Rongotea.

Manawatu Herald, 28 June 1898, Page 3

Rongotea.

(from our own correspondent.)

Things generally are. on tbe move in Rongotea. Many of oar settlers of late have sold out, now Messrs Eoberstein Bro3. and Mr J. Knight have bought farina at Fowler's, and I believe will soon be shifting, and others are talking of doing so. We do not like to lose good settlers and every place is so much the worse financially, as well a3 in every other way by the loss of such settlers. Oar butter factory is very slack owing to tbe shortness of feed. There being very little milk means a heavy loss to our farmers. One farmer told me the other day he was making a clear loss of about £9 a month on account of the late drought. The improvement to Mr J. C. Thompson's property is completed, and it is a big improvement. Mr W. Darragh has just bought another business in Rongotea and I believe intends running the two together. Mr and Mrs Arnold have purchased a farm at Stratford. A very bad accident happened here last Saturday. Master James Person, in company with his three younger brothers were out shooting. His brothers had gone through a gap in a fence to cross into another paddock and were standing waiting for James to come through. James was carrying the gun. While getting through the hole in the fence by some means the gun was knocked and went off and the whole contents of the charge of shot lodged in the side of his little brother Willie, who was standing close by. Dr Bennet of Bulls was at once wired for but could not help the poor lad a great deal. The little fellow was taken to the Palmerston hospital but I believe grave doubts are entertained of his recovery. I believe the hole in the boy's side is big enough to admit a man's hand. Great sympathy is telt for the sufferer and his parents. (The lad died in the hospital yesterday.)