Local News and Notes.

Lake Wakatip Mail, Volume I, Issue 36, 2 September 1863, Page 4

Local News and Notes.

It is at all times a pleasing duty to be able to chronicle any distinct act ot kindness or respect shown from one to another of our townspeople. Such mark of approbation was on Monday evening conferred on Mr. Walter Logie, by entertaming him at a supper, at Bracken's Hotel, previous to his leaving this township for Kingston. Whatever admiration we may feel for his business capabilities, it is small in comparison with his deserts, and feelings of delicacy restrain us enlarging on the subject of personal worth.

Building operations are beginning to assume an importance little dreamt of a few months ago, and we notice with pleasure the establishment amongst us of a profession daily becoming of greater necessity. Mr. R. C. Luscombe, one of the first Members of the Otago Institute of Architects, has commenced practice, and is the engaged architect for the Roman Catholic Church now in course of erection near the Church of England, Queenstown. We understand that the gentlemen recruiting for volunteers on behalf of Auckland, are meeting with tolerable success, several men having already enrolled themselves, determined to cast their all "on the hazard of the die"—a human life against fifty acres of land. We hope those who have joined will be satisfied with the change.

The Provincial Gazette of the 20th inst. contains the proclamation declaring the diggings hitherto known as " Parker's Diggings," or the Hogburn, a Gold Field under the designation of the " Mount Ida Gold Field." The following are the prescribed limits and boundaries of the new field; —" All that area of land bounded on the north by a line running from Mount Ida to Kyeburn Hill; on the east by the Kakanui Mountains, thence by the spur ieading down to Waihemo or Shag River, below the Deep Dell Creek Junction ; on the south by the South Watershed of the Deep Dell Creek, thence west to the Taieri River, thence by the Taieri River aforesaid to the Gimnier Burn, thence by the Gimmer Burn aforesaid to North Roughridge Hill; and on the west by the Roughridge to Mount Ida aforesaid."

The past winter seems to have been a severe one in these colonies. The Hobart Town Mercury says : -'• Within the memory of that mysterious individual, ' the oldest inhabitant,' Tasmania has never experienced such a winter as the present. Heavy rain, intermingled at times with sleet, piercing cold winds, with now and then a brief interval of sunshine, and at last a regular snow-storm, the large fleecy flakes of which fell thick and fast over the city yesterday afternoon, and covered the surrounding hills with a mantle of dazzling whiteness, have constituted the weather which has prevailed in the south duriug the last few days."