LAKE WANAKA.

Otago Witness, Issue 2085, 8 February 1894, Page 22

LAKE WANAKA.

Ai.hertown, February s.— The weather has been very unsettled for this time of the year, an unusual quantity of rain being the chief characteristic. Last Friday it rained heavily all day, and on Saturday morning it blew almost a gale of wind, and it was showery all day. On the pre.

vious Monday and Tuesday nights heavy frosts touched the potatoes on the Hawea and the Forks, and there was ice on the water at Criffel, but no harm of any kind was done in other parts. At Hawea three lots of potatoes were growing side by side in drills. The centre lot was irrigated by a stream of water which ran down the drills. When the spring frosts came, which destroyed a lot of wheat, the irrigated portion escaped, while the two outside lots were cut down almostto_ the ground. It is generally understood that irrigating potatoes spoils them, but that cannot be so, adopting this as a precedent. Wedding. — A social event of some importance is the marriage at Pembroke, by Mr Robert M'Dougall, the registrar, of Mr John Semmens to Miss Amy Hedditch, the eldest daughter of the genial captain of the Theodore. Miss Hedditch is a native of Pembroke, and Mr Semmens is a resident of many years' standing, and resided at Lowburn for some years. Mr Semmens has further added to the stability of Pembroke by erecting a nice little cottage, which is surrounded by a flourishing kitchen garden. The happy couple did not give any " spree " in commemoration of the event, but were the recipients of a mild "tin kettling," which showed the feeling that existed. By the way, marriage "Bprees" are the cause of unpleasant feelings sometimes, especially in thinly populated districts. It is impossible to invite everyone, a3 the population is increasing, and those who are not invited are apt to think themselves neglected, which causes an unpleasantness, and it occasionally happens that some of those invited are apt to crow over the event. Death ov an Old Ideniity.— One of the oldest identities of Cromwell has just died— viz., Mr George Partridge, sen., at the advanced age of 75 years. He died full of years and honours,' and a narrative of his life, with all its various incidents, woull be a page in colonial history. He leaves a family of grown-up sons and one daughter, who are all respectable members of society. The funeral was a very large one, mourners coming from all the surrounding districts. Needs Looking Into. — For a considerable time past the residents in this district have been in regular receipt of circularsjof patent medicines, racing swindles, Catholic bazaars, Australian mining " swindlecates," and others which I cannot recall at the moment. One of the latest is a 1000-acre freehold estate in Queensland in £25 shares. The estate, according to the circular, is believed to contain gold, lead, silver, and tin mines ad lib. Apparently New Zealand is regarded as the happy hunting ground for spare gold which can be had for the asking. In this connection the fact should not be forgotten that Mr Henry Maidman won a steam launch in an art union in a sister province in aid of a Catholic Church, but could neither get his prize nor hear any tidings of it.