WAIROA NEWS

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 16838, 29 December 1928, Page 16

WAIROA NEWS

(Herald Correspondent.) Jupiter Pluvius, who suspended his watery gifts till the close of BoxingDay, resumed his libations yesterday, light rain falling all day, and increasing about nightfall. It is feared that the recurrence of rain will not only seal tho fate of cut hay, but bring about brown rot among stone fruit, and cause a second growth in potatoes. Quite a number of people were perturbed on Christmas Eve, and some of the interested ones badly shocked, by a cruel rumor set afloat by some evildisposed person. The story was that a well-known Wairoa young man had been killed in a motor accident on "the Devil's Elbow," on the WairoaNapier road. The rumor soon spread, and telephones were set to work, but it was not till after 10 p.m. that the falsity of the rumor was established. Easily the best-patronised excursion train yet left for Waikokopu on the morning of Boxing Day. The excursion was planned by St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church, and was very liberally supported by tho public. Arrived at the ground the excursionists soon dispersed over the several beaches and bathing spots, whilst a good many patronised the Opoutama sports: The young people feasted and played to their hearts' content till about 5 p.m., when the homeward journey began, no rain falling until Whakaki was reached. The s.s. Tangaroa took away 200 boxes of butter for export and 220 bales of w r ool. For New Year's Day the Jubilee Show of the Nuhaka A. and P. Society bids fair to absorb most of the interest, and given a fine day it is on the cards that there will be a record attendance. The Frasertown sports come off on the following day, and there are very fair entries for'the handicap events. Januar v 12 will be the Wairoa ladies' amateur sports, when Gisborne and Napier lady athletes are expected to compete. In response to the appeal to the. public there was a good supply of Christmas cheer, gifts, etc., for the benefit of the patients and staff at_ the county hospital. The wards were nicely decorated for the occasion, and those laid aside were, in a measure, reconciled to the adverse conditions for spending a happy Christmas. Owing to the presence'of some infectious cases no Christmas tree was set up, but nevertheless Father Christinas visited each little patient. Mr.*N. Dinan, Waipukurau, is on a holiday visit to his parents. Mr. and Mrs. J. Dinan.---Mr. and Mrs. Hunt, with Miss Hunt, of Omahanui, spent the Christmas holidays with Mr. and Mrs. Howling, of "Potutu." Mr. and Mrs. S. Grover, Hastings, also stayed at the same homestead.—Mr. Tom Corkill, son of the Mavor of Wairoa. is on holidav in this district.—Mrs. S- Small has teft for Wanganui to attend the ceremonies in connection with the golden wedding of her uncle and aunt, Mr. and Mi*. Geo. Read of that town.

Among the visitors to Wairoa during the holiday season was Mr. F. A. Higham. of Gisborne, who took the opportunity of looking up your corresnondent, who had 34 years previously rendered some slight service to his father, mother and family of three when they were, shipwrecked on this coast. In 1894 they were on a voyage from Gisborne to' Lyttelton, with Mr. E. Harris of Gisborne and his two boys, and aChinese, Low Sing, to embark in a fishing enterprise down south. The cutter in which they sailed was the Dart, and after rounding Portland Island a southerly gale drove her coastwise, and just off Whakaki the vessel went ashore, and all had a marvellous oscane, but' landed minus everything but the clothes they wore. The Maoris befriended them and took the shipwrecked people across the lagoon to the residence of Mr and Mrs. Robert Porter Hong since deceased) who cared for them till a horse and cart was sent out from Wairoa to bring them in. Mr. Higham was only able to find one other family he knew in his bovhood, but was greatly impressed with the progress made by Wairoa both in town and country in the last 34 years.