OAMARU NEWS NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2664, 5 April 1905, Page 29

OAMARU NEWS NOTES.

{Fkoh Our. Own Coubesfotdent.) i OAMAEU, March 28. j The District Court sat here to-day. Judge [ Haselden occupying the bench for the first time. He was cordially welcomed Dy the members of the Bar, of whom there was a good attendance, Mr O'Meaghcr being the ■ spokesman. j Some very heavy crops of wheat and oats ! are being reported now. The heaviest ' crop of oats is one of 120 bushels per acre i at Allday Bay, while 77 bushels of wheat is , reported from the Land Company's Totara Station. The average over the whole area I ia 55 bushels to the acre. A yield of 85 \ bus Eels of wheat is also reported from an- I other locality. These- are phenomenal j yields, but the average over the whole dis- J trict will be very near last year's, which < was a record. Mr and Mrs Meek and Mr T. W. Robinson and family left to-day to join the Athenic at Wellington, en route for th-e Old Country. 4pril 1. The sittings of the Land Commission have occasioned no little interest in the district. During the past few days the members have been afforded excellent opportunities of seeing the various settlements, more especially Elderslie, Tokarahi, and Maerewhenua, and they are all impressed with the fact that ! the settlements in this district are tho most successful they have yet seen. Mr and Mrs F. Bicknell, who have been | residents cf Oamaru for 38 years, celebrated j iheir golden wedding during the past week, j receiving the congratulations of a large number of friends. They settled in Dunedin first 46 years ago, where Mr Bicknell filled a position in the Post Office, and subsequently came to Oamaru, where he was chief postmaster for 17 years, being retired on the score of age. He afterwards became secretary to the Oamaru Woollen Factory. On severing that connection Mr j Bicknell retired from business. Though in ] his eighty-sixth year, he is still vigorous in miud and active in body for one of his years. Mr and Mrs Bicknell were on Thursday made the recipients of two handsome armchairs and pieces of plate from their many friends, hearty wishes for their continued good health being generally expressed. Mr A, H. A. Stratford-Henniker, who was S.M. in various parts of Otago for some years, and has been practising law lately in Oamaru, is about to make a tour of New Zealand preparatory to leaving for England, where he a.nd Mrs StratfordHenniker intend to reside.

Hastings bowlers, had quite a novel "at home " the other day. Each gentleman, by way of entitling him to admission, had to take an article of not Ic-ss than Is in value, also a plate of cakes.