SOUTHLAND TOPICS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3828, 26 July 1927, Page 38

SOUTHLAND TOPICS.

(From Our Own Con respondent.) INVERCARGILL. July 23. Beiler weather has characterised this week. There have been several warm sunny days and an absence of frost ami wind’. Farmers have been busy topdressing ’ pastures, and have made good progress. The town has been fairly quiet, chief ( interest centring in the coining Rugby ( match, Otago v. Southland, and in the departure of the touring team the follow- ' ing week. On Saturday football enthusiasts , saw a good open game between Town and Country. The excitement prevailing may_~ 1 be gauged from the fact that the final score was 22 all. Country commenced well, and soon had a lead of 12 —3, but 3 own drew up to 12—11 before the interval and ran to a lead of 22—12 shortly after tho resumption. Towards the end Country came with a rattle and made tho .'cores level before the whistle went. On Tuesday the Invercargill Male Choir gave their first concert of the 1927 season before a large audience. Scottish songs were given in the first half and a varied programme in the second. The principal > soloist was Mrs Percy Rule, of Thnaru, who pleasant soprano voice charmed tho audience. There was a tragic happening about 7.30 on Wednesday evening, when Mr Joseph Shepherd, railway traffic inspector lor Southland, met his death from an almost inexplicable cause. He was returning on a motor trolley from Thcrnbury, and had just got on to the bridge over tho Waihopai stream within a mile of Invercargill, when for sonic reason the trolley left _ the line and he was catapulted over the bridge into the stream. Two boys playing near heard the splash and gave the alarm and within a short time, constables and railway officials were searching for the unfortunate man. At the time he went over, however, there was a big volume of water in lhe tidal stream, and a strong current. The mud Hats exposed as the tide ebbed wore searched and a boat explored the water, but it was 2 a.m. before the body was recovered. The deceased s head was bruised, so that in all probability he struck a groyne before he reached the water and was fo dazed thereby that he could not. struggle to safety. The trolley’ was subsequently tested, and found to be m perfect order. The only way the accident can be explained is that Mr Shepherd swung round to adjust a bag he was carrying in rear, and that this movement caused the trolley to jump the rails. An inquest was opened on Thursday for identification purposes, and adjourned sine die. Mr Desmond Keith, who was injured in a motor accident near Wallacetown as mentioned, in last week’s letter, died tn the Southland Hospital on Wednesday without regaining consciousness. He was a resident of Winton, and lost both his parents in the influenza epidemic. The chief waterworks engineer, Mr M’C’arthv lias forwarded his resignation to the Borough Council, he having accepted an important position in the Malay States Mr M'Carthy’s departure should put an end to the acrimonious dispute in lhe council as to whether or not the town engineer should control the waterworks. The matter was to have been *ctt..cd finallv at the council meeting on August 2, biit there will now be no bone of conTwo serious fires occurred last Saturday, one in Invercargill and one in Gore. The Invercargill fire was in Dec street, i leReid and Gray's building being severely damaged, and Parkinsons, Ltd., electrical engineers, also sustaining heavy losses to their stock. An hour’s solid work by the brigade was necessary before the flames wore erot under control, and by that tune many thousands of pounds worth of damage was done It is thought probable that the fire originated in the battcry-chai gnig On the same evening at Gore the Hotel I Carrington was gutted, the fire commencing in a room above the kitchen, through a defective chimney. When the brigade was aide to get to work in earnest it was too late to save the building, but members did good work preventing the fire spreading. Tho burning building presented a great spectacle, the reflection being seen many miles away. It was insured for £3OOO and tho contents for £lO5O. . Much to the satisfaction of Stew ait Island residents the Government has now agreed to find the whole of the £oooo required for the new wharf at Hahmoon L A further step in the amalgamation of the boroughs of Invercargill and South Inter-caro-il] was made on Mondav at. a special meeting of the latter council, when after hearing a deputation, a resolution m favour" of amalgamation was carried bv seven votes to two. On Thursday Wvndham was the. scene of a motor accident that might have had more serious results. A five-seater Sedan was being driven by Mr John Dooley, of

Ridges. to catcb the express at L.uenaaie, when it ran into sonic loose gravel and overturned. Only one passenger. Miss Hcnnifyn. of Waimatc. sustained injuries of a serious nature, but her condition is net dangerous. There was a largo crowd at the Gore Showgrounds on Wednesday. when the Central District Sub-union team tried to wrest the Sports Cup from Eastern District. The game resolved itself into a struggle between Central forwards and Easteni backs, and the latter won by 13 to 3. Central’s captain. Forde, was injured in a collision just at the end of the game, and had to be taken to the hospital with concussion. The Bluff Boxing Association, with a view to fostering the sport in the province, staged a highly successful tournament at Winton on Friday night. A good bouse and spirited fuditing rewarded tho efforts of the Bluff officials. The Wairio district lost an old and highly respected settler in tho person of Mr Acheson Greer during the week. In 1878 ho landed at Lyttelton, and secured an appointment as teacher at Sumner, a profession he was trained for. Prospects ns a teacher wore not bright, in those de vs. and he decided io take up farming. Tie first settled at Balfour, but after eight rears took up his homo in the Wairio district, and resided there till his death. . His entimism and hospitality endeared him Io all. and n. huge cortege followed his body to the Wrev's Bush Cometorv.