WHANGAMOMONA NOTES.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVII, Issue 93, 19 December 1913, Page 3

WHANGAMOMONA NOTES.

[>ROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.] Wednesday.

During the last few weeks we have had unabated wild wet weather, the inevitable ''oldest inhabitant" pronouncing it the roughest on record. Not only has the rainfall been extra heavy, hut we have had also thunderstorms, hail storms, and very severe lightning', making the outlook for the shearers and the haymakers the reverse of cheerful.

An epidemic of whooping cough is going the rounds of the children here, and, as a consequence, the school concert, which was to have been held on Thursday evening has been postponed till February. The prize giving will take place at the school on Thursday afternoon, the school breaking up on the same day for Xmas holidays. The whooping cough has reduced the month's attendance at the school by about one half, making it impossible to continue the practices of drills, part songs etc., by the children, for their concert.

Mr Newton King's monthly sale at Kohuratahi was held to-day, and though the weather was rough, there was a good muster of stock and a large attendance of buyers. Everything sold briskly at good prices, a line of 1300 2-tooth wethers being sold under the hammer at 15s, a Stratford man being the purchaser. A wenknown stock dealer and breeder remarked to the writer after the sale that it was the keenest sale he had attended this year. Good progress is being made with the station buildings here, and tne contractor purposes making a start at the Kohuratahi station buildings almost immediately. The bridges above here are mostly well forward, and we anticipate the train to run to Kohuratahi bv the middle of 1914.

There have been a number of slips on or near the line during the wet weather, and gangs of men are busy clearing them, the roads, too, have suffered severely in this respect, some being almost impassable, causing great inconvenience to the settlers.

The last Public Works pay 'lny for this year was to-day. The bulk of the men will be away now till aftei Xmas and New Year holidays, and the township will be a very quiet spot next week.

The train out each morning now is taking a full load of passengers, all bent on spending Xmas away from the mud and rain, so plentiful here. Whanga is to commence the N"« Year with two new town lamps, one at the Bank corner and one at the Bridge. Only those 'who know the township can fully appreciate the news of these 1 improvements. . The proposed 'trip to (Jiiuva by coach during Xmas of the local crici:jstersj has practically fallen "through, owing to the rough weather and slips blocking the Tangarakau Gorge. A gang pf men are'busy re-open hie; the road for and we Lope shortly to see Tom Moore's coach doing the trip through again.

The Domain Board have lot a contract to Mr- H. Jakes to on ct ■«• substantial fence a]] along tlio northern boundary of the Domain,! When that is completed, and a new gate erected on Ibo 'Toad"fro:!ta'ge, everything 'will lie in applie-pHe order. ' ' Cricket tpaxHs roproscnting 'Stratford and Inglewooll will play the local qlubs on the' Domain on.-Xma.'s Day and Boxing Day, and keen' interest is being taken in "the event. AVo can beast some good' cricketers, and are confident of keeping the visitors busy. Mr P. M. Long is having a new. house erected on his section in Domain Street, and Mr Perrott is having a residence built on his property facing the station yard. Both contracts have been entrusted to Mr E. Hartnoil, of Whanga lload. Mrs Rothery, Sen., and Miss A. Rothery returned from Rahotu on Saturday night, to spend Xmas here with Mr J. Rothery, of the local iioiel.