RIVERTON.

Otago Witness, Issue 1787, 20 February 1886, Page 12

RIVERTON.

February 15. — A nice steady rain has been falling for some 48 hours, and will, without doubt, do a great deal of good, as without it the turnip crop would have been an absolute failure ; in fact, as it is, it is doubtful whether the rain has come soon enough to save many of the crops ; and as it is now late for another sowing, feed of that class will be short this winter. In one or two places harvesting has commenced, but the straw is very short — so short, indeed, that the reapers and binders will be almost unable to do their work, and so in all probability harvest hands will be at a premium. Railway Service.— The Western District

A. and P. Association held a meeting the other day to dibcuss the question of the through service with. Dunedin bu-ing resumed on the old time-table ; and I see our Mayor has called a public meeting to discuss tho same question on Saturday nexb. Tho powers that be, however, are very hard to move, as the present system is of undoubted interest to certain folk in Invercargill, and tho convenience of the outsettlers, who, however, feed Invercargill, must stand aside for the benefit of the pockets of a few of the inhabitants of our Southern " City of the Plains." Accidents. — Two very serious accidents have occurred in this neighbourhood during the pasb week. The first (iv the country) was attended with fatal results to one of two lads who were watching a burning tree. The tree fell and crushed one lad to death, and broke the leg of the other. The second accident (also resulting fatally) occurred just after the funeral of the lad mentioned above. Several of the boy's late schoolfellows had attended his funeral, and afterwards a small party of them adjourned to the river to bathe, when one of them, a five little fellow about 12 years old, was apparently seized with cramp, and .sank in water too deep for one of his schoolmates (who pluckily dived for him) to bring him out, although he managed to get hold of him. Foolishly, the others waited to dress before they ran for assistance, and so the poor boy was under water for about a quarter of an hour. S hool Matters. — Our school seems Co be progressing favourably. Not only was its latest examination productive of the highest results, both in primary and secondary work, that the school has ever attained, but at the late matriculation examination, Miss E. Robinson, one of the pupil-teachers, was among the successful candidates. I believe this is the first pupil who has matriculated directly from the school, although others who have passed on to the Invercargill High School have always held their own in any examinations they may have gone in for.

Cricket. — Our local club has developed a little more energy lately, and has played matches on three consecutive Saturdays against Orepuki, Invercargill, and Wairio respectively, and has been defeated twice and been victorious ouce. Had they a good ground, and an inclination to practice, tlu % y would have a record nearly as good as the Football Clvb — that is, they would be one of the best clubs in the district.

Mining. — Once again an endeavour is to be made to discover payable gold in that almost term incognita, the West ('oast, and I hear that a prospecting pirty is ready to set out by boat to visit places x whore the "colour has been found before. As one or two of the party have had considerable experience, ifc is to be hoped success will crown their efforts. The long drought has cause 1 a considerable decrease in the returns from # the a'luvial fields, and miners as well as farmers .vill be thankful for the rain. An attempt is being made to form a school of mines in the district, and, judging by the attendance and the inierest evoked in the proposal, it seems pr ibaMe that the small beginning made will have n benoficial result.