SOUTHLAND NEWS NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2355, 13 April 1899, Page 34

SOUTHLAND NEWS NOTES.

(Fhom Our Own Cohbespondent.) INVERCARGILL, April 1L The spell of capita l harvest weather that Southland has been experiencing for the past month has broken at last. Fine weather prevailed during the holidays, and then it broke, Tuesday and Wednesday being dull, threatening days, with a Little rain, but the real thing in the way of rain did not come until Sunday night and last night, when the downpour was very heavy. Heavier rain must have fallen up country last week, for the Oreti.and Aparima Rivers were slightly discoloured oh. Friday and Saturday. There ib not a great deal of grain out in Southland now, but what is still out, and in a few places Btill uncut, will be difficult to get in in first-class order. Mr H. T. Turner reports the rainfall at Gladstone for March to be 2.£6 inches on 11 days, compared with 3.94 inches on 13 days in March 1898. The- grain market has not altered much since last week, oats being practically the same, and farmers show a disposition to sell so long as the price does not come below 13d. In wheat there has been a slight rise, and milltrs arc now giving equal to 2s 3d at country sidings for first-class samples. Full particulars of the Southland grain market will be found in tho Commercial News now that the grain season has commenced again. The auctioneers of Southland have had a good time of it lately selling up properties and Dig yardings of stock. On Saturday Messrs Wright, Stephenson and Co. offered Waicola, a property belonging to the Now Zealand Mortgage and Investment Association, in eighteen lots. The total area was 6977 acres, and of this sixteen lots, containing 6535 acres, found purchasers at prices ranging from 12s 6d per acre io SA 9s. In nearly every case the>price realised was well above the upset, and in several cases over a pound an acre above it. In consequence of this sale a large clearing sale is to be held at the homestead next Tuesday, full particulars of which will be found in the Witness advertising columns. On Friday the annual ram fair was held in the Wa-llacetown yards, and was certainly one of tho poorest held for some years. The top price obtained was for a choice 4-tooth Lincoln ram bred by and sold on account of Mr J. B. Sutton, which changed hands at 15gs. Other prices ranged from about 6gs down to half a guinea, a very large j>roportion of the entries being not sold. Tho yardings of sheep at the country yards continue to be very large, and good prices are obtainable for forward stores and breeding ewes. The following comparisons show the grain carried on the Southland section of the railways for the first five weeks of this and last year • —

I have it on the best authority — in fact, from Mr J. E. Watson himself — that the rumour that lie intends standing for Invercargill in the Opposition interest at the coming election is entirely unfounded, and that at no time did he aver contemplate such a step. I have heard Mr J. "Walker Bain's name mentioned as the probable man on that side; but I think when the time comes we shall see the present member again standing. Mr J. Sinclair has already announced himseli as a candidate, and will support the present Government. The recently-appointed organiser to the Liberal party was in Invercargill last week, but I have not yet heard the result of his visit. The Southland "iTewß Bays: — "It is rumoured that a stiong supporter of the ' bare majority ' .will be a candidate for the Invercargill seat at the coming general election." The Hon. J. G. "Ward, accompanied by Mrs "Ward, left Invercargill for tho north by yesterday's express. Referring to the member for "Wallace the 'News says:— "That Mr M. Gilfedder, M.H.R. for Wallace, is energetic iB well confirmed. lie spent last Monday at Riverton, on Tuesday received several deputatio: « from different parts of the electorate, and <mded the WiViton meeting in the evening. On Wednesday he visited Otautau, took part in tho opening of the Waiau bridge, was chipf guest at the banquet at night, and on Thursday morning set out for Preservation Inlet by the overland track. The Standard is responsible for the following paragraph: — The mayor of a certain southern town, which shall be nameless, distinguished himself by makiDg a valuable suggestion at the local borough council table the other night. Ono of the councillors had suggested the purchase of a gondola for use on the artificial water in the public park of the place. " While we are about it," said his Worship, " we might as \^ll 'aye two of 'cm — and let 'em breed." Mr James Baker, of Gladstone, found a black pearl of considerable pi?e in a cockle taken from the New River Heads one day last week. A station master has been appointed to the Balfour railway station, and Mr Robert Grant, who has for a number of years acted as caretaker, will now relinquish the position. The committee of the Gore A. and P. Associatio»»have decided to hold their annual winter show on May 31 and June 1. It has been decided to include the field turnip compctitiorf in the winter show catalogue. Writing of the meat works at Croydon, the Southern Standard says: — Some time ago Mr Inglis sent an experimental consignment of tongues and similar dainties to Cape Colony. They were well received there, but though they brought about twice as high a price as they did on the London market, it was found that, owing tc a steamship monopoly from Australia to the Cape, the freight was too high to make the venture profitable. Indeed, strange though it may read, i* would be ch-eaper to send goods first to London and then to the Cape than to send them direct. Mr Inglis, however, is still

of the opinion that the Cape market can be secured, and he intends to make another"bid for it.

The local Poultry and Dog Association have decided to hold their annual show on the 9th and 10th August A suggestion that the dog show should be held in a separate building was held over.

At a meeting of the Southland Education Board on Friday Mr W. Macalister was elected chairman for the ensuing year. Mr Baldey, the retiring chairman, was thanked for his past services in that capacity. It was decided to place on record the board's appreciation of the active and painstaking services rendered by Mr J. Walker Bain, and their regret that circumstances had necessitated his retirement from an office which he had filled with fidelity and wisdom for so many years. Contracts amounting to about £450 were let, and a number of appointments were made.

At the end of last year there were 149 schools in operation in the educational district of Southland. Of these 15 registered an average attendance of less than 15 pupils; 14 of over 15 and under 20; 18 of over 20 and under 25; 57 had over 25, but under 50 pupils in attendance. More than 70 per cent, of the schools in the district are either below or just over the self-supporting limit, and can only be kept in existence out of the surplus that is earned from the town schools.

I have much pleasure in congratulating SubInspector Macdonell on his promotion. He has made his presence felt in Invercargill, and no doubt in Wellington he will make things lively for the larrikins.

There are at present 24 prisoners in the local gaol, 14 of whom are engaged in outside work. The adjourned inquest on tho body of the boy Fox found dead in the water near the jetty at Te Oneroa was held on Sunday, when the jury brought in a verdict " that the deceased came to his death at Te Oneroa on the 10th MaTch, 1699, and was found in the water on tho 12th March, 1899, with his neck broken, which was the cause of death, but how the neck was broken, or how the body got into the water, there is no evidence to show."

MINING NEWS

. During tho past fortnight very little has been^j done in mining shares, but now that the Easter | holidays are at an end, wo may expect things to move again. The return from the Morning Star (brought up by last steamer from Preser- \ vation Inlet) was 1660z 13dwt retorted gold from 383 tons stone crashed, valued at j£67o, for 20 working days, and the prospects are said j to be improving. " | Later news states that the battery is now ' being driven by water power, of which they have a plentiful supply, owing to the recent acceptable rain. This will mean a considerable saving*j>l expense in working the mine, as the cost of shipping- cotil round from Greymouth or Westport is a heavy item. The Tarawera Company report having struck a large body of payable mineral some 50ft be- j low sea level, and the claim is now perfectly dry working, owing to the excellent manner in which the new pump is now working, and there is no fear of its not being able to keep the claim free from any surplus water that may accumulate. "The body of mineral is making towards the high country, and is widening out as it is being driven into. I

Traces of peacock ore are Baid to have been discovered, and it is anticipated that the many valuable minerals existing in the lode will leave a handsome profit, after being sent to [ smelting works ,aij Home or on the Continent. • The Cuttle ,Cove Company are now driving on the reef in tho Lizard Claim, and have strxick tome very rich stone, five tons of which arc to j bo crushed at one of the local batteries as a test sample. The reef is reported to be v.-ideniug out as | it is being driven into, therefore is' is expected that a permanent body of stone will be found to exist, and if it should only prove as good as the rough sample of 50lb lately sent up, which averaged 2oz 3dwt to the ton, it will pay -well. The Golden Site claim s-ent up a small cako of 270z 15dwt retorted gold, value £109, from 166 ton 3 stone, for 10 days' crushing.

A small parcel of beautiful red. coral was lately sent up to me from Preservation Inlet, but unfortunately it was much broken owing to insecure packing, or rather no packing at all. This was a great pity, as I think it in the first reel coral proved to exist in New Zealand, particularly in the South Island, where the temperature of the sea is supposed to be very low. Coral is said not to form under 66deg, therefore there must be a warm undorcurrent existing in these West Coast Sounds. Tha Stewart Island tin fieldis to have another chance of proving if there are really payable deposits of tin, or a lode, existing upon it, as an Edinburgh syndicate are sending out an expert to examine and report Tipon the groimd. Many people assert it was thoroughly prospected. The dredging ground is being pegged out all sound Southland, and several claims have been taken up not 50 miles from Invercargill, some showing prospects going over ldwt to the load. I was shown lately some nice Bhotty gold obtained from higher up the Mataura towards Wakatipu, going over 18 gTains to the load, from a new dredging claim lately pegged out, and there is a probability of a big field being worked there soon. The dredges at the Little Waikaka district continue making excellent returns, etud more new ones are being pushed forward as quickly as possible.

JLOUC. [arch 12 ... 3,287 sacks „ 19 ... 1,fi87 „ „ 26 ... 2,391 „ .pril 2 ... 5 593 „ „ 9 10,478 „ March 6 ... 5,835 sacks „ 11 ... 3,530 » „ 18 ... 4,924 „ „ 25 ...15,487 „ April 1 .21,614 „ „ 8 ...28,263 „ 79.P63 „