Rail tunnel nearly finished

Mr Henry J. Marriner, chairman of the railway committee of the Chamber of Commerce, who has just made a visit of inspection to the Otira tunnel works, reports that work is nearing completion at Arthur’s Pass.

The railway yard and the work of levelling and laying tracks are nearly finished. It is expected that the work will be finished by the end of the year and opened for traffic. The subway which is being built in order that passengers will not have to cross electrified rails is beginning and is to be finished at the same time. The new site for the station is being prepared. The only work of any magnitude likely to hold up the  timing of trains is the bridge over the Bealy River, which will be finished by Christmas. As far as the Arthurs Pass railway system is concerned the engineer in charge says that the works will be completed by the end of the year. The inside of the tunnel is nearly finished. All power lines have been placed in position, and with regard to electrical work inside there is only the overhead wire to be put in its place to connect it with the power lines and work is completed. But the engineers think it advisable not to finish this until they are ready to test the whole electrical workings in about a fortnight, when ballasting will be finished. Mr Marriner concluded his report by saying that there is no chance of the tunnel being opened by the end of the year, as after all the works are completed it is expected it will take three months to test all electrical appliances, so that in all probability it will be about Easter of 1923 before everything is in full working order.

Send-off for Palmerston lady

The women of Palmerston met in the Presbyterian Sunday School Hall, which was prettily decorated with flags and large bowls of spring flowers, for the purpose of bidding farewell to Mrs J.R. Rutherford. There was a gathering of about 70, and songs were rendered by Mesdames Smith, Sutherland and Mayer, and Miss Bennett. Two competitions caused much amusement. Mrs J. Gordon and Mrs McGregor were the winners; Mrs C.McGregor the booby winner. During the afternoon Mrs Arkle presented Mrs Rutherford with a gold wrist watch and a cheque, and in so doing referred to the many services Mrs Rutherford had rendered to the district, and said that during the war no one in Palmerston had done more for the boys at the front than Mrs Rutherford. Mrs Rutherford thanked those present for the gifts.

War rumour rattles city

There was a persistent rumour about town yesterday that hostilities had commenced between the British and the Turks. No doubt the morning’s news led an imaginative person to whisper that he had been told, "on the best of authority," that a war was decided on, and from the beginning, like the smile that grew until there were "miles and miles of smiles," rumours spread thickly. Some people wont even so far as to inform their hearers how the conflict had opened, explaining that the Turks had opened fire on a British outpost. One of the results of the rumour was a number of anxious telephone inquiries at the Daily Times office.

Fishing season opens

The angling season opened at midnight on Saturday, and anglers lost no time in getting to near-at-hand and distant streams. Tomahawk Lagoon gives promise of good sport. One angler caught six fish, "beauties," on the fly and another took four fish with the "bully." There was a fair sprinkling of anglers along the banks of the Water of Leith, and about the pools towards the mouth of the stream. One angler is reported to have taken 14 fish, angling from the mouth to a point well up the river. The largest fish he took weighed about three-quarters of a pound.

— ODT, 3.10.1922  (Compiled by Peter Dowden)