Lake County

Southland Times, Issue 13062, 9 November 1894, Page 4

Lake County

(KBOM OUB OWN CORRESPONDENT.) Now that the talking shop at Wellington hae been shut up the voice of the country correspondent will be heard once more in the land. It is to be hoped that the change will be an agreeable one, that is, for the country, because so far as the correspondent is concerned I believe I am safe in saying he is not quite so well paid as the men who make the talk at Wellington. The correspondent may play upon the credulity of the public, shock his own sense of consistency or abuse all the rules of decorum and good custom ever so much, but the spondulix will not be forthcoming at anything like the Wellington rate. However, the consolation ho has is that if he be so minded he may qualify himself for the higher (?) position—and lam afraid a good many try. Bub it is always reprehensible to talk shop, and it is time that business be proceeded with. Before unfolding my budget of news, however, I must be allowed to briefly refer to a letter over thesignaturcof the Rev. D. 0. Hampton complaining that a correspondent from this district to a Southland paper .had spoken disparagingly of the Church of England congregation at Queenstown and their late pastor. Mr Hampton’s letterappearcd in the Wakatipu Mail, some time ago. It is scarcely fair that anyone should make so serious a charge in so vague a manner and the rev. gentleman in question would have shown a better spirit had he mentioned the name of the paper and date of the issue in which the remarks complained of appeared. As for myself I can only say that “ ’Tain’t me, sir ; t’is the other boy. ” There are two subjects that are strictly tapu with me and they are the women and the churches and out of respect for the writer I have never written a disparaging word of either. And now for the news. A sad fatal accident occurred on Thursday last about half a mile from Arrowtown near the hospital. Mr Alexander Cowan, part owner of the Gibbston coalpit while on his road home with his dray and team of horses by some means must have fallen in front of one of the wheels which passed over his chest inflicting injuries of so serious a nature as to cause his death about half an hour after the accident. The deceased was about 39 years of age, and leaves a widow and five young children, it is feared inadequately provided for. Another death, recalling the early days of the Shotover, is that of Mr Fred. Le Sueur, who died in the Old Men’s Home, Dunedin, the other day. Mr Le Sueur, who was a French Canadian, was one of the very early pioneers of the Shotover, being chiefly located at or near Skipper’s Point. The deceased died in his 67th year. Things in the farming and mining line are not particularly bright. The low prices of wheat and wool affects these parts much more than other places in Otego on account of the cost of transport, and our settlers will have to strike out in other lines. In mining the shutting down of the Premier Mine, Macetown, will be widely felt. Directly and indirectly the mine found employment for about 60 men, whose occupation, for a time at least, will be gone, and though the mine is not likely to be closed for good it will scarcely be worked on so large a scale in the future. The worst feature in the temporary stoppage of work is the fact that the shareholders refuse to pay their employes the amount of wages due to them beyond what they can claim according to the laws of the country. I hear that a number of summonses for amounts up to L5O and L6O have been issued, so that the somewhat unsettled question of miners’ wages is likely to be well ventilated in the Warden’s Court on the 14th inst. It is computed that the company owes about Ll4OO in wages and about Ll2OO for supplies locally procured. 6th Nov.