THE COUNTRY.
FIRE AT MINTARO.
AN HOTEL DESTROYED.
Mintaro, July 20.
About 10 o’clock this morning dense clouds of smoke were seen issuing from the Mintaro Hotel, in the busiest part of the main street. The hotel is a substantial building, and was recently purchased by Mr. N. Slattery, formerly of Jamestown, who has since carried on the business. It was one of the first buildings erected in the prosperous days of Mintaro, when the Burra Burra copper mines started and railways were an unknown luxury in this part of the country. All the carting between here and the Burra was then done by bullock and donkey teams.
When the fire was discovered a cyclist was immediately dispatched to the Mintaro flagstone quarries and the alarm given, and Mr. Jacobs (manager) and his large staff of willing workers were soon in attendance, and, assisted by a crowd of spectators, did their best to extinguish the flames, but the light wood continued to burn fiercely, and their efforts were not successful. In an hour the interior of the hotel was burnt out. Fortunately the inmates escaped without injury.
The efforts of the crowd prevented the flames from spreading to the outhouses and stables, where some valuable racehorses and coursing dogs were kept. The extent of the damage done by the fire has not yet been ascertained, but an enquiry will be held.
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MINTARO.
July 18.—The annual meeting of subscribers of the Mintaro Institute was held in the hall on Saturday. The president (Mr. I. Jacobs) presided, over a large attendance of members. The annual report and balance-sheet were presented by Mr. W. Rowe. The balance-sheet showed that the income for the present year left a credit balance of £15, the sum of £12 being used for the purchase of new books. The erection (sic) of officers resulted as follows:—President, Mr. I. A. Jacobs; vice-president, Mr. S. Torr; committee, Messrs. A. Maren, J. Ryan, F. H. Weston, J. Hunt, F. Marston, A. Priaulx, J. N. Ticker; secretary, Mr. W. N. Rowe; library committee Messrs. I. A. Jacobs, A. March, J. Ryan, F. Marston; hall committee, Messrs. Jacobs and Rowe. The sum of £9 has been spent on books for the library. The library now consists of 1,765 well-chosen books by leading authors. A splendid case of mineral specimens lately received from the Adelaide School of Mines is now on view in the Institute, and attracts a great deal of attention from the general public. A nice rain has fallen during the week, and the weather is very seasonable for the crops. Most of the farmers are pushing on with their fallowing. We have recently experienced two small snowstorms.
