The Waikakahi Sale.

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Issue 46, 8 April 1899, Page 2

The Waikakahi Sale.

The tented opulence of a gold rush township or of a country fair springing to life like a mushroom, in a single night, is the nearest approachable simile one can gpt (says the Oamaiu Mail) for the unique appearance presented by the "Waikakahi station homestead and its precincts on Wednesday. The catering was m the hands of Mr Bee and this department had been thoroughly and methodically organised. His army comprispd 20 waiters, 4 cooks, 8 washers-up and 4 barmen. To feed the multitude, as a first instalment, there had been provided 30001b ot meat, 500 loaves of bread, uncountable potatoes and apple pies, tins of biscuits, sundries innumerable, 10 hogsheads of beer, 40 gallons of whisky, and 20 dozen each of lemonade and ginger beer in quarts — not forgetting the insidious soda, and supplies of wines and other spnits. Everj thing -was free, Mr M'Lean having spared no expense to provide for the comfort of visitors, whom ho wished to consider as his personal guests. All the sheep sold well, especially good prime ewes and wethers. The tour--v earold ewes went cheap, but they fetched a fair average, sustained throughout the lot. The Lincoln rams sold cheaply, there being a large lange in the price. The half-bred rams elicited the keenest competition, but here also the price ranged from 35s for the pick of 20 down to 6s 6d. The lambs sold splendidly, the bulk of the fat going to the dealers for fiee/ing purposes. The sheep realised a total of about £35,000. On Thursday, the horses were sold, the draughts bringing from £lo downwards, the hacks and carnage hoises from £'1 10s to £'27.