QUEENSTOWN NOTES.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19800, 27 May 1926, Page 6

QUEENSTOWN NOTES.

(From Opr Own Correspondent.) QUEENSTOWN, May 26. THE WEATHER. The last few days have been very mild, and the accompanying thaw has resulted in the disappearance of a good bit of the snow which has been mantling the ranges for the past couple of weeks. The improvement in the weather has also greatly assisted the farmers, whose harvesting operations received a severe set-back when the snowstorm overtook them. FOOTBALL. The first competition game of the season took place on the Queenstown Recreation Ground on Saturday between representatives of the Queenstown and Arrowtown clubs. Both teams were strong in one sense, but weak in another, and the exhibition of football given spectators was very poor indeed. Possibly it was too much to expect that it would he anything else right at the commencement of the season. The match resulted in a win for the home team by 14 points to 8. The next fixture takes place at Frankton on Saturday, when Country Pirates meet Queenstown. GOLF. Last Saturday the men’s bogey competition was won by Mr L. J. Lynch, but this veteran player lost the Belper badge to Captain L. Robertson by one stroke after successfully defending it against the challenge of the previous four Saturdays. The honours in the ladies’ stroke match went to Mrs L. Robertson, 69—15 —54. The prize for this competition was given by one of the club members. Mrs Robt. Gilkisoti, who at present holds the ladies Belper badge, will meet her challenger, Mrs L. Curtis, on the Frankton Links to-morrow. The postponed match with the Wanaka Club has arranged for next Saturday, when it is hoped the weather will he fine enough for the trip to be made. The following team has been chosen by the selectors: —Men: Messrs F. Stoop, Robt. Gilkison, inn.. Captain L. Robertson Mr L. J Lynch, Dr Anderson, Messrs W Harper, W, Eyton, .7. P M'Bride, L- Mann, W. H. Nelson and J Dagg: Ladies: Mrs Robt. Gilkisoft, jnn„ Mrs Curtis. 'Miss Warren, Mrs L Robertson. Mrs J. P. M‘Bride, Mrs Harner, Miss M'Cubbin. Mrs J. Dagg Miss E. Kennedy, Mrs W. A. Anderson, and Mrs Eyton ‘ BILLIARDS.

The game of billiards has become very popular hero in the past twelve months or more, and both saloons have a big following. Kecently a handicap tournament was organised by some enthusiasts, and it u now in full swing in Mr J. Plainve s saloon No fewer than 72 entries were received, and some very interesting play is being witnessed nightly. The first prize is a couple of oil paintings and the second a billiard cue. A billiard cue is also being awarded for the best break during the tournaThe results for the first week’. P are as follow :-First Round : C. Emmer son (receive 30) defeated L. Colling, freceive 60), 0- Stevenson (50) de feated F. Murdoch (50) Second RoumU T. Kelly (40) defeated F. Gavin (50),. uspo m/j. » J'K,, s,: R A H °event°which U stimulating great inchampion. *! d n T °V°e "wo “stars” are land champion. These advertised to en the Ne w Zealand saloon on J\yj e r* , opp oneiit 150 ni a champion will gne PJ? n] interMt atho°a - hospital benefit. a most 4> w lafffict nk thiV It was soith the idea, therefore, of funds for the purchase of equipment which the present estimate will not £l?ow for that the Kawarau men set to S It is not known yet what the net proceeds will amount to, but it will probably be quite a pood sum. It is some rears since any effort was made to assist the 1 hospital authorities by . a contr,button of this kind, and it is hoped tie example of the Kawarau men will be emulated by other sections ot the comrminitv in tbs futnic* . • i The pries awarded for the most original b bv S ed A° Ut VeTnT ? « ar„’i and S l outh A 'S N eaij n ExhSoii”K Excellent music for the dance was sup plied bv Misses Isabel Fraser, Rene Powell, and Mr Mat. Hunter (piano), and Mr J Brown (violin). Bagpipe numbers were rendered by Mr J- Keith Mr H. Mew acted as M.C. Mr J. I' - Miller, district representative on the southland Hospital Board, and Dr W. A. Anderson, medical superintendent, both returned hearty thanks to the promoters of the benefit. WAKATIPU DEFENCE RIFLE CLLB. The final shoot of the season under the auspices of the above club took place on the local range last Saturday. Ibe scores counted for both the A and B Grade cups, but no material alteration was made in the A Grade, in the B Grade, Messrs D. Gray and t . Colycv have now tied, and they will shoot on as soon as a convenient opportunity presents itself. . _ , , , The prizes donated for Saturday s competition were won by Messrs R. N. Grant (91). H. Lorden (84), V. Colyer (84), A. Simson (83), and T. Lynch (83). THE “MARTIN’S BAY MYSTERY.” An echo of the so-called “Martin s Bay Mystery” was heard here on Friday last, when the M'Kenzie brothers, of Martin s Bay, and Messrs W. Beer (Southland) and W. Beamish (Dunedin) arrived in Queenstown via Elfin Bay. It will be remembered that the long silence of these men and another, Cbas. Foxcroft, and the failure of the first expeditionary party to locate them at the West Coast early in the year created fears for their safety. In consoquenee of this a search party was sent out in February, and it was found that tho men were all safe and well, and that floods and bad'weather had delayed cattle-mustering operations. When interviewed on Friday the M’Kenzies said they knew little of the "scare” or of the doings of the outside world, as they had practically no communication outside the Coast. Mr Malcolm M’Kenzie made his last trip out in October, 1925, while his liotluv Hugh had not been away from the Coast since March, 1925. Up till the day they set out for Wakatipu—April I—the Government steamer Tutanekai had not made her long-looked-for call. With the assistance of Messrs Beer and Beamish they brought through about 150 head of cattle ns far as the Hollvfovd. where they will be left till the spring. The journey out was long and arduous, and the floods in the rivers and the bad weather imposed many hardships on the party. They had one hold-up of five weeks at the Fyke, partly due to their horses being mar/ i.ed on an island in the river. One rather stirring incident of their long trek was the narrow escape Mr Beer had from drowning. The horse he was riding rolled over in the river Pyke, and Beer went under with the animal. He managed to extricate himself from his perilous position. and commenced to swim dowa the stream, when he was caught in a dangerous eddy. Twice lie disappeared from sight, but. making a superhuman effort, he reached the bank in an exhausted condition. The M'Kenzie brothers and Mr Beer hare gone down to Southland on business. » GENERAL. Tne Queenstown Progressive League hopes to embark shortly on an enterprise which should be sure of a good backing whenever an appeal is made for financial help. This is the improvement of the One Mile. For years past the strip of land between the main road and the beach has been overgrown with matagouri and other coarse unsightly undergrowth, and it is proposed to set on foot a scheme which will have a* its object the grubbing out of all this, and the laying down of a footpath throughout the whole length of the foreshore. Colourful deciduous trees w-ill then be planted on the reserve, and seats and artistic shelters placed at intervals. At present the project is rnite

in embryo, but the league is determined to leave no stone unturned that will help towards its materialisation. The One Mile is a very popular walk, particularly in the summer time, and if the idea can be consummated it will work a great and most desirable transformation in this locality. The latest census returns show the population of Lake County, exclusive of the Boroughs of Queenstown and Arrowtown, to be 1673 j made up of 1036 males und 637 females. At the time of the taking of the previous census the figures were: Males 925, females 706; total, 1631. The population of Pembroke district within a radius of three miles from the Post Office is 220. A young man named E. Sanders, of Waitiri. who was playing for Arrowtown in the football match with a local fifteen on Saturday, had his left leg broken above the ankle. Dr Anderson was summoned, and after he had rendered first-aid the injured man was taken to the Lake County Hospital, where the limb was set. Sanders is progressing as satisfactorily as can be expected. The mining syndicate comprising Messrs Burberry, Usherwood, and Ireland, holding rights in the Shotover River abewe the Arthur’s Point bridge, is bringing some tons of plant on to its claim, which hitherto has been worked on rather elementary lines. It is proposed to have this erected without delay upon its arrival, so that the property may be thoroughly worked by more modern means. Unfortunately a break has occurred in the auxiliary pipe-line recently erected by the Shotover Gold Dredging Company on its mining property at Maori Point. The effect of this will be to delay the operations of the new suction cutter dredge, which it was hoped would have a few weeks’ run before the hard frosts set in. It is improbable now, in all the circumstances, that the dredge will get to work before next spring. The Walter Peak household school — quite the smallest of its kind under the board’s jurisdiction —established a very creditable record at the Southland A. and P. Winter Show. The _ schools’ section right throughout was said to be one ot the strongest the judges had to deal with, there being keen competition among the various schools. In the class for illustrative drawing Miss Peggy Mackenzie, of •Walter Peak, carried off the first prize among eight entries. The same little girl secured third prize for agricultural drawing in an entry of 31. Miss Jessie Mac* kenzie, another pupil, was awarded second prize for pencil drawing among 54 entries. Miss Rita Junker is the teacher in charge of Walter Peak household school. Miss Macrae, matron of the Lake County Hospital, who has been in Central Otago for some weeks past on sick leave, is paying a short visit to Queenstown. The primary schools of the district resumed yesterday after a fortnight's term holidays. His Worship the Mayor (A. Simson, Esq.) attended the annual meeting of the Southland League and presessional conference in Invercargill on Thursday, as the Queenstown Borough Council’s delegate. Cue of the matters urged by him was the co mpletion of the Lake MavoraMount Nicholas road, which would open up a new tourist route to Wakatipu. Twenty miles of the distance has already been formed, and there is only a stretch of two miles to be completed. The league advised Mr Simson to approach the Wallace County Council over the matter.