LAKE COUNTY.

Otago Witness, Issue 1949, 2 July 1891, Page 19

LAKE COUNTY.

Junk 27.— Frost continues day and night in unabated vigour, and with the finest of weather— when the sun shines. Frozen races, .roads, and tracks have been the cause of several acoidents, amongst them that whioh befell Mrs Robert JobnioE, b of Pleasant Greek terrace, .Shotoyer, being the most aeriout. During a walk Mrs Johnson fell upon tome ice, ; - breaking Tier arm by the fall. Much sympathy Li. felt ior the unfortunate lady, as,besides the pleasuteof her aoqaalntance, it islonly ashorttime ■inoe that she sustained an Injury to her right wrist. Another, accident happened to Mr B. Lamble on his trip' to Skipper's Greek. ' After crossing Deep Creek the dray road was covered with ice, caused -by a ■pring on .the bill side of the road, presenting a j glacial slide, over whioh the dray, slipped,, and was shot into the creek, , which (runs a strong stresftn of water. Mr Lamble with difficulty kept his phafter's head above water till as•lttance arrired, and with the aid of Mr Gookburn, who happened' to be passing at the time, got out of ; his- dilemma with little or no' loss <>r Injury. Mr W. X. Smith, on his return trip to Macetown, had a j wheel jerked off by getting into tome frozen ruts, a i capsize resulting. Such accidents will no doubt be multiplied, as npon many parti of our roads the sun never shines during the winter months. To make the frost felt the more coals are scarce and consequently dear. The Oardrona coalpit, whioh is destined to become the pit of the district, has been' closed by the frost making access to it impossible. ■This is universally regretted, aYtbe coal from this pit has many advantages, and is in general demand. The Gibbston supply is shut off for the same reason, so that we depend solely upon Mr Maoale's pit at i present. , - . ■ . •i j Fab-off Fiblds Look Gbebk.— During the week now closing several letters have retched here from Tasmania, coming from mea who are. well qualified to pass an opinion, -and, who 'have, taken several weeks^of. observation before they gave,, their dictum of the state of affairs. ■' They, all agree that there, is plenty of silver 'to be. dug, but everything Is overdone, an* the -fields, over, rushed, being crowded In fact' wltbl men, for wbopi there is at pretent nothing to do. th the opinion of the letter writers It would be folly for. any one. to, go to Tasmania before the winter isover.and the railway, upon the opening of whioh the progress of the fields depends, is finished. The roads are bad, provisions and materials of aU kinds, dear, and employment scarce,, and $bi*. state of affairs is not likely to Improve until communication by rail with the seaboard is .established. - , ; If Not JlKiflONr What la It ?-^A~, bibulous Ani- \ vldual, the owner of a collie dog,' which shows no striking brilllanoy.in any way, was making his way homewards on Monday night last, when the thermometer ranged somehow near zero. .Having more on board than he opulfl,' well carry. Jihebibulons IndU vidual in question, lay.down, upon, some ice. .when ■till a long way .from his huti The dog, takings in. the situation, started off for the hat; where, another man was stopping at the time. The dog lnduoed this man to follow, him,, and led him to where his master. lay in a deep sleep. ' After rousing the I ■leeper'it was found that his clothes were frozen to j the ioe. With asai.tahce, however, he was got upon, ■ his feet, and saved from certain. death-- Jf. the prot oeedingiof the- dog, in this case were not the outcome of retiming. I am of opinion tbat some new name will have to beiinvented for it. ,

Drath ;f Last Wednesday at Oardrona, Henry Miller,, a German by birth,, died of inflammation of the lung*. , :The deceased., was in -turn miner, musician, and hotel keeper, and married somewhat late in life. He was one of the early pioneers of the place, and stuck to the Cardrona till bis end, seeing many changes in the place of bj» selection. Conobkt and Ball.— A mixed entertainment, of this detoripMon came off in Mr Fred Daniel's Alpine Hotel, GHeuorchv.laafc week. The attendance was excellent,' and the whole affair passed off to the great satisfaction of all concerned, as is proved by the fact that the sohool funds, in aid of which the entertainment was organised, benefited to the extent Of £35. A Nkw Issub.- The Hon. Mr Fergus is presenting a petition to Parliament whioh opens a new question in connection with Government contracts, and upon the face of which there appears a great show of injustice, to which the Government is, to say the least of it,- a party. It appears that Messrs Maher and Soos took a contract from Government to construct 11 portion of the Skippers road at so much below the engineer's estimate that it was doubted if the contractors could do the • work at the price. And the, sequel proved this to be the case. The contractors, after cutting down wages to starvation point and inttoduoing the truck system, sought the protection of the Bankruptcy Court, the men employed thus not getting their hard-earned money. The petitioner in this instance is a loser to the extent of £70, and now seeks redress from Parliament, upon the implied guaranteeof which he trusted the contractors to the extent mentioned.