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Mataura Ensign, Volume 6, Issue 308, 27 November 1883, Page 2

The first truck of wool this season arrived at Gore towards the end of last week. It was from Wantwood. The • Tuapeka Press,' lately started at Lawrence in opposition' to the ' Times,' is de* funct. -Sunday's offertories* at the AnglicanChurch, Gore, were for the benefit of the Southland. Hospital. The amount realised was L 2 18s 3d. The first strawberry of the season found its way yesterday to the Ensign office. It was grown in the garden of Mr Labatt, senr., and though the season is yet early its balk was considerable and its flavor undeniable. /We understand that Messrs Mills, Dick, and Co, of Dunedin, hare purchased the copyright and plant of Mackay's Otago Almanac, which fell into Mr Dolamore's hands a few months ago. For some years Messrs Mills, Dick, and Co. have published a very creditable almanac, and with this we presume Mackay's will in future be incorporated. The recent gift auction in aid of the Knapdale Presbyterian Church was one of the most successful, financially, ever held in this district. The amount realised from the sale and from subscriptions was about LIOO, and this sum will altogether wipe" out the Church. d«bt. A meeting of settlers was held at Humphries' Hall on Saturday last to .confirm the closing of roads in" various parts of the Tuturau Koad District. There w^jismall atbocupied the cfiair. Those jfiSpnt were unanimous as to the'ciosing of 'all tho loads advertised, , excepting that through part of section 5, block IK. In this case, however, the only dissentient was Mr Meikle, and he was opposed by seven other ratepayers. / A lodge of Oddfellows under the American Constitution will be instituted at Mataura on Wednesday, December sth, the necessary requisition having been signed by 26 candidates. We wish the new'lodge every success, and we hearttty impress upon our Mataura friends the Becessity — nay, the duty— of making provision for sickness by joining some benefit' society. /The abatement .in a measure of the rabbit nuisance and the rise in. the price of mutton consequent upon the development of the meat, freezing industry are bound to have some effect on the /value of agricultural and pastoral properties in Southland. We hear of an improved enquiry for farms ; and it is understood that the N.Z. Loan and Mercantile Agency Company, on behalf of- Mr W. E, P. Scott, have sold the Eetreat Station, Hokonui, consisting of 1372 acres freehold, 2000 acres native reserve, and the run together with 3500 crossbred sheep and the working plant, to Messrs Wilson, Tame, and Co., auctioneers, Invercargill, at a price not disclosed. H our local ratepayers knew the tfouble and expense they create by not paying their rates promptly,' and Tsy shifting about without leaving their addresses: they would turn over a new leaf. We have been supplied with the following illustration: — A rate notice posted in Gore addressed to a public officer in Dunedin had impressed on it " Not known by letter carriers, Dunedin." However, as all the good things are supposed in Dunedin to go to Wellington, the card was marked <« jjy Wellington,' from whence it was returned with the information " Left the . Last time heard of was proaching in Wellington, Bless the Lord 1 Amen." Time taken — 56 days I Ope morale : Ratepayers, see that those who preach to you have paid their rates ! : We have pretty good authority for stating that, important county works will shortly be undertaken in and about Gore. Tenders will be called for* the widening and draining, of the main street through Gordon, a work the absolute necessity for which has been repeatedly pointed out in the columns of this journal. The nuisance existing for some time opposite! the Gore Post Office will speedily be abated, and the south side of the road will probably bo . formed for some distance in a westerly direction to improve the appearance of the town and give ah outlet for the water that now accumulates in. the neighborhood of the post office. Culverts will also be put through the railway line near the English Church to relieve the road there ot water. As to the Croydon road, we un--derstaiul the sectiuu from Hellier's gate to the stockyard is provided £q? in the Council's i application under the Koads and Bridges Cbji&tiiiclion Act, and no doubt the work of renderiug the road passable in all weathers from the .stockyard , towards Keaby will be proceeded with as speedily as funds will allow. The Council meets torinonw at In» vercargill, and no. doubt the report .of thf» first meeting of the newly-okcted body will be looked forward- to with great iuteresfc, it" jrijj appear pf Friday.

I An old and respected Dunedin resident, j Mr Peter Sherwin, sen., died sudden y ob i -Wednesday •vening. ■ ' J " ~;The .\Vyndham school has been closed for an indefinite, period on account of ,the existence there of scarlatina among; .the. pupils. ' We have been sent a copy of Mr Scaridrett's paper, road before the/ Southland Institute .recently. The paper' is now in pamphlet form, but as it has.,.been reprinted fully already, an extended review of it is needless. ! The following team has been chosen to represent the Gore C. C. in tbeii 1 match against the Invercargill 0. 0. on St. Andrew's Day :— Bonsey, Boraman, Douglas, ■ Dewar, Hosking, Henderson, Labatt, Martin, Mo- ', Oulloch, NqiTie, and Simion. Emergencies : Dun and Souness. The team leare by 7.^0 a.m. train on Friday... . .. Dr Stockvrell, of Mataura, has been re-ap-pointed medical officer for the Gore Lodge of Oddfellows, Manchester Unity. It will be remembered that sotue time ago Dr Stockwell's services were dispemed with pythe lodge solely because of the temporary settlement of Dr Donaldson in the district, j Our readers, and especially those in and about Invere*rgill, will peruse with interest »ud amusement some lines on the approach, ing Mayoral contest in the Southern town. Messrs .Moir, Froggatt arid ;J. L. McDonald are the candidates, and the poll takes place to-morrow. A meeting in connection with the Blue Ribbon movement was held at Kelso on Friday last. The Rev. J. N. Buttle delivered an address, and the principles of the movement. Twenty-six persons signed (he pledge, and adopted the "badge of blue."» Other meetings at suitable places are con- ; templated. '"At the meeting of the communicants of Holy Trinity Church which was held lap^ Friday evening, among other matters of lew public interest it wwars r decided that morning service should .be held every Sunday, Mr Tuson, as Lay Header, conducting it in the absence of the Curate. On the fourth Sunday of each month there will be an early celebration of the Holy Communion at 8 o'clock. During the season of Advent prayers will be said at 7.30 every Wednesday and Friday, and at the conclusion of the Sunday evening Bervice, special instruction on . Holy Living will be given by the Curate to thoie who choose to ramain. The subject- of these Advent instructions will be " The Christian Year." On Friday evening a meeting, which was largely attended, was held in the Athenaeum Hall, Pukerau, for the purpose of considering report, fee, of the Caledonian Society. The report showed that at.^the beginning of last year there was a debit balance of L5 4a 7d ( but at the Jend of same this debt had been cleaned and 12s 7d placed to the credit side. This was considered very satisfastory, and \lr A. M'.Kenzie, junr, was accorded the thanks of the. meeting for his services as secretary. The meeting then proceeded to elect officers for the coming year, with the following result : — F. M. Dawson, president" M. Qualter,i vice-president ; A. M'Kenzie", jun secretary and treasurer ; T. E. Gazzard, assistant secretary ; , Messsrs P. Hood, J. Guy, G. Corrans, James M'Kenzie, P. M'Kenzie, J. Norton, W. H. Purvis, G; Gwzard, W. Kadie, S. McPhail and A, M'lntyre, working committee ; J. Guy, starter ; and Jas. McKenzie and T. E. Gazzard, handicappers. A subscription was started, and L 7 12s was collected in the room. It was resolved that there be feTer events this ye-:ir, that the prizes be larger, that a progrc-ittie bo prepared for submission to tha>. r ■xt meeting, and fihat iha next mejjtjn^.*.' c place on Friday, +h».2A/\?n in3t.