MATAURA.

Southern Cross, Volume 3, Issue 3, 20 April 1895, Page 12

MATAURA.

A team from the Southland Rifle Club paid a visit to the local club’s range on Good Friday, when a match was fired, ten . men aside. The conditions were to have been seven shots and two optional sighters at 200 and 500 yards, but owing to a drenching rain it was arranged to fire a one range match, namely, 10 shots and two optional sighters at 200 yards. The result proved a very close and interesting match, as first one side and then the other was leading by a few points. When the last two lay down to fire the scores were even. Mr Smith, captain of the visitors, succeeded in “ downing ” Mr Mitchell, captain of the home team, by six points, thus winning the match for his side, the total scores being Southland, 358 points; Mataura, 362. After the match the visitors were entertained to luncheon in Mr Cameron’s Hotel, where a bountiful spread was prepared. A visit was afterwards paid to the Freezing Works, over which the visitors were shown by Mr Hamilton.

The butchers are kept busy at the slaughtering yards, putting through 700 sheep a day. A peculiar, not to say amusing, accident occurred on Wednesday afternoon to James McKechnie. While driving towards the bridge his horse suddenly fell, and in doing so turned heels over head. The strange part of the whole thing is that not a strap or buckle of the harness was broken. “ The only damage •occurred when pushing the cart back •off the horse, it. being necessary to •cut one of the straps. The horse slightly skinned its knees. The wonder is how the animal managed to turn right, over without breaking •anything. John Cameron, who has been working at Simpson’s threshing mill, met with an aaccident on Thursday which necessitated his going to the hospital, his hand being crushed by the elevators falling on it.