WETHERSTONES.

Otago Witness, 5 December 1900, Page 33

WETHERSTONES.

December 3. — Another old Wetherstones land mark is about to be removed — the old Union Hotel, situated on the Wetherstones road, which was sold for removal on the 24th ult. The hotel was first built at Rowdy Point, of calico and manaku, and any kind of wood that could be got in those days, Mr D. Ballantyne being the proprietor. In 1864 he had it removed to its present site, and afterwards covered with iron. After some years he sold out to Messrs Shumate and May, two American "coloured gentlemen." May was not long in it when he sold out to his partner, Mi Shumate, who was well known in the district, and who remained in the hotel to the day of his death. On the Licensing Committee of the day telling him that he had not sufficient stable- accommodation, he made the remark, with a Yankee twang, that "he would build a better house for a stable than the hotel was," and this he "lid, and the stable standb to this day. When sold after his death it was bought by the present owner, Mr T. Pope, who has now sold the grotmd to the Happy Valley Dredging Company. Mr Pope is having a fine house built in the suburbs of Lawrence, opposite the railway line, and a street back from the main rond. The building is after the old English style, all gable ends. Mr F. Williams, hairdresser, Lawrence, is likewise having a house built, on the same line of street, and to the •west of Mr Pope's, and Mr W. Smyth, jun., the manager of the Golden Crescent, is following suit with a house on the same sreet, but further to the east. Obituary. — Mrs J. R. Gascoigne, an old

resident of Lawrence and Wetherstones, has passed over to the great majority. I believe Mr Gascoigne died in Auckland a short time ago. Deceased was a native of Germany, and had no family.

Bunny. — At the beginning of last trapping season the commonage was divided off in blocks, and the parties that got a block had to make a deposit of 30s with the Commonage Committee as security that they would trap the ground thoroughly ancl lay poison afterwards. Same of those who had a block carried out their contract to the letter — trapping the ground and examining their tiaps eveiy morning and night, and afterwards laying poison systematically by turning over a sod every few yards, and putting two or three pellets down, afterwards going over the ground picking up the dead rabbits and skinning them. •'There were others, however, who had a, block, who acted in the leverse manner to this. They would sometimes let two or three days slip by before they wculd go near their traps, and perhaps rabbits in, them all the while ; and when the poisoning time came round they put it down m handfuls in any way on the loads and tracks, and they would not go round afterwards to pick up the dead rabbits, saying it was not worth the trouble. It was laziness that was wrong with them, but they wanted their deposit back all the same.

Weather — The weather during the past fortnight was bad at the beginning and worse at the ending, with some fine warm days and mild showers between. The 30th November, being a holiday, was a thoroughly wet day ; December 1 was a little better; yesterday (Sunday) there was a south-west gale, and some rough showers; barometer in the morning, 28.95. It cleared at night with a rising barometer. ., The glass has been very unsteady during the fortnight, ranging from 20.52 down to 28.95. The lowest reading df thermometer was 46deg. at 7 a.m. of the 29th ult., the highest 84dcp-., at noon of the 27th ult.