LAKE COUNTY.

Otago Witness, Issue 1912, 13 July 1888, Page 17

LAKE COUNTY.

July 9.— The Lake County Council held its ordinary two-monthly meeting last Tuesday. It was. . however, of a very tame nature ; not that it need have been so, for there are several little items which if brought upon the tapis, might have made things exceedingly lively-to wit, the action of a councillor m signing a semi-private telegram to the Minister of Justice begging to be let off paying rent due on mining leases, thereby depriving fcbe council of revenue. Then there is the little item of a councillor hiring three drays to the council. The public would certainly like to know, you know, if the councillor was paid for the hire of the drays and teams, and if so, how, and at what rate; or if he made a present of the accommodation to the ratepa' ers. Both these little items would have enlivened the proceedings, and my note of them , wonderfully. The only exciting bit of business was that interminable aftV.fr of fche gold duty levied and Docketed by Vincent ; County on Lake County gold; but the patience of our august body being exhausted it intends to have the law on f.h.if; of Vincent, and fchit at once. The fourth section of the Skipper's dray road was

advanced! to 1 Us flna* stags, 90 far aa the council is concerned— pamety", tarn tenders are to be called for forthwith This will <atetta ftnplovrrient for a gobdl^ mimbe* of men for periiaps «igh& or 10 mortths. The council is in a - htMfty financial position, and with! the outstanding rents due on mining lease* coming in, there should be" tfo fleea for making a poor mouth. The rents due e^ceiKl £1000, and say that only Cftie half of theni be capitalised, ft would form a hanatsome 'addition, to the funds.

Mobb Steam!.— Captain Brodrick is nlaJtJng good headway wi£ h the putting together of his steamer art Lake Teanau. T&C craft, Which" will be 40ft long and Bft 6in beam, is nearing 1 iti completion, having been brought, up in sections. Moonlighters.— Mr Benjamin Debfig, residing at L^wburn, near Cromwell, writes a lettef t6' the Cromwell Argus of the 3rd ins*, in which he stats* that on the 21st ult a man called ab hie place, f.aj-ing to* Mrs Duhig that her husband's dog was worrying sheep, and, Ssking for her husband. Mrs Duhig replied that He wotild not be home till 10 o'clock at night, and asked {He sir/mger for his name. He replied, speaking through 1 h!s teeth, "My name is O." About an hour and a-half affcerv/flrds a shot was fired over the house, and on Mrs Dv% running outside she saw two men standing with th'e'fttoOTilight shining on them. She noticed that one or them had no beard. The episode is so unusual a one that it is much discussed, giving cause to many conjectures.