Livingstone Notes.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XVI, Issue 5093, 1 October 1891, Page 4

Livingstone Notes.

(FROM OUR OWS COREESrONKENT.)

It was, a short time since, reading some remarks in a weekly pewspaper on the theory of rain, to the effect that the ramcharged clouds travelled inland till they met some shstruction—such as a range of mountains, by which they are broken and made to part with their contents on the mountains and the country immediately below, often not reaching the low flats or plains between the foothills and the coast. If this be true, how is it that—so far as I am aware—we have on no occasion lately, had an equal amount of rniu with the good folks of Oamaru and the near neighborhood. For instance, last Tuesday night and Wednesday your rainfall was vastly in excess of ours, whilst on Friday, when, I understand, you had a copious rain all day, we had a severely squally day, including bitterly cold wind, snow, sleet and rain, but altogether

Amounting to very little in measure. On Friday night we had frost, which, for the season, was very severe. There was also a slight frost on Sunday morning. Atthc foot of the pinch below Livingstone is a gate, on its upper side is a mining reserve, on the low side and from thence to Duntroon is private property, but unfenccd along the roadline. The cattle and horses of the residents supposed to graze on the reserve or commonage, have, during the winter just ended, had very short commons, and many of them, as a consequence, have become narrow, and developed line points, hence they are on the lookout for better feed, and they may at times be seen near the gate that separates them from the land devoted to sheep, and evidently longing for a chance to satisfy their hunger on the tempting-looking English grass 011 the other side. The said gate is 011 the only roadline between Livingstone and Duntroon, niul has not been supplied with the most approved appliance for automatic closing and fastening. Some of the bovines seem to be aware of this, so when a traveller in haste leaves the gate unfastened, or neglects to close it, they wickedly take advantage thereof, and go throucrh and trespass on the enchanted ground. This state of things came to a climax the other day, and a number of the trespassers, and also I am told some that had trespassed, but were not then trespassers, were taken to a place of repentance, where they chewed the bitter and unsatisfying cud of discontent; some for hours and some for days. A few days after the above occurrence I saw a number of sheep (which I judged to be from 150 to 200) having the brand of the owner of the private property referred to, that evidently believed variety to be charming. They" had left the cultivated for the natural grasses, and were perhaps exacting payment in kind for the loss sustained by tlieir owner through the trespass of his neighbor's cattle. I understand that they were informed that they were desired to return to their own quarters but were not deprived of their liberty or their daily food for a season, as were their bovine and equine neighbors. There is something wrong here and needing attention. In some places I could name, gates are not allowed on public roads. I knew some years ago a coach driver who made no secret of the fact that he carried an ase, and intended to use it 011 any gate he found closed 011 the road he traversed. So fully was this believed that in one instance the owner or occupier of land sent a man to open the gate on each occasion when the said coach driver was expected, and ultimately the gate in question was removed. I have shown that 0111* gate is a means of trespass from both sides, and if one side punishes the other side can adopt reprisals, and so a great de.ll of unpleasantness may ensue. It is also a temptation to wrong-doinjj. I know of one instance of a man having been seen to drive his neigh hoi's cattle through the gate, believing they would be impounded. It seems to me reasonable that if a public road runs tli rough a mail's property it should be fenced 011 both sides, and it certainly commends itself to one's common sense as a much more effective method to prevent trespass than a badly constructed gate, badly hung and with an insecure fastening. I have heard of pigs being taught the three "It's," but never that cattle could be made to understand the law of trespass. lie prohibition —I was the amused listener to a conversation recently between some half a dozen persons in a place where men occasionally congregate 011 the above vital question. Many suggestions were made for effecting improvement in the control of the liquor traffic, and evasion of the prohibition law, but the special item that caught my ear was the result of a drink of shandy-gafl drunk at the bar of a house in Oamarn by the individual who told the tale. He seiiously and. as far as I could judge, honestly stated what lie believed to be true, "lhat he and another visited a house that shall be nameless, t<> get a drink, he taking shandy gaff and his friend whisky. The former asserted that within 10 minutes lie felt queer, and found it necessary to seek a place of retirement to lie down. Tin's he did find, and, lying down, fell asleep at once and slept so soundly for 16 hours that it was impossible to awake him before the end of that time. He further asserted he had drunk nothing besides the shandy gaffT and expressed the opinion that a second drink would have killed him.

And so the Lords have killed the Lancl Bill. Thereanent I venture the opinion that if they and their clique get the chance, the land revenue for the next year will exceed by long odds any year during the last decade. Boycotting is as fair for our side as for the other, and if the Ministry be as shrewd as I take them to be. they will withhold all land from sale throughout the colony until the Land Bill is passed, always provided they have the power to do so. ilr Barron, surveyor, and his staff are over from Naseby to survey the land between between the rivers recently opened up by the new road. I notice the county engineer is instructed to see that the culverts constructed by miners or others across the roads in this district are of sufficient length for traffic—aud none too soon, for life" is certainly endangered in numerous instances to my knowledge, and although I certainly would not advocate unreasonable severity, it is in the public interest highly desirable that some attention ue paid to the matter ere another .accident occurs. I reckon the death of M'Bride is distinctly changeable to one or two persons. We seem, to all appearances, to be in for an extra dose of the rabbit plague. In the immediate neighborhood of Livingstone they appear to me to be as plentiful as before the winter, if not more numerous.