SOUTH OTAGO.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20312, 21 January 1928, Page 17

SOUTH OTAGO.

BALCLUTHA DISTRICT NEWS. (From Our Own Correspondent.' BALCLUTHA, January 20. ATTEMPTED SUICIDE. A man named Rac, a small iarnier at Hunt's road, attempted to commit suicide on Wednesday by taking strychnine, but in consequence of an overdose the man’s life was saved. A teaspoonful of the poison was taken, and it made him very sick. He was conveyed to the Owaka Hospital, and remedial measures were taken, with the result that the patient is now improving favourably. Rae is a married man, well known in the district. Of late he had been depressed. FIRE AT PORT MOLYNEUX.

The Port Molyneux township schoolhouse, a wooden building of seven rooms, occupied by William Prentice, was totally destroyed by Are about 10 o clock this morning. Mr Prentice was away working at Otanomomo, and Mrs Prentice and the children had gone to Balclutha for the day. Consequently there was no ’one in the house at the time, and the origin of the fire can only he conjectured. The flames were first noticed by Miss Jean Murray, and several of the neighbours gathered and endeavoured to save a washhouse at the back. In this they were successful, but nothing was saved from the house, and all the furniture and effects were lost. These were not insured, and the Prentices’ loss wfll be a heavy one. The building was the property of the Otago Education Board, and as such would be insured. RAM AND EWE FAIR. A meeting of the sheep farmers and stock agents was held in the County Chambers this afternoon, Mr Edward King (Clydevale) presiding over a good attendance. Th© Chairman explained that the object was to take steps to improve the quality of the stud stock entered at the annual ram and ewe fair under the auspices of the Clutha and Matau A. and P. Society, and to try to hav© such stock sold in the district in which it was bred. They all knew that when stud rams were sent away they were apt to suffer dam age. He asserted that the Burnside yards wer© in a filthy state last year, and the rams suffered in consequence. In fact, the Burnside yards were too small, anyway, and ought to be shifted outside the township. The best way would be to form a farmers’ co-operative company and have a farm alongside the yards on which stock could be grazed when there was an overflow at the yards. Owing to the drop in prices at Burnside this week the farmers of Otago had lost fully £SOO. This could have been prevented if there had been any means to deal with the. over supply at the yards. Considerable discussion followed, chiefly concerning whether the ram fair should be held before Burnside. Those taking part were Messrs W. S. Thomson, A. Moffat, W. S. Moffat, A. King, W. Marshall, R. Cockburn, H. Holgate, R. Moffat, R. Hamilton, J. R. Copland, A. M'Kellar, and D. R. Jack. The general opinion was that a successful fair could be held, especially if the date were fixed before that at Burnside. Eventually Mr W. S. Moffat moved that the fair be held a week or ten days before Burnside, and that it be well advertised.—The motion was seconded by Mr R. Moffat and carried. The view was accepted that South Otago breeders should endeavour only to send their best to the local fair* in order that a good name should h© earned for it.