Untitled

Clutha Leader, Volume II, Issue 99, 2 June 1876, Page 5

Dr Purdie, of Dunedin, one of the earliest arrivals in the Province, died on Tuesday evening. .Wa learn that Sir J. L. C. Richardson has resigned his membership of the Otago University Council. The goods shed at the Kaitangata station has now been finished, and the. engine-shed is fast approaching completion. A telegram from Melbourne, dated 27th ult., says : —The Prosperity's cargo of New Zealand barley sold at an extreme figure. .It is reported that arrangements will he made for holding a grand Volunteer fete at Milton on the 9th November next, the Prince of Wales's Birthday. Wk are requested to state that the Rev. F. Knowles will hold divine ssrvice at Warepa on Wednesday, and afc Port Molyneux on Thursday n*xt;— 7.30 p.m. This week's Provincial Government Gazette contains a proclamation setting apart 2800 acres of land in the Otaria and Kaiwarra hundreds for occupation on deferred payments. It will be observed from our report of the Matau Road Board meeting, that instructions have at last heen given to have tho road repaired between Stirling and the railway terminus. From Port Molyneux, we hear that two men have commenced washing for the gold along the beach about a mile from the township, and are confident from present returns it will pay them well. Messrs Coasens and Tosh's mill has all but finished with the Port Molyneux district. Many' of the farmers there think it would be desirable to commence earlier another year, as several have been put to great inconvenience for want of straw since the bad weather set in. At a meeting of the Tapanui Ploughing Match Committee, held the other day, a new Committee was elected. The following are the new officebearers :— Mr J. M'Kellar, President ; Mr J. Mackie, Vice-President ; Mr J. A. Mooney, Secretary and Treasurer. As an instance of what is being done by the settlers on Inch Clutha, we may mention that the Messrs M'Donald are at present feeding one hundred cattle on turnips. They had last season a magnificent crop of forty acres of turnips, which they are thus turning to good account. Thb season for shooting cock-pheasants within that area of land lying betweeea the Waitaki and Catlins river, ten miles inland from the coast, commenced yesterday, and will terminate on 31st July. We understand that upwards of forty licenses have been taken out. A sporting friend writes :— " Our loc J worthies were very successful in yesterday's sport at shooting cock pheasants. The new breechloaders imported by some of them, however, did not come up to the expectation of the owners. Some of the old guns. I believe, got up to six brace. Our local medico and chemist saw several birds. Our sportsmen should be advised not to excite themselves when the birds are rising, as a knowledge of natural history is apt to be ignored, and hon pheasants are not so well protected as the Government, might think.." Iff consequence of some rather heated remarks having been made at the Athenaeum mcc ins o i Monday with reference to the original subscription list, we wera anxious that a wrong impression should not be allowed to go abroad upon the subject. We therefore made enquiry at the hon. secretary as to the true state of matters, and have now to explain that when it was determined to establish an Athenaeum here, the Government agreed to subsidise subscriptions to the extent of £ for £. Lists were then handed to a number of parties to canvass for subscriptions. These lists were returned to the hon. secretary, and he, believing them to be genuine, forwarded them to the Government for subsidy. Upon a collector being afterwards appointed to collect the subscriptions, he found that many of the, names appearing on the lists had been so put oii without authority, and consequently the parties declined to pay. Before granting the subsidy, the Government stipulated that the money subscribed should be placed in the Back, and this being found impossible the arrangement fell through. The Government were again applied to for assistance in the matter, and agreed to give £235, upon condition that the inhabitants, hy the acceptance of a tender for a building, shewed that they were prepared to contribute a fair proportion of the funds. The fcport shews to what extent the public have contributed. It thus appears that no money was actually secured from the Government upon the faith of the subscrip-tion-list, the genuineness of which is now called in question, but it also appears that such a list was forwarded with a view to obtaining a subsidy. It will also be observed that if blame attaches t» anyone, it certainly does not attach to the secretary, who has had a great amount of labor in connection with the matter, and who has performed his duties openly, straightforwardly, I and honestly. Wo are only sorry that a greater success haa not attended hia efforts in so good a

j Mr M'Gregor has sold his interest in the firtrij ' of M'Gregor and Ferguson, general merchants, 1 p Tapanui. i j We are requested to state that the gift of six volumes referred to in the Athenaepm report was' from Messrs P. Hay man & Co., Dunediu. ' ; Messrs Jackman, of Glenomaru, are anticipating the stoppage of their, sawmill this winter, as part of the road is so bad already as to be nearl t : 1 impassable. This is the more to be regretted as 1 a a. nail outlay would complete the metalling all along. Ma James Paterson, of Port Molyneux, is still suffering great inconvenience and for want of regular communication with Dunedin. We think if the Inch Clutha farmers were to co-operate with Mr Paterson, it would pay M'Farlane to keep his boat plying between Stirling and the Port. IN consequence of Messrs Somerville's increasing business at Waitepeka, they have been compelled to move to more commodious premises. These are so loffcy as to require a judicious arrangement of stars suspended from the roof, which will no doubt materially aid illumination during the long evenings. It is- reported that the Editor of our Tokomairiro contemporary has been caught napping, and that the proprietors of the ' Guardian' are about to mollify their wounded feelings by an action of damages against the • Herald.' The grievance is contained in tho communication of the Dunedin correspondent of the ' Herald/ which appeared on the 23rd ultimo. Wjb regret to have to report that Mary, twelve years of age, daughter of Mr F. S. dinning here, met with a severe accident on Monday last. She had gone out to fetch some water, and fell from off the tank, breaking the cap of the shoulderjoint, the arm being turned right round towards the back. Dr Smith was sent for, and having put matters to rights, the patient is now doing well. i The Dunedin Carnival, on behalf of the Bene- 1 volent Institution was brought to a close by an | address from the Mayor on Wednesday evening < The proceeds from all sources will exceed £1500, 1 'which is supplemented by the Provincial Govern- i ment to the extent of £ for £. Of the £3000, 1 the Committee purpose to invest £2000 in good i securities, the Institution to receive annually tho ] profits derivable therefrom. i A telegram from Oaniaru says that a girl i named Mary Ann Stone was burnt severely at £ Reidston on Tuesday evening, through playing i with a fire lighted in a paddock to consume rub- ( bish, Her clothes caught .fire, and everything- ( was burnt off her back. She ran a distance of s 500 yards, in a state of nudity, to the Medora fi Hotel. The girl died on Wednesday rooming,. having been positively roasted to death. c As an instance of the fertility of .the soil and i the salubrity of the climate, we may state that a 1 vine of the sweet water species, growing in the r open air in Mr Geddes' garden, Lanark-street, this year bore about fifty large clusters of grapes, a good many of which ripened nicely. It was never expected the fruit would come to maturity, and no attention whatever was paid to the tree, otherwise the whole of the fruit might have been ripened. In the same garden is an apricot tree, which annually bears a large crop of delightful c fruit, which fully ripens. .

Wb are requested to call attention to the fact that the Right Rev. the Bishop of Dunedin will preach at St. Mark's, Baiclutha, on Tueaday next, service commencing at 8 p.m.; and that after service a meeting will he held to form a branch in Baiclutha of the Church Society of the Diocese. This Society has been instituted in order to provide for tho accomplishment of such Church work as ia of a general dioscesan character, lying outside the sphere of parochial efforts, although scarcely less needful to the welfare of the parishes. A good muster of Church of England members, of both sexes, will, it is to be hoped, meet his Lordship on the Occasion. Wb have been looking out for some time past to hear of some action being taken by the Tokomairiro Farmers' Club in the matter of the annual ploughing match. It is now time that j something were done. The Committee will observe that the Matau and Clutha match has heen fixed for the 6th July, and will therefore keep clear of, that day, as no doubt a considerable number of the Tokomairiro teams will, as usual, compete at the Clutha. Thb "Waiwera School Committee met on Friday last. There were present : Messrs Broad (in the chair), M^Callum, M'Kenzie, Bi'ooks, "Wylie, and Littlejohn (secretary). The minutes of former meeting were read and confirmed. Tho treasurer laid before the meeting a report of the state of the funds. It was resolved that the stable be re-let on the same terms as last year. Also, it was resolved to get the porch at the school door enlarged so as to be of service in holding the caps ars.^. cloaks of the scholars. It was also determined to co-operate with the Library Committee in procuring a set of lamps for the use of the school. There was no other business. It would be difficult to find : a township throughout this part of the Colony which presents po certain indications of immediate progress and prosperity as does Kaitangata. On all sides life and activity prevail. It is the centre for several prosperous agricultural districts, and in all probability the development of its mineral resources will, within a few weeks, afford constant and permanent employment tofceveral hundreds of men, who with their families will materially add to the population of the township. A. large number of new houses will have to be built, and no doubt also business premises will be extended. The inhabitants,, however, seem equal to the occasion, and new buildings are rapidly springing up. Amongst these, the most prominent is the new store just erected by Mr W. T. Smith, in the Government township, at the junction of the roads leading to Wangaloa,: Goal Point, the Lakes, and Baiclutha. The building, consists of two floors, the lower floor being 60 x 22 x 8 feet, and the upper 60 x 22 x 12 feet. The whole front ia glass, and the store is also lighted by three windows at the back and large lights in the centre of the roof. A counter runs along on each sidp, the one being 32 and the other 18 feet long. Each wall is shelved with eight rows' of fancy, shelves, supported by light turned columns. An office has been partitioned off and fitted up at the inner end of the room. The building has been erected by the owner out of timber from the Bluff, and has a very substantial and at the same time a light and elegant appearance. It is an ornament to the township, and reflects much credit upon Mr Smith's taste and enterprise.

The building will be used as a general store, and the business will be conducted under the superintendence of Mr Telfer, late of Baiclutha. We have no doubt, therefore, it will be well* attended to, and that Mr Smith will he amply rewarded for his largo outlay.

cause.

Mr Edward Todd, of Waitepeka, will have a sale of Btock shortly ; full particulars to appear' in a future issue.

A meeting of the Committee of the Matau and Clutha Amalgamated Ploughing Match was held in' the Schoelhouse, Inch Clutha, on Tuesday evening. From the reports given in by tHe sub-committees appointed to collect subscriptions, it appeared that the match was likely to be very liberally supported, and that the Committee would hive a larger sum to dispose of in prizes than f on any former occasion. It was finally arranged that the match should take place at Middleton Hall (Mr luglis'e). near Stirling, on Thursday, the 6th July. A more suitable or centrally-situated paddock could scarcely be found. It is convenient for the whole of the surrounding districts, and for settlers on both side 3 of the river. It is only five minutes' walk from the railwayiterminus, and we therefore may expect a very large turn out, both of teams and visitors. i

The following speaks well for the quality of the lfcnd [in the Waitepeka district. Mrs M. Veifcch has just threshed out upwards of 100 bushels oats off one acre of land. This is the heaviest return we have heard of in this district. Mr Dalgleish, of the same district, has a sheep twenty-five months old, which has had three lambs, within seven months. The lady of the last*nafhed gentleman has just presented him with twins t We believe the saline breezes from the briny deep must lend their aid to prolific nature in this neighborhood.