DIPTON.

Otago Witness, Issue 2272, 16 September 1897, Page 25

DIPTON.

September 13. — 0 ; n I'ttle township his been exceedingly quiet of late. The farming community are all busy getting: iu-th&r crops, atid consequently their visits to Ihe towu*h,ip are few and far between, and made only through pure necessity. To make matters worse, a goodly percentage of the tovvnfolks themselves are laid up ■with irjflueoza, the effect, I have no doubt, of a prevalence of keen easterly winds— a wind that blows nobody any good. Accident. — On the 7th inst. Mr Miller's horse bolted from the railway station just as the morn.* ing train from Invercargill was coming iv, and in taking the turn over the new railway crossing the cart was £ mashed against a telegraph post. Obstuary.— Another old and respected resident, Mr John Jackson, passed away on the 7th inst., and was interred on the 10th.. The Rev. Mr W. Brown officiated at the grave. The deceased gentleman was only 47 years of age, but h.»d been, suffering off and on for a long time from a complication of diseases ; but with the exception of short spells when he was actually forced to lie up, he managed to go about his a pupation atid was getting his farm into good shape and form. He leaves a widow and young family, who, I am sure, have the heartfelt sympathy of the whole of the district

Improvements.— l see Mr M. Menzies has had another wing addpd to hi* residence preparatory to bis return with his bride, which latter will pot, howevtr. be for a while yet, as I believe he visits Ceylon before returning. Dairy Factory. — The annual meeting of shareholders of the Oreti Dairy Factory was held in the .hall , on the ll.th insfc. Mr*R. D. MacLichlan, chairman of directors, " read the report and balance sheet, which w«re unanimously adopted. The latter showed a profit of £52 12s lid, which it was decided ' should be carried forward to next year. The supply of milk was 35,16'ga1, which produced 35,9341b of cheese. All the directors retain their s^ati for another year. Mr R. F. Cuthbertson was elected auditor for the ensuing year, and the lecond S*turt?ay in September, 18P8, fixed for the next annual meeting. I believe the directors have secured the services of their old manager, Mr James Taylor, for the coming season, and they hope to begin operations early next month. Social Club — The only amusement we have had during the past winter has been the Dipton. Social Club, which numerically and financially is pretty strong, and is likely to run for another month or six weeks.

JTootbali,. — This sport has been somewhat in evidence with our schoolboys of late. Probably an impetus has been eiven to it from the fact of two of our old schoolboys, Purdue and "Whitaker, being included in the Southland team playing in the interprovincial matches. Our boys, however, were taken down a peg on ths 11th itmt., when they went up and played the Luuuden lads, and lost the game by It points to nil. Presentation.— On the 17th ult. Mr R. B. Ross, who has been stationmaster here for over nine years, left for Te "Aroha, NoT-th Island. A few of his friends arranged a meeting with him on the 14th and presented him witli a collection of silverware, which -waß both valuable and useful, and as Mr Whitaker, who made the presentation, remarked, it took tYiat form with a dual object, being a token of re*pectr-«nd este*m for both Mr and Mrs Ross Mr Ross made a suitable reply, and m»ny kind things were said by several speakers and endorsed by all. A pleasant evening was i-pent, and all wished the guest of the evening and his wife and family bon- voyage. We have since heard of their safe, arrival at their destination^ and that the people of Te" Aroha consi«lai they will be an acqui«i>Jon'to their district. Of th'i«J[ am quite sure; for I speak whereof I know. Mr Rassmussen, who takes Mr Ross's place here. | is a quiet, obliging man, and it would be well if • the service had more like htm in it.