COUNTRY NEWS.

King Country Chronicle, Volume V, Issue 383, 2 August 1911, Page 6

COUNTRY NEWS.

Kiritehere-Moeatoa. (Own Correspondents)

On the evening of Thursday, 20th inst., Mr Frank Templeman entertained the people of Marokopa and its contiguous districts at a grand housewarming party. Between fifty and sixty guests were present, and they sat down at midnight to a pleasant supper arranged by ladies in the block. A greater number of guests would have been present had it not been for the fact that same were detained en route Mr Templeton, by his energetic efforts to make his guests comfortable and at home in his recently-erected dwelling, has made himself popular as an entertainer, and he filled the position of "mine host" with a courtesy and tact that left nothing to be desired. At nightfall guests came pounding up the Iviritehere in a De Wet like string, and spread out in attacking formation around the house. They had not long to wait. Light refreshments were handed around and partaken of, and dancing commenced. The floor was smooth and well prepared, having been attended to in this respect by a party of enthusiastic young ladies. Dancing was kept merrily going till morning, when the guests, after thanking their host harnessed up their horses and departed for their various homes. One guest was heard to remark : "Byjove; the Marokoka people will have to shake themselves up after this." Many thanks are due to the ladies- -Meadames Saringhausen, Bell, Klein and Smart —who arranged for the refreshments and saw to the comfort of guests during the evening. Mr F. Templeman, who is a bachelor, intends to entertain residents in this locality at another social and "spread" at an early date, at which a number of guests from Kinohaku and Kawhia are also expected.,

Mr Patterson brought in a line of calves to this district the other day. No news has been received from the Telegraph Department concerning the Marokopa-Te Kuiti telephone line. It is likely that the Government will be petitioned in regard to the matter. After our experiences in regard to the above line, I distinctly warn enthusiastic settlers, who, trying to keep up_ with the general progress of the world, desire to bring their district into touch with civilisation, as we do with Te Kuiti by a direct telephone line, depend upon departmental promises in regard to having a Government line erected. Settlers in these parts are uttering political jeremiads with enthusiasm.

Mr Louis Klein, while cutting down a tree fern the other day, came across a finely shaped ancient stone chisel, wrought out of a piece of greycoloured stone of a fine texture. There is r.o native rock in the immediate district like it, and the stone from which it was formed must have come from a great distance, perhaps some famous quarry of the stone age now forgotten by this generation. These instruments are often picked up from among the ashes of second fires, which have burned away the uumus and forest debris of centuries of forest growth and decay. They are, as a rule, as perfect in shape and edge as when they left the whetstone of the patient, dusky craftsman, who followed his generation and dreamed not of the adopters of his soil, nor of his descendants, who in this age of steel sometimes pick up his crude stone edgeware and reconstruct, in part at least, in their minds the history as it might have been of its ownsr. Early lambs have made their appearance in the Kiritehere Valley. Lemon and passion fruit are thriving excellently and are covered with young fruit.

Wfoarepuhuraga. A meeting of residents was held on Friday 'ast with reference to the commencement of dairying this coming season. Seven settlers have decided to milk some 400 cows between them. The cream will be separated, and collected by a carter for delivery to the Kawa railway station, from hence it will be railed to Messrs Goodfellow, Ltd., at Hamilton. The erection of milking sheds, etc., is in full swing, and it is anticipated that there will be over 300 cows coming in by the Is September.