RAGLAN.

Waikato Argus, Volume XVIII, Issue 2907, 20 June 1905, Page 2

RAGLAN.

The weather has been both wet and warm during the past week, with the temperature keeping steadily at about (JO degrees Pah. during the last few days. A remarkable growth is taking place in pastures, green oats and late turnips. The line autumn and mild opening of winter are doing much to compensate our farmers for the ill effects of the earlier drought. The Te Aeo-te-roi and Raglan flaxmills, owned by Mr Rutherford, have discontinued “grinding,” and, when the material now bleaching has been dealt with, operations for the winter months will cease. A good many men will be thus thrown out of employment. However, bushfelling and fencing contracts soon absorb them, and one would have to go back a good many years to find the genus unemployed in evidence in Raglan, although here, as elsewhere, one occasionally drops across a specimen with his back presented to the jobs he pretends to seek. At a recent meeting of the Raglan School Committee, a letter from the Education Board was read stating that the sum of A 8 had been granted and was available for fencing at the teacher’s house. It was resolved to call tenders for the work in question. It was also resolved that the question of disposing of a portion of the school property be put off until next meeting, it was further resolved that the Board be approached re sanitary arrangements in connection with school offices, and also that application bo made for a grant for the purpose of improving the school grounds. The following accounts were passed for payment—B. IV, Hamilton, j£l Its Id; Mrs Anderson, ill; Raglan Chronicle, ss, The attendance at the school during the past mouth averaged -IG'9. Quite a sensation was caused iu the main street last Thursday afternoon by an outbreak of fire on the premises of Mr T. Brown, saddler, whoso shop and dwelling are under the same roof. At the time the alarm was given the fire had, to all appearances, taken possession of one of the back rooms, as the smoko was so dense that it was impossible to enter. It was also issuing in some volume through the roof. A large bucket brigade was formed, which soon had the back portion of the house awash and the lire extinguished, fortunately before much damage was effected. The fire originated in a box filled with old papers, from which it had spread to the wall, burning paper aud lining almost up to the ceiling, hi the meantime nearly all the contents of the house had been carried for safety into the street. On Saturday morning three of tho young men employed at Messrs Watkin Bros.’ sawmill, Messrs Sadler (2) and Martin, had a somewhat unenviable experience, and one of them, at least, a narrow escape from drowning. It appears that for the purpose of constructing tho boom at Waitetuna Heads a pile-driving apparatus bad been temporarily attached to Mr Hamilton’s large punt. On Saturday morning tho punt was taken to tho wharf and loaded with nine tuns of coal, tho “ monkey ” being still iu position. In consequence of the big load and great leverage of top weight, the craft had barely loft the wharf when she turned turtle, emptying her cargo. One of the Sadler brothers succeeded in regaining the upturned punt, and immediately after one of the wharf life-belts was thrown over aud caught by Martin; unfortunately the other belt could not bo detached from the wharf, of which it seems to have been made a permanent fixture, and so a piece of timber had to do duty instead. Fortunately Sadler managed to reach it, as when they were rescued lie was iu a somewhat exhausted condition.—(Own Correspondent.)