LAKE COUNTY.

Otago Witness, Issue 2730, 11 July 1906, Page 35

LAKE COUNTY.

July 7. — About midnight on Thursday it commenced to blow haTd, and all nest day there was a. regular gal© coming from the West Coast, accompanied by heavy rain and ©leet. To-dAy we have had heavy downpours, and.it h»s been extremely cold. The wea.ther during th© pact week has been very boisterous, and fee stock will again suffer. It is a>lso bad, for the farmers. Towards evening th« weather showed signs of clearing, and it i 3 about time.

Removals. — Mr O'Kane, of the Bank of Ktew Zealand a 4 Arrowtown, goes to Invercargill, instead of Alexandra South, &3 first arranged. His successor, Mr Delargey, has assumed his duties. — Mr A. A. Mair, for many years clerk of the court at Queenstown, has bsen promoted to Christ church, and leaveß in about 10 days. It ia rumoured that his successor will be Mr Bowling, clerk of the »uxt at Cromwell. — X© one ha® yet taken up the duties in the district of rabbit agent, in placa of Mt Wilson, promoted to Lawrence. — Mir E. H. Wilmot, many years district surveyor in this district, has received the appointment of draughtsman at Hokitika, ard has taken up hi 3 duties (there. He will fi.ll the position for 12 mouths, -when he will ba eligible for a chief surveyorsrhdy. It seems that there is a rule that you must serve a. year as a draughtsman before you can become a chief surveyor. Mir Wilmot will be greatly missed, as h* was an accurate and paxeful surveyor, and his reports on all Tmi-ni-ng applications to the court were of great assistance to the various wardens. It is thought that no one will be appointed in his stead, as Mr MJacKenzie, the Crown Ranger for the district, is also a very capable surveyor, and he can do all there is to do. Should, however, there be a press of work private surveyors can take up the mining and land transfer work. Mr Wilmot will be a loss to the Church of England, to which he belonged, and took an active part. MflMiicipal Metters. — The Arrow Borough Council, at its last meeting, had whai may be .termed a. "wa,eh up" from, ■ S p.m. to 11.15 p.m. The burning question was concerning the. health officer's report on some old buildings in the township, and as some of the councillors ■were interested, the proceedings at times were marked by vigorous and personal language. In fact, their Tevered ancestors were not in it at all. Mr Henry il'Kibbin, the mayor, was very firm, and impartially rebuked the offender's. I regret to state that the meeting broke up in disorder, and without a vote of thanks to the ohair, and this after being admonished by his Worship for -several hours. The next time there is a "waHh up" his Worship had better addre&a the councillors in the following language of Truthful James, altered to suit. — "Aie things what they seem? Or is visions abouit? Is our civilisation a failure? Or is the council played out'" In Queenstown the council, under the new Mayor, Mr Gavin, are forming certain roads on the Eastern Terrace (the one adjoining the p?rk), cleaning "the water channels, and suchlike necessary work. The roads and footpaths ought to have been formed years ago, but want of funds prevented anything but the most urgent work being undertaken.

Chris-tchurch Exhibition — Mr Munro, sock inspector, has secured samp'es of the gram grown- in' the district for the Exhibition. Most of the farmers forwarded exhibits and as good a show as possible is being made iv the. interest of the district. Social and Dance. — A most enjoyable social 4nd danoe was he'd last evening at Mr M'Kinlay's new woolshed, Av+hur's Point, in aid of the funds of the pub'k pchool there There Was a. large attendance, and the dancing was kept up with much spirit until daybreak. Obituary.— On Sunday last Mr Xeil Minues passed away a.t his residence, on the Frankton road, peaceably and without pain, at the great age* of 84 years. He was a, native of the Island of Mull, and had been associated with !Mt Monks in minui° for 41 years. "Monks" and "M.'lnnes" were household words in the district, a,nd the friendship was formed between the two lnen in 1865 and lasted without a bicak until Mr M'lnnes was called

away. As may be imagined, the deceased suffered great hardships in the early times, and not a little danger. There was only a bridle track in those days to Upper Shotover, and that not of the best. Deceased was a straightforward, honourable man, and was universally respected. A large number of the old pioneer diggers travelled from Upper S'hotovetr and other parts of the district to xttend the funeral ait Queenstown on Wednesdaviast. — Mr Charles Logan, a young man of 24 years, and a former resident of this district, died, suddenly in Dunedin last Sunday, leaving a widow and two children to mourn their loss. His relatives live here, and his death came as % great shook, as deceased was in the best of health up to a day of two of hi 3 death. — On Wednesday Mr John Nolan, for many years in the employment of the Arrowtown Borough Council, died suddenly at his residence in. Bush Creek from heart disease. He was talking to a friend, in. apparently, the best of health, when he took ill, and died in a few minutes. He was 57 years of age, and was much respected. The funeral took place at Arrowtown, to-day, and was largely attended.