COUNTRY NEWS.

Evening Star, Issue 3689, 19 July 1875, Page 3

COUNTRY NEWS.

(From our Exchanges,)

The pier of the bridge on the east side of the Melyneux is progressing but slowly, owing, no doubt, to the broken weather; yet the work is of a very substantial nature, and well executed. Very large blocks of stone have been placed in the foundation, and are repoited as being of a better quality than those used on the opposite bank of the river. There is nothing said as yet of the bridge across the Teviot. During the heavy weather of last week the gales raged fiercely at Orepuki. Chimnies were toppled over, roofing blown away, skillions and lean-to’s crushed in or blown down, and in the bush trees innumerable were uprooted or snapped asunder. Several black pines, fully four feet in diameter, were broken short off without a splinter. The companies up the Arrow River both above and below the Sons of Fortune claim are all doing remarkably well. KaThe Dunstan district is getting most extraordinary weather for the season, it being so mild that fears are entertained that, if it continues, the fruit trees will be budding, and should late frosts set in a large amount of. injury will be done to the fruit crops. At St. Eathans scarcely a day’s work has been lost by the miners through stress of weather ; and, unless a sudden change takes place, they hope to nee the advent of spring without much lost time.

A goad deal of surprise was occasioned in Queenstown recently by the results of a search warrant executed upon the house and premises of the carpenter George Smythe. The search led to the unearthing of the proceeds of a series of petty robberies that have for some months past been continuously and systematically carried out. _ Nearly everyone seems to have been the receiver of kind attentions from Mr George Smythe. Mr Brettell, painter, Ballarat street, is the chief loser, as far as is known, »r so far, rather, as the discoveries go. Mr M'Conochie’s 201bs of tobacco was found buried iu the ground'; the demijohn of a well-known storekeeper was also found, but nearly drained of its contents. The articles found are almost numberless, and comprise, we hear, matches, chains, and specimens of all cla&ses of things. A catalogue would be required to t numerate them. The washerwomen are in high glee that the depredator of their lines is. caught.