SOUTH OTAGO

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23333, 27 October 1937, Page 12

SOUTH OTAGO

BALCLUTHA Effects of Dry Spell Dairy farmers in the Owaka district have had to turn their cows into. the hay paddocks lately, owing to the dry spell and the scarcity of the pasture in the majority of the fields. The hay paddocks were being kept for cutting later on, and to eat them off now will mean, on present indications, a shortage of feed for winter. Good rains would, however, soon put a different complexion on the matter. MacKenzie's Mouth Speaking at the jubilee banquet at Kaitangata on Saturday night, Mr Peter Souness, an ex-Mayor, said that when he came to the town 40 years ago the mouth of the river was known as "MacKenzie's Mouth," on account of Mr W. H. MacKenzie's strong advocacy of the advisability of opening the mouth of the river for small seagoing vessels. The idea was to build up a trade other ports in Kaitangata coal. He well remembered the excitement caused by the arrival of the scow Magic a few years later. The scow came right up the river abreast of the town, and the skipper shouted to the inhabitants who had turned out to view the unusual sight, "Where's the landing?" He was directed to a landing opposite the Bridge Hotel. The scow carried a load of merchandise for local stores, and great things were expected from the visit. After discharging cargo the scow was loaded up with coal and sailed down the the river, the biggest part of the population following along the river bank for some distance. The vessel, however, was soon back at its old mooring, and it was four or five weeks before the skipper would venture out over the bar, and the vessel never came back. Angling Owing to the strong north-easterly wind that was experienced throughout the district, fishing was extremely poor over the week-end holiday period. The best catches by local anglers were made by Mr A. J. Henderson on the Waiwera, and Mr N. Mitchell on the Catlins. Mr I. Macfarlane caught 11 nice fish in the Pomahaka, and Mr H. Sinclair secured a basket of 26 for the two days. River fishing was also poor, but whitebait was in plentiful supply.