LAKE COUNTY.

Otago Witness, Issue 2210, 9 July 1896, Page 25

LAKE COUNTY.

July i.— lt appears as if our winter weather had gone astray, for the finest of fine weather, ' minus some ominous and threatening looking days, lias so far been our lob. If snow, aud plenty of it, does not come soon, there will be a dearth of water for shiiciug and motive power next year. > . How We Grow.— Yesterday was, a eala. day -at the Crown Terrace. The eveufc Vaa the opening of the new tchoolhouse. For years past agitation, has been on fo.lt for such an innovation, ' which has al *'»ys proved futile until the settlers combined and built a' schoolhouss costing £100 by subscription raised among themselves. To c?lobratethe opening, a, concert and ball was arranged for last night, and it turned out ono of the most .pleasant and enjoyable affairs ever held in this district. It is estimited that there were not far i Ehort of 200 peo;>le present, some coming from long I distances. Mr W. M'Kibbin's barn was the scene I of the festivii ies, and was tastefully decorated with artistic designs of a pleasing nature. The singing was excellent, aud the more substantial provender for the inner man as varied as it was abundant ; in fact, it was provided in cartloads. Dancing was kept up till early moruiug, and everybody enjoyed himself and hercelf to their hearts' conteut. The Crown Terrace people believe in doing things in a complete and thorough manner, and the late fete was another proof of how they do it. Alpine Wonders —It is not an altogether uncommon occurience for avalanches of ice and snow to temporarily block tolerably large rivers until the water finds its way through them at the bottom, excavating tunnels of sizes in proportion to the volume of the current and of the avalanche. One such tunnel or gateway was formed in 1878, during»the severe weather of that year, in the right-hand branch (geigraphically speaking) of the Matatapu River, and is still extant. The avalanche has been transformed into amass of solid, clear ice, and in the roof of the tunnel are to bo seen immense blocks of rock held as it were in suspension. At ordinary times when the river is low there are beaches in the tunnel which afford an easy passage for foot travellers ThU natural freak has been recalled to mmd by an article in a recent i?sue of the Witness on " West Coast Mysteries." 'jhe Coming Election.— Although we are not thejnost populous electorate in New Zealand, our roll of voters had been put in tha hand of the printer. There are signs that the new roll will not be so large a one as any of its predecessors, as 1260 persons who did not vote last election are struck off, and from the iemajnder further deductions will have to be made tor deaths and other departures.