OTARIA.

Otago Witness, Issue 2202, 14 May 1896, Page 31

OTARIA.

May 7. — The threshing mills have just about finished for the season, and the mill-owners tell me, and they should be a reliable authority, that nowhere have the cropß turned out wall this year. This seems to be the general complaint over all Southland. No doubt this is to be attributed to the lone prevailing cold east winds we experienced during tho summer months — indeed, it might be said we had no summer to speak of. The turnip crops are also below par, being m thing like the crops wu have had in former seas >ns.

Ecclesiastical —Mr Neave, a member of the Society of Friends, commonly called Quakors, held' service at the Kaiw.ra School on the 27th ult. There was a good attendanca, and his simple yet interesting address was much appreciated. He gave a lecture the following Monday evening at the same plsc c on his travel* through Russia among the Stuudiats. There was again a good attendance. Mr Neave was listened to very attentively throughout, and at the conclusion a hearty vote of thanks was pained to the speaker on the i motion of Mr J. Bowmar. Mr John Clements was in the chair.

ATiirilling Experiences,— A runaway threshing mill is not a usual occurrence, but such a thing happened on a small scale in this district to the Messrs Trui-slerV mill. It wai descending a steep cu'tinff, which was very slippery after the recant heavy rain?, aud before th« brake could be applied the eight horses cleaied for their lives. The driver in charge of the leaders, Mr D. Purvis, was pulled clean off his feet, and fell and sprained his thumb. Mr S. Truesler, who was on top of the mill driving the shafter*, had a thrilling time of it. Fortunately they negotiated the ford all right and ran into a Btubble paddock, where they were soon stopped, without anything more serious happening.