CLUTHA.—Leader.

Otago Witness, Issue 1476, 28 February 1880, Page 11

CLU THA . — Leader.

Dr Eveleigh is building an extensive dwelling houß9 RtC.inton. j mi The Wansraloa post-office hai bean removed, until lorthor notice, to the house of Mr Thomas Johnstoa.lho railway refreshment rooms &ro expected to lie completed ia about a fortnight. Mhs Galloway, of Dunedm' hag been appointed mistress < f the KalUnimta school. A Government official is surveying the rocks at the moulh ot Catlln'B river. In the Pueraa district turnips And potatoes am suffered much from the dry season. Mr Whytock is laid to have been the first in the Puerua distiiot to finish tho hatveit. There are 180 pupils attending the Caitangata sohool, »nd the Committee intend applying for an additional claes-room aud another pupil-teacher. A concert Mid d»nce 1» to be given In Gray's Hall, Ktitangata, in aid of the local library, on the 19th March. The Kaitangita Library Committee and the KaUangata Atheneeum Reserve Trustees have resolved to Amalgamate. A vigorous attempt is going to be made to have an Athecraum building erected at Kaitangaia prior to the Winter setting in. At Ahunri there ii now a good schoolhouee and teacher's residence, with an able and attentive teacher. The Mat&ußoad Board are going to aik the Government to allow the flr»t instalment of the flood loan (£6O) to stand over for twelve months. lheMatau Head Boaid are applying to hivo tho rent of the schoolhoußO for their meetings reduced to £2 per annum. Birds in the Catlins district are de? cribed a* bslngr plentiful, and the shooting seaton consequently prom'ses to be a vropitious one. The commission to inquire into the flooding of thn Taleri a*d Clutha riven, consists of Messrs Bell, Higzinson, and Blair. Tho inquiry will be entered into at once. , Mr Whj tock is reported to have the Vest crop in the Puerua dlfitricr, the reason a°aigned being that t'ae crop was t-own in the bo inning of winter, and consequent^ was not much affected by the dry season. While a re»plni;-machirie w*s baing taken down a steep pinch at Air Cbirn idea Gordonvale farm, one of the polo straps gave way, and tho koife, reaching tho horse's legs, cut both hind feet off above the fetlocks The horse, a valuable animal belonging to Mr John Lnw, was shot immediately. The B lclutha School Committee are considering the advisability of bringing into force tho compulsory clauses of the Education Act. The nutter has been deferred for a few weeks in the hope that parents will Bee the advisability of sending their childi en without compus'f.n. &r Steele of the Popotunoa Bush, Clinton, has had over 100 cords of stacked firewood burnt. It in supposed i hat some children set fire to the bash in tha neighbourhood. tt a meeting of the Clutha Presbjteryit was resolved to moderate in a oall to tha Rev. John Ferguson from Cromwell on the 2nd March, the ca'l from Warepa havicg fallen through in consequence of the district not being self-sustaining. Mr Malcolm M'lnnis of Kai tan gata had £80 worth of mining prop 3 and other timber destioyed during the recent fire in the bush, and Mr W. Kelly ha< also lost a quantity of fencing and other timber. By the bush fire« at Kaibiku Messrs Potter and Doull'a saw-mill w»s completely destnyed, a 1 though luckily the saws and machinery were saved. A lot of tram rails and growing timber was also destroyed. Estiimted loes : tramway and timber, £200 ; buildings, £110 ; uninsured.

So severe was the gale on Sunday, the 15lh, that no lervice was held in the Presbyterian Church in the evening. The ripa crops of oata in many place* were •very much shaken,' in some cases being completely threshed.

Tender* were received from the following firms by the Ciulha, County Council for the ro-eroctlon of the B»lchr>h& Tjridge :— Jamea Small and Co., Runedinj William Paisley, Dunedin; J. and A. Anderson, Christchurch ; and John Watson, Dunedin. The lowest tender (Mr Watson's) w.as £1100 above the Engineer's estimate. It was rwolved that Mr Brydonn and ths'Kniflneer wait upon Mr Watson with a view of go'ting him to mod fy his lender. At the County Council meeting Mr Jenkinßon drew attention to the fact that the members who we-o absent were the parties who had been inafrumontdl in dircontinuing tho members' pay- and that now that tht»7e wan no pay to be got there was no attendance. 1 hq crops in the Ahuriri district are not so he*vy as in former years, in consequence of the dry season. The lnnd in thw district is described as being of tl c best quality. It la easily cleared and grows splendid crors.