THE COUNTRY.

Evening Star, Issue 3418, 4 February 1874, Page 3

THE COUNTRY.

The Lakes. — One of our mercantile firms isoffering for gold the sum of L 3 15s fid per ounce - being an advance on the rate paid by the banks. The trout have been seen several times lately in the Town Creek, near the camp. They are of considerable size—over fifteen inches long, and very plump.—The last few days of weather has brought on the harvest rapidly. Every one speaks well of the crops, xields of 50 bushels per acre, both of wheat and oats, are mentioned, and as high as 60 bushels of the former in some instances. Mr Hallenstein expects 50 bushels of oats per acre from a hundred acre paddock. We have made inquiries about the labor difficulty and find hands are pretty numerous. One fanner informed us that he had not for some years seen so many men knocking about. This is no doubt t m, many minera desiring to replenish f j j e rate . of wages rule at 50s per week and found.—An instance of canine faithfulness and endurance has been told us by Mr R. M Moran, That gentleman was over the Lake superintending his sheep-shearing, and had occasion to come back to Queenstown. He left nm dog, a collie, behind, and on returning to the shearing sheds-next day was told the dog had not been seen since he left. Mr M‘Moran gave the animal (a valuable one) up for lost • but on again returning to town was astonished and pleased to find the dog greet him on his amval. The nearest point of land in the direction of Queenstown from where the sheds are situate is six miles or more, so that the collie must have had a long and hard swim for it, as pretty rough.—An inquest was G A S ° n V Sh^ oVer Fen 7 Hotel on Ihursday, before Mr Coroner Beetham and a jury, upon the body of a young child under Th /“ atno of the child’s parents is M Grath, and they reside near Mr Sabine s farm. The mother had seen the child alive about ten minutes’ before its death, and while attending to a younger infant missed it Looking for it she saw it with its head down in a tub half sunk in the ground, and in which there was some seven inches of water. Overcome by the shock, the mother, instead of pulling out the child, rushed to a neighbor residing a distance away with the sad tale. Of course, when the child was taken out of the tub, too long a period had elapsed to restore it to life. The jury found a verdict of “accidental death.”— ‘ Mail.’

The Abbow. —Owing to the great dissatisfaction felt in the Shotover district with respect to the Hospital management, the miners have res-Ived, pending some alteration, to pay their subscriptions into a trust fund, to be drawn upon only in the event of any accident requiring treatment in the Hospital.—At a public meeting on the 28th ult., to consider the action of the Coverament in removing Warden Stafford from the district, the following resolutions were earned That this meeting strongly disapproves of the action of the Provincial Government in removing Mr Warden Stratford from the Arrow Goldfields district.” “That in view of the possibility of our not being able to retain the services of Mr Stratford as Warden ot tne Arrow district at the present time, the Chairman write to the Government to ask an unqualified promise that Mr Stratford be rew f rict 7 ith , in three “ontks; Wardens of other districts be instnicted to administer the Mount Ida district for a period similar to that of Mr Stratford,

until the return of, Mr Warden Robinson.” A largo gathering of Chinese miners in the Arrow goldfield passed the following resolution :—“ All would hail with joy to hear that Mr Stratford does not leave the Arrow. While he was here they felt safe, and that their claims would not be jumped by the Europeans nor otherwise molested. Mr Stratford is the best Warden ever they had. If he leaves, they are afraid it is an omen for the beginning of their troubles. It would relieve their anxiety to get a pledge from Government that Mr Stratford will return as Warden to this district, after the expiration of the time, or sooner, which he relieves the Warden at Mount Ida.” —‘ Observer.’