COUNTRY NOTES.

Evening Star, Issue 3714, 18 January 1875, Page 3

COUNTRY NOTES.

{From our Exchanges. ) The Waitnki Bridge is 3,fi30 feet long, more than twice as long as any bridge in England. The contractors for the Oamaru harbor works have been directed to confine their attention to the completion of the wharfage. Nocturnal visitors are just now troubling the good people of Oamaru. An unsuccessful attempt to enter a draper’s shop in Thames street was followed by a man gaining admission into the house of Dr Gleeson, but the lattef, being aroused, went into the passage in his shirt sleeves, and without a light. The intruder tried to brush past him, and on being stopped and interrogated could give no satisfactory account ol himself. The doctor ejected his unwelcome visitor sans ceremonie by neck and heels and administered a good thrashing with a blackthorn. James Bambery. who was drowned at Port Moeraki on the Ist instant, was a comnarative stranger to the district, having quite recently come to the Port as a seaman on board one of the vessels lately lying' there. His parents reside in Essex, England. The particulars of the fatal accident at at Moeraki, on the 13th instant, are given in the ‘ North Otago Times “ Shortly after starting to work on that morning, deceased, from some cause or other, fell across the rails while a truck laden with earth was coming up close to where he lay. The truck passed over both his thighs, mangling them in a dreadful manner. Dr Brown, Palmerston, and Dr Smith, Otepopo, soon arrived, and decided that amputation of one of the legs was necessary. Cnloroform having been administered, the process of amputation was effected, but it was found on its completion that life was extinct. No blame attaches to anyone. Deceased was a passenger by the Surat, and was well spoaen of by his fellow-workmen. At the meeting at Naseby for electing a School Committee, an individual named M'Gregor proposed that no ministers .should be allowed on the committee ; but the chairman refused to put such a motion, ruling that it was dictatorial, and contrary to the Ordinance. Though one clergyman was proposed none were elected. . Gold stealing from tail-races at Naseby continues, but as yet no thief has been caught, though some narrow escapes from capture are received by the local journal. The latest occurred at Surface Hill last week. Robberies having been suspected for some time, Mr Slpmnon, owner of a tail-race, was on the 12th instant on the watch on a bank some 50ft above the race. Between twelve and one o’clock a.m. he heard a movement among the tubs. Waiting some to allow the visitor to make good his intentions, Shannon called out, “ Come straight up the race, or I’ll shoot you.” Throwing down his tin dish the thief dashed into a tunnel in preference, receiving the contents of a double-barrelled gun. which, from the flattened appearance in the morning of the No. 1 shot round the edges of the race, must have proved rather a warm reception The dish was left, and about lltoz gold, which had been nicely panned off from stuff taken from the box.