IN TOWN AND OUT

Southland Times, Issue 20618, 17 October 1928, Page 4

IN TOWN AND OUT

NEWS OF THE DAY. Bushman Injured. Another chopping accident resulted in Albert Egerton, aged 26, a bushman of Tokanui being admitted to the Southland Hospital yesterday suffering from a severed tendon in the left instep. Small Sawmill Closed. The sawmill owned and operated by Jacobson and Wybrow at Niagara has closed down and it is not known at present whether it will reopen. This mill is 14 miles from the railhead at Tokanui and this fact probably reduced its chances of success. * * * * Fine Sample of Potatoes. A fine sample of this season’s potatoes, probably one of the best and earliest grown so far this season locally, was dug yesterday by Mrs Maher, of Pomona Road, Georgetown. The potatoes, which were planted in May, are of average table size, five of them weighing 16 ozs. * * » ♦ Fishing Prospects. The rivers throughout Southland continue to be very high, in most cases bank to bank or even flooding surrounding land. The water itself is in almost all cases very discoloured. Most of the rivers, however, are rapidly going down, but it is most improbable that good fly fishing will be able to be done to-day. * * ♦ • The Launch Meteor. A telephone message to Halfmoon Bay yesterday confirmed the report that the overdue fishing ketch Meteor had arrived there at 5 p.m. on Monday with her sails blown to tatters and her eight horse-power engine all but disabled. She had been sheltering at various points round the Island since Thursday waiting for a favourable opportunity to make land. She was refitted yesterday and left for Lord's River to continue her interrupted fishing trip and is due to reach Bluff to-day or to-morrow. ■Summer Time Weather. Almost synonymous with the coming into operation of summer time in Southland came a welcome break in the weather and yesterday’s glorious sunshine was a signal for many sports enthusiasts to take advantage of the conditions. Everywhere uniformed tennis players could be seen wending their way to the various courts about the town. In the evening cricketers and bowlers sought their summer loves and added to the numbers. Y'esterday was a perfect day. Serious Accident. Right on the heels of (he distreasing accident by which Finlay McGilvray lost his life comes another motor accident on the fatal North Road. Early yesterday afternoon a light touring car carrying three passengers collided with a bicycle ridden by Frederick Griber, a labourer, aged 54, a resident of Gordon Street, Collingwood. The scene of the accident was just on the Waikiwi side of the Bay road junction. So far little has been learnt of the accident and the police do not yet know who the driver or passengers in the car were. Griber is suffering from a fracture of the right shoulder blade, a fracture of the left leg, a dislocated right hip and a lacerated scalp. His condition at a late hour last night was serious. * ♦ * ♦

Bird-Nests and Fires. Outbreaks of fire can often be traced to most unexpected causes, but one of the strangest was that which resulted in a small outbreak in Detective-Sergeant Hewitt’s house in Eye street. The house was in the hands of the painters who were occupied in burning off the old coat of paint with a blow lamp. Apparently while operating beneath the eaves, the flame of the lamp ignifed some straw that was the relic of departed families of birds. The fire brigade was at once informed and was thus able to extinguish the blaze before it had gained a hold on the roof. As a consequence little damage of any sort was done. A sign of uninvited occupation was shown when a couple of sheets of roofing iron were removed, disclosing a jumble of straw, rag and other odds and ends, accumulated by successive generations of nest-builders. The painter, who has had several years’ experience, says that he has never had any experience of that sort before.

The Tourist Season. Although the improved weather and the additional half hour of daylight in the evenings have turned the thoughts of many to holiday making in popular tourist resorts, the present indications point to a delayed start of the usual seasonal activities. The impending elections are occupying the attentions of many people who might otherwise be bent on recreation. Indications, however, point to increased traffic, especially in the south, where conditions have been improved in many popular places. A great deal of improvement has been effected on the Milford Track, but much more is still to be done and consequently the opening of the Track will be delayed. The officers responsible for arrangements on the Track are at present busy purchasing supplies in Invercargill. Bookings are already being made for Stewart Island and Queenstown and a considerable improvement over last season may be expected in these resorts. An improved season is also indicated for Central Otago, Christmas bookings being well under way at Alexandra, Cromwell and Pembroke.