award feeing the river presented quite a gala appearance, as the attendance was unusually large, the day tempting visitors from Maheno, Otepopo, and the surrounding district, the result being that the number of adulta present, both ladies and gentlemen, was nearly as large as that of the children. It ia almost unnecessary to say that the good things which had been provided by the lady members of the church proved more than sufficient to satisfy the wauts of all present, and among those who undertook the catering, much praise ia due to Mr and Mis Morton for the interest and liberality displayed by them. The children were entertained by sports of varioua kinds, and judging by tbe traces of merriment in their faces seemed to have enjoyed themselves right well. Tne old-young folks who had come on pleasure bent did not fail to pass the time pleasantly by dancing on the green and various enjoyable gamea, while others, tempted by the calm water of the river, wended their way thence, and spent the day in boating. Our genial old sailor, with his usual gallantry, proved himself a hero among the young ladies ia rowing them about in successive boatloads. Shortly before six o'clock the gathering began to break np, and the general verdict seemed to be that a most pleasant day's outing had been spent. Wo had rather a startling runaway the other day, which i 3 worth recording because of the miraculous escape from a complete smash up which eventuated. A I heavy epring cart horse belonging to Mr MTJeod took fright while being unharnessed, and bolted across the south side of the township and right over the precipice, falling on to the rocks below. Strange to say, neither the bocae nor the cart seemed to be very much the worse for their startling adventnre, but this can only be accounted for on the supposition that the horse's fall must have been considerably checked by flax and other growth en route. With the assistance of a block and tackle and a number of willing hands the cart was soon hauled up again. The crops all round are presenting a mo3t excellent appearance, and tbe yield augurs well to be considerably above the average. I hear complaints, however, from many potato-growers that the recent unseasonable wet weather which prevailed has been the means of damaging a considerable area of tbe product, but during the past week or two the state of the atmosphere has been such aa to make the hearts of the farmers glad.