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Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume I, Issue 50, 14 January 1870, Page 2

A St. Bathans eorrespondent writes—A noticeable feature in connection -with the St. Bathans riiees was tlie sober, orderly conduct of the crowd—not one man was observed to 1 e even slightly " muddled." The people of St. Bathans have been fortunate in getting fine weather whenever they chose to turn out for a holiday. Just the evening before the races some rain fell, and the weather looked threatening ; but while the races lasted the weather was splendid. The races over, rain set in on the following day, and there was no change apparent, except for " more rain," until yesterday morning (New Years Day), when again the day was a charming one. Of course it was so: just to let the teetotallers and school-chil-dren have a pleasant pic-nic—and a pleasant one it wa3 Headed by their amateur band, and witli banners waving, they marched to the racecourse at one o'clock p.m. Refreshments were plentifully served in the grand stand. Football, racing, jumping, and other athletic sports were indulged in until late in the evening, when all returned to town highly pleased with the day's amusement. Harvest in Oiago will commence in the Oamaru district, shortly. The acreage under crop in Otago, 1338-6'9, as per G-overnment return, was 152,5:38 acres. The acreage for 1859 70 will be -greater; the officid return, however, will not be made until February. Ample employment will thus be afforded to hundreds of hands for the next two or three months. Crop (1868-69) exclusive of. crop of the Aboriginal Natives :—^

New Otago. Zealand. Wheat... ... ...20,112. 61,517 Barley and Oats... 43,425 .... ... 100;4S3 Potatoes 3,033 ... ... 11,5C>7 Sowii Grasses ... 83,782 501,580 Other Crop... .... 2,186 8,878

Total Acres ... 152,568 • 687,015 During the heavy wale, which prevailed on Sunday week last considerable damage was, wc have been informed, done at Hamilton. The store of Messrs. Breniner Brothers suffered severely, and more or less injury was inflicted upon other buildings in the township of Hamilton and the adjacent neighborhood. Yesterday morning, before daylight, a heavy fall of rain raged in this neighborhood, accompanied by a high wind, which unroofed the booth newly erected by Mr. W. J. Millar on the racecourse. It was feared that the-day would turn out an inauspicious one for the gathering. , Soon.after daylight, however* the rain cleared off, and a fine day with moderate temperature and a drying breeze was ushered in:- ■■-■■■■ :■■■.--■■■■

We have received a Mghly satisfactory communication from Mr. J. C. Brown, M.P.C., to the effect that the Provincial Government have recommended to the-Gcne;*al Government the

immediate extension of telegraphic communication to this place. We shall refer to the subject in our next issue, the all-absorbing annual races causing an unusual demand upon our space this week. The rise in the rivers occasioned by the recent floods has now entirely subsided* All the rivers, including the Taieri, have returned to their old and usual limits, and though considerable damage has necessarily been sustained in different localities, no account of anything excessive has yet reached us. The only case heard in the District Court on Wednesday was an appeal from the decision of Mr. Warden Robinson, in the case of Jolvn Creighton v. the Mosquito Party, in which the forfeiture of the latter party's superior right to a head of water in Wet Gully had been deer ed. The case occupied the entire d:iy, and resulted in the dismissal of the appeal, and the confirmation of the decree of forfeiture by the Warden. :