OREPUKI.

Southern Cross, Volume 5, Issue 32, 13 November 1897, Page 5

OREPUKI.

The Prince of Wales Birthday was, as usual, a very wet and boisterous day, but in spite of that, a large number of visitors arrived per excursion train to witness the athletic sports. The Invercargill Garrison Band was in attendance and did much to enliven what would otherwise have been a very disappointing day. The various events were got off between the showers as best they could, and were fairly well contested. The Athletic Club will be in credit over the affair, but had fine weather prevailed no doubt there would have been a large surplus. The excursionists to Colac Bay had their day spoiled also, but that place is coming into favour as a summer resort, and no doubt in time provision will be made to enable visitors to enjoy themselves on such a day as last Tuesday. Everything is very backward in gardens and paddocks —no growth in the ground and grass very scarce. It is an ill wind blows ( nobody good, and this weather suits the miners down to the ground. The heavy winds have done a good deal of damage to flumes and races, but the plentiful supply of water compensates in some degree. A petition has been forwarded to the Minister for Mines asking that the Government should resume possession of the farms on Kenny’s Creek for mining purposes, and a reply has been received stating that if sufficient funds are provided by the miners to cover contingent expenses the Government will take

action in the matter, always providing that reliable evidence of the presence of gold in payable quantities is forthcoming. When the Right Bon R. J. Beddon was in Orepuki, in his capacity of Minister for Mines, he expressed great surprise at the apathy of the miners in permitting the land to be held at all, and promised that he would do what he could to have it resumed, but no more has been heard about it since.