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The village blacksmith at work in the open, fixing a loose shoe. - Otago Witness, 25.12.1912. Copies of picture available from ODT front office, Lower Stuart St, or www.otagoimages.co.nz |
The old Criterion Hotel at the corner of Princes Street and
Moray Place is to be removed early in the new year, and for
Mr D Haynes, the owner of that fine central site, Messrs
Anscombe and Coombs, architects, have prepared plans of a
substantial and handsome four-storey building, which will be
erected in either brick or concrete.
At the corner of the new construction there will be an
imposing dome, which will form quite a landmark, as well as
another ornament, in the main thoroughfare of the city. The
ground floor will be utilised as shops, and already a
jeweller has made arrangements to occupy the corner premises.
On the first floor there will be tea-rooms on an extensive
scale, which will be run in conjunction with roof gardens on
the top of the building. Mr Haynes, who has already given
evidence of his enterprising spirit in other large buildings
he owns in the same block, is to be commended for his
determination to add another very fine edifice to the
architecture of the city.
• The popularity of Stewart Island as a summer or Christmas
and New Year resort is ever on the increase, and as a
consequence of the favourable weather prevailing this season
the traffic is expected to be heavier than has ever been the
case in previous years. On inquiry at the Harbour Board's
offices a representative of the Southland News was informed
that the bookings for Christmas Day were phenomenal. Up till
10 o'clock on Monday morning close on 200 applications had
been received for tickets, and as a consequence the Harbour
Board had arranged for the Theresa Ward to make two trips
from Bluff to Halfmoon Bay on the day in question. On
Saturday the tug's Halfmoon Bay passenger list showed that
80, including chiefly visitors from the north, had travelled
thither in search of pleasure.
• It is satisfactory to note that the effort to collect
subscriptions for the Anglican Cathedral fund is meeting with
a warm response. Today only about 50 is required to complete
the amount that will enable a promised donation of 2000 to be
claimed, and bring the total fund up to 20,000, irrespective
of the Harrop bequest. It is hoped that before the close of
the year the announcement will be made that the full amount
has been subscribed, A perspective drawing of the proposed
building may be seen in the window of Mr J Braithwaite, in
Princes Street. It attracted considerable attention yesterday
and elicited many flattering comments.
• A new experience befell Riverton on Tuesday in the shape of
a bread famine. It seems that the local demand, in view of
the holidays, had been very large, and when to this was added
the demand from some hundreds of holiday trippers, the supply
simply gave out. Late comers paraded the streets in the
evening, visiting all the likely shops in the hope of picking
up some of the ''staff of life''. However, bakers,
confectioners, and grocers were out of that commodity, and
substitutes for bread, such as biscuits, buns and cakes had
to be purchased. - ODT, 28.12.1912.
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