SOUTH MARYBOROUGH.

Otago Witness, Issue 2661, 15 March 1905, Page 53

SOUTH MARYBOROUGH.

Ka.Laulara March 5. — Our climatic vagarie' continue. Since last August we have had what nught be called monthly floods. This last week's rainfall is about the highest on record. Last Monday night the rain set in and continued to fall in torients throughout Tuesday and Wednesday. The dense black clouds lifted and broke gradually throughout Thursday, and on Friday morning the ranges were clear, their upper slopes glittering, clad with a sheet of snow. The swoollen streams are gradually going down. The mails have been delayed 1 . "Word reaches iis from Lower Conway of tha ]o<;s of two draught horses in that river. Mr Tom Monk was driving a dray across and towing disc harrows bpliinc!'. The harrows swung down stream and capsized the dray. Tom jumped clear, and was swept down stream. He got a=*hoie. i«n up stream, plunged in well above the dray, but was swept past. He landed again, ian up sheam, plunged in, a.nd this time caught the reins. The leaders pulled the capsized dr.iy and shatter to the bank, but failed to land. Tom stood holding the phafter's head out of the water until the leaders, giown restless, swung round and struggled into the mldd'e of the stream. Meanwhile, Tom's brother, lViil. saw from the hillside what wss wrong, and set off 'on a run to the river. He wr.s so winded when he arrived that, although an expert swimmer, he swallowed more water than he liked, and when he reached the dray little could" be done. The leaders were loosened, but one was so exhausted that she collapsed, and was swept seaward; the other struggled ashore. The dray and diowned shatter were come at some days Liter when the torrent shifted its course. The Conway is the largest torient b°tweea the Clarence and Dillon, and losa very rapidly the morning of the accident, owing to heavy rain in the ranges. The Monks deserved better fortune for their plucky attempts at a lescue. Mr Henry Markwald is in receipt of a cable informing him that the Russian and Indian crop of lmseed has been a fai'ure, and that high prices are now ruling foi same. Mr A. W. Hojrg, M.11.R. for Masterton, has received word from the Labour Department that the question of closing shops, under section 21 of the Shops and Offices A.ct has been siibmitted to the- Crown Solicitors, and their opinion is that Chinamen must close their shops as weli as British subjects. This has been the departrnenal opinion all along.