Provincial reports - Tumut.

26 January 1878 The Sydney Mail and New South Wales Advertiser 

The weather remains dry, but we have at last experienced an agreeable change in the temperature.

A strong cool wind has been blowing all day from the south-east, and in spite of the dust whirled along the streets and deposited in thick layers upon every article of furniture in our houses, the day has proved quite enjoyable after the recent sweltering heat.

One morning last week we were visited with a very cold breeze, which, however, quickly passed away. 

No rain fell in this neighbourhood, but, it would appear, a downfall must have occurred not far off, as a mill race, supplied by the Gilmore Creek, suddenly rose three inches. 

We are thankful for the cool air, but we earnestly desire the rain, for we dread to contemplate what will be the state of affairs here if we do not get a copious fall within the next month. 

Some of the wheat crops in this district are not turning out so well as their owners expected. Many of the farmers are busy threshing.

Accidents occasioned by fire have unfortunately been frequent here of late.

Messrs. Brown and Cunningham's residence at Rocky Camp, near the Tumut River, was burnt down last Wednesday, and property to the value of about £100 was destroyed.

It appears that a large tree, which was in dangerous proximity to the house had been cut down by one of the partners, and afterwards burnt; and thinking that the fire was out, Messrs. Brown and Cunningham having business elsewhere, left home for a few days, but re- turned to find their dwelling and its contents a charred mass. 

A dead tree had in the meantime caught fire and some projecting branches had fallen upon the bark roof. An alarming bush fire broke out in Mr, H. J. Sharp's fattening paddock on Wednesday. 

Some thirty or forty volunteers hastened to the scene, and worked with a will, but upwards of 200 acres of grass were consumed before their efforts were successful in checking the fire. Mr. F. W. Vyner's grass paddock was also burnt, and his haystacks were saved with difficulty. 

How the fire originated is a mystery, as it commenced in the very centre of the paddock. The burning forest at night presented a grand spectacle. On Friday last a fire occurred at Mr. Le Fevre's, at Tumut Plains.

A young man while smoking dropped some ashes from his pipe in the wheat stubble, and the result that ensued was the burning of some miles of fencing, stockyards, out-houses and a barley stack, and the suffocation of a cow.

A very expensive pipe of tobacco, certainly. Some large employers here strictly prohibit smoking in their paddocks, and threaten any transgressor, when found out, with legal proceedings. I have yet another disaster to record.

A kerosene lamp left burning in the residence of Mr. W. Bay, our Public school teacher, exploded during the absence of the family. A neighbour, Mr. G. Hoad, sen., fortunately observed the blaze which it occasioned, and, entering the house, procured a few buckets of water and extinguished the fire.

But for this timely intervention, the consequences would have proved serious, as the furniture in the room was burning briskly. Mr. E. G. Brown held a sale of stock on Thursday last. There was a good attendance of buyers, and a slight improvement in prices. Yearlings sold at 30s, milch cows from £2 10s. to £4 10s.; and a lot of mixed cattle averaged £2 10s. Fat heifers fetched £4 per head. Twenty head of horses brought from £2 to £15 10s. per head. 

To-day, Mr. Brown sold at auction Mr. Thomas Wilson's Gilmore property, consisting of 435 acres of freehold land and 214 acres conditional purchased. Mr. Robert Wilson was the buyer, at the sum of £1620. 

Several loads of wool have just passed through ea route for Sydney.

One portion was the first consignment of Mr. G. Forsyth's, from Yarrangobilly, and the other loadsbelonged respectively to Messrs. J. Gibb and Son and Mr. John Ilett. Another dray load of tobacco leaf (packed in neat bales), grown at the Chinese plantation at Upper Adelong, has been forwarded to Messrs. Mort and Co. for sale. 

The sheep passings during the week are 7000 belonging fo Mr. James Beveridge, of Wantabadgery, travelling for grass; and 4000 owned by Mr. James Robinson, of Kimo, bound for Kiandra Plains. 

January 21.