WEATHERSTONES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2310, 9 June 1898, Page 25

WEATHERSTONES.

June 6. — There died in the TJawren.ee hospital lately ~W.m. -Ferguson, 'better lenown as "Fatty" Fergu&ou. He was .a quiet and good-natured Irishman., and I think the heaviest man in Tuapeks, if not 'in Otago. ,Some years ago "Fatty" was in company with other two men — Mr T., a'business man in Lawrence, and Jack Gh, a miner — both Irishmen. Mr T. asked Jack his weight, and he told him list 101b. Mr T. bet G. that '"Fatty" was twice as heavy. G. would not take it. Mr T. asked "' Fatty " if he was willing to be weighed. " By gobs, yeß !" saidihe, "and Til give him three stone as well." Jack took ,the -bet, and lost, for " Fatty " could have given him .over sst .above his double weight.

Bunny. — The rabbits are getting scarce, or else the weather has been against trapping lately. Mr J. B. Thompson has only been able to send , away from Mto 40 cases '(of 24 each) a day. In the Hon. J. M'KsnJtie's speech at Palmeraton he said that at Tnapcka he was 'shown -a truck with 12,000 rabbits, and he said that 1000 sheep were of ntore profit. No doubt they aire to the owners, but how much employment would an owner of ] 1000 .sheep give to the labouring classes in comparison to What the J2.000 -rabbits would do? And how much of the sheep do the poor get in the ' parts where the rabbits go. There ars runholders in the Tuapeka County who hold thousands of i acreß p.nd own .thousands qf .sheep, who give little ,| or no employment, except at shearing time, or

when .forced by the inspector to .put.onjabbiters. And they would not do the last if they 'were not I afraid of the law.

Weather —The weather during the past three weeks has been changeable— not one week alike. In the week ending May 21 there was'little or no ] rain ; it was nearly calm, with some frosfcy j mornings, and dull or cloudy at times. The following 'week came in with f ro^t, and in -the-af ter- i ! noon there was a hard squall from S.W — only wind at first, which was soon followed 'by heavy rain. Eafly on the morning of the 21th there . came a squall of wind from N.W. The following night there were snow showers, and on'the.2Bth it was rough and snowing all day. On the fol- . lowing day there were snow and rain showers. ! Up to the week ending June 4 ir has been fine, j except on the 3r>', <vb?n there were » few light > f-hnwers. Aft*r -ivs : s~cera frosts and calm days j prevailed. The .o*v3st readings of the thermometer were 29de« at 7 am. on 'the 31st ult. au<i j 2Sdeg at 8.30 a r.i oa the 4th inst, ; the'highesr j G6t'eg at noon of Miy 33th. Rainfall for .M«y, '2 55in.