Oteramika.

Southland Times, Issue 13737, 26 April 1897, Page 3

Oteramika.

(from oub own correspondent.) The fine weather which has prevailed for a week or more has rejoiced the hearts of the farmers here, and if not all, at least nearly all the crops must now be secured. It was a trying time for some weeks before it cleared up. In many cases the bands had to be cut and the sheaves spread out to dry, but alter all very little real damage has been done. Let us be thankful that our lot is cast in Southland instead of Hawkes Bay. Mr Charles Cloy, who has been mail contractor and postmaster here for nearly nine years, having lately given it up in order to attend more closely to his farm, was presented the other evening with a writing desk with a case of pens, pencils, etc., as a token of respect from his many friends in the district. He started when a mere boy, and during all the time he proved himself a most obliging and painstaking youth, ever ready to carry letters to or from the post offices, and while waiting for or after delivering the mails at the railway station he was always helping some one with parcels or goods, and if he noticed any articles lying unprotected he was sure to have them covered up, and I am safe in saying everyone in Oteramika wishes him all prosperity. A meeting was held in the church on Wednesday evening in connection with the Christian Endeavour Society, when some young people from yonr town were present and made speeches bearing on the proper methods for carrying on the work of such societies. There were also a few visitors from the Woodlands Society. Only a short time has elapsed since the society was started here, but they are gaining in strength and usefulness very fast,

11 Now I have a grievance to ventilate, i There appeared in your paper one day last I week a letter headed “ Oteramika, from our own correspondent.” You used to call the person who now holds this pen “Your Own.” . Well, I never wrote that letter, so there is a mistake somewhere, and I wish the matter rectified. Probably had it not been for that mistake no notice would have been taken here of that doleful effusion. The, writer must have been down in the dumps on that wet day, as nearly everything seemed to be wrong. He thought a Noah’s ark would be required soon—why, we did not even require a boat. The stocks were looking like heap* of mud or something of that sort. They were bad enough, but not quite so bad. as all that. Possibly it was something else he saw. Then the Saturday afternoon train is too early—s.ls suited the. settlers better. He should have said “some settlers” only, as the present arrangement suits the majority better. Possibly those who may have a trap and a spanking horse to take them home over a good road may feel right enough, but what of all those who might have to wade along in a dark night over muddy roads ; and as for leaving before the express comes in very few of us have friends coming from Dunedin to visit us. But a [ halt must be made as this is in danger of I becoming another growl. Nothing has been heard of the Mutual I Improvement Society making a start. It is to ire hoped a move will be made soon as the winter will soon be here with the long evenings. . Plenty of sportsmenjwere about during the holidays but nothing has been heard of the ** bags ” they got. The pigeons don’t seem to be very plentiful as yet, neither are ducks, and of kakas there are none. ,23rd April. [An apology is due to our correspondent in the matter of the letter which he denies the authorship of. On comparison there are 1 marked dissimilarities between his writing and that of the writer of the letter which he. declines to father, although taken alone ' and in the belief that it was from “ our own” ' it might pass muster as his writing. We , regret and are annoyed to find that sentiments which have called for reproof should ' have been erroneously attributed co an ' innocent person.— Ed.