LAKE WANAKA.

Otago Witness, Issue 2811, 26 August 1908, Page 38

LAKE WANAKA.

Albert Town, August 24-.— The weather since I wrote last has been very good fop . winter. Wo have had some exceptionally hard frosts at night* but in the sunny places the frost would be out of the ground by dinner time. The autumn-sown crops are looking very promising. We have no early lamba yet, except an odd chance one, but Mr Perriam, at Lowburn, appears to have his lambing through some weeks ago. At Rocky Point, Mr John M'Lean. has a number, but he did not remove his rams during the year. lam told on reliable authority that ram hoggets, 16 to 18 months' old, make perfectly sweet and , palatable mutton if in good , condition. Obituary.— l am sorry to say 1 have ai record number of deaths to chronicle this weok. At Cardrona one of the old identities, William Robertson by name, died suddenly ai an advanced age. Ten years ago the doctors .gave him but c short tim*!' to live on account of weakness of the heart* He was a native of the North of Eng« - land. For some years past he has beer* . boarding with Mr Robert M'Dougall, jvui. He generally followed the occupation of & miner, and sometimes worked on Messrs M'Dougall and Son's coalpit. Deceased waa never married. Another early resident of *• the Wanaloa district, who passed away, is ' Mt John Campbell. For some years past he has been a resident of Cromwell. He was 68 years of age. He came to tho Wanaloai •. in 1868, and followed the occupation of a shepherd ifor many years, but iatterlyi woi'ked as sheep-driver for the butchers ia Cromwell. As he was always a reliable, trustworthy man, his servKces weire in much request, and he will be missed. John was a native of Campbell-town, in Argyllshire, and was a fluent reader and speaker* of Gaelic. He came to Otago first in, 1862, and was for some time- manager of Ard-go-wvan Station, near Oamaru. He leaves a widow and a -grown-up family. He waa always regarded as a model husband andl father. An early resident of Cromwell lately clied in the .hospital, aged 64 — viz., Mr John Lynn. Deceased followed the occupation of a miner in early times. Ati a late, date he had a couple of waggons on the road, driving one himself. During the period that the" Baimockburn bridge was under renewal, -when it was practically a foorbridge, the planting consisting ol two I2in planks placed side by side right across the bridge, the waggon was kept! on th. Cromwell side of the bridge, ML, Lynn's home being at Bannoekburn, oni the other side. One night all the horses walked across this narrow roadway to reach their home, very muoh to the amazement of their owner. Rather than ri«fc •the long, toilsome, and somewhat dangerous journey ronnd Clyde, he led them baclrf over the bridge -without any mishap. M*' Lynn was always regarded ajj a capital band! with horses, as he could always get a lofl . of work out of them and keep them in) a-ood condition and spirits. When hif> health failed he^aold the teams, and bought a dam and 'water race in Bannockburn, * an<l let most of the water for mining purposes. Tho remainder he used for irri- 1 gation on some land he acquired. He had! a nice garden and orchard, which have' three -dwellings on them. Decea&ed was a] careful reader of tho newsoapers, and well

ebreast of the topic of the day, and a cqnVezsation with him always very interesting. It is a matter for much regret that the rising-generation are not inclined to read the newspapers, and they do not know what they miss. The late Mr Lynn left a •widow and family. Two are grown-up, ■while some are goin^j to school. He was always a kind man in the home, and will *be much missed. At the Forka, now generally known as Maungawhera (one of the mew bogus Maori words which should be strictly condemned), Mr William Kingan had the misfortune to lose his daughter Lizzie at the early age of lli years. Deceased was nearly 6ft Mgh, and had outgrown *her strength. She died without warning of some affection of the heart. JSveiyone' -was exceeding sorry for Mr and Mrs 'Kingan and family in their sad (bereavement. : The funeral was an unusually large one. The Rev. Mr Chandler Chandler' conducted the service. Mr Soren Hansel), of Hatwea, lately had -the misfortune to lose one of his daughters. Dr Waddell was in regular attendance on her. and everyihing; was done tnat was possible. E^eryv >ne"/iyas" very solicitious for £he welfare ot the patient, and constant inquiries were Briade regarding her condition. Universal sympathy was expressed for the sorrowing relations. Football. — The football matches are jat&acting- a remarkably large amount of attention just now, and enthusiasm rums to --fever heat. .On - Sunday afternoons regular practice- is held a-t Albert "Town. At Aarrow, during a mateh ,~ some of the woman had : a"duel with umbrellas, and exchanged ' ••little personal reminiscences rfchat extended back a number' of ■ years. All this gees to show that the warlike spirit which enabled tHe British race to establish the world's record "of 300 winning, battles is not dead :bnt 'slumbering, and just waiting the time to 'burn out as fiercely as ever. 'Skating. — Lately some of the leading Clyde " residents, headed by Dr Hyde and Mr Gf. Xt. Guthbertson, and several of the girls, took the morning train to Rongi Badge, and had three or,- four hours skating, returning by the evening train. They had a "Kg hamper,, and spirit lamp to boil the billy, and had a very enjoyable holiday, _ Court Day. — Our quarterly court day at Pembroke has oraae and gone, and once ■more produced another surprising mixed up case, for which we have established a necord. This case consisted of a claim by a late hotelkeeper against one of his former, customers for several pounds. He put ,the drinks in one column, and the cash lent and board in another one, and the cash payments wereapplied towards "liquidating ihe liquors ; the hotelkeeper and his 'witness declaring that, this was done with the sanction of the • defendant. As might f he expected, defendant denied thi6, and said he had no idea whether an hotelkeeper could recover for liquors, never thought of it in fact, from which it is to be gathered ifchat the age of imnocence is not yet past. After an exceeding patient hearing , lasting About three' hours, the S.M., Mr Evans declared the case unintelligible, and gran-ted A .nonsuit, each parbj to par his own eosTs.