Country News in Brief.

Otago Witness, Issue 1489, 29 May 1880, Page 21

Country News in Brief.

(Gulled from our Country Contemporaries.}

Sixty couples attended the Bachelors' Ball at Goro.

Vincent County spent L 26.376 2s lOd on roads and works last year. The estimated cost of the Lauder Creek bridge is about L7OO, and of the roads between L4OO and LSOO.

Five hundred and eighty-eight cattle are registered as running on the two Vincent County commonages. The Vinc-int Comity Council have resolved to strike a rate of la in tho pound for the current year. E.ist, 0-oro and Goro now compose one parish in the Roman Catholic diocese, and are to be attended to by the Rev. Father Lenehan.

A youtti at Wantwood had one of his fingers crushed in a chaff-cutter, necessitating ampution, last week. The Vincent County Council has ft balance in the Bank of L 7013 4s Id, while the Treasurer has Ll4 17s ia band.

A train ran into two heifers at Balclutha laat week. Both were severely injured, one haviDg a leg broken. Mr H. L. Gilbert, the vrell-kaown missionary, is appointed to labour in the Mount Stuart district.

Tho Olutha paper in agitating for sittings of the District Court being held alternately at Balclutha and Milton, instead of entirely ad the latter place. The output of coal from tho Shag Point Coal- mine for the month of April was 3702 tons. This Uan improvement on the previous month's output. Tho Vincent County Council have resolved to establish a nursery, with a view to raising fruit trees for distiibuliou throughout the County.

A brilliant meteor fell at the rear of tho Arrov Ather.Eenm Hall a fortnight ago, and burnt for several seconds after teaching the earth.

The congregation as Warepa and Kaihiku have requested the Presbytf-ry of Clutha to moderate a call to the Rev. Otorgo B. Inglis fm> the district at as early a date as possible.

Tho principal receipts cf toe Vincent OouJiiy Council duriuj? the past year have been : — Land revenup, L 9786 18? 9d ; Bnhsidy on rate?, L 6751 14a 7dj f'oM dnty, L 3042 la 101; golcifioids ravenue, L 1204 12a 6d ; latos, L2o7^ 9s 6J.

The aaßtts of Vincent County, as shown in tbe Treasurer*! slaiement, amouiit to L10.04G 15) 1d j while the liabilities tott up (o L28.G76 0s Id, The latter include L 18.125 9j lOii, am tuutti due on coasr.ictc, and LIO,OOO, floods lonii fivm Governruv-ut.

lo is anlifipated. that a good aubficriftion in aid of tht) Ctvvershftm B^iievoiont Asj'luni will be raised in the Lovoll'u Flat district. Tho matter bas beon t«k'.iii up in a yery hearty manner.

I'h'i scholars at the Ta^anui Main School presented MitS Bowdwi, ttioir Jale popilteacher, with a gold brooch, on tbo occasion of her leaving for the Nornial School.

Mr Watßon, the contractor for tbe re-erec-tion (if tho Balclutha traffic btidgo, hns coram^nced stageing on the ncrth side of the rivfr. Pile-driving will be comineocwd as soon as possi le. Tho pil s are being supplied from tho Blue M<,un.rai»is and Scut'iland.

Dr Alexander, of Dunedic, ha 1 ? taken I.eraporary charge of tho Arrowtown and Frariktf>u Ho.spiUla. pendimf (.ho arrival of Dr Robertson (tvhnhaf rwoivod the nppi)intinent of surgeon to thii t rwai) frota Australia

The ht'crciary to tbo Arrow AtheMßum ropucti) ilifi b<; ha,'; rw'ivui a-l\iv fr< m Dr Hi>otor of the <1< >i\)!^ca ni r. c ,il< ci.i n of v,< ologicai H] eciiiic'if 1 t r t!i" ir'st,i'nti\n;, rnotuii'sd by thii; geiuloiiji'n ciuriig bis la'it vinic lo iho dis riot

Mr Pyko, in speakirg <.f thn proposed doputat'ou < f voprei<entfitiv> >■ i-f mtoje.ti'd Lcj.lipe in iheOngo C-mr.il JlaiLpsiy t» We lljr g, on, a,ii<! thai, bo 1 ad grt-s^i hoped iliat 'hr* eeuufai!iwn weird hf.vo etf-ci. lii wilJ {airly r> - \ vfouk ewiy uitttiict, lik. ly to be beueßuai by the line.

Tb« wew school bu'lding r.t Blue Spur will be capable of HccoujnruHlftling 300 pupils, in t'nre e rooms, each having a raised gallery. The a,t en, of the three class rooms is respectively 31 feet 6 inches x 21 feet, 35 feet 6 inches x 21 feet, and 30 feet x 21 feat.

Tho Tur-peka County Council resolved at the last mooting—" Thai r.t each Council mooting a return bo laid on tiie table, showing the County banking rscGoun', to date, ol'o >-''c liability on oi'lrao's and work* autiioriso't by the Connoil, together with the ALiounfc ot evils tanking chrqnof," The following is f.hf> ropoir of T-!r Fuspeofcor Taylor on Ibe Heriot Sciiool :— " T11 1 order and government aievorygood. Tho children are timid and reserved, but th?y sue fairly active and intelligent Tha ins* rue 1 >aw are thoreugh and well forward. Tho puhool is managed with fidelity and success." T« c percentage of pa&snß was 84. Thq Tapanui Courier instances Vincent County as a contrast between tho results of Provincialism and those of the County system. It saya :— " Although tho County sjstera has not been an unmixed blessing, m t.Jii-3 part (Tapanui) of the country tliore i* no de->ire for a return to Provincialism. Our opinion ia that the up country pooplo are well satisfied to pay rates under tbe County system. In Vincent County during the last three years splendid bridges and good roads have taken the place of Provincial Government 'pack tracks' and wooden punts." Tho new echool buildings at Orookston are constructed on the ordinary plan provided by the Board, and have all been neatly finished. The residence is rather better than the average, having four spacious rooms, a scullery, and a pantry, the whole of which is close- lined throughout. The site waa a donation from Mr David M'Kellar, and is two acresin extent. At the opening ceremouy, the Chairman said that they had been struggling on in the cause of education for about three years, and the result of their efforts, he was proud to say, had been the erection of tho present buildings. Mr C. W. Adam*), District Government Surveyor at Christchurcb, and who formerly held a similar position at Lawronc?, lectured at the latter place last week on bee-keaping. Mr Adams by tho aid of a patent hive— which has been purchased from him by Mr J. C. Brown, M.H.R.— explained its advantages over the old mcthodi. He also fully expluusd the operations of tbe C«,utc«rbury Bde-keepeiV Association, of which ho id secretary, and distributed copies of their rules and regulations. The habits of the bees, and the ravages of the waxmoth, of which he exhibited a specimen, were also adverted to.