DRUMMOND

Otago Witness, Issue 2299, 24 March 1898, Page 29

DRUMMOND

March 11. — The anage that " everything conies to him who vaits " is being verified here as regards the \ve_atlier. After Inns; waiting w? ara now revelling i?< r.h« best harvest- wtather anyone could desire, eai nestJy wishing the while that it may continue for-! week or two at least. It is somewhat difll -alt to state at what stage the harvest ia hete thU year, the crops being very irregular— in fact, fioin oats which have hardly changed their colour to stoolcs and stacks. Messrs Carmichael, of Gladfield, are the first for tha season in the distiict to get some stacks up and secuiely thatched. Taking a radius of five miles and striking an average, as it were, I thiuk I may say that harvest work in the district is general. Stock I?ale.— At the Druiumond Salcyards on Thursday the usual monthly sale was held. It was poorly attended, very few shesp and no cattle coming forward, and ss buyers were conspicuous by their absence ha idly any sales were effected. School -1 b ;lieve the Drummond School is to be closed at the end of this week for four weeks' harvest holid&y 1-.1 -'. I observe that the committee 1 are erected a swing ami pome other sort of acrobatic or gymujisuc arrangement, and whoever originated the ides, whether the teacber or some of the committee, they merit the hearty gratitude of the children, as besides being good exercise for their muscles, etc , it s-eems, to judge from a distance, and by the way they go at it, to cause them intense pleasure to swing round in all soits of positions and at gieat fepeed. To see tlie advantages nowadays in the shape of aids to learning, as well as facilities for recreation anil amusement, compared with what obtained a quarter of a century ago, one is inclined to exclaim in the words ot the old Scotch son?, " Ihings werna l.ke this in the days o' lang syna." Ecclesiastical.— l am very sorry to have to say that the Key. A A^licroft, We^leyan minister for the Rivertoa charge, and who preaches here once a fortnight, has got marching orders. Mr Ashcroft is well liked, and it was the general wish that be -hould at ay another year or two, but the "powers that be" ruled otherwise, and he is to be transferred, I hear, to a I 'unedin charge. The Rev. Mr Burrows succeeds Mr A&hcroft at Riverton.