SOUTHLAND NEWS NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3017, 10 January 1912, Page 52

SOUTHLAND NEWS NOTES.

(i’SOM Dull Ows COKBESPONDENT.) INVERCARGILL, January 6. The efforts recently made to secure a better train service to Riverton did not have result. The petitioners suggest©!! that the train from the "Western Distract should reach Invercargill at 8.55 aim., and leave Invercargill at 5-10 P- m -, *be petitioners supposing that the run to iuatapere, which at present takes over tour hours for 60 miles, could be shortened by an hour. The district traffic manager, in reply, • said no such saving of time could be made, and the only way to meet the wishes of the petitioners would be to put on a special train, and this could not be done without a guarantee. Those interested intend to make a systematic effort next spring to secure such a guarantee, and believe that -a good deal of | support can be got, as scores of business ; men would take their families to Riverton | for the summer holidays if they them- | selves could run up and down each day j without sacrificing business. In the mean- ; time the Railway Department is grant- | ing holiday concessions for the next four ; week-ends. | In anticipation of a demand for building i sitesfj a farmer, fronting on M'Callum’s j Bay, has had the whole of his frontage ; surveyed off into 40 sections, and several • of these have already been secured. The traffic on the fckuithland section of ' railways during the holidays has been ex- ! tremely heavy, nearly 6000 tickets having ; been issued at Invercargill station alone. ■ Adjutant Sharp, who has been head of i the Salvation Army in Invercargill for | tlie last three years, has received instructions to take charge at Ashburton. The Bluff people had great good fortune this year in getting good weather for their annual regatta. The weather, indeed, was as good as could be wished for, and the public turned out in great numbers, there being probably over 10,000 people in Bluff on Tuesday'. As usual, family parties picnicked on the beach, the hillside, and along Ward’s parade, and boiled the billy over scrub fires. The regatta was all got off for the first time in several years, and the Railway Rowing Club was again very successful, although not quite so much so as at Riverton. It won the Youths’ Fours, Junior Fours, Youths’

Pairs, Junior Pairs, Maiden Double Sculls, and Junior Double Sculls. The other rowing ©vents were won as follows : Maiden Fours and Senior Fours, Awarua | Boating Club; Maiden Pairs, Riverton Rowing Club ; Senior Pairs, Invercargill Boating Club. Mr J. R. Hamilton, who lately contested the Awarua seat in Parliament Avith Sir Joseph Ward, is to be entertained at a public banquet at Winton on the 24th inst. A Winton branch of the New Zealand Reform party.has been formed. News haS been received of the death at Patea of Mr J. H. Black, Avho left Gore for Waverley, North Island, about a y«ar ago. Mr Black was accountant of the Bank of . Australasia at Invercargill for some years, and was promoted to the position manager at Gore. For several years past Mr Black’s health has been someAvnat unsatisfactory, and about tAAO years ago he had an extended holiday to recuperate, but could not not shake off his ailment, which Avas of a somewhat obscure character. The Southland Caledonian Society’s sports, held on the Queen’s Park on Monclay, attracted a good crowd, though not (|iiile so good as last year. The Aveather was good and the entries for the various events Avere fairly large. The events were Avon as follows : —Amateur—loo Yards Handicap, N. G. Saunders; 220 Yards Handicap, A. M’Donald; 440 Yards Handicap, A. M‘Donald ; 120 Yards Hurdle Race, N. Cowie ; One Mile Handicap, W. Frye. Cash—loo Yards, J. D. Forbes; 150 Yards, J. D. Forbes ; 220 Yards, W. A. Waugh ; 440 Yards, E. S. Dunsford ; Half-mile, E. B. Dunsford ; One Mile, W. Mason. Cycling—Half-mile, A. P. Ritchie ; Tavo Miles, G. Wallace. Cumberland Wrestling, M. Forde. Catch-as-Ca tc h-Ca n, M. Forde. Collar and Elbow, M. Forde. The Highland Reel, Highland Fling. Reel o’ Tulloch, Sword Dance, Sailor’s Hornpipe, and Irish Jig were won by J. M'Kechnie.

Early on Monday morning a fire was discovered in Messrs Broad. Small, and Co.’s store behind their shop in Dee street. The lire brigade got quickly to work and fought the flames till nearly midday, but the store in which the fire originated and its contents were destroyed. The loss is, estimated at about £3500, partly covered by insurance. Mrs Watson, widow of Thomas Watson, bank manager, died: at her residence, Forth street, on Wednesday, after an illness of several months* duration. During the last 50 years Mrs Watson has been connected with First Church, Invercargill, and in that connection and in connection with several philanthropic bodies she has done a vast amount of good, and is held in grateful remembrance by many who have received kindnesses at her bauds. The Southland Racing Club had splendid weather for its summer meeting on Tuesday and Wednesday, and the attendance was a record, while the totahsator investments (£21,000) were nearly double those of any former year. The profit on the meeting is estimated at nearly £IOOO. As a full account of the meeting will appear in the sporting pages further reference is unnecessary.