DRUMMOND.

Otago Witness, Issue 2289, 13 January 1898, Page 25

DRUMMOND.

January B.— The Christmas and New Year festivities, which in many pla-ces mean a great deal of excitement and a certain amount of dissipation, were got over very quietly here, tho most of the inhabitants being in the arms of Morpheus instead of sitting up to see the old year take his departure and to usher in the new.

Picnic— The annual picnic in connection with the Drummond School was held in the school grounds. There was a large turn-out of parents, friends, and residents, and it is needless to say that the children mustered in full force. A large and varied piogramme of sports wan gone through, the teacher and committee exerting themselves indefatigably in their efforts to amuse and entertain. The children engaged in the sports with great spirit, every event being keenly contested, and for which prizes of money, books, aud toys were awarded. The weather was all that could be desired, and everybody— old and young— left for home a short time before dusk evidently well plea-ed with the day's outing. Although ostensibly a children's picnic, the interest taken in the event by all the residents was evinced by the fact that there were nearly 300 people altogether on the ground, and about £9 was subscribed by parents and otheis for prizes, the "money being collected by Masters J. Lindsay, Murdoch, J. Blanche, and Mackintosh, and for which they were each awarded a special prize. The committee having provided several pounds' worth pi eatables, Mrs Duncan — a lady who is always in great demand on such festive occasions— ministered very assiduously to the wants oi the inner man with sandwiches, cakes, tea, *c. Railway Extension —A strong deputation ol farmers and otbeisfiom Drummond, Limestone Plains, and Heddon Bnsh waited at the lastnami d placd on the Hon. Mr Hall-Jones, Minister for Public Works, anent the proposed Wright's Bush to Heddon Bush railway. On the deputation making it clear to the Minister that the rail" way was a very necessary work — one of the easiest to make and the surest to pay in the country, the proposed route being through 20 miles of very fertile, level land, with no rivers to eross — he promised to do all he could when the matter came 'up for consideration, and in the meantime Mr Übsher, chief engineer for railways iv Southland, will shortly go over the proposed route and make sn estimate of cost, etc. After a vote of thanks had bevn accorded the Minister for his courtesy during the interview the deputation withdrew,

Weather ,akd Chops -Tha weather heie is itill very unsettled and very unseasonable. We have had, however, some very warm days, and I think a good few will agree with me when I say that the last day of the year just gone was one of the war/meet we have ever experienced in thia part of the country. The crops, although very late, are looking well, and the orchards all ovei this year promise an abundant harvest of al l kinds of fruit — I mean, of course, all kin'lti oi fiuitgtowu in ths district, such as applet', pe*rs, pUnas, peaches, and small fruit The shearing is nearly all over in this district now, and the moit of the wool either sold locally, sent to town to be sold there, or stored for export to the old country, the pi ices offered heie at present not being very tempting. Some of the farmers still have turnips to sow, but if we happen to get more rain than we had last month the late ones, as is very often the case, may be the best.