SOUTHLAND NEWS NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2437, 28 November 1900, Page 39

SOUTHLAND NEWS NOTES.

' {From Our Own Correspondent.} INVERCARGILLL, November 27. The Hon. J. G. Ward has been so much in evidence here during the past 10" days that one cannot give a description of the leading events of the week without importing his name into almost every paragraph. In short, he has had a very lively time of it, and one begins to wonder where and when he gets rest. JBanquets, presentations, unfurling of national flags, opening public buildings, deputations, etc., etc., have been almost continuous. Of the latter there has been no end, and they are still going on, and will be until he leaves to-morrow to formally open the new railway station at Clinton, when he will be the recipient of another banquet there in the evening. He will then take a run up the Otago Central railway and back to Dunedin to be present at the A. and P. show, and probably to repeat the programme, in a modified form, it is to be hoped, of what it has been here. On Saturday afternoon as many as cotild comfortably crowd themselves -into the commercial loom at the Albion Hotel did so, to take part in the presentation of a very handsome pair of carriage horses presented to Mrs Ward by the Awarua constituency. Captain James Gardner, of Birchwood, with Mr Dimcan King, of Winton, had been entrusted with the selection and purchase of the steeds, and it was.. Captain Gardner who made the prasentation on Saturday in a happy, jovial, sportsmanlike speech, extolling the virtues of good women, good friends, good politicians, and, last, but not least, good thoroughbred horses, which the pair of . handsome bays they were handing over to Mi f Waru that day for Mrs Ward were, with undisputable pedigrees, and which the donors had named " Aawaraa " and ' Ruapuke." Of course, Mr Ward suitably replied, making another speech to the big crowd waiting outside the hotel, then drove off to the photographer, had a photo of the horses taken, a copy of which I shall be able to send you for your illustrated pages in next week's Witness. While congratulating ourselves that we have been exempt from. the floods and tempests experienced in other parts of the colony, our weather, the last three weeks, has not been all that we could desire. It has been very broken and changeable, often boisterous and cold, doing considerable damage to gardens in exposed places, and there has been practically no growth, and vegetation generally for this time of the year is backward, notwithstanding we had an early and pleasant spring. A telegram in our daily papers from Christchurch "makes it appear that the order for 5000 tons of oats from the Imperial Government had been placed in Christchurch, but that is not so. The Associated Merchants of Itivercargill have got til* whole of it, and though their compact is so well organised that they say they can do without buying any additional stocks, prices to farmers to-day are fully 2d per btishel better than they were a fortnight ago. The formal unfurling of the national flag presented to the Park School took place on Tuesday afternoon, in the presence of his Excellency the Governor, the Hon. J. G. Ward, the mayor., and many others. *The Garrison Band were .and played appropriate selections ' for the occasion". A similar function took place at the- South School the next day, where the Hon. J. G. Ward was the principal speaker, brimming over, as usuai, with statistics and patriotism. At -this function the City Band provided the musical selections, and the pupils rendered in admirable time and tune several favourite patriotic songs, ,while the. girls of the higher standards gave an exhibition of dumbbell exercises. , Several stations in Southland commence -shearing operations this week. ■' The rabbit inspectors in every district I have visited lately tell me, that young rabbits are more plentiful this spring than they have seen them before for many years. The further- hearing of the charges against Arnett for theft, forgery, and attempted murder will take place at Invercargill (not Wyndham) on Tuesday, 11th pros. Wednesday of this week is the date for the annual statutory meetings of the Southland and Wallace County Councils, when they elect their chairmen and finance and' other committees for the year. On the same day representatives of the local contributory bodies are elected for the Hospital and Charitable Aid Boards. Major Hawkins, Troopers A. Lyon and Alex. Saunders are the ones selected from the Southland Mounted Rifles to take -cart in the Federal celebrations at Sydney in January. They are ordered to report themselves in camp at "Wellington on the Ist prox. Captain White informs me that the Winton Rifles go into camp the last week in January for a week's training. The camp will be pitched on the Winton racecourse, a nicely-sheltered and convenient spot. Trooper Aitken, of the first New Zealand contingent, son of Mr J. Aitken, Gore, a.nd Trooper G-. L. Heenan, of Riversdale, retiirn home to-morrow. Great preparations are being made at both places to give each of the warriors a hearty and puitable reception. _ Their photos I hope to be able to send you next week. A movement is on, foot to raise a mounted rifle corps, with headquarters at Wyndham, to Tecruit from the district between and around .Wyndham and Fortrose. The recently-established Invercargill-Wvnd-liam telephone system is to be extended to Edendale. Several of the residents of the latter place, including the Edendale station homestead, have already applied to be connected. , At Invercargill on Wednesday night, after 9 o'clock, a shunter named William Blay, while at work in the station yard, was mn down by a carriage and terribly mangled, dying a few 3ninutes after. It is not known whether he fell in front of a moving carriage or was knocked down, the night being dark and boisterous. Deceased was married, and leaves a widow and one daughter. He had been at Invercargill about four years, and, as a member of the City Band, took part in the flag unfurling at the South School in the forenoon. A special train with the Minister of Railways on board came from Riverton to Invercargill in 45 minutes. The usual time is an hour and SO minutes. There will be four sittings of the Supreme Court in Invercargill next year, the dates being March 5, June 4, September 3, and December 3.