MILTON.

Otago Witness, Issue 2051, 15 June 1893, Page 22

MILTON.

June 13.— During the pa^t few months we in Milton have been going ahead somewhat. We actually have two auction sales per week, and both on the same day. The Mutual Agency Company, of Dunedin, have for the past two yeara been running the local auctioneers pretty hard. They commenced by having a stock sale every alternate week, avoiding at first the week in which Duthie and Co. had their sale. By way of reprisal Duthie and Co. started a weekly sale, and the Mutual Agency followed suit, the former being held on Tuesday and the latter on Thursday. Now both hold their sales on Tuesday. This cutting business is nrobably good for buyers, but scarcely, one should imagine, so good for sellers. „ Ploughing Match.— According to custom, tne Tokomairiro Farmers' Club have decided to hold a ploughing match shortly. The management committee are, I see, all residents in the Southbridge district, so in all likelihood the match will take place in that locality. The recent fall of anow will interfere greatly with ploughing just now, as everything is sodden from the effects of the thaw which set in on the Sunday. The river is running bank high, and as the snow is melting on the hills it will probably be flooded for several The Pottery Woiiks.— The employes of the Milton pottery bravely stuck to their guns when the la!ft company threw up the game, and are now in a fair way of succeeding. During the first three months everything had of course to be bought on credit, including clay, coal, &c, and the senior operath es magnanimously went without wages so that these things might be paid for, the boys and girls drawing- their weekly pay aa usual. The Co-operative Pottery Company, as they call themselves, have now several large orders on hand, and are busily engaged turning out ware to supply them. They are wisely stioking to the more useful common wares in preference to fancy wares. Common ware, costing less to turn out and being in greater demand than the other, is

manifestly the most remunerative to manufacture. This is the point which the previous proprietors seemed to have overlooked, and large sums were spent in fruitless endeavours to turn out superior high-class ware, which it is generally admitted cannot be manufactured from the qua lity of clay procurable here The Co-operative Company are to be commended for the practical way in which they are now running the pottery, and it is the sincere wish of all in the district that they may make a paying concern of the busin ATHLETics.— A gymnasium, with a membership of about 80, has been successfully started here. The skating rink has been converted into a hall for the purpose, and fitted up with the necessary apparatus. Practice is held twice a week—on Tuesdays and Fridays, and a good number of ladies have joined, taking their exercise at an earlier hour than the male members on the same evenings, as well as on Friday afternoons. A great drawback is the want of a competent instructor, but tho promoters (Messrs M'Elrea and Dr Newell) do their best to supply this want by imparting their own stock of knowledge and reading handbooks on the subject. ... A Gullible Public— We recently had a visit from the irrepressible "American Auctioneer, who carried away the sup3rfluous cash of a good many residents. He was greatly incensed at the local Brass Band for refusing to play at his concerts for less than 2gs. He offered 15s or else a benefit concert for the band funds on some succeeding night. Before the band consented to this they demanded a deposit of 2gs as security that he would return as he promised to give them this benefit. This the Yankee refused to do, so the band declined to deal further with him. Thereupon the auctioneer became wroth, and during the progress of his sale he did all he could to damage the band iv the eyes of the Milton public. He denounced the band as unworthy of support in the way of concerts or otherwise, and to show Jiis earnestness and willingness to help deserving causes he offered to return and give a benefit concert for two indigent families m the district. He did return, and handed over to the beneficiaries the sum of jßll, so that he really did do some good. To retain the good grace? of the Milton public the Brass Band followed suit with a benefit concert in aid of the same families, which was to have taken place last Friday, but the inclement weather caused it to be postponed for a Ecclesiastical —The Rsv. James Chisholm is now in full swing with his pastoral work in the Presbyterian Church. lie seems fully restored to his old form, and preaches as vigorous sermons as ever. MAUNGATUA. June 11.— The stormy weather we experienced last week has brought agricultural mattersquite to a standutill, but now that the weather shows signs of clearing up again, we may expect that things will resume their old course. Owing to the dry weather which has been experienced until very lately, a good deal of ploughing has been gone on with, and there is every prospect of farmers getting crops in early this season. _____ , Political.— Mr W. C. Carncross, M.H.R. for Taieri, addressed his constituents in the schoolhouse last Tuesday evening, Mr James Millar in the chair. Mr Carncross in his address went over much the same ground as he did in the address reported in your columns the week before last. At the*close of the address, after several questions had been answered by the member, Mr T. Ross moved a vote of thanks and confidence in Mr Carncross, after which proceedings were terminated. SHAG VALLEY. June 10.— The weather has now changed to winter fairly, snow having fallen all day yesterday, and not having stopped so far to-day. It is now about 3in or 4in deep. It is fully six years since old mother earth had such a lovely winter's dress in this usually mild district. Whilst we feel uncomfortable under the cold, sharp air of snow and frost, we should try and remember that they are one of our best blessings in the form of a disinfectant and purifier. Bankruptcy Proceedings.— The proceedings re the bankrupt Pickworth are being closely watched here, as he is well known all over this district. His principal cteditors are also residents of our quiet little town. Notwithstanding the dull times, there is plenty of work to be had round here if a person is able and willing to do it. The general opinion is that it would have been more to Pickworth's credit if he had paid his creditors and for a time forgone his trip to Gore. He was charged last week before the J.P.s with fraudulent bankruptcy, and the case adjourned. One creditor says if it costs him £W to see the case through, he will cheerfully pay it in order to make an example of the bankrupt. Proposed Creamery. — Meetings have been held at Dunback lately to consider the advisability of erecting a creamery for the upper valley. So far as I can learn I am afraid it will all end in smoke, as the farmers seem not to take enough interest in the proposal to carry it through. The number of cows will have to be increased to warrant any company or person starting operations. Thieves and Thieving.— The latest piece of work undertaken by the thieving gang that I hear of ia the deliberate taking away of a wellfilled hive of bees, honey and all, out of a kitchen garden close to a house. In this case there is a grave suspicion of the culprit, and for his information I may just state that he will in the future be closely watched. I wonder how he would like to find Bomo morning that a quantity of his portable property was stolen during his sleep ? It is to be hoped that the poor bees did not forget to use their weapons of defence, and thereby make the stolen honey all the sweeter. Another person had about half a dozen bags of oaten chaff taken one night. The tracks orwo horses were traced for nearly a mile, but further than that there is no clue. Another had nearly 50 new sacks taken one night, whilst others think that in the ordinary course their supply of wood and coal should not disappear so fast. From the above we cannot take credit to ourselves as being an example of an honest community. Inch Valley School.— The annual concert took place last night, and notwithstanding the inclement weather it was fairly well attended. After paying expenses, however, I am afraid that the funds will not be much increased. The various performers, were introduced by the chairman, Mr William Craig, acquitted themselves very creditably — most of them being ex-pupils of the school. Excellent music was supplied for the dance by Miss Hardy, of Palmerston (piano), and Master James Sutherland, of Goodwood (violin), Mr E. Clark, of Paltnerston, making an efficient M.C. A vote of thanks to all who had assisted in any way was proposed by Mr G. Ross and carried unanimously. COUNTRY ITEMS. Sl'.oit rism paragraphs fov tb!s column aro Invited from o»:rt (f onionts ani other*. Pott Osrdi i-n7 bo na:a. J 'According to the Argus it 13 currently reported that two of the Cromwell hotelkoapers have resolved not to renew their licenses this year. The Cromwell Argus says that a son of Mr H. Partridge was hurt last week by a bull goring him. His cheek was torn open by the animal's horn. HThe Hawke's Bay Herald warns farmers against purchasing clover seed from Canterbury, where large quantities have been threshed from land infested with the Calif ornian thistle. The plague of mice in the Waiareka Valley still continues, and the little rodents are a perfect pest both in the houses and the fields. We (Oamaru Mail) hear that ratsalsoare becoming unpleasantly numerous. , ... The Oamaru Mail says that the comparatively recent protection of hawks is showing its effect this year in the large increase which is observable in the number of these birds. The farmers poultry suffer in consequence, and the protection appears to cut both ways. „ , The Lake County Press says that a Chinese died at Skippers the other day, and the body was brought down to Queenstown strapped to a packsaddle on the back of a horse. Our contemporary further says that a lady who saw the dead man's legs dangling by the horse's side was horrified in ' no small degree. An extraordinary general meeting of the Southland Frozen Meat Company, called for Saturday, to take steps for increasing the subscribed capital ! of the company on the lines indicated at the opening of the Mataura Works, was adjourned till the 24fch, on account of the smallness of the attendance in consequence of the inclement weather.

The Southern Standard says that the quantity of rabbits sent this year to the Mataura factory mjiy be imagined when one cart that comes to Wairekiki thrice a week has each trip on returning as many as .50 pairs. The charge for this mode of conveyance i 3 a penny per pair. Poisoning by apples and strychnine is being resorted to by several landowners, and is proving successful. The Redcliff correspondent of the Waimate Times says :—" Some of our farmers have got in large tracts of wheat in splendid order, although, speaking generally, there will be a very small area Under crop for this season, owing to the depression of the grain markets. Ihe farmers from one end of the district to the other are at their wits' end what to do. Everything they look at is low, and unless a change takes place soon I am afraid it will fare ill with them." A buggy accident occurred last Sunday afternoon by which a young woman named Wyatt had her collarbone dislocated, and a young man named Davies sprained his ankle and received several nasty bruises on his legs. Ihey were driving along the Outram-Greytown road in a double-seated buggy, after having visited Outram, when the horse shied at a rabbit running across the road and overturned the vehicle. A young man named Stuart and his sister were sitting in the back seat, but when the buggy overturned they .fortunately fell clear. Davies and Miss Wyatt did not escape so luckily, sustaining the injuries mentioned. Tho Taieri Advocate, from which we quote, attributes the accident to Davies's lack of skill in driving.