SOUTHLAND NEWS NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2524, 30 July 1902, Page 44

SOUTHLAND NEWS NOTES.

(Fhom Our Own Correspondent.)

IXVKRCAR(iIL,L, July 28.

Tlie weather continues to be mixed. Thursday wjs a delightful balmy day, but cold, wet weather has preponderated during the week, and at the time of writing patches of snow are \isible on the Longwood Ranges, while the distant Takatimos present an unbroken expai.se of glistening white

The oat maket continues to be somewhat lifeless, and there is very little business passing =o that it is hard to give vulues Seine binall lines have biought from 19 lid up to 2s 2d flacks extra, at wayside stalioni). I am a? 1 ured that Southland is now th' only holder of good B grad<- There i« some- mquirv from up north foi pi line mt* « >-iiitabl«> for iuid sonic business hsih been done m this class. Li..toi 011. v.l>en MKophc- become even lower I han at present, there is jvery probability uf th" market righting itself.

During the past week ot =o the market for fat sheep of all kinds has be-en firm, with a ri&ing tendency. Fi.-e hundred and thirty fat sheep were shipped to Melbourne by the Mokoia last Monday, antl orders are in hand fo- altogether 8000 for Australia. The Federal steamer Sussex, due at Bluff to-morrow evening, will load 2000 live sheep, while the Union Compa iy'b Whangape, due about the middle of next week, takes 1000, and other small shipments will bring the figures up to the total mentioned. The prices here for prune wethers range from 14» 6d to 15s, and for prime heavy ewes 12s to 13s. It is calculated that at the present time there are not more than 3000 to 4000 fat sheep m the farmers/ hands, and the bulk of these will require another two months' feed to finish them pioperly. Fat cattle continue to °ell well, and there is every indication of prices keeping up, especially as the market appears to be favourable for shipment to Australia. Store hoggets are beginning to move off at from 7s to 7s 6d. Ewes in lamb are little inquired for. The turnips are not eating out well this year, and xmlebs there is aJi early spring there will be a pinch.

A friend of mine tells me that he spent a day or two at Orepuki recently, and that it «s a most interesting place in many ways. The male portion of the inhabitants all seem to go about in gum boots , 7iot that the streets are impassable, but that their occupation seems to necessitate this, movt of the men (outside tht Shale Company's works) b«ng employed in sluicmg claims. It is a most lnteiesting sight to watch the men id the sluicing claims. One mar holds a nozzle from a hose very similar to that employed by the firemen in large cities, and keeps the water playing m a steady stream on a certain spot at the bottom of a steep la'co :>£ clay. The force of the water underimne this, and presently the wholt face come« away with a rush and gets gwept away bj the rush oi water. This is called "opening out." Tc get the gold they burrow little tunnels into the cliff and trolly the sandy wash out to the rao and heave it into the boxes, t» be washed out by the flow of water. The boxes are cleaned out at intervals of about & fortnight, and the gold (which is extremely fine) separated. To an outsider the work is most interesting. Going down towards the Waiau Mouth the road is a good gravel one, with several steep hills to try the nerve of bicyclists. About Beven miles dewn we come 10 tho To Tua Dairy Factory and district. This distric' is considered by ftf m notan t, .Uldggg itQ. bfe Q11& £& Hub. ftfVtWjti

dishicts of Southland. The quality and fertility of the =oil rre something wonderful. The whole district some 12 years ago was dense bri^h, but the farmers have by shear haid work steadily cleaved and burned -so much every year, and have sown grass on the ashes The grass does veiy wel' that way, and m summer the clover is something to be remembered. The gieat feature of the district is that the dairy fa-ctory is a co-operative one — 1.0 , the farmers are the shareholders them selves, and all the piofits go to then own pockets. This very often m-eaus a much larger Ijrofit to the suppliers compared with, that which would hnve been obtained from ti pro prietary conipunv. When the Orepuki extension railway is completed through this locality —and the Te Tua and Chfden settlers are agitating for it— the district as a. whole will b3 on" of the most valuable and prosperous m Southland. In tht opinion of experts the land is capable of growing anything. I heard of one man who grow a crop of turnips by surface sow ing after a bun. — as is usual there, — one of which turned the aca'.e at 431b. This I behe\e is absolutely tiue. Talking about da.ry factories, I understand that the Te Tua Factory obtained the highest butter-fat test for the colony for last year. This must he veiy satisfactory to the "suppliers. The Mataura Island Factory i«, I believe, run on the same hii.e'i as this one, but they go one better than the Tc Tua people and have a piggery in connection with the factory. Every supplier is entitled to im'i <»o many pigs, according to the number of gallon 1 - of milk he supplies. Thcso are fed m a largo corcrete yard, some little distance from the factory itself, on the refuse wliey, which is run down a wooden shoot to large vats, the long troughs being filled by a tap. The- pigs have a run back on to about 2 1 acres of tussock ground. Each supplier earmarks his own pigs with hiß own earmark, and when a large -number are fat n contract ;-, entered uito with whichever bacon factory will give the highest price to come and take as many as are ready. Each earmark is noted down, with the weight of the animal, so that each own^r gets paid for his own pigs. By doing thi° the inilk-s>uppliors get every penny out of the milk for themselves, the lcsu.t being th.it the Mataura Island folk are all doing well, and land down there fetches a big price. However, to return to our Orepuki Those who indulge m the (not alv.iys) gentle art of tiout-fi=lung can gratily their ardent desires by proceeding to the Waiau Mouth and landing as many big ones as they can possibly get. I believe Mr F. Wilson, who keeps a very comfortable hotel at Orepuki, has made a branch establishment at the Wmau Month, where fisheis can get every accommodation they want. This is not generally known, I believe, and to anybody ha-ing a few days' leisure this trip would be hard to beat. A second hut is to bo beguii next month, and there will be no lack of accommodation for angLr3. Bes:des the Waiau, which is usually fished with the artificial minnow— green or brown back, — there are two small streams (the Holleybuni and th.9 Camp Creek) which are full of trout from Jib to 2lb, which take the fly or worms. Evidently the forthcoming County Council elections will result in the introduction oi new blood into the Wallace as well as the Southland County Council. It is announced that Mr Allan Onrmichael, who left town somu time ago to live on his recently-acquired property at Lilburn, above Clifden Bridge, -will not seek re-elcct'on. In response to a requisition Mr Dugald Macpherson will offer his services, and Mr D. Clark, the other mem ber, is willing to stand again. Mr M'Kmnon and Mr Newton are spoken of as likely men foi Wairio Riding. A social in honour of Mr Thomas Monteath, who, for over 23 years had been headmaster of the Edendale School, was held in the local public hall on Wednesday evening, when there was a very large attendance, the great majority of them being former pupils. Mr G. S. "Dempster presided. The programme comprised "peaking, singing, and dancing, with, as the special feature, the presentation of an illuminated address to Mr Monteath Mi Monteath will be succeeded by Mr Hoddinott, of Pahia. At a meeting of ex-High School girls ou Wednesday, it wai decided to form an Old Girls' Society, of which Mrs James Hendry was elected president and Aliss E. Brown secretary. There is nlso a movement on foot to form an O'.d Boys' Club. Mr R. H. Murray, who has been in business as a baker af Orepuki foi many years, died at that place on Wednesday, at the age of 72. Deceased was a native of Glasgow.

Some time ago the Bluff Coronation Celcbiations Committee built a big bonfire, whicU, of course, wa.s not us~d in conspqu°nce of the King's illness, but \\a-s intendfd to be lighted next Monday night Some larrikins, however, set it on fire last Saturday, and now the committee will haTe the trouble of getting material for another.

Councillor Hirst's motion, "That the TYal lace County Council borrow .£20,000 for works," was carried at last meeting of the council. A lather peculiar plea was urged in the Magistrate's Court the otb»r day. A Chinaman was being prosecuted for a breach of the borough by-laws, and his solicitor besought leniency for his client. Defendant expected to receive, at some future date, tlie important decoration of the peacock's feather, and he was afraid that any conviction recorded against him would seriously prejudice his chances of acquiring that distinction. The defendant's action in employing- counsel and securing an interpreter from Dunedin to defend an undoubted breach of th« bylaw showed that he was extremely anxious to avoid a conviction.

The work of erecting a jetty at the south end of Lake Manapoun has at last been taken in hand by the Government, and the inconvenience and sometimes danger that tourists have Lad to contend, with in getting on board the steamer will soon be done away with. Mr Falkmer, of the Roads Survey Department, has just returned from the Lake after laying off the site and letting the work to Messrs Dore and Murrell. It is expected that the jetty will be finished well before the tourist seaion commences — Southland News.

A petition is in circulation in the Awarau Riding asking Mx James Fleming it allow himself tc be nominated for the representation of that district on the Southland County Council.

For some weeks past there has been considerable correspondence in the local papers regarding the terminal charge of 2s Gd per ton imposed by the Nightcaps Coal and Railway Company for the carnage of coa-l from rival pits ove. their three-mile section of the railway from Nightcaps to Wairio. On the whole the. company's manager has the best of the argument as it is undoubtedly, as he points out, unreasonable to expect the company to give rival mine-owners any assistance to secure the market. But the latest contributor to this correspondence now raises the question of future supply, and points out that by going : little farther afield — i.e., to the Lenton and Beaumont — a veiy much better 1 coal can. be had, and advocates the building of a, line from Wairio to this district.

The residents at Woodend have forwarded to the Acting-Premier a petition asking that a, vote of £300 should be put on the Supplementary Estimates for the repair of the road, which ie in a horribly cut-up state. A movement is on foot to get up a reunion of passengers who landed at Invercargill jetty on September 9, 1862. Mr Jame* Lennie, seedsman, is the prime mover in the matter.

Jhi^ aeflJt'a preaantatumßp-aOT— flL_JMlit

passes but we have some, marking the departure of good men from cur district — weT6 to Mr Lilhcrona, surveyor, relic has left for South Africa, to Mr Yates-. of Smith and Co , who goes ta Kaitangata. und to Mr Preiidergast, on lea\ing Otautau. M Lilhcrona was presented with a silver spirit flask suitably engraved, by the staff of the Lands and Survey Department, and by personal friends with a travelling bag, a wallet, and a purse of sovereigns. Mr LII.I rona was one of Southland's best horsemen, and has taken part in majy steeplechases. Mr G. Yates, who h?,3 been manager for Messrs G. Smith and Co. for the past seven years, was presented by his late employers with a b auuful silver tea service, and by the staff with a handsome clock. At the social heh l at Raes.de », at which the presentations wei 2 made, both the employers and employees spoke in ths highest terms of their gu?st. Mr Yates goes to Kaitangata as manager fo? Messrs M'Gruer, Taylor, and Co. Mr Prende gast, who has represented Messrs Wright, St^phenson, and Co. at Otautau for some time past, and is novr taking a position in the town .es'abhshment, was banqueltud .it X lly' g Hou-1, Ot-uu-iu, ?nd waa presented with a sot of gold studs and links, and a bar g!e for Mrs Prendergast.

A miraculous escape from ? fptal accident happened at the rpilway station on Saturday aiternoon. When the train from the xiorth. drew up at tn^ station, ? rabbiter named Gcorgo Matthew" about 15 year 3oc age. fell between a. can..);, and ih? laiiwny platform, head downwards. While he was in this posit;o.i a shuatjcc; <~gne moved the Irain about half a, truck's Icr-gth forward, and the gear of a bogsy carriage press&l the upper portion of his body with *ueh force as to break one of his rib 3. Nc one saw him fall, but* Lis cries attracted att Vion, and lia was- immediately removed fron his critical position and ts£ett to the Hosci' ,1, whei-a it wss found he had! escaped with the injmy stated and some bruises. A l"'\v wreVs ago a rail-way porter, boarding tho expres? lwfore it had quite stopped, had a very "uarrow escape. The Westing-hou=-» brakes ci-ablo the train to pull up very suddenly, and it now conies into the station at a good spac-d.

The gros3 proceeds 01 the promevade concert recent'y given by the Battalion Band in the Hospital grounds amounted to £8 2s 7d. The money has bce,i handed over to the major for the Troopers' Memorial Fund.

At the annual meeting of St. John's Anglican Church it was proposed that a curate should be appointed to help Archdeacon Stocker. The project is being taken up enthusiastically, and there can be little doubt that the ni-aans will bo found.

Mr Michael Kelt, formerly of Miltor>, died at the Hibernian Hotel, Dte street, early on, Thursday morning. Tlie deceased, who was 83 years of age, landed in Sydney so long- ago as 1841. He saw the best of the gold-digging lushes in California, Victoria, and New Zealand, and himself marpged to secure a fair share of the previous metal. His greatest success was at the Airou-, where ho and three mate 9 got 40lb of go'-l in a very short time. He afterwards too up a claim at Frenchman's Point, where, after iuo*t trying reverses, he and his then partners- Mr Jones, then manager of the Bank of New Zealand at Alexandra, and Dr Shaw, of Clyde — made handsome fortunes. For the last 25 years Mr Kett has been engaged in hotelkcepmg a* Milton and Mataura, and the active supervision of his interests has only foi the last few years devolved on his only relative in New Zealand— hi nephew, Mr T. Kctt.

An old man named Samuel Findlay was found lying in the bush near Bluff on Thursday, nearly dead from exhaustion and starvation. Tlie police took charge of him and conveyed 'him to tho Inviercargill Hospital, wheTe- he is being well looked after. In explanation of his plight he says that- he walked from Christchurch and lav m the bush at the Point for three days, with next to nothing to eat.

Mr M. Gray, of Waimahaka, won the championship at the Wyndhani-Edendale ploughing match.

A meeting of our Coronation Executive Committee was held on Friday afternoon, when there was a general disposition to carry out on Monday the best part of the previouslyarranged celebrations. A general committee mectiDg will be held on Wednesday evening to arrange details. Mr John Johnson, who formerly carried on a watchmaking business in this town and at Winton, died at Wellington on Tuesday. The forthcoming carnival oi the Invercargill Rowing Club promises to be about the most successful affair of the kind ever held in this town. Both the Zea'-india Hall and Ashley's Hall have been sreurrd, the one to be used as an art exhibition and the other as an old English street. As th" ladjes are to be dressed in old English style, the whole scene should be very picturesque. Among the art union prizes are some valuable pictures and a copy of the "Encyclopaedia Britannic*." A meeting 1 which was held here on Friday evening ra the proposed Gore-Kelso railway was very poorly attended, b-ut a committee was formed and arrangements made for an active and exhaustive canvass of the district for signatures to a petition to Parliament uiging tho formation of a line. The Chairman lead a letter from Mr James Lumsden. secretary of the Drammond-Heddon. Bush Railway Committee, asking that the claime of this line should Teceiv^ the support of the people of Invercargill. It would be one of the easiest lines m ths colony to make, Mx Ussber estilnating that the cost would be, at the outside, £41,000 .foi tho 20 miles, for everything. The settlers along the line were pledged to giv«one chain of land along the whole distance. Ai.other letter urging the claims of the Seaward Bu-sh railway extension to Tokonui was read.

Mr J. P. Roberts has resigned, his seat on thi* Bluff Harbour Board, feeling himself in. an invidious position, as his firm/ (Waddell and Co.) i» engaged on a contract from the board. Mr Roberts could have held his seat and retired when anything in which ho was interested was under discussion, but has no doubt adopted the wiser course in resigning his seat.