News in Brief.

Otago Witness, Issue 1582, 18 March 1882, Page 19

News in Brief.

The Athol correspondent of the Western Star estimates the yield in his district at : — Wheat, 'Bo bushels; oats, 40 ; barley, 25. Peter M'Kenna, who was injured on the Waitaki railway line on Monday night, died on Tuesday. At Tuapeka Mouth ; on Monday, Samuel Smith had his right thigh-bone broken through a dray, with which he was leading in a crop, capsizing and falling on him. The body of the lad Peter Lawson, drowned in the Clutha River, was found about noon on Saturday by Mr M'Neur,' on a gravel bank on the Koau branch of the river.

Lee Stream is said to be iv splendid condition for fishing. On the 9th inst. Mr W. B. Grant, of Outram, after having some capital sport, succeeded in landing 11 fish, the four largest of which turned the scale at 3|lb each. The Riverton Social Club are in communication with the local A. and P. Association as to the advisability of establishing a flax factory for the preparation of linseed oil and oilcake at Riverton.

The Serpentine correspondent of the Mount Ida Chronicle states that the miners there intend to protest against the survey fees charged. There are six leases applied for and waiting to be surveyed on the same line of reef, and each party (he says) has to pay £10 6s. At the annual meeting of the congregation of the Invercargill First Church, some discussion took place on the question of restoring the fast days as holidays, and the use of a hymnal in the Church. No action was taken in either matter, however

In view of the rabbit-preserving operations at present' being carried on at Woodlands, the Southland Times urges that a specially-mode-rate railway rate should be fixed, in order to encourage the trapping of bunny in distant districts for transportation to the Woodlands works.

The balance-sheet of the Congregational Church, of Lawrence, shows that during the financial year just ended, after meeting all the usual expenses, there has been subscribed some £72 for the parsonage fund, and £14 13s for charitable objects. To reduce still further the debt resting upon the minister's house, it has been resolved to hold a gift auction during the month of May.

The Livingstone correspondent of the Oamaru Mail says : — I had an opportunity some days since to go through some of the crops in this neighbourhood, and could not help being struck with the slovenly manner in which, in several instances, the grain has been stocked. One would think the owners are quite careless whether it is well saved or not. In one instance I heard an opinion expressed that wages could be made by gleaning the wasted ears, so carelessly had the crop been gathered. Along the western railway, from Makarevva to Thornbury, the crops are (says the .Southland News), with one or two exceptions, very poor; but from the latter place to Ofcautau there is every appearance of a very good harvest, one very noticeable feature being the fact that for every paddock of oats there is at least ten of wheat, barley being rarer still. The turnip crops are good where late sown, most of the earlier ones having had a severe spell of dry weather, which, in many cases, caused a total failure. Above tho OLautau the crops are only medium, although there are some very good fields of wheat and oats to be seen.