HAWEA AND WANAKA.

Otago Witness, Volume 15, Issue 1562, 15 October 1881, Page 13

HAWEA AND WANAKA.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.) Octeber Bth.

Tho weather at present is really beautiful, and the young crops arc thriving well. In tho Lake districts the sheep are in good condition, and appear to be heavily fleeced, and on the wholo we have reason to be satisfied, for there is every sign of a good clip and an abundant harvest.

An event occurred at Albertown on the eve of Sunday, October 2nd, which has tended to depress the spirits of this quiet community. Among tho boarders of the hotel was a man named John Price, who had been working in the locality for some time. At an earlyjhour the inmates rotired to rest. About 11 o'clock Price was heard to turn out by the men in the adjoining room. Going round to the front of tho hotel, he tapped at the window of a room in which lay two aault sons of tho proprietress. " Good-bye," he said ; " horo goes the last of Jack Price." One of the lads, thinking he Bpoke strangely, arose and went to the room he occupied, and found it vacant, his boots, coat, &c. lying on the floor. The lad then aroused his stepfather, and together they went out in quest of Price. Going along the banks of the river, they saw him standing in his shirt on the punt, which is not far from the house. On approaching|him he repeated the words " Good-bye," and plunged into the river, sans etremonie. The punt was thoroughly searched, in the hope that he would be found clinging to it and tho affair turn out a joke. However, the search proved fruitless. The man was considered sane, and no reason can be assigned as the cause of the rash act, as he left no record of any kind. Up to this date all efforts to recovor the body have failed. A keen and almost universal feeling is manifested here re the forthcoming Parliamentary elections. As yet, we are utterly in the dark as to the name a or number of the political aspirants. Rumour names several ; but she has so often proved such a fickle jade that we do not place any reliance on her prodigal assertions. Therefore we await with impatience the time when the respective candidates will declare themselves and their sentiments. Great interests are at stake, and it is to be hoped the people of these important localities will arouse from the chrysalis state of dormant lethargy in which they hare so long slumbered.

The current theme in the minds of the people here at present is the Otago Central railway. Many persons

scout the very Idea of pawninrflargetblookß of tho public estate to further its construction, considering this but a gigantic species of duinmyism, but would vote for the horrowng of sufficient money to construct the lino right through to Pembroke at once. Millions have been borrowed. Hundreds of thousands of pounds wore spent on next to useless roads and unprofitable works, not mentioning the vast sums that were expended on several special settlements and sunk in fathomless bogs. But growling over frittered thousands will not replenish our exhausted treasury. But when we look around on the vast expanse of country, from the Haast Pass to Cromwell, teeming with beauty and fertility— when we consider tne wool that is grown on our hills, the grain that is and could bo grown on theso level flats,— wo feel mumpish. Lying off Pembroke, awaiting her engines, is that par.i^ou of local enterprise, our now steamer. Our now dourmill has commenced gristing, and the flour produced is pronounces) excellent. We have sawmills, unlimited timber, and enterprising men, and we know we inhabit tho very Eden of Otago ; and wo gaze on the lovely, though at present uninviting picture, and think whore the millions wero spent, and in a despondent mood peer into the gloomy future, and'sce naught but great enterprise, crushed prolific hope, blighted and indomitable energy, paralysed for tho need of speedy communication with the great commercial centres. If the construction of the Otago Central railway is not speedily commenced, a great number of the residents here will soon migrate to more genial °™s a pity, I think, that these localities wore not mergod into one electorate. The boundary of the electoral districts of the Dunstan and Walcatipu, as defined, divides the sparsely-populated portions of the country horeabouts, theroby halving important interests, which, I think, should have remained compact and entire. Nearly every man here claims tho privilege of voting ; that's as near manhood suffrago as possible. The majority of Hawaians intend to vote for the man that will pledge himself to promote the railway scheme. „ The Rev. Charles Connor lectured on Astronomy in the schoolhouse at Pembroke on the evening of the 7th ultimo. There was but a meagre attendance, the threatening aspect of the heavens, no doubt, deterring many persons residing at a distance from attending. A number of ladies were present. Mr Henry Campbell was voted to the chair. Tho reverend lecturer illustrated the tenor of his wondrous theme by diagrams on the wall. The lecture occupied two hours in its delivery, and at its close a vote of thanks was unanimously accorded Mr Connor. Though so few were present, it is gratifying to know that the object in view, viz., the raising of a fund to purchase prizes for the school children at the ensuing Christmas holidays, was a complete success.