HAMILTON SOUTH.

Otago Witness, Issue 2179, 28 November 1895, Page 29

HAMILTON SOUTH.

November 25.— The weather may be summed •up as vain, rain, rain. Will it ever atop ?is the first question with everyone you meet these times. Last week it rained more or less every day, and on- Friday it rained from early morning till late fit night, the result being that all the creeks are in flood, and as it is still coming down in heavy Bhowera, with short intervals between, ihe farmers in the Lower Taieri will know aU about it ere this appears in print. The Taieri waß crossed on horssback yesterday, the rider havitg to kneel on the saddle to keep himself dry. Flood gauges on this river would be very useful to the travelling public, and would often save considerable inconvenience and risk to many a traveller. The expense would not be very great, as it would only require a pole at each bank to indicate the depth of water. Minikg. — In this line everyone is busy, there being a good supply of water ; but the heavy rain* have so saturated the rocky sidlings that slips of rock are a common occurrence on the head • races, occasioning considerable loss of time to clear them away, and sometimes playing havos with the flumiDg and necessitating the use of new timbt-r. School Matters.— Heigh, ho ! So wags the world. We are losing our school teacher, Miss Bowie, she having secured an appointment as head teacher in a school close to the home of her parents. Her good-natured, sociable disposition has made her a general favourite with both parents and children, and her lobs will be lamented • by both, and the ensuing month will pass only too • quickly for many. Everyone will wish her prosperity and happiness in the future. Ecclesiastical.— The Rev. Mr Smith preached 1 morning aud evening service here yesterday. He is a candidate for this circuit, but as he is a very 1 indifferent equestrian, the journey from Hyde somewhat fatigued him. However, as. this was . his first visit he may be better able to stand it ere the month has elapsed, when he will again vitit 118.

November 25.— Very cold and wet weather is Tjfcing experienced here ro far, and some warm ■weather is wantel for the crops and for shear-

ing. Cricket.— The local team easily defeated the Alexandra Club recently, and journey to Bannockburn on Friday to try conclusions with that club. The Blacks team is a Btrong one this season, and they are anxiously endeavouring to fix a match with Naseby to turn the tables on that club. Bank Change.— The word " Colonial " has now disappeai'id from the front of the bank here, leaying "Bmk of New Zealand." The same obliging and courteous officials will control the local branch. Snow Grounds.— At the dinner held on the right of the Otago Central Agricultural and Pastoral show reference was made to the necessity

of obtaining a permanent show ground. The committee have always had the use of Mr John PitchcH's paddock, but fitting this up with sheep pets, Ac, each year entails a lot of expense, and the money spent in this way would soon provide good yard* and better accommodation for dairy produce than existed this year. The present paddock (more especially during wet weather)

becomes a regular quagmire, and as it is surrounded by piggeries, calf yets, Asa, one needs to be pretty strong on his pins to stand the odour. I overheard one party ask another on approaching the grounds on show day if the stock to be exhibited had been long dead. A By Snow.— Whether the rain that fell on ' show day contained any alcoholic mixtures, or whether numbers, finding themselves outwardly wet, prescribed the same remedy inwardly, I am , unable to say, but the percentage of intoxicants j was high. One man after riding borne a distance of 17 miles and doing a sleep, walked out to see to his horse in the morning, but was astonished to find he had ridden home a strange animal. Church Bazaar. — The ladies of Ophir carried out the bazaar on show day to a successful issue, and were able to bank the bum of £65 the follow- j ing day. Considering no raffling was permitted | the sum is beyond expectations. There still re- \ mains about j£3o worth of goods to be disposed of and the cash subscribed will be about £35, and this will enable the Presbyterian Church to bft erected almost at once and free from debt. The ladies certainly deserve credit for the manner in which they worked the bazaar up, and the ladies of Alexandra deserve special mention for not only providing the goods to furnish a stall, but also undertaking the management of the same. Mesdames Lothian and Edgecombe presided at the Alexandra stall ; Misses de L. Graham, M'Knight (2), Church, and Chappie at the ovher stalls ; refreshment booth — Metdames Roberts, Hay, Misses Lee, Charlc3 and White ; flowergirli— Misses Ella Leece, Viney Peacock, Bessie Carrigall, Nellie Hay, Ivy Wilkinson, Lilly Pitches, Magpie Gavan, Mary Laverty, Lilly ilannery, and May nay. Mr W. Leask, in opening the bazaar, said he noticed in the Scotsman that the Duke of Fife in opening a bazaar observed that the practice of making long speeches on these occasions was a growing vice which ought to be sternly reprebsed. He quite agreed with the sentiment, not so much on account of the growing vice, nor on account of it being the Duke of Fife who spoke, but because he was not a speechifying man The I organisers and promoters of this bazaar were their respected pastor, the Rev. Mr Gellie, Mr John M'Knight, *and Mr Joseph Hay. They first saw that the time had arrive 1, when the congregation should try and build r Presbyterian Church at Ophir. The Rev. Mr GcHie had worked hard for the spiritual welfare of the district ever since he came to it, . and ,had spoken to some of hia prople on the matter of building achurch, and they readily fell in ■^with his views, and decided to form themselves " into a Church Building Committee. At their first meeting Mr Hay was elected chairman, and Mr John M'Knight secretary. It was decided at that meeting to send out subscription lists and canvass the district to see what funds could be raised. He was glad to be able to say they were fairly successful wherever they went. At a subsequent meeting of the committee it was decided to try and get up a bazaar. A committee of ladies was formed for that purpose, who worked faithfully and persistently to mako the bazaar a Bucc€ss. There was one lady in connection with the baza»r of whom he should like to make special mention— their esteemed and muchrespected Sunday school teacher, Mrs Roboits, who had m*de it her every endeavour to raite funds for building the church. The ladies of Cromwell, Clyde, Alexandra, Becks, Cambrians, and St. Bathans had taken a lively interest in the getting up of this bazaar. The committee had brought together a vast array of articles both useful and ornamental. They had set them out in the most seductive form, and they Had secured .the services of a body of ladies to sell them ■whose persuasiveness would be hard to resist. It could not be complained that there was want of variety, for tho list attached to the opening announcement indicated a freedom from sectarianism and narrowness of views that was truly surprising, and apparently everything was to be found on the tables that the skilful fingers of the ladies could fashion or the heart of man desire. i To those who were there with money in their pockets at this festive season he would siy go and examine the stalls for themselves. He was sure they would find them loaded with articles not only ornamental but highly useful, and he had no doubt they would discover that the stallholders and Iheir assistants were anxious to sell them on the basis of what the modern advertiser calls strictly commercial prices.