OHAUPO.

Waikato Argus, Volume IV, Issue 235, 15 January 1898, Page 2

OHAUPO.

Sickness.—lnfluenza and severe colds have been very prevcl.uit of late in and around tlrs district, and tic doctor i» kept busy. Kiss Ryburn, of PateransM, who has been dangerously ill,l understand w>th it.-flammatiori of the lungs, is, I am happy to say, owing to Doctor Pairman's care, now out of dangtr. Mr Frank Potts ha 3 also been seriously iU with the same complaint; lie, too, I am glad to say, is making a rapid recovery. There has been a gcod deal of chest complaint this spring, which appears to be very difficult to get rid of ; no doubt the sudden changes of temperature havca good deal to do with it. Death. —The "grim monster" scorns to have commenced the year with an onslaught upon old colonists. Every paper we take up wo see that some old identity lias gone over the river. Poor old Sib, our bandmaster of the Te Awamutu Cavalry, has just been ferried across. The late Mr Henry Sibley belonged to the 70th Regiment. I think lie was born in the regiment, and became a bugler aud band-boy when only very young. He had seen a good deal of active service, and was the very cut of a sni'.rt infantty soldier. When only a lad in India he took part in the Indian Mutiny. In ISO 3he arrived in New Zealmd with his regiment, and took part in the Waikato war, aud was actively engaged at Rangiaohia. At the end of the war the regiment w;s ordered home, but he with several oihers took his di-charge and remained in New Zealand, settling in Te Awamutu, until the West Coast trouble broke out, when he joined the late Major Von Tsmpsky's corpa, with which he saw a good deal of active service, and was at the memorable finlit when poor "Von" was killed, and had many hair-breath escapes. In ouo instance he occupied a tent with ten others, and in the evening after a brush with the natives only two turned up— Mr Richard Bell, of Teßihu, and the late Mr Sibley. When they saw the empty beds that had been occupied by nine strapping young fellows in the morning, and knew that they were all killed, the two men sat down on the floor of the tent and cried like uo.nen. Such is war, " glorious war." Af •cr the West Coast trouble was over he returned to Te Awamutu and joined the Te Awamutu Cavalry as bandmaster. The late Mr Sibley was a man of lively temperament, Eober, steady and trustworthy. The immediate cause of death was cancer in the neck. He leaves a widow, two sons and six daughters, all grown up, and many of them married. Yes ! the brave soldier, that has faced death man} times ha 3 succumbed to disease, at last he has answered to his last roll call. Soldiers and civilians, whether Saiuts or sinners, step out of the rauks as their names are called and march away to join the great majority tiiat is gone before. The deceased left many friends in this district, who will to hear of his untimely death ; he was only 59. His widow and family have our sincere sympathy in this their great affliction. His remains were interred at Te Arolia on Sunday, the 9th. Had he been buried at Te Awamutu his old comrades would have assembled to pay the last tribute of respect due to the memory of a gcod soldier. Accidents. —I have to record two very serious accidents which happened last week, but happily with no fatal results. As Miss Christina Kill, daughter of Mr John Bell, of Te Rore, was riding along the road in company with two other young ladies, her horse bolted, and in galloping gn to Campbell's bridge at Te Rore, one cf the planks became displaced, and of course there was a terrible crash, and the lady was thrown with great violence on to the planking, where she lay stunned, with her face brused and her lip split open. The horse was also stunned and badly knocked about. I understand no bones were broken. For a time the doctor could not s*y how it wou'd go, as she was unconscious for a very long tiine, but I learn that the young lady is now out of danger. The other accident happened to young Dug. Ryburn, son of Mr Ryburn, of Faterangi. The lad was caiting water from a spricg in the swamp when the dray caps'zed, and horse and all rolled over into the swamp, pinning the boy underneath. Lucki y the swamp was dry, or the lad would have been smothered in soft mud. Mr Jack Hodgson, who was working a binder not far ofF, was soon on the scene, but before the boy could be extricated he had to attach his own team to pull the upturned dray off him. It was a miracle the lad was not killed, but he met with nothing i worse than a severe fright.

Stack Covins.—l see that Mr Souter lias got up a consignment of a new sort of stack cover, which is now to tliis difctrict, but is used extensively in the Southern provinces. Ic is made of ordinary sacking and is a bell sfnpe like a bell tent, or square if desired. As soon as the stack is made it is fitted on and covers it like a bell tent, and is only half the cost of the canvas sheeting, and with care is expected to hist for three or four seasons. I don't see why it would not do for the purpose, for I know from experience old sacks laid on a stack will turn a greyt quantity of raiu. At anyrate, the idea has caught on, and the first consignment was snapped up at once, and more are now ordered. Taking everything into consideration, they are cheaper than rushes, and they are easily put on. Being ready-made, the stack is covered in a moment. We general'}' don't adopt anything new in this country till it becomes old-fashioned down South.

KINKMATCGRAriI COMPANY. The Kinematcgraph Company were expected to perforin here on Tuesday evening, but from some cause or another they did not appear and many were disappointed, several having conic long distances, having seen in The Aegits that the show would be well worth seeing Buggies and traps came pouring in, but their occupants had to return disappointed. Some even went so far as to use a cuss word or two. This sort of thing is certainly treating the public with scant courtesy. I was told a telegram did come to Mr Laurie saying they would not appear, but Mr Laurie could not send word around the country. —(Own Correspondent).