OPANAKI.

Wairoa Bell, Volume V, Issue 222, 3 November 1893, Page 10

OPANAKI.

[FROM otjr own correspondent] A large quantity of timber for the new accommodation house which is to be erected opposite the railway station, is now on the ground and it is expected that building operations will soon be commenced. The building will contain about ten or twelve rooms, and is being erected by a Maori, bur. is to be conducted by a European, the timber is being brought from Mr Matthew’s mill. That ugly and dangerous hole in the Bluii road has at last been attended to, and that part of the road is once more safe to travel oyer. Did Mr F. Dargaville obtain this great boon for us as well na the bridge ? Recently when in Dargaville I had, the satisfaction of being shown overMr Walter’s butchery

«ml really must confess that I was most agreeably surprised at what I saw. Anyone passing the front or side department of this establishment cmnot fail to be struck with the exceedingly clean, neat and well arranged appearance of this portion of the premises, which is generally well stocked with a most tempting supply of meat of all descriptions. On the occasion of my vi it the first portion of the premises inspected was the corning room, and here evei-ything was indeed in a state of genuine cleanliness. The bins or troughs which are of wood, were well supplied with tempting joints, and are so constructed that customers can easily choose the joint most suited t.o their fancy. The first part of the pickling process is done by injecting the brine into the meat, the apparatns used appearing to do its work thoroughly. In the front of this large room, is the small goods department, and in this is fitted up a powerful sausage machine, with all the latest improvements and appliances. The knives which are crescent shaped fit into patent slots thus enabling the machinist to easily remove them for the purpose of cleaning. The bearings, which-a.re of polished steel, were as bright as a mirror and plainly showed the care taken of the machine Passing from this to other departments everywhere can plainly be seen the same evident signs of cleanliness and excellent management, and judging from what I saw I may safely assert that the most fastidious of Mr Walter’s patrons may rest assured that the joints set before them have come from one of the most scrupulously clean and best conducted establishments of the sort I have ever had the pleasure of inspecting. Wc -id it not be better for both business people a their patrons if the former would occasionally ihrow open their establishments for inspection by press correspondents P I for one think it would A narrow escape from being crushed to death occurred at the Murawai last week. Some aliens had struck a patch in what is known as the big gully, and were working a face about ten feet deep. They had nearly worked out the patch and were excavating- to get at a small remaining pocket of gum, when one of the men chanced to look up, and perceived the ground above moving, he gave the alarm to his comrades who at once rushed from the spot, and just in time, for the earth came down with a tremendous crash, knocking two of the men down burying their feet and legs up to the knees. They were soon extricated and found to be more scared than hurt.

A report was brought in here a day or two ago of a narrow escape from drowning of Mr R. Jarvie at Kawerua. From the particulars to hand I gather that Mr Jarvie was with the crew out in the surf-boat tendering the steamer, the sea was very rough and the crew were hard at work getting gum out of the surf-boat into the larger vessel when a large wave swept on board of the former, and carried Mr Jarvie overboard. Fortunately one of the crew saw what had occurred and at once pushed an oar out to th® swimmer who luckily managed to grasp it and was dragged on board again.