SOUTHLAND NEWS NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3016, 3 January 1912, Page 52

SOUTHLAND NEWS NOTES.

(Fkom Qua Own Coheespondent.) INVERCARGILL, December 30. A man named George Parsons was Killed at Blurt on Saturday at trie reclamation embankment. Parsons had a contract to bring material irom tiie quaily to the embankment, and was bringing down two truck loads, wlien they got beyond control and leit the rails, tinowing Parsons down the bank, with the result that he was killed intautaneously, his neck being broken. An inquest was held, and a verdict returned that no one was to blame in the matter. The lunerai of the late Mr J. E. Jiving, of Roslin, Plains, do the Eastern Cemetery, last Sunday aitemoon, was one of the largest seen in Soutliland, indicating the universal respect in which Air irviug was held. . An extraordinary' accident occurred at the Tuataporo Punt on Saturday last through winch a horse, harness, uuggy, juid contents were lost in the W aiau Riveij The punt was so lull that it was found impossible after the horse and trap had been taken on board to shut the gat®. Another horse on board began to kick, and forced the horse in the trap to back, and the trap slipped over the edge, taking the horse with it. A horse so handicapped has no chance in such a swift river as the Waiau, and both horse and trap sank before anything could be done towards rexovering them. Mr Richard Alien, the ■well-known Invercargill accountant, died at hie residence on Thursday morning of heart disease, after a very short illness, at the age oi 10. Before coining to Invercargill nearly AJ years ago, Mr Allen bad many years business experience in South Australia, being at one time manager of the Gieneig Railway Company. Mr *dAn waa dor a long time manager of the famous Adorning Etar Gold Aljqing Company, Preservation, of the Southland Farmers Enron and the Chamber of Commerce, and various other bodies. He was an enthusiast in music and horticulture, and was secretary of the Invercargill Musical Enron and the Southland Horticultural Society. Ho was an eider of First Church, Invericargill, and was for many years a member of the choir. Mr Allen was predeceased by Mrs Allen by several years, and ms only child (Mrs John Edmond) lives m ■^A?^Joseph Hatch’s schooner The Clyde, recently bought for the oil trad’o at the Macquarie Islands, was wrecked there on November 13, having been driven ashore during d heavy gale. The schooner was driven on to a reef and survived the storm, enabling the crew to recover their clothes and personal property and. tome of the ship’s stores and a largo quantity of oil. The crew have since been brought to Launceston, where an inquiry will be held The schooner was not insured, which is extremey unfortunate for MiHatch, who had previously lost two other vessels, the Gratitude and the Jessie Niool. in the Macquarie oil trade. On Saturday afternoon Air U. a. Stretteil, the popular auctioneer of the N Z. Loan and M.A. Company, Invercargill was presented with a purse of sovereign* by the other auctioneers and stock agents of Invercargill as an indication of the estcora in which he is held by them. Mr E. B. Gee, who has been 15 years in the employment of Messrs Thomson, Bridger, and Co., and was recently promoted to the position of manager at Invercargill, has left to join the sawmilling £rm of Traill Bros, and Smythies. Lost week Mr Geo was presented by Messrs Thomson, Bridger, and Co. s employees wth a cold sovereign case and match box in recognition of the pleksant relations which have existed between Mr Gee and the other employees. Hie presentation was made by Mr W. Johnson, Mr Gees 6U Mr Chas. Gray and -Miss Mabel Crofts, the well-known music teachers, were the recipients of valuable Christmas presents. The junior pupU», through Miss Potter, presented Miss Crofts with a beautiful turquoise ring, while tile senior pupils, through Mr Swmerd, presented Air Gray with a handsome eaay Ch Durfng the past year the Invercargill Borough- Council has issued 196 building permits for new buildings of a total value of nearly £IOO.OOO. This ia nearly double the number and nearly double the value represented by the permits issued in 1910. and nearly four tunes those issued in 1909. As an indication of the prosperity of So.i till and, it may be mentioned that only 11 bankruptcies have taken place during 1911 and all have been for small amounts. Last week Mr Thos. Fleming who was a candidate for the Invercargill seat at the recent election, entertained his supporter® at a social held in the Y.AJ.E.A. Hall The principal speakers wore Messrs J E Watson, John M‘Queen, and John Gilkison, and during the evening a purse of sovereigns was presented to Mr Samuel Thompson, who was Air Flemings chairman of committees during the contest. Mr Charlton Fraser, who hae been accountant of the Bank of New Zealand, Wyndham. recently, has been trail a ten cel to Invercargill. . _ Daring the Christmas holidays tno weather has been splendid. The trams on Saturday took large numbers of people to Dunedin, while largo numbers also went to the country, and especially to Riverton, which is every year becoming more popular as a seaside resort. The regatta on inisday attracted nearly 5000 people, the hillsides being hkek people, while M'Callum’s Beach beyond Falls Joint had many family parties and groups of bathers scattered about. This is a magnificent bea.cn for. bathing, being absolutely safe and deepening so gradually that at high tide d man may wade out nearly 200 ruithcr up the river, however, bathing is extremely dangerous at high tide for any but strong swimmers, as there is a strong current, and the ‘water deepens very sudU 6& Railway Bowing Club had a great ■day at the regatta, taking eight first pnzes and five seconds of a total value of £SO 10s Their wins were Maiden Double Bcu’lls, Junior Double Sculls, Senior Double Scull*, Junior Fours, Alaidgn Pairs, Junior Fairs, Youths’ Four®, and Senior lours. The one other club to win a rowing event was the Riverton Rowing Club, which came in first in the Maiden Fours. The Handicap Sailing Race was won by Mr Jas. M’Koazio’s Minnie, the motor launch race by Mr H. Beer®, A number of motor boats carried passengers down to the river mouth ind back all day long, and must have taken a groat deal of money, as they were crowded on most trips, During the paat throe years the poesi-

biHties of Riverton as a holiday resort have been recognised as never before, Invercargill business men buying business sites. At present, as much as £250 a quarter-acre is being asked for land near the southern end of the bridge' and from £3O to £SO per quarter-acre ac McCall urn’s Bay. Petitions bearing the signatures of over 120 Invercargill and Riverton business men have_ been presented to the district railway traffic' manager, asking for bettor train service to and from Riverton, and these have been forwarded to th© Minister of Railways. What the ask for is that the Riverton train should arrive in Invercargill before 9 o’clock, and IdSive after 5 instead of as at present, leaving at 4.10 p.m. and arriving at 10 a.m. The Southland Rifle championship, shot for at Grasmere during the Christmas holidays, resulted in Sergeant Moss, of Bluff, with 168 points, taking the cup. The Gore Trotting Club hud splendid weather for their meeting on Tuesday, and there was a gcod attendance, the totalisator investments amounting to £5534. The Novioe Handicap was won by Mr J. Patram’e Brookerino, the Mataura Handicap by a Mr P. Martin’s Rory, the Christmas Handicap by Mr M. H. Dawson’s Petruchio, the Gore Trotting Club’s Handicap by Mr J. R. Forbes’s Monsoon, the Croydon Handicap by Mr H. Rodgers’s Observer, the Boxing Day Handicap by Mr G. Hunter’s Lastout. the District Handicap by Mr J. Hamilton’s Sir Christopher, ana the Final Hatidicap By Mr Hyland’s Reuben. A little girl named Jane Duncan, 10 years old, died in the Invercargill Hospital on Tuesday from injuries caused through her clothes catching fire while warming he) self in her mother’s kitchen. The mother and the father, who were milking, heard the child’s screams, and met her as she ran •to them and beat out the flames, but she was too much injured to recover from the shock.