LAKE WANAKA.

Otago Witness, Issue 1952, 23 July 1891, Page 19

LAKE WANAKA.

Axbbrtown, July 20.- A very painful feeling it pervading the district just now in consequence of the five sudden deaths which bave just taken place, long complaints being the caute. The first was that of Henry Miller, of O«rdrona, of which your Wakatipu correspondent gave particulars. Then Mr John Scott's child died at S pott's creek; Mr Bovett'i baby at Mouut Barker died suddenly ; aud Mr Balpb Halllday, of Mount; Barker, died in the Cromwell Hospital last Wednesday morning. Mr Halliday's death caused a feeling of the most painful surprise to pervade the community, as his illness was very •hort and hardly anyone knew about it. He was somewhat indisposed, but ttuught nothing of itimagined that it would pass away in a few dayi. Instead of this he got worse, aud was taken to the Cromwell Hospital, but without avail Everything was done for the best, and everything was done that Could be done for him. By profeision Mr HalHday was an enginedrlver, and came from Northumberland. Ha resided in Cardrona, first about 25 years ago, working at a miner and dairy farmer. He came to Mount Barker in '78 and started farming, but owing to various causes, through no fault of his owa, he was not successful, and was one of those who petitioned Parliament for an extension of the Settlers' Revaluation Act to the agricultural leaseholders. Some few years back his wife died, and this was a severe blow to him, at, being of a sensitive, retiring disposition, he feit ail his trials, troubles, and sorrows more than most men. During his lifetime he always did his best for the welfare of the district, and was often on the school committee both at Oardrona and Pembroke. I never heard anyone speak an ill word of him, for everyone respected him for his uprightness, his largeness of heart, and his elevated life generally. He leaves & family of six to mourn their loss, four of whom are grown up. He was buried In Pembroke yesterday, and the funeral was a very large one. representatives from Arrow And Macetown being present, while all the neighbouring centres were well represented. Mr White, the Presbyterian clergyman from Cromwell, read a very solemn and impressive service, and his hearen could not but echo the sentiment that in the m}dst of life we are in death,— Mr John M'llwiek', one of the shareholders of the Lowburn dredge, died either at Roxburgh or Lawrence during the week. Mr M'llwick was a single man, and was formerly a "resident of this district, and was much respected. As m?y be expected, these sodden deaths have created quite a scare in the district, and when we consider the spareeneis of the population, such a : number ocourring about the same time gives food for reflection. Thb Obmktkry — This seems a fib time to refer to the Pembroke Cemetery. This It simply a desolate wilderness, relieved by a few -a very few— feneed-in graves and tombstones. It is unfenced, and cattle and horses walk over the graves, and rabbits sorateh Into them, and sometime! pedestrians walk over them. Many of them are nearly level with the ground, and nobody knows the names of the occu? pants, and oannot tell one from tha other. Of course, this is a disgrace to the community, and •teps should be taken to remedy it. I have a recollection that a concert was got up for the purpose of raising funds to fence It in, and it was rumoured that £12 was raised. A second concert hardly paid expenses. I was very much mrprlsed to hear yesterSay that a number of subscriptions brought up the funds to about £40. It will therefore be seen that there are various rumours abroad in connection with the matter. It is to be hopad that someone residing in the district, and with a stake in it, will take some i ■teps towards remedying this undesirable state of affairs. I understand that In England ifc is customary for persons riding or driving post a cemetery or graveyard, as it is there usually called, to go by at a walking pace. This is a custom more honoured In ' the breach than the observance out here. On one occasion a racecourse was found adjacent to a graveyard, and the pleasure-seekers genet ally pasted it by at full speed. Generally speaking we colonials are characterised as irreverent, and this may be one of the symptoms. Sanitation. - At Pembroke a small stream, whioh la the early days wa« called Bullock creek, runs through the township. As might be expected this is •Amply a better class of open sewer. Of course this would not matter much, only very often this water is used for domestic purposes. And a very unsavoury kind of water it must be, as horses, cattle, ducks, and geese are always in it, while more than one cess pool connects directly with it. & pigsty or two are also to be seen on its banks, and often dogs and cats ate drowned in it and left to decay there. Certainly It is a somewhat rapidly-running stream, but that does cot prevent it carrying death and desolation on its course. The Orom well people had » terrible warning from a somewhat; similar cause some years ago, a large number of the people dying of typhoid fever. At we may havd a vUitaf.ion of tbe same scourge in { the summer time if the waters of the stream are used , j I append anew.cure for typhoid fever whioh I copied , oat of an English paper. Shortly Breaking, this is to rub the patient all over the body every day wi h j whisky madenearlv boUfng in » hot-water b-jf.h. and tub in castor oil till the body will absorb no moi c.