COUNTRY NEWS.

Evening Star, Issue 2890, 24 May 1872, Page 3

COUNTRY NEWS.

Tutu has been unusually destructive among the cattle herds of the Mataura this season.

Steps arc being taken at Balclutha to receive the Rev. J. Smith, the Episcopalian clergyman for the district, who is expected to arrive shortly. The Celestial friends of the European woman who married a Chinaman last week at Tuapeka, have made her presents of the value of L3OO.

The demand for the inaugural address of the Rev. J. Kirkland, Moderator of the Presbyterian Synod of Otago and Southland has been so great that the publishers are striking off a second edition. A public meeting will be held at Balclutba this evening, to consider the action to be adopted to impress upon the Government the necessity of immediate steps being taken to prevent the repeated encroachments of the river at the bend above the towi • ship.

During the present week a share in a claim at Brackens Gully changed hands at the handsome figure of L2OO. A j'ear or two ago, the cry was, “Oh, Bracken’s is worked out;” but the fact appears to be that its riches are only being developed, there being numbers of claims yielding very good returns. A farmer who shipped a cargo of oats this season to Melbourne supplies the Bruce Herald with the account sales, which show that he realised 2s I-Jd per bushel despite the enormous changes incurred. Two thousand bags were shipped : and the expenses amonnted to 1.513. The items include freight L 159 ; duty, L 192, wharfage dues, L 44. The European miners at the Cardrona and Skippers are opening their eyes, and possessing themselves with eagerness of all available water for mining purposes, in every part of the district Some Chinese parties have recently sold to Europeans waterrights, Ac,, for rather prices—LSOO, LI2O, and LBO being instances known ; while other changes of a considerable nature have taken place. On the Bth inst,, a miner named Edward Cox was killed by falling over a precipice on the track to Macetown. The Observer, in reporting the evidence given at the coroner’s iuqniry, says :—Cox appears to have been the worse of liquor when the witness Palmer left him on the track, and the fact of his having a bottle with him was not likely to improve his condition. After Palmer left him, it seems the illfated man had tried to make his way home, as his body was found two miles nearer Macetown than where he sat down. It is to be hoped the untimely end of poor Cox may be a warning to men whose vocations lead them to cross the ranges, and who, it is to be feared, a - c too much in the habit of carrying a bottle to help them on the journey.

50s—CadetGilcbrist, Canterbury 19 17—36 40a—Cadet Ellisou, Napier . . 17 18-35 40s—Cadet Ellerm, Hutt , 20 15-35 30s -Cadet FoIIett. Rangitike 17 17-34 30s—Cadet Buckingham, Canterbury 18 16-34 Second Set. 200 250 Tl 100s—Lieut. Slight, Rangitikei 19 19—38 90s—Cadet Wilson, Otago 17 18—35 80s —Cadet Bird, Nelson 18 17-35 70s —Cadet Bishop, Wellington 15 19-34 60s—Sergt. Stevens, Rangitikei 16 18 —34 The other Otago scores were the following, who are low on the list. 20i —Cadet M‘Nicol, Otago .. 15 15-30 2fls—Sergt. Black, Otago 18 12-30 29a—Cadet Headland, Otago .. 13 16 20 los—Cadet Carvosso, Otago ... 17 12—29 15s—Cadet Trotter, Otago ... 13 15 -28 10s—Cadet Smith, Otago 15 11-25 Third Set. 100 200 300 Tl. 100s—Bird, Nelson ... 19 20 17—56 80s—Slight, Rangi’ikei... 18 19 18-55 60s—Lynch, A uckland... 19 18 17-54 60s —Gudgeon, Thames .. 18 18 17—53 40s —Robinson, Wellington 19 16 17-52 40s—Cook, Hutt 19 16 17-52 AGGREGATE. Sets. 1st 2nd 3rd Tl LI0 'nd silver medal — Slight, Marton R.C.* — 38 55-93 L8—Bird. Wakefield (Nelson) Cadets ... ... — 35 56-91 L7—Lynch, Auckland G.S. — 31 54-85 1/5—Cook, Hutt,’R.C. ... — 32 52—84 L5- Max ton, Wdlington R.C — 31 52-83 L5—Bishop, Wellington G.S ... - 34 49-83 L5 —Ellerm, Hutt R.C. ... 35 — 48-83 * Cadet Champion fo • 1872.