ALEXANDRA.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXV, Issue 2831, 4 September 1890, Page 2

ALEXANDRA.

Moiti'.u.iTV at Whatiwiiatihok.—Death has been busy amongst the natives in this vicinity this last week, no less than five of them having gone to their last rest. The last one that diod at Whatiwhatihop.—a native named Mana, who died quite suddenly, surviving his wife only a few weeks— declared on his death-bed that the cause of his passing away was on account of having partaken of some pork, part of a pig that had trespassed in the burial ground. On proceeding to dig Maria's grave after his decease the natives found that pigs had again broken into the cemetery, and rooted all over it. A raid was at once made on them, and, up tc .Saturday last, upwards of a hundred were shot, which will be of ereat advantage to the roids, which are rooted up by them in all directions. AITItOACIIKS 10 -J'KK WIIATIWIIATIIIOE Kkiock. —The approaches to the Whatiwhatihoe bridge, to which we have more than once called the attention of the Wai,ia County Council through mir columns, me now in a frightful state, and any stranger attempting to ride or drive over is bound to come to grief. The same place has been temporarily repaired over and over again, but, as there is n spring in tho centre, it is noon as bad or worse than ever again after the first rain. It would be well for the county engineer to have a look at the spot before giving the job to a surfaceman to smooth over for a day or two. Thk Si'AHROWs.—Up country here the sparrows are now more numerous than ever, as they have not beon thinned by poison. The King Country is a regular breeding ground for them. Where wheat has been sown tha ground is alive with them, and when disturbed they form regular clouds. Some poisoued grain, distributed to some of the responsible natives, would do a good deal of good. If this is not done, the crops will be next door to nil. Nkw Link of Road.—Tho contractors for the fencing in of tho new line of road, through the Whatiwhatihoe settlement, Messrs Lancaster and Turner, will soon have completed the work, but befoie the road can be used another few chains require to be made to connect it with the Kawhia road to make it passable for traffic. Why tho contract did not include it in the first instance appears incomprehensible. Wihth'h Cnicurt at Otohoiianoa.— The Messrs Wirth's circus was well patronised, both at Otorohanga and Te Awamutu, but it is the general opinion that on their return journey, some eighteen months hence, the support will not be quite so good, unless the managers make some more ex plicit statement on their bills that popular prices, which in this district at least are not ;js, Is and ss. Neither were they by any means liberal even at these prices. The tts seats and all the standing room, four or five deep, so that those standing in the back, on very uneven ground, could see litLle or nothing of what was going on in some parts of the arena, while a vacant space where there were no seats, but a rail only to divide the entrances, was not allowed as standing-room for those who had paid the ■is without another shilling being demanded, which, however, no one paid, but which will not be forgotten by a good few present.