LAKE COUNTY.

Otago Witness, Issue 2499, 5 February 1902, Page 31

LAKE COUNTY.

February 1. — One month of the new year has gone already, and the crops are still very backward. A week or fortnight ago they were coming on amazingly, when last Monday there came a constant rain, which was followed by a cold snap. The chill lasted for several days, and put a very unwelcome check upon all vegetable growth. It was enough to delay the larvest for weeks. There was much wind with the rain, which together laid many of the growing crops. As in some cases the grain had ziot shot into ear, this will be rather serious ior the owners, the growth being too rank to liold out- any hopes of the gram rising again. It is also said that in some exposed positions the potatoes have been badly touched by the chill. When Tuesday morning dawned there ■was a pretty even sprinkling of snow on the hills down to a low level. Taken altogether, there never was such unseasonable weather.

Tourist Trade. — The most stirring trade here just now is the tourist trade. Though there ■were years when the visitors were more numerous, there is nothing to complain of. The Pembroke coach, Tunning twice a week, is always crowded with passengers, and conveyances going in mil directions with sight-seers inmy be met every day. The Lake Wakatipu S.S. Company, always fully alive to the comforts of tourists and the travelling public, have put -forth special efforts this -year, particular attention being bestowed upon the favourite boat of the company, the Mountaineer. New -«nd improved machinery had made it possible .to completely reconstruct the decks and outward appearance of the boat, so that she can hardly be recognised; and it is questionable whether there is a boat of hex size in the colony that' cm compare with the Mountaineer "3or "comfort, and adaptability to -the passenger trade. The extent of 4 he xeno"vations and improvements carried out *nay be teßtimated when, it is stated that no less a sum ■"than £2350 was spent on the bout. Messrs Morgan, Cable, and Co. were the contractors. Fatal Gun Accident. — General ionsternation was caused on Monday last "when it became known that a young son of Mr John Henderson, Macetown, had been accidentally "shot -dead. Mr Henderson, who is a widower, is i've father of three boys, who were on a visit to their grandmother, Mrs Hanson, living at Frankton. One of Mrs Hanson's sons, having been out rabbit-shooting late one night, placed she loaded pea gun against the wall of his bedroom. Next morning he saw his little nephew, about four years of age, playing with the gun, -and, remembering it was loaded, was taking it away from him. During the struggle the gun. went off, the ball passing through the little fellow's spine. The injured child (who goes "by the name of " Toddler ") ran into his grandmother's room, crying out, " Oh, granny, Toddler is shot dead! " Dr Douglas, who was sent for immediately, attended the patient, but there was no hope for the little sufferer from the first, and in less than half an hour he was a corpse. As may well be imagined, the. greatest sympathy is felt for the bereaved father and the relatives of the deceased in their sudden and sad affliction. It would be easy to moralise on this subject, but in the fact of ■the frequency of gun accidents something should be done to limit) their number. It might be made m punishable offence to allow an 3 keep loaded guns in dwelling places, or to load or otherwise handle guns in i careless •manner. The existence of such a provision ■would make people more careful, impressing • upon their minds that there is a great degTec ■of responsibility attaching to the manipulation of loaded guns. - Accidents. — At the military sports of the ■Wakatipu Mounted Rifles on Saturday last, ■Mr S. Fairant, of Qneenstown, received some bed injuries through » fall from his horse. Mr Farrant was at once taken \o the Arrow "Hospital, where it was found that he had "broken two of his ribs. Under Di Thomson's •care the sufferer is now getting on well towards recovery. — Last Thursday Mr T. Hope met with the misfortune of having his leg broken by a kick from a horse at the Head of the Lake, where he has been a settler for many years. The steamer having just left, the injured man had to be taken down m a small open boat, a journey of 86 miles. He was taken to the Frankton Hospital, where his injuries were attended to by Dr Douglas, and he is now getting on welL Road Extension. — Another piece has been added to the Arrow-Macetown dray road. As is well known, less than a mile of this road lies up the bed of the. Arrow River, to cover which the river has to be crossed six or seven times, soma of the crossings being very bad, and in times of flood impracticable. To i void this nuisance and danger, it is purposed to cut a dray road upon the west bank of the liver, which for nearly the whole of its distance flows in a deep, Tocky gorge. About a quarter of a mile of the road has been made, and has cost rather better than £2000, taking something like eight years to construct. At this rate of progress the road may be finished T>efore the present century clcwes. The portion, just finished comprises a retaining wall across a gap in the hillside, and m its deepest part is about 30ft high. The contractors weTe Messrs Thompson and M*Leod, who finished the wall in a substantial and workmanlike manner ; in fact, it is quite an ornament to th« landscape. The Ninth Contingent. — Much anxiety is animating many of our young men as to their chances of joining the Ninth Contingent. Already there are more applications than the number that is likely to be accepted, so that many eager to go 'are kept back from lodging their applications. -At the Tecent camp -manoeuvres and sports of the Wakatipu Mounted Rifles, some daring horsemanship was executed with bold skill, showing that the lads from Wakatipu are not behind in the management of the steed, and the class firing proved that they can hit the mark.