The Southern Cross. PUBLISHED WEEKLY. INVERCARGILL, SATURDAY, NOV. 25 General News.

Southern Cross, Volume 7, Issue 35, 25 November 1899, Page 8

The Southern Cross. PUBLISHED WEEKLY. INVERCARGILL, SATURDAY, NOV. 25 General News.

A contract has been let for the election of a school-house at Papatotara, Waiau. This will be a great boom to the settlers, whose children have hitherto been indebted to the kindness of Mr .id. Erekine for accommodatioa. The change will be also welcomed by the teacher, Miss Nickless. The election and no-license polls will be held on Wednesday, 6th December. A list of polling places for the district of Awarua is published in this issue. Mr A. Dunlop has been elected chairman of the Southland County Council. This is the third time he has held the position. The Waiwera, with the New Zealand contingent arrived at Port Elizabeth on Tuesday, The vessel was ordeied to proceed to Capetown at once. All on board were well. There have been no movements of importance in the Transvaal this week, but it is understood that a combined British movement is imminent. Particulars are given in our advertising columns of the places at which scholarship examinations under the Southland Education Board will be held. A Waiau correspondent informs us that the Te Tua dairy factory is doing better than ever, the daily supply now averaging about 1200 gallons. Mr C. W. Brown has several sections at Powelltown for disposal. Mr E. Clempson, herbalist, advertises a list of summer drinks. The members and friends of the Don street Primitive Methodist church held their annual tea meeting on Wednesday evening, when a very satisfactory report was- submitted by the office-bearers. The 25th appropriation of .£SOO in the Invercargill Starr-Bowkett Building Society was balloted for on Wednesday evening. No. 27, held by three members, being successful. The Rowallan Elevating Co. have bought the machinery belonging to the Waiau Beach Co., and it is now being carted to West Waiau. It is expected that a start will be made with the working of the claim in a month or two. Mr <T. W. Kelly, wBo told the banquetters at Hedgehope on Wednesday that he expects to be a member of Parliament for a few years longer, addresses the Invercargill electors in the Theatre Royal on Tuesday evening. A house at the Hutt (Wellington) was burned down on Tuesday night, and an infant of six months, whose mother had leit it while she drove a cow in, perished in the flames. Messrs J. Stead and J. S. Goldie hare been nominated for the Invercargill mayoralty. \ Mr W. B. Scandrett has been appointed Southland agent for Messrs Cook and Son, the well-known tourists* agents. We published an inquiry last week from Lloyd’s Weekly as to the whereabouts of Mr Edward Duplock, and on Monday a reader of the Southern' Cross advised ua that in May last Mr Duplock was at Norseman, Western Australia, where he then held the position of town clerk.

The benedict* of Kapuka hold a ball in Eobinßon’e hall on 12th December.

The punt at Drummond’s Ferry, on the Waiau, will be launched in a few days. It will be greatly appreciated by the settlers and visitors. A man named Walter Turner, employed on Graham Bros’, dredge on the Mataura river, was drowned on Thursday night. He was crossing the river in a boat attached to the dredge by a line, when the craft lurched and he was thrown into the river. He swam 350 yards with the current, but sank suddenly when close to shallow water.

The Southern Standard reports the death by drowning of Mr Philip J. Hill, one of the oldest residents of the Waimea Plains district. He was seen to enter the river, and his horse came out riderless on the other side. The river was unusually high, and it is supposed that Mr Hill was washed off his horse.

Our Bluff correspondent suggests a house to house eanvass for subscriptions in aid of the 60,000 Johannesburg refugees who are both penniless and homeless through the war in the Transvaal. If the subscription were limited to Is each it would realize a large amount, and would not be missed by anyone. It would materially add to the success of the cause if the sympathies and aid of the press, clergymen, mayors of the different boroughs, chairmen of the County Councils, and other influential men were invoked, and there is no doubt the citizens of the colony would warmly respond to the appeal. Dunedin show and races held this week. Ninety excursion tickets were issued at Invercargill, and the bookings at intermediate stations were large. The English mail via ’Frisco reached Invercargill yesterday. The Hon. J. G. Ward addresses the Awarua electors at Winton on Monday night. Entries for the Southland Metropolitan A. and P. Association’s show close on December 2nd. A good many residents of the Bluff assembled on the wharf on Tuesday last to bid farewell to Cant. Bate, officers and crew of the ship Zealandia on her departure for Timaru. As the vessel left the wharf three cheers were given by the crew for Mr and Mrs Hutton of the Bluff Sailors Rest for the many kindnesses shown to them during their stay. Mr Nickless has made a beginning with his flax mill at Grindstone Creek, four miles west of Orepuki, and everything is going well. He is putting through from seven to eight tons of raw material a day. The industry is an important one, and already affords work to seventeen hands, with the prospect of additional ones being required. Several homestead allotments will be open for selection at the Land Office on December 21st, A pastoral run and a number of sections at Menzie? Ferry will be offered on Dec. 28th.

Mies Kirk, who is admittedly one of the ablest exponents of the no-license platform, and a brilliant speaker, lectures in the Theatre Eoyal on Sunday evening, her subject being “ God, Home, and Humanity,” and again on Monday night, when she will deal with “ Labour, Liberty, and Eevenue v, Liquor,” Mr J. Adamson, one of the most popular business men in Orepuki, is having an addition made to his establishment, which may be accepted as a proof that Orepuki is advancing. Mr J. H. Heed has been re-elected Mayor of Campbelltown unopposed for the ensuing year. The following are the names of those elected as members for carrying out arrangements for the annual Bluff regatta to be held on 2nd January, 1900 :—President, Hon. J. G. Ward; Vice-presidents,' Messrs G. W. Kichol and J. H. Beed ; committee, Messrs S. Nichol, F. W. Jones, Parlane, S. Boberts, G. B. George, B. F. Dawson, T. C. TJrwin, W. Barker, E. Nichol, J. Hewlett, T. Gilroy, G. B. Waddel, B. Boderique, Capt. Lovett, S. Boderique, and Bevs. MacLaren, Bates, and Boys. The New Zealand Boan and Mercantile Agency Co., Ltd., are in receipt of the following advice from their London office: — Wheat —Market is steadier. K.Z. average is worth 28s, Longberried is worth 29a 3d per 496 lbs. Tallow—Market is slightly better.

A monster no-liceuse demonstration will b held in the Theatre Royal bn Thursday evening, when addresses will be given by the Revs. Elliot, Lewis, Brooks, and Sinclair, who are visiting Invercargill in connection with the Wesleyan district meeting. Each of these gentlemen will deal >vith a special phrase of the liquor question, and Mr Elliott, who is stationed in the Clutha district, will fully enlighten his audience as to the effects of Prohibition in that quarter.

The Prospectus of the Menzies’ Ferry Gold Dredging Co. is now being issued to the public, the capital of the Company is £6,500 in £1 shares, 4,900 of which are now offered to the public for subscription. The Menzies’ Ferry Gold Dredging Co.’s shares should be a good investment from the reports in the prospectus from well-known persons that are well acquainted with the Mataura river. The local that appeared in the Southland News of the 20th November confirms the reports in the prospectus of the M.F.G.D. Co. Fallowing is the local referred to : —A remarkably even parcel of heavy scaly gold was shown us this morning by Mr R. C. Miller, weighing soz. 18dwts. 3 grains, the return for 39 hours’ cradling from 13f yards of material on the Nil Desperandum claim about a mile and a half below the Mataura township and adjoining the Eureka claim. The Company owning the latter have purchased half the property and, as their dredge is now nearing completion, there is every prospect that she will be working before the end of January. The excellent return obtained by Mr Miller warrants the belief that the Mataura will provide some valuable dredging ground.