RIVERTON.

Otago Witness, Issue 1950, 4 April 1889, Page 17

RIVERTON.

APRIL I.— The "weather during jibe paßt two or three weeks has riot been alltjiat tlie 1 farmers require during harvest, having been very boisterous and wet., .however, it seems more.settled'no'w. ans 'the glass Is very high, so we" hope to have a few fine days,. „A week's .really fine weather would enable the Sfarmers to secure the whole of the grain ,in the We»tefn\DJstrict{, Ihear that, the crops are above the average.', exeepjb in low 5 ; Jyefc/apdfa, where £he excessive rain during Jjie ejirjy parj of,' the summer prevented thelr',todniingaw^yn i a healthy manner. One, qrop of oliOT'nwrMQrljjaukl^Sj^timated^to .exceed, 100 bushels 'perfacrt),'&nsi Bgßgral .paddocks of wheat In the valley' pf £fie"Ap£rjfma.are expected to exceed 50 bushelspefaoreT on&s Mr Johnston's at Groper's Bush, one of Mr Lindsay s ac Otautau, and one of Mr B. James', near yf^y,fl,,'jßush., are expected t« go over 60 bushels per acre, at current rates should leave a handsome profit after .paying 1 all expenses, j HARAKEKE.-The flax industry is 1 . Attracting a good deal of Interest in this district. , Keid Brothers are utilising the ; engine in connection with their flour mill , to drive a flax mill, Mr Kh-Bt and'others are erecting two, mills near Orepukl, and Mr Ppintz ,«ne on his property at the New river. As there will be a good' many hands required to keep them going ,therd "shojild not be any scarcity of work in this district, during "the coming-winter. , A SDrqOESSRiJL'CpAPHie'r.-In your Londoncprresponderifc's ]btVet In last issue a reference is made to Mr Mortimer Mempes, the talented artist. It is not centrally known that a brother of Mr Mempes was frowned at Orepuki along with nine others som&lO ,or 12 years ago, leaving a widow and four children, .one son and three daughters. The father of Mr -Mempes was one of the earliest settlers in South Australia, but he went home to the Old. Country many years ago, having been very successful in .business, He has lived a very retired life, and is still alive to enjoy his son's success as an artist. ' Mining.— Matters are very quiet here at present, except from a legal point of view. A mining case which has been before the Warden's Court BeverAl (times during the last few months has just been settled on appeal to the District Court— viz., that of .Ward v. Berndston and Petchell, It was an attem pt ,(0 have a .license for a water-race cancelled on the .ground that the holders of the license had not used 'pue diligenoeinthe construction of the race, and had ,not made it exactly on the line applied for. The after a patient hearing, and one or two adjournments, fined the defendants £30 for not haviDg used due diligence in its construction, but the plaintiffs wanted to get, possession of the best portion of the water right, and therefore appealed against the warden's decision. The appeal was dismissed with costs, and a more popular or more just verdict has never been given in this district, .