SOUTHLAND NEWS NOTES.

Otago Witness, Volume 30, Issue 2353, 30 March 1899, Page 34

SOUTHLAND NEWS NOTES.

(Fbom Our Owk Correspondent.)

INVERCARGILL, March 28.

% With the --exception of a heavy shower on Thursday hight, capital, harvesting weather has continued during the week,* and with the aid of a favourable moon, farmers have been working very long hours. A few farmers are already carting their grain to the railway stations, having threshed out of stook. Threshing mills are busy everywhere threshing, some out of stack and others out of stook. Going from "Wallacetown to Otautau - the other day by road, I noticed on at least a dozen different farms men busy thatching, the owners of the grain evidently not being satisfied with present prices, and preparing to hold on through the winter.

The oat market has not changed since my last report, and grain merchants now hold out more .hopeful news about the price of primesamples keeping over the shilling. The wheat market has not yet really commenced, but millers are nibbling away at small lines coming forward at 2s f.o.b. country sidings, sacks in, for really prime milling wheat. Old" chaff ib lard to obtain, and buyers arc giving from 45s to 50s. This season's will not open at more than 40s. , Potatoes are firm at 40s,- the Derwent crop just coming in, and onions are selling freely at from £6 to £6 10s, according to quality

Despite the large number of sheep that have been taken away north to* be turned into !' prime Canterbury," our papers are full of advertise-, jments of laTge sa:es of sbeep. The supply of cheep in Southland seem inexhaustible; but ;mo doubt the abundance of feed everywhere in our district this year is chiefly responsible for the high {prices going. Cattle are still in demand, but pigs are much cheaper than they .were. ' f I It is Teported that Mr Robert Clippies, un"doubtedly the best-known dealer in Southland? has sold - his Terrace and Strathmore farms, . iiear Otautau, to Messrs Drabble Brothers. The price is reported to be JE3200 for the land and .improvements. . •" The Hon. J. G-. Ward is to address his constituents; at Winton next Tuesday night, in Moore's Hall. Afto. y the address he is to be by his friends. On Wednesday :3i6: 3i6 drives across to Otautau, and jhen on to 'Clifden, to open the new bridge ir the afternoon.

It is rumoured hero by people who ought to know that Mr J. W. Kelly will not contest the •Invercargill seat at the forthcoming election; Tjjit will retire in favour of Mr J. E. Watson. Mr A. J. Hanan is definitely out, and will be a supporter of the present Government. Mr Halliday, a well-to-do farmer at Roslyn Bush, is also mentioned as a Government-candidate. '

-Mt J. " M'Kenzie Henry, formerly of Dunedin, but now resident secretary to the -Mutual Life Association of Australasia in Sydney, has been over on a visit to Otago and "Southland for a. fortnight. He returns via Melbourne by the Tarawera to-day. On Thursday, the anniversary of the province, two of our bank managers went for a .bicycle spin as far as Greenhills to put in their •holiday. After reaching Greenhills they put ,yp their bicycles and took a stroll in the bush jlor a couple of hours. One of them, knowing « short way out, persuaded the other to follow ,ihim, and making a mistake, or rather sundry fcnistakes, in bis endeavour to reach the edge of Hhe bush, his companion got tired of following him, and said he was going to stay there for a while. Dusk soon came ou them, -and Jthere was*nothing for it but to make themselves &s comfortable as they could for the night. •Unfortunately tor them, very heavy rain fell , 'during the night. At daybreak next morning they. .made another effort, and this time a successful one, to reach the open, and catching the 'first train from Greenhills, they reached home with the 1899- anniversary of Otago deeply impressed on their minds and their"clolhes. About 260 persons availed themselves of the invitation ' of the owners of "the" s.s. Rimu'for A run across the straits to Halfmoon Bay. 'Amongst those on board I noticed his Worship •the Mayor, Mi J. Stead, and Councillors Allen, ■•M'Kellar, M'Farlane, Rose, and Goldie ; Messrs ,T. Broderick, G. W. Nicol, J. C. Ellis, ;G. C. Tothill, G. G. Burnes, I. W. Raymond, "J.A. Hanan, W. J. Moffott, Robert Gilmour, F. Joyce, J. W. Wilkin, N. Johnston, It. Dun3pp, R. Cleare, A. Cross, "W. Lewis, Wm. Young <(town clerk), C. Clare (harbour master), D. 'Johnston (H.M. Customs), J. Fleming, C. J. Broad, G." T. Smyth, W. Howes, J. E. Hawkins, D. Strang, W. J. Mitchell, H. Hawson, H. S. Kyle, Captain M'Lean, and many others. Leaving the jetty at Invercargill at half-past 10, a three hours' run across the strait, which was very calm, brought th. steamer into Halfmoon Bay, where hei passengers had an hour on shore. Coming back, -several complimentary speeches were made from -the bridge to the owners, Messrs A. B. Campbell, Keith Ramsay, and Captain Sundstrum, on tlu.r latest addition to their fleet. Three hearty cheers -were also given for Miss Campbell, who had ably filled the position of hostess during the day and had looked after her guests in a right royal manner. Refreshments were provided on board, and a good band, under Lieutenant Siddall, discoursed music at periods throughout the day. The Kimu landed her passengers at the Bluff in time for them tc catch the last train home that night. The Southern Cross says that the borough of Winton is contemplating the borrowing of j£lsoo for municipal improvements. A Bluff oyster merchant had, it is underltood, to throw away 1500 dozen oysters the Dther day, there being no sale for them. Oysters this yeax are in splendid condition, and it is a pity there are no facilities for canning At the port. The Winton School is closed owing to an outbreak of meaaleV Some of the children in the township" have .had very severe attacks. . Measles are prevalent in several .other districts in Southland also at .present. _ The building trade i» v«a bttflj itt Invtrcar-

,gill at present. Besides extensive' alterations in several of our big business buildings being carried on, two new warehouses are to be built shortly. Messrs Mackerras and Hazlett are going to build in Esk street and Messrs J. H. Kirk and. Co. in Don street. The National Bank's new building is nearly completed, and I understand that the U.S.S. Company are going into the offices on the ground floor. Messrs Herbert, Haynes, and Co. have also added a large addition to their already big building. The Southern Cross of Saturday reports that a disgusting outrage was discovered at Tisbury school on Sunday last, when Mr Boxall, chairman of the committee, was making a' round of inspection. He found that the lavatories had been entered, and the interiors smeared with night soil. Information was given to the pclice, with the result that suspicion fastened on a lad in the vicinity. On being interrogated, he confessed his guilt, and implicated four or five others, who will receive police attention in due .course. We hope no mistaken leniency will be show in this case, such conduct meriting the infliction of severe corporal punishment rather than imprisonment.

The charges referred to in my last letter against six young men were the cause of another case before the bench this morning, when Sergeant Macdonnell proceeded against the woman Norman for being a vagrant. Luckily for a number of young men who have lately been termed the '" syndicate " she pleaded guilty, or otherwise the sergeant intendedf-calling about 24 of them as witnesses. As.seveTftl of Ahem are married men jn good positions in Invercargill, this might have been an awkward situation for them to have found themselves -^in. The court has been very busy, since my "last letter hearing sundry charges of sly grog-selling. The chief conviction was that of Fanny Hall, who was found guilty on two charges and was sentenced to six months' imprisonment on one charge " and ordered to come up for sentence when called upon on the other. * All the volunteer corps are very busy at present getting ready for the Easter encampment, and I understand that there ;tdll be about 160 men leaving here by Thursday night's special train.

The chief attractions for 1 Easter in Southland are cycle sports on the Union ground on Good Friday and the Biverton Races on Monday and Tuesday.

SOUTHLAND SPORTING NOTES.

I bear the Riverton Club had to ask their handicapper, Mr Brunton, to raise the weights 2st all round in the Farmers' Plate. This makes the minimum lOst, and even then owners will have a difficulty in obtaining gentlemen riders to ride at the weights. The steeplechase course looks very well and big, the gorse fences having been well taken care of during the spring. I notice a new post and rail has been put up in front of the gorse fence going out of the course proper. Generally speaking, , the country this year will keep up its reputation as being second to none in the colony.

W. Brown's Nimblefoot, by May King, has finished his raoing career, I am afraid. For some time he has been under suspicion of suffering from chest founder,' and since his race at Wairio the suspicion has developed -into a certainty.

•M'Kay has Seabreak in gTeat form, and all the Riverton people are very sweet on his' chances for the steeplechase treble. The entries for the Maiden Hurdles and Steeplechase close to-night, and in cither-race I don't think the entries will exceed the half dozen. Of the local maidbri hurdlers I fancy Loch 1 Sloy is a bjfc above, tho olhfers. In the Maiden Steeplechase I think Stabrcak, on' his' recent form, must win. The Handicap looks a good thing foi Ellis Bros." nomination on Dunedin unuing, Battlefield being the only horse likely to trouble him. In the Open Steeplechase Peter Simple should record his third consecutive win. St. Patrick, if well, should acccunt for tho Flying Handicap, but may go down before Ellis's selected. In the Hack Race and Farmers' Plate Doubtless should win a double. Given fine weather, the meeting should be a very enjoyable one, despite the alleged poor handicapping. I hear it rumoured that Lawson intends returning to Winton, as he finds the officials of the local club do not give the matter of the training track enough consideration. Tho following are some weights that Mr Kennedy adjusted for the first day's racing at Riverton. In comparison with Mr Brunton's weights they are interesting, and would have found more favour with owners had he raised the minimum all Lhiough to 7.7, when they would have been able to get boys to ride without putting up overweight: — District Hack Race.— Doubtless 9.0, Wanganui 9.0, Musket 8.10, Briny Breeze 8.4, Seadrift 8.0. Open Steeplechase. — Peter Simple 11.3, Outram 10.12, Cynosure 10.7, Huntsman 10.4, Patchwork 10.2, Seabreak 9.13, Readleap 9.7. Farmers' Plate. Doubtless 11.7, Cynosure -11.0, Seadrift 10.7, Wee John 10.T, Kingsman 10.5, Metz 10.5, Tidalwave 10.0. Riverton Handicap.— Glenelg 9.0, Battlefield 8.12, Jupiter <8.7, Seabreeze 7.6, Puru 7.0, Lady Lorraine 7.0. Flying Handicap.— Barmby 9.5, Sparrow 8.7, Jupiter 8.5, Hipponous 8.2, Dilemma. 7.13, Senior Wrangler 7.10, St. Patrick 7.5, Falcon \.2, Briny Breeze and Tossy 7.0, Paru and Red Robin 6.12, Professor 6.10, Molly Mulloney and Loch Sloy 6.7^

concerts, aided by his pupils, at an early date. I' hear some of the pupils are already in training, so I presume we shall not have long to w%it for the concert. I see the Black family are advertised for the Garrison Hall in Dunedin on Good Friday. This, I think, will be iheir fust appearance in Dunedin.

f end of happiness. An adjournment was mads to Mr W. Allan's house close by to celebrate the event in the usual manner, after which the 1 party left for Clyde, going as far as Cromwell with Mr and Mrs A. G. Thomson, the whole party receiving many congratulations en route.