WAIKAWA. (FROM A CORRESPONDENT.)

Otago Witness, Issue 1500, 14 August 1880, Page 19

WAIKAWA. (FROM A CORRESPONDENT.)

' Up 7 to {lie present time, we have, enjoyed a very mild winter. . , ,t, ■, " For the, last three yearß a war has, waged here ', off and,on'! between the miners on the one, hand ,and ' the local ' runtiolder on the, other! . Thjj cause of the dispute was that the herds of cattle pf the latter have from time to time played sad havoc with the mining races, dams, &c, on this goldfield ; but I am glad to say some definite information has at laßfc been obtained as , to the boundary between the run and goldfield. Of course .many' of your readers will say : Why no,t sue for actual damage done ? Verjr easily done elsewhere, but not here, with a distance of 76. miles to Balolutha, or 65 to Mataura Bridge — the two nearest Courts of law — to take' witnesses, &c, without counting loss of time.' Of- course many inconveniences in such an out of the way place have to be put up with, and the residents' only course is, as the saying is, to live the troubla down. I may mention a case in point. A few weeks back a settler here in going a little way from home ,saw a pig's feet appearing above the water in a bnsh, creek. On pulling it out of the creek it was found to be quartered and all ready for carrying away. Imagine the settler's surprise to find it was his own tame pig, which he had been feeding daily. Hanging it on a tree he went home and watched. He had not long to wait till three lads made for the spot. On the settlor remonstrating with them they declared it to be a wild pig they had killed; but finding that story would not go down, they offered to pay for it. As they always pay on the' deferred payment system, the settler has just got to— live it down. [The above arrived a day too late for last issue.] ,