ROSS NEWS.

Hokitika Guardian, 5 January 1923, Page 4

ROSS NEWS.

tOur own correspondent.) ; New A ear iS Eve in Ross passed off fairly quietly. The only little excite- . lueni, occurred .iliout It o’clock when ‘ the lire hells .sounded an alarm. It was soon found that a. shod in Tramway Street, owned by Air Donnld.xiii was on lire. Jin' shed had been tilled Severn I days previously with hay belonging to Mr J. Jones. The Fire Brigade were quickly on the .soeno and soon had two leads of waiter playing on. the lire, the shod was not greatly damaged but the several tons of hay were practically destroyed, which is a serious loss to Mr Jones as it represented the hulk of his winter teed for his stock. It is not known how tlie tiro originated. At 12 o’clock the fire hells pealed right lustily to mark the passing of the old and the birth of the new year. There then floated on the midnight air the dulcet strains of old time melodies from the I{o.<s hand under the baton of Mr J. Phibbs, at first at the Post Office corn-tT and latterly throughout the town. The time, honoured custom of “first footing” was not forgotten. On Thursday morning about 10.30 Air P. O'Raw had the misfortune to have liis cottage gutted by fire. Air O'Raw who is some 90 odd years of age is Ross’s oldest identity. The general sympathy felt for him in his loss had within two hours of the tiro taken tangible form in a. substantial sum ol money, contributed by the residents l..wards the rebuilding of his home.