LAKE COUNTY.

Otago Witness, Issue 1916, 30 October 1890, Page 17

LAKE COUNTY.

October 27. Weather of a rather unwonted kind has been the trouble last week. Snow has fallen upon three or four dais pretty heavily, and wet weather prevailed during the whole week. The temperature was very low, and on Friday morning there was quite a sharp frost. However, the trouble seems to be over now, and no very great harm has been done either to lambs or fruit trees, and growing crops are perhaps benefited by the check the cold h*s put upon the growth, which, if the ri-in had been accompanied by head, would have shot up too fast, before tbey had roots to sustain the growth above ground. Local Industry.— The proposed local Rabbit Canning and General Preserving Factory is now licked into shape so far that a prospect"" has been drawn up, a provitlonal directory and office be -rers appointed. Those willing to support the movement have now no further excuse for not corning forward to back up their opinion by taking up shares. The p-oject is pregnant with many prob<ibil ilfs that if realised must hkye a very Important bearing upon t ue district. First there are the direct advantages of the move itself- namely, the employment it will givp, and the opening for the investment of local capital Tlien there ib th« moral < fleet of a paying 1 csl Industry, which In time must I l<-ad to the establishment of other affti,rs with ■■irnilar tendencies ;' and last, though not least, the effect of adding to the importance of the distriot, which is suffering fro?) being handicapped hy the

want of ready means of communication with the outside world. The present movement has once more brought this defect before the public in a striking manner. Let it once be proved that the district is worth the work, and the r*U way extension from Kingatou to Queeostown will ba decided in favour of its construction. It rests with the residents to adduce that proof, and everyone who has -it in his power should contribute his mite towards pushing the district ahead by developing its resources whenever possible. The farmers should remember that by taking up all the shares of the projected preserving company they render themselves and the district services the value of which they cannot at present foresee. Roads have been made to Macetown and Skippers, upon whlck upwards of £30,000 have been spent, and without questioning the wisdom of this expenditure it may be cited as an example of what may bo done by persistent agitation, if it is backed by efforts from the settlers to make such works remunerative.

Jollifications.— By way of seasoning ourselves for the threatening dissipations of Christmastide we have had concerts and balls in galore. Last week saw a concert andball unravelling itself at Prankton maid of the Lower Shoiover school, which was an unqualified success in eirery way, as the financial result demonstrates beyond cavil. When it is stated that rather better than £J7 was the spoil netted no further proof of the success need be cited. At Macetown on Friday last a bachelors' ball set this seoluded mining camp fn a flutter of excitement, and the ladies and gentlemen showed that though they lived in one of the most Inland settlements of the South Islan<l, they know how to amuse themselves and do it with all the becoming grace and decorum such occasions demand. At Queenstown the residents have beon regaled with a service of song, whioh also was a great success, so far as concerns the performance Itself and its fin&noial result. Queenstown has always been known as a musical centre, and some years ago had a Philharmonic Sooiety, which comprised talent of no mean order, proving also useful in many ways to the town and district by aiding deserving institutions by giving concerts in their aid. Vice-BOYai/ty Non pi,ussed.— His Excellency the Governor paid a visit to Qaeenstown last Saturday week, staying till the following Monday, but the olerk of the weather being no respecter of person*, he was anything but complaisant upen this auspicious occasion. Under the circumstances the Governor did not see much of our district and its beauties, but intends to return in January next. Nabbkd.— Mr Thomas Hunter made a rather unpleasant acquaintance with an entire horse at the Lower Shotover. The horse without further ceremony seized H 'inter by the arm in a not very gentle manner, holding on like grim death, as the saying has it, and yraa only beaten off by blows from a rail courageously administered by Mr John M'Mastsrs.to whioh persuasion the horse at last yielded. Mr Hunter's injuries were so eevere that he had to go to the Frankton Hospital to have them attended to.

Hurry-up.— A movement has been set on foot at Queenstowo for altering the time-table of the trains between Dunedin and Kingston and Invercargill and Kingston to suit the passenger traffic and the de livery of goods better than the present arrangements by which passengers arrive at Queenstown aC 10 o'clock at night, and sometimes even later.

A SMASH.— Mr WMfam Jenkins, junr., while on his round with a four wheeled trap drawn by two horses, serving his customers with beef and bread, was in the act of putting a couple of fowls into the trap when the horses started and made eft at a tearing gallop along the road towards Arrowtown. The trap started from the Crown Terrace, crossed several oreeki, and all went well until a turn in the road topping a precipice of about 100/t or 120 ft in height was reached. At this point horses and trap went over the precipice, which is almost a clea>- descant. The consequence was that the two horses were killed on the spot, and the conveyance completely smashed to pieces, nothing but the wheels being left intact. The driver was at the tailboard of the trap when the horcea started, and was consequently unable to do anything to stop them. No blame can be attached to him, as he la generally very careful with his horses, and well experienced in handling them. It is one of those accidents that could not be very well prevented unless it could be foreseen, and such prevision is not given to many. The total loss cannot be less than £60, which in these hard times is not easily replaced or made good.