WYNDHAM.

Otago Witness, Issue 1916, 10 August 1888, Page 17

WYNDHAM.

August 6. — The all-absorbing 'topic of conversation with us during the pait week haa been the unearthinf; by tho police of a most elaborate and complete plant for tlie distillation of a " wee drap o' whusky " at Menzies' Ferry, some two miles from here. It had been pretty freely whispered among a number of our townspeople ;a still was in course of erection on the banks of the Mataura, but from the mere fact of its being talked about the whisperings wera generally discredited, However, the officers of the law appear to have heard about the matter and kept their eyes onThomaß Pepperill.a recent arrival in the district, and by trade a carpenter. Pepperill at firet wns employed by George Davey, but tiring of that he leased a small two-roomed cottage, and fenced the grouudat Menzies' Ferry ostensibly for the purpose of starting a " hen farm.' 1 Ihe cottage was not considered large enough for " hen fanning " on the extensive style contemplated ; and Pepperill in turn employed Davey to erect an addition to the cottage. It waa in this that Inspector Moore, with Con£tib!e3 Bogue and Fouhy, on thpir enteringthe place Rt about 11 o'clock on Monday night last, found the still,' worm, kegs, demijohns, sugar, malt, ana the other necessaries for a well - ordered distillery. The inspector had laid his plans well ; neither Pepperill nor Davey had the least idea they were to receive a visit (rom such unwelcome visitors m Inspector Moore and the constables named. Both were at once arrested, and, with the whole plant, taken to lnvercargill, where they remained in aurance vile until brought up before the Be&ident Jttngtstrate to day, when Pepperill was fined £100, in default six months' imprisonment.- There was no evidence to connect Davey with the matter, and he was therefore discharged. It is genorally conceded tunt bad the police delayed their visit a few days t icy would have been in a position to tell whether ttie " Menzies' Ferry Hen Farm " brand would com-

pare favourably or otherwise with the impdrted article.

School. -Scholastic matters have been brisk during the early part of the past week. Inspector ' Hendry paid his annual visit on Wednesday last, and put the children attending our school through their fadings. The result was creditable alike to teachers and taught. The full report wduld occupy too much space, so I will merely mention a few facts culled from it. Percentage of passes, 432; failures, 9*5; class subjects, 76 ; additional marks, 92. Under the old style of computing the percentages gained the above figures would show 91*9. In Miss Sangater's classes (Standards I aud II) the percentage gained was exceptionally high, showing that in our new teacher we have one well qualified for her positlon. Mr Clark haa also been successful with the two boys he sent up for the recent scholarship examination in luvercargill, oue boy obtaining a echolarahip of £35 for three years ; the other £32 10a for one year. In the pupil teachers'examination, held at the same timei Mr Olftrk presented four candidates, two Of whom succeeded in passing. Mutual IiiPRoVBMEUT Association.— The usual fortnightly meeting of the Mutual Improvement Association waa held in the Oddfellows' Hall on Thursday evening last, when the attendance waa moat meagre, not mere than a doien persona being present. Mr I. W. Raymond occupied thg Chair and briefly announced that the principal item, or the only one in fact* would be a paper by Mr Frafler, the president of the society) on Sir Colin Campbell. Mr Fraser dealt very fully with his subject in an effeotive manner, touching on ail the moat important events^in the career of the hero. The delivery of the paper occupied something over an hour, and Mr Fraser is to be oompliinented for delivering it at all before so poor a " house." It is not a light task preparing a paper. To do the thing well one must needs take some considerable timo and trouble, and when one does take the time and trouble and finds but two or three of the members of the society and eight or 10 visitors turn up to hear the result of one's labours, it ia most dispiriting, and causes ode to ask, Is the game worth the candle? It seems to me the society is on the wane. Masonic— We are shortly to have a Masonic lodge 'in the township. I hear a meeting is being held this evening of those already initiated into the mystic brotherhood to take the necessary steps to open a lodge. It promises, I believe, to be most successful.