RIVERTON.

Otago Witness, Issue 1602, 5 August 1882, Page 13

RIVERTON.

(FROM OUil OWX CORIIKaFONDKXT.) August Ist. !

Wo have had a regular Donnybrook fair in this district during the past week. It appears that one party of residents set a gang of m<m tv ciy a channel to alter the course of tho river, while another party held a« indignation meeting and resolved that every man should shoulder his pick and shovel and fill channel in again. The wors ol fiiling-m commenced accordingly and was soon finished, and as fast as the first party threw the muck out it w*s returned The men said they would not deswt until a policeman or their boss told them to do so ; and at last it was arranged by the different sides that the boss should be sent for, when he gave the word to cease cutting until an interview with the County Council should take place. Upon that a flag of truce was hoisted for the present, each party returning to their homes. Casualties : Two sodawater bottles of brandy killed. '

I mentioned in one of my former letters that one of our townsmen was stai ting a boot faotory. I have now the pleasuru of stating that he has commenced, and i trust that the public, will patronise the enterprising proprietor in his endeavour to give them the benefit of cheap boots, by breaking up wnat I consider has been a monopoly here for some time p»st. There are only two hand* employed besides the proprietor for a start. 1 went through the. different departments, and I must say everything is in perfect working order. Firut there is the cutting-room, where the knife detcends on a. piece of leather, and the sole and heel pieces are cut at once ; then there js the pegging and finishing, room, where everything i*,up to the mark. Tne only thing that U wanted now is for the public to giye th£ thing a push, and the proprietor, Mr James Hancock, will, I dare say, manage the rest The bazaar in aid of the English Church ia now fixed for the 24th August. The roason for having it post'ponftd was that one of its leading members wm about to enter the holy state of matrimony. I refer to our worthy pastor, the Ray. S G, Grimes. i

A meeting of the Harbour Board was to havo taken plaod to-day, but 1 beliuve some of tho members said it was illegal, and therefore it was postponed. Some more twopenny-halfpenny nonsense. I believe some of the membera came to the conclusion that the chair' man cannot call a meeting unless ho acquaints the Board of it, although the secretary sent the notices in due form, but according to some of their ideas that in not sufficient. Such nonsense I Why don't the mem* bers sic down when they are brought together, like sensible beings, and go through their business without having some trnmpory excuse that this and that is not legal ? I say, Do the work and improve the harbour. As it is now, the public are laughing at the idea of peoplo undertaking work that they kaow nothing about. If we had two or three good seafaring men on the Board, wo should soon see something done, but at present the Board is composed of men who could tel you more about a pound of sugar or tho work of a double-furrow plough than what is wanted for the good of the port. The very existence of Kiverton depends upon our harbour, and I do not think I should be doing my duty as % citizen, and one who has got a stake in the place, if I uid not speak my wind upoii the subject. Hound Hill is still yielding good returns. If that water-race of Berndston and Co.'s was only completed, so as to glvo us a plentiful supply of water, I am euro our gold returns would be above the average of any part of New Zealand for the number of persons employed. I beliovo they intend to fetch in 3d heads, which meins a small river ; the sooner it is in, the better for us all. The gold is there, and it only wants water to wash it out.