COUNTRY ITEMS.

Otago Witness, Issue 1905, 14 August 1890, Page 19

COUNTRY ITEMS.

Short news paragraphs for this colima are lurlUd from torrospondont* and others. At Moisburn, on the sth inst., B. Tait had his arm broken through falling of a dray, The Waimate Times states that the strength of the Shearers and Labourers' Union is 1200. i The Tuapeka Hospital contained 19 patients, at the end of last week. One patient (Thomas Ferguson) died during the week. , , A lad named Pnlerson received serious internal injuries on the football field at Oamaru on the 7tn through another boy colliding with him. , It seems that Hie stoppage of work at tlie Allandale Coal mine, Sling Point, was the result'of bad roads, and not a difference with the pinprietors. A uew oliura Canterbury farmer Lames his merino wethers when fattening them by hobbling a fore and hind kg toge'hor before turning them into the paddock. ' A pen of crossbred wethen, bred by Mr I) M'Kendry, realised 34s 6d nt the Aridingtari yards last' week. They were estimated to turn the scale at about 1401b each. At Gore a carter named William Smith had his leg broken in two places below the knee a few days ago, through stumbling while' carrying a bag of oats on his back into the stable. While travelling between Wrey's Buih and Limehills the other day, Joseph Finn was severely crushed through his horse rolling on him, as a consequence I of being thrown through a plank in a culvert giving way. The Mount Ida Chronicle states that on the farm of Mr Mawhinney. Eweburn, the extraordinarily [ largo number of 187 rats were recently killed from a stack composed of no more than a couple of loads of wheat.

A miner named Michael Buckley had a narrow escape at Micrewhe'iua on'Thurtday last, being knocked down u»d partially burled t>y a fail of earth in his claim. He snitained severe injurlei to his head and legs. Captain Neill, of the South District Bines, has jujt received intimation that h« haß successfully passed his examination as captain. It is a rather curious coinciaence that he is now captnin of the company in which he started his volunteer cart er as a priva'e 29 yeirs ng-". Hoa 'i Mark Jlape. whointends to run Mr Thomas Pratt for the Southern Maori district nt the cimlng election, Is already in the field. He is a native of Kaiapoi, and the Western Star Bays that he is the best Maori speaker who has vlaited the district, and speaks English very fluently. At the B.M. Court. Winton, a fewjdayo ago, W. and A. Gray were awarded £30 and costs (£8 6s 8d) for damaged oauied to a nook of iheep by dogs

owned by Messrs M'Leod and Mulholland. Fourteen sheep died, and three were so badly worried that it was questionable if they would recover. The Otautau parish, which has been under the ohargeof the Bey. B.,Rwen,for stbe'.past.U years, will shortly.be divided into two, the Aparima. river being the division line.' When Mr, Bwen took charge there was only one small school ; now there are niue schools, with something over 600 of attendance. . The Southland Times states that Mr Walter Blakie, of Byal Bush, has had the honour of topping the market with fat seeep. At a recent sale at the Invercargill yards a score of prime wethers sent in by h'm brought £1 per head, the highest price reached here— or at Burnslde either, If we mistake not— for many a day. The body of a Chinaman in an advanced state of decomposition was found in a cave on the river near Butcher's Point. He had been dead for about a month' or more, and the wonder is that he was not found before, a* every cave on the river bad been brought into re quisition as residences before the recent rise.— Bald Hill Flat correspondent. A public meeting was held on Thursday, 31st ult., in the sohoolroom, Dunback, for the purpose of electing a committee for the new library. Mr Drummond - occupied the chair, and a vote of thanks was pasted , to Mr M'Farlane for the aotlve part he has taken In ' getting the librery into working order. Miss M'Farlane, Messrs D. B. Galloway, M. Isbister, J. Mills, D. Murray, J. Boss, and D. Wren were elected commltteemen for the ensuing year.— Correspondent. Mr s. M. Bobbins, of the Gore Dairy Factory, may be regarded as the boss instructor. The Southern Standard, gives the following list of his pupils .-—At Wyndham he instructed A. M. Dawaon, who has been three years manager at Omiral ; James M'lnness, manager at Inch Clutha. who has a very successful record ; and &.. Wayte, proprietor, Ota'raa. From Gore Mr Bobbins has sent out John Duncan jun., who now owns the falmerston South Faotory ; J. B. Greenwood, four years manager at Henley ; S. A. Dumbleton, three yearß manager at Woodlands, and one of the best makers in the colony; J. K. Saxelby, manager, Kosslyn Bush ; E. Bonsey, three years manager at Grey town, North Island, who has made a surplus every year, and was the first to make the faotory pay ; P. Kelman, last year's manager at Maungatua, and now doing well in charge of, the I factory at Hlndmarsh Island, Adelaide, South Australia. Mr K. Dickson, who has also gone to seek hli fortunes on the "other side." ■