PERSONAL. BUSH FIRES IN NELSON.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 9042, 29 January 1908, Page 5

PERSONAL.

BUSH FIRES IN NELSON.

The friends of Mr Frank Tully, of Papawai, will regret to hear that he is seriously ill. Mr Moekler, of Nelson, has been appointed conductor of the Napier Battalion Band. Last week Mr Sid Reid, the wellknown jockey, left Wellington for Hobart, where he will ride St. Joe in the Hobart Cup. Mr Thomas Reid, eldest son of Mr James Reid, of Carterton, is lying dangerously ill in the Melbourne Hospital. Mr Higgins and Miss Skeliey. of the Carterton District High School staff, have passed their matriculation examination. Mr J. Vigor Brown, Mayor of Napier, is mentioned as a probable candidate for the Napier seat at the General Election. Mr E. Smith, of Palmerston North, has purchased Mr James Grant's 100-acre farm on Pinfold Road, Woodville. Mr E. Chew, manager of the Nireaha Dairy Factory, whose sensational experiences in the bush fires were recorded last week, has gone from , Nireaha to Wellington to seek medi- ' cal attention. Mr Chew lost his voice completely on Thursday, when he almost collapsed at the factory, and it* was deemed advisable to place him under medical attention. Mr O. N. C. Pragnell has been successful in passing a further section of the law examination for which he sat in November last. Mr Pragnell, who occupies a position in the office of Mr P. L. Hollings, barrister and solicitor, was coached for his examination by Mr E. Rawson. Mr E. Rawson, Clerk of the Magistrate's Court at Masterton, has been promoted to the position of Stipendiary Magistrate and Warden at Westport. This appointment has been necessitated by the increase of judicial work on the West Coast of the South Island, and provision was made for an additional S.M. and Warden last session in the current year's appropriations. Mr Rawson, who is a barrister and solicitor of the Supreme Court, has been in the service of the Justice Department for 28 years, and has spent nine years in Master'-on. Prior to coming to Masterton he occupied the position of Clerk of the Police Court at Auckland. Resides being clerk of the Magistrate's Court at Mastercon, Mr Rawson was the Registrar of the. Wairarapa District Court and Masterton Licensing Committee, Registrar of Electors and Deputy-Registrar of Old Age Pensions, each of which positions he filled with credit. Mr Rawson has also acted as coach to law students with marked success. Mr Joseph Johnson, who has for the past eleven years been connected with Messrs W. Plowman and Son's establishment, was, yesterday after--noon (says Tuesday's "Hawke's Bay Herald"), the recipient of a presentation from *he firm and employees, on the occasion of his leaving Napier to commence business on his own account at Masterton. In the unavoidable absence of' Mr W. Plowman, the presentation, which consisted of a heavy gold albert and keyless lever watch, was made by Mr S. J. Renouf, who referred to the esteem in which Mr Johnson is held by both employers and employees, and also to the excellent service rendered in many ways by Mr Johnson to various branches of sport, particularly football, in which he for years took a prominent part as a member of the eld Caledonian and Pirates football clubs, and also for five .years as a Hawke's Bay representative. On behalf of the firm and employees, he wished Mr Johnson every success in his new venture. The recipient suitably responded.

SETTLERS ANXIOUS. A SAWMILL DESTROYED. BY TELEGRAPH —' PRESS ASSOCt\TIOX. NELSON, January 28. The Long Plains Creamery, destroyed by fire, yesterday, was insured for\£22s in the Standard Office. It is unlikely the creamery will be set up again this season, as the milk supply has fallen off owing to the drought, which is daily becoming more acute. The weather to-day is inclined to be cloudy, but it is difficult to distinguish clouds from the smoke of bush fires. The whole district is anxious, and in many localities settlers are ready to quit their homes at a moment's notice. News has been received that Robertson Brothers' sawmill in Rai Valley has been burned down. There were no insurances, and the value of the property destroyed was £2,000. There was not much timber on the site, but the buildings and plant were destroyed. LATER. With regard to the supposed burning of Robertson Brothers" mill at Rai Valley the news came from Havelock, but lacks confirmation. A traveller from Rai Valley said that there had been no fire. Further particulars are being sought. The position with regard tu the bush fires remains much the sarre. There is no appearance of rain, and the only favourable circumstance has, been the absence of a high wind. H a strong wind does arise there is every probability of a vast and widespread disaster. Several homesteads in the Upper Motupiko Valley are still threatened. Others have only been saved by the most strenuous efforts of bands of workers. Or.e crippling effect of the grass fires on the small settlers is that they have* no feed left for stock, and are selling sheep at less than half their value. They have no alternative except to keep and starve them. The continued drought is having a pre judical effect on large fruits, which are not filling as they should, while of those in the ripening stage large* quantities are falling off the trees altogether. The outlook in the back districts is gloomy and disqu;etening. Many helpers sustained slight burns in fighting the fires, and several cases of smoke blindness are reported.