ROUGH RIDGE.

Otago Witness, Issue 2299, 24 March 1898, Page 28

ROUGH RIDGE.

March 14. — Them is still 11 > sign of the longcontinued drought breaking np, aud it seems ages since the labt fall of rain. A few mora week* of the same weather aud we shall be lilo the Ploridan — dry up and blow away. Stock are now beginniDg to feel the want of water, as also of fßed, and at present the outlook for the winter is gloomy inalebd. Most, of the ciops are now in the stack, and, taken on the whole, are considerably better Thau last year, there beinj just about enough for local reouirementß. "Wedding.— Mr William IX. Tillick has lately joined tha ranks of the benedicts, having on the s:4th of last month taken unto himself as partner for lifts An.nie, eldest daughter of Mr C'.lin Thorn, of Wedderburn. After a. fortnight's trip the happy couple returned to their borne at tho Swamp on the Bth inst. May they have a lon~ and prosperous union i.s the wish of all their fiiendt and acquahitarc?.- 1 . The School.— Tbe attendance is keeping up well, notwithstanding it 1 eiDg the busy season of tha year. I regret to hear that the sewing ills', luction has bean at a, standstill for over a month now. A new appointment hss been made, but for some inexplicable reason no woik han been carried on. The Sunday school, too, which is conducted by Mr RawH.-ison, hiv be^n poorl/ attended S'nce the New Year This is a gre^t pit\, a» Mr liawlinson has baun very generous in providing book?, cards, and tickets for the children. Bunny —I think the pe&t is not nearly so numerous as in the pi^t yeai\ They continue, ho-vever, to be petty formidable, and vere trapping and pillard-poisoniijg not keot up would so 11 be a^ bid as they wer* at hoy time, 'ihe establishment cf n lab^it facbory at Kvveburnwul ba the means of giving a number <if rabbiters better remuneration fo.- their labours than they can get at the voijenin^.

Piscatorial.— Tue long spell of dry weather has

', been the means of almost annihilating the trout jiu the Vdi'i .us etieams. On the Idaburn, Little ! Idaburn, and Hill » Creek hundred's of dead fish i are to be seen, aud in the dam belonging to the Ida Valley flour mills not oue live fish is to be teen ffhfie lvfore there were hundreds. Seuvice. — I hear that the Rev. James Gellie inttsndii to hold s^ivtce here on the 27th inst. Temous omnia reivlit.