RIVERTON.

Otago Witness, Issue 1582, 18 March 1882, Page 13

RIVERTON.

(from our own correspondent.) March 14th.

Since my last to you the weather has been splendid. The crops, I may say, are nearly all cut, and if the fine weather only lasts fora few days longer it will be safe in the stack. „„ Not having a regular correspondent down here till now, your readers will be quite ignorant of how educational matters have been progressing in what Judge Williams calls tho " Ultima Thuleol New Zealand. Eighteen months ago the Education Board handed ovor to tho local Committee a vory handsome struc ture, capable of accommodating an average attendance of 250. I understand the attendance has now reached an average of nearly 300 ; so the Board will shortly be petitioned to extend tho buildings. I think Riverton youngsters must compare favour, ably for intelligence with any part of New Zealand, for who»evor we Bond up candidates for scholarships they are invariably successful. During the last two years fivo candidates from Rivorton have competed, and each succoeded in gaining a scholarship, while there havo been no failures. Our school also had the honour of carrying off the Vogel Prize. We have had a very nasty accident here on the Orepuki line. The stoker, a young man named John M'Donald, while engaged shunting fell in some way or other, and the wheel passing over him or scudding along the line, very nearly crushed him. When examined by the medical man it was found that he had received such serious injuries that he could not live. He was at once ordered to tho Hospital, where he expired in about 10 minutes, or about three-quarters of an hour after the accident occurred. It has cast a gloom over tho place, as he was respected by all who knew him. Noticing, in passing down Palmerston street, a shop getting renovated, I popped in, and to my surprise found out that we are to have a real Chineso medical man in our midst, and that he is fitting up innumerable boxes and pigoon-holcs for the purpose of carrying on his business with his countrymen, aa I am perfectly sure that the European portion will not venture to try his skill. . There is nothing fresh from Round Hill, Orepulti. They are all busy, the Chinamen especially. They are to have a grand feast here in about three weeks, when there will be a little stir amongst them. I believe, from what I hear, that when a Chinaman dies it takes his friends some nine months to send his spirit t>iek to China or somewhere else. After being three months dead they come down and hold a feast at the graveyard, bum a good many crackers, and drink a good deal of brandy. This has to be repeated three different timeß, whon they will tell you " he alright now." Whether or not this is the case I leave them to judge. I know this, though, that the shopkeepers are glad to see them, as the money is circulated pretty freely, and it would pay very well if they had one death a month so as to keep these feasts m proper rotation. As It is now there are, I think, only five buried here at present, and some of them are played out, so that out of the population we could well spare one a month, which would keep the ceremony alive. 1 ' The political atmosphere is very quiet here at present. I believe we should have had a licensing meeting here last week, but tho members of the Committee could not get a quorum together. The fact is, I believe, some of the members elected won't show up, as they are mixed up in some way with Building Societies, and these Societies have a hotel of their owh. As they are not perfectly sure if they can sit legally* and are consequently very backward hi coming forward, I do not blame them, for if once they give a decision against some hotelkeepor, if they are not legally qualified to sit you may depend upon it they wiU soon know it. ' ,„ ,_ An inquest was held at the Wallace and Fiord Hospital, before Mr H. M'Culloch, coroner, touching tho dea"th of John M'Donald, who, I mentioned, had received such injuries as to cause immediate death. The verdict returned was one of accidental death, and no blame was attached to anybody.