SOUTHLAND NEWS NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3112, 5 November 1913, Page 37

SOUTHLAND NEWS NOTES.

(Faoit Qua Own Cobkespondini.) INVERCARGILL, November 3. On Tuesday evening rain began to fall, and continued till Thursday morning, putting up the rivers nearly to the March flood level. It was at one tune feared that the experience of March would be lepeatec, but the rain stopped just in the' nick ot time. The Mataura rose considerably, but did not invade Gore, though it caused a brief cessation, of work at the Mataura Paper Mills. The Oreti also rose rapidly, but did not do any damage worth mentioning; but at Otoutau both houses and shops were invaded by flood water, the damage, however, being slight. In Invercargill the p un i Creek overflowed, and covered part of the Public Gardens, but it soon receded, and the damage was trifling. Ihe ram was needed, and if we now have a spell ot warm weather great good will result. The ,Orepuki sports last Monday atfi acted good entries and a large attendance of the public. The principal contests resulted as f. '■ *■: Q ivtoon-inoh Handicap Chop: y. \/• t { .\ • x.. -M's champion axemen), 1. M“ e Handicap; J. Sha.vh (100yds) 1. 0,,.-.-die Cvde Handicap: V. A. Sul heri , !suvds), 1. Sawing Handicap (18m luw-sj: Lee and Johnstone, 1. Chopping ] 1 rK>;t*itr (un<i or hand): A. Miller, 1. 120 Yards Handicap: E. J. Rankin. 1. 1 womile Bicycle Handicap: T. A. Sutherland, 1 440 Yards Handicap: V. 0 Malev, 1. Sheffield Handicap; W. Smith (10yds), 1. Half-mile Handicap: 1. Chamberlain (75yds), 1 An infant boy, the son of Mrs Price, was poisoned on Saturday last through eating a quantity of Eastons triple syrup tablets, composed of quinine, strychnine, and iron. The tablets were supposed to be beyond the child’s reach, but be mounted a chair and got thorn, and hud swallowed some before he was observed. His mother made him vomit, and she thought that all danger was past, but later on ho look a lit and died. Two shooting accidents occurred on Sundav last. A young man named George Gibbs was shot in the leg while rabbitshooting near (Jra&more through the floci* dental discharge of a companions gun, hia thigh-bone being broken; and a young man named Daniel Laverley was shot also in the leg through the accidental discharge of a rifle near Lumsden.' The morning train from Invercargill for Dunedin on Thursday morning did not get far bevond Gore, the flood in the Waikuka Stream having caused a wash-out near M’Nab’s Siding Station. The break waa repaired during the day, and the evening express, Dunedin to Invercargill, got through about an hour lute. Mrs Mackio. having eold her property to Mr Robert Officer lit Thornbury. has come into Invercargill to live. Before leaving the district she, with her sou and daughter, were on Wednesday evening entertained at a farewell social in the Makarewa Hall on Wednesday evening, when Mrs Mackie was presented with a silver tea and coffee service and Miss Mackio with a gold brooch and jewel case in recognition of their many services to the district

During the recent warm -weather two Southland flaxmills were burned do>n. Mr Ayson's mill was destroyed last week, while Mr John Aspray’s mill and about three tone of dressed flax were destroyed by fire on Tuesday. Mr Asp-ay had only £IOO insurance, and will lose about £250. On Friday night last two prisoners in the Invercargill Gaol made a desperate effort to escape. They attacked a warder, and tried to take the keys from him, and on his resisting beat him over the head with a piece of lend pipe. The warder managed to put the keys beyond their reach by throwing them out-of a window, and the arrival of the gaoler, attracted by the noise, put an end to the attack, which had resulted in serious injuries to the warder. At the annual meeting of members of the Wairio Jockey Club on Saturday night last Mr Nathaniel Bates, who has been president of the club since its inception 21 years ago, and now insists on retiring, was presented with a pair of field glasses suitably inscribed in recognition of * his long and valuable service to the club. Mr Thos. Todd was elected president, and it was decided to increase the stakes for this year’s meeting to £9OO. I’he Invercargill Borough Council has received 18 applications for the position of tramways manager and electrical engineer, and a committee was set up to reduce tfae number to fivo for the consideration of the council. The waterslders’ strike In Wellington Is affecting the cheese factories of Southland, the secretary of the Dairy Association hay-

mg during the waok wired to the variout factories asking them to keep their cheese at factories in the meantime. The Invercargill Borough Council, like the other local parties in Southland, has acceded to the request to contribute to tha cost of technical education. The borough’s contribution is to be £2O.

The committee of the South School object to the Southland Education Board's proposal to appoint Mr. James Main as head master of the school, vice Mr Webber. The matter was discussed at the last meeting of the committee, when it was thought applications should have been called for the position, and a number of names submitted to the committee.

Mr F. J. Tipping has acquired a partnership jn the old-established legal firm of Messrs T. M. Macdonald and Sons, and tho firm will in future be known as M‘Donald and Tipping.