WAIRAKI.

Otago Witness, Issue 3313, 12 September 1917, Page 23

WAIRAKI.

September 10.—The weather at present is all that could be desired. We had a slight fall of snow two weeks ago, but it had all disappeared with 24 hours of the fall. Dairying.—The Birchwood Dairy Factory will ere long commence another season's work, under the same capable management as last season of Mr Kidd. The intake of milk for the coming year will be considerably lessened by the withdrawal from the list of suppliers of Messrs Niven and Robertson, who have hitherto milked the largest dairy herd on Birchwood. Their herd consisted of about 80 cows of the very bsst breed suitable for the district. Another old supplier, and one who milked a large herd, has left the district, and will not therefore be among the suppliers this season. This is Mr James Wilson. Mr Wilson is the last settler on the WairioBirchwood road to abandon his farm.

Tram Lines.—Work is being pushed ahead to get in touch with the railway terminus at Moretown. Tram lines will in all probability be laid down to !aj> the different coalpits for the present. Messrs Tinker Bros. purpose laying a tram line from their lease, to come out on the Nightcaps-Birchwood road at a convenient place to suit the public. Obituary.—Mr Hogg, who had a long and painful illness, passed away recently in -Nightcaps. His remains were interned in the Roman Catholic section of the .Nightcaps Cemetery, the Rev. Father Lynch officiating at the grave.—The passing away at Gore of Mrs Jack Calder, of Morton Mains, brings to mind the time when Mrs Calder was Mdss Nell Jaggers, tha popular pupil teacher of Nightcaps Public School. The school was then in its infancy, and Miss daggers was the first pupil teacher it had. (The school now possesses, besides the head master, two mistresses, one assistant, and one probationer.) The friends in Nightcaps and the surrounding district, who hud the pleasure of knowing the late Mrs Calder extend their sincere sympathy to the husband and children whom she has left behind to mourn their loss. Send-offs.—A send-off at Mount Linton to Private Bain, and one at Beaumont to Private Minchee, were well attended, and suitable gifts were presented to the departing men. Church.—The Young People's conducted on Sunday afternoons by Mrs Barclay in connection with the Presbyterian Church, is supplying a long-felt want in the district, and all young people, even those from a distance, now the roads are getting good, will be made heartily welcome if wishing to join. Matters in connection with the proposed new church are being pushed forward, and the Presbyterians of Ihe district are being asked to subscribe. Whether this is an opportune time for building new churches when the existing one meets all requirements is a question being asked by outside critics. Time will tell.

Second Division League.—Nightcaps had a visit from Mr Haig, Invercargill, in. the interest of the above league. After a very forcible and rnuch-to-the-point address a committee was formed to push matters on. General.—The action of the manager of the Nightcaps Coal Company in giving temporary employment (during the vacations) to local boys taking a secondary educational course at the High School is highly commendable. It has always been a practice with the company's manager to do this, and give the highest rates of wages to the boys. —The new Roman Catholic Convent School was opened recently in the usual way of such institutions. There was a withdrawal of about 24 pupils from Nightcaps Public School.