The Tuapeka Times reports a sensational accident.
As Mr A. McPherson's waggon, driven by J. Perrow, was descending the Beaumont side of the Big Hill about 8 o'clock on Thursday night the brake failed to act, and the waggon, loaded with about five tons of general merchandise, got way on and forced the horses into a gallop.
After going some distance one of the leaders fell and brought down others of the team, and the heavily laden waggon was brought to a standstill by running on to them.
Two horses were killed outright, and one had its leg broken, and had to be destroyed.
As the team consisted of nine horses, the confusion in the darkness can well be imagined.
Messrs Fletcher, Moore, and A. Fraser, who were returning from the licensing meeting at Roxburgh, happened to be near at hand at the time of the accident, and rendered the driver all the assistance possible under the circumstances.
- Mr E.J Matthews, of Sydney, who arrived in Wellington on Friday by the Maheno, brought with him from Singapore three of the blue-tongued edible dogs of China, and introduced them to the literary staff of The Post.
They are docile-looking creatures, quiet and good-tempered, of medium size, and the coat soft and thick, in general appearance resembling Siberian sledge dogs, though on a much smaller scale.
In the colour of the adult a foxy reddish-brown predominates; the younger dogs show more of yellow, but the shade deepens with age. The dark blue, almost slate-coloured tongues show the purity of breed.
- Now that cheap fares are to be granted to bona fide residents of St. Clair only, some speculation exists as to how the conductors are to make sure who is who.
Inquiries show that a tram conductor is, among other things, paid to be observant.
In Christchurch, special ticket books are issued to businessmen only, and it is said that non-business men have given up using tickets detached from these books, as the conductors always find them out.
Tram conductors, it appears, get to know the people who travel on their branch as a shepherd knows his flock, or the official at the Athenaeum knows the subscribers. - ODT, 16.3.1908