TAIHAPE NOTES.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XLV, Issue 11760, 20 February 1919, Page 5

TAIHAPE NOTES.

From Our Own Correspondent. An inquest was held on Tuesday at Raetibi concerning the deaths of Alex. McLean and Gordon Wheeler, whose bodies were found by a search psrty near the Maungaturoa road ou Sunday last. The evidence showed that the deceased men had been members of a survey party which was working in the hush in November, 101 S. During the afternoon of November loth, the two men were missed, and it wes presumed that they had taken shelter from a severe thunderstorm As they had net returned ou the following day they were reported to have been lost in the hush, and a search party was sent out No trace of the men could be discovered, in spite of the efforts cf the searchers, until Sunday last, when the bodies were found early in the afternoon, near where the two men had felled a rimu tree. The men had apparently sheltered beneath a tree, which showed signs of having been struck by lightning, which was very vivid on the day the men wore missed A verdict was recorded to the effect that Wheeler and McLean were accidentally killed on November loth, 1918, owing to having been struck by lightning. An unoccupied teu-roomed house at Utiku was destroyed by tire. The house was owned by Mr Creighton, and it is thought that it was not insured. The house had been let to an Chakune family, who were to have taken possession of it last week.

According to the ranger for the Waimarino Acclimatisation Society, the Raetiln bush tires last yaar have had a bad effect on trout in various streams. It is presumed that the potash off the burnt ground has been washed into the streams, in three of which the stock of trout has been practically depleted. Light rain ou Wednesday interfered with the harvesting of cocksfoot seed, and threshing operations had to be suspended. During the . afternoon, at the Tirirankawa picnic and sports, Mr, Mrs and Miss Rowling were made the recipients of handsome presentations as tokens of the esteem and goodwill of the settlers. Prize-winners at the Whaka Road School dnriug the year are as follow :—Girls :Kathleen Gilchrist and Margaret McCarthy (proficiencies), Eileen McCarthy, Florence Micklosoa, Annie Develin, Rachel Mickleson, JBertha Grice, Althea Develin, Prances Wilkes, Eileeu Armstrong, and Dolly Develin. Boys: James Gilchrist, J. Develin, Neville Gilchrist, Clarence Mickleson, Hugh Gilchrist, Raphael Mickleson, Jack Develin, Harold Wilkes and William Armstrong. Prizes won during the year by pupils.of the Tiritaukawa School have been presented to the followiug:—J. Devane, J M Samiss, J Rampton, Nancy Rowling, Eva Parsons, Alma McFarland, Jas. Devane, R Symon, Kathleen Symon, Symou, Mavis Parsons, Marjory Symon, Dorothy McNeill, Audrey Ransome, Sibyl Parsons, Clarence McNeill and lan Symou. A particularly mean theft was perpetrated at utiku recently, when six bags of grass-eeed, which had been harvested in that locality, were stolen. Another instance of extreme meanness is reported in the case of a woman who cut the grass on a certain plot in readiness for threshing, which work was secretly done by someone else, who reaped all the benefit. It is to be hoped that the offenders will be caught and made an example of