LAKE COUNTY.

Otago Witness, Issue 2252, 29 April 1897, Page 25

LAKE COUNTY.

April 24. — The weather continues so unseasonably warm and fine that there is quite a vigorous growth of tjrass and many vegetable?, promising well for winter food for stock Hat vesting is drawing to a close, only a few crops being still out and stauding. The new season's flour bab found its way into the household and the baker's hand?, and is but little appreciated by either the manipulator or the consumers, and there is plenty of i3lk of people importing their flour from elsewhere. What makes the grievance worse it that the inferior article is also dear, bsing retailed at the fate of £14 per ton, which makes it profitable to buy, say, at Gore and pay freight A kindred anomaly is that an Invercargill fruit-grower advertises apples in sound condition at 2d per lb delivered at Queenstown or Frankton ; but then ours is an ace and a land of anomalies.

Drowning Fatality. — The sad drowning accident at the Head of Lake Wakatipu on Sunday last has cast a gloom over the whole district, and at Glenorchy a ball that was to be held just about the time of its occurrence was postponed, though everything was in readiness. From the evidence taken at tbe coroner* inquiry before Mr S. E. M'Carthy, Warden and S.M. for the district, it appears that three men— Mr R W. Watkins, of Dunedin. Mr James David Aitken, eldest son of Mr and Mrs David Aitken, of Paradise Flat, and Mr Frank Wells — started for a row upen Lake Reid— not here, as previously stated— in an old and unseaworthy catamaran, which suddenly springing a leak, a_ general movement was made to bail it out, causing the frail craft to upset, precipitating the threemen into the water. Lake Reid, it may be explained, in a lagoon-like expansion of Xarnslaw Creek, a short distance below Diamond Lake. As the name implies, the creek comes from Mount Earnslaw, and is fed by one of its principal glaciers, rendering its water so icy cold that it makes danger from cramp imminent. "Watkins, it appears, was able to swim a little, and struck out for the shore and reached shallow •water, but the bottom being muddy, it seems he sank in it, and not being able to extricate himself lost his life Wells, who is a good swimmer, wont to assist Aitkeu, and managed to bring him to the surface twice, but the distance from the .shore being considerable he found it impossible to save him, and as it was found himself completely exhausted upon reaching drj land The greatest sympathy ia felt for Mr and Mrs Aitken in their sad bereavement, their son beine only 17 years of age, and giving promise of h«nnmi'n» a comfort and pride to his

parents, being a fine young fellow of maDy pood points, and liked avd bolovad by all. Mork Mountain Komis.— The Ocrsten-Novis dray road it. nearinp completion, auu will ha another addition to the sorrows of Lake Coun'y Ccuncil. The road, though it doos not touch the permanent suow-line, is, I boiievc, the highest dray road in OUgo, and ■will be a severe trial to the poor beast* that have to travel it B»ll. — The benedicts and spinsters of the Arrow and neighbourhood eutertaiuud the bachelors of their regions liwt evening' at a ball and suppor, which pioved to be a great success, 70 crupies takiug part iv the giandnir.veli, which eventuated punctually at 9 o'clock, and upwards of 20 couples arrived later on, so that over 100 couples took part in the festivities. jAI the airapgemcnts were perfect— the decorations, the music, the floor, the illuminations, the supper, left nothing to be desired, and the ladies in their givat varieties of dresses and colour* excelled all previous occasions in this respect Gladly wouM I give a description of the many beautiful toilettes of the graceful wearers, but I feel quite unequal to the task, and in despair must give up even the attempt to do so. A timely suggestion may, however, be maole in the in' crest of the ladies in lieu of the description of their dresses It U plan that the present Garrison Hall, though 45ft by (JOffc in size, ii getting too small for such parties and an extension is badly wanted for the comfort of the dancers as well as for the proper display of the ladies' costumes. A crowded room affords no opportunity for reviewing ladies' dresses, and here as elsewhere the old saying applies, that distance lends enchantment to the view. No inuendo implied.