OTAKOU.

Otago Witness, Issue 2285, 16 December 1897, Page 50

OTAKOU.

December 13.— 0n Monday evening the cantata " Tina Holy City " was rendered by the united choirs from JJroad Bay, Hooper's Inlet, and Otakou in the Otakou Hall,' under Iho conductorship of Mr Buckingham. A great number of friends journeyed down from Broad Bay and Port Ch timers iv the s.s. On&lotv, which ran a special trip for their convenience. Uic»t praise is duo to Mr Buckingham for his perseverance in bringing the cantata to a buccesiiful issue, as he had uiauy difficulties to contend with. Most of the parts passed tff voiy well, the solos beiui; especially appreciated." After dupeasiug with the good things provided for sti angers and choir all wended their way homeward. On Friday evening the cchcol rhildicn g.ive sv concert in aid of tchool fuuds, and it p;oved a thorough success, neaily everybody being agreeably surprised at the good pro^iamiiw put. before them, us ib must be bornd in mind it was given entirely by childien attending tlits school. The performance '• comprised chorus*. 5 , solos, dialogues, viol>n and j pianoforte selections, and recitations, pome of ; which lectived very hearty encores. The buildiog was crowded, many havibg to stand through the performance. The financial result was no luss [ iile>«siti<-, and from the ni>my kind expressions ! and flittering remaik-s Mr and Mis Hardy received they must have felt their labour and trou le did not, go unrewarded. All seemed uuuniniOuS in their belief thifc it w»i the best, school concert they had ever had the "pleasure of attending, and it speaks well for the talent of tho district. Weather —The- weather is of the most perplexing kind poisible, and you cannot rely on it for a single day. The one thing you may depend on is that it will blow.'fi-om soniuwheie. On Sunday ii'ght, November 28. the rain cam« down in such torrents i list io washed the loose soil from the paddocks and left, deep ruts all tluough the tur- ! nip paddocks. Whore .*tha turnip seed is no one j3.vu tell till it comes Up. The farmers were in ■fiespair, after all the labour aud trouble they hid I gone to iv getting their turnip cropi in, to go out | next m iniiuK and find hull td* soil washed away I and their seed in some other man's property most likely. I dqu't think this locality has bi.ea viiit j d by such a vio'eat downpour brfore, audit is to bs hoped we shall not see such a one again. Cream bry —The local creamery is in full swiug, find 1 hear the farmeis are bringiug in about HOOgal daily, so that keeps things jogging along in that quarter. The farmers ara beginning to find the benefit of the creamery in their midst after having to drag their milk four miles along a soft beach. They had a hard struggle to get one j "down here, but 1 think they are being tepaid for all their trouble and expense.

Holidays —The holidays are just upon us, and I fcuppose we shall be going in for some dissipation?, spending our surplus cash and in other ways having a good time of it.

The annual meeting of the shareholders of the Oamaru Woollen Factory was held ou Monday, when a dividend of i per cent, for the half year w»s carriad, m»king 8 per cent, for the year. The retiring director* were re-elected.

A well-known nurseryman at Ashbuiton, who for over 20 years Las been able to supply large quantities of delicious strawberries, has informed his clients that owing to the absence of anything approaching sufficient rains the whol9 of bis crop haa proved an utler failure.

Mrs H. J. Milln, of Greymoutb, is offericg to build a to Tvn hall tit that place for the Borough Council. The coal; of the building, if » wooden one, would be £5*60, and £7280 if built in brick ; the payments to be made to her in 26 instalments of £210 each for the former, and £280 if a brick edifice were decided upon.

The ordinary train arrangements will be suspended on Christmas Day as usual. A train will leave for Oaoiara and intervening stations at 9 a.m., leaving Oauoaru on th<) return journey at 2.45 p.m., and arriving at Dunedin at 7.55. The 8 a.m. train will run to Balclutba ; the 4 10 p.m. B&lciufcba to Dunedin ; the 11.40 a.m. B*lclnth* to Cl : nton ; the 2.15 p.m. Clinton to Balclutha ; the express trains between Duaedin and Invercargill ; a train will leave Balclutha for Dunedin at 7.23 a.m., arriving Dunedin 10.50 a.m. ; the 10.0 a.m. Invercargill to Clinton ; the 1.4-6 p m. Clinton to Invercargill ; the 10.48 a.m. JLumsden to Gore ; tho 1.47 p.m. Gore to Lumsden ; the 8.45 a.m. Kingston to Lumsden ; the 4 10 p.m. Lumsden to Kingston ; the 9.35 am. Invercargill to Orepuki ; the 2.20 p.m. Orepuki to lavercargill ; all goods traffic will be suspended.