LOCAL AND GENERAL

Ellesmere Guardian, Volume XLVI, Issue 3211, 17 April 1928, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Entries for the Dunsandel stock mar-" ket on Monday next are advertised.

Mr B. R. C/Rolls has instructed the Farmers' Co operative Association to hold a clearing sale of his live and dead stock at Lochhead farm^ Leeston, on Thursday, May 3. Mr F. W. Scott has purchased the freehold of the farm of -250 acres at Little Rakaia known as Scott's estate. The property, which has been held on lease by AMr Scott for a lengthy,period, was recently submitted to aitetion and passed in. •; Trouble has been experienced' lately with the four lights at the Ellesmere County Memorial, through water finding its way into the conduit holding the electric wires. ' Members of the Power Board's staff are at work to-day rectifying the trouble. The conduit is being made watertight. Cecil B. de Mille's much-discussed picture, ' The King of Kings,' which is now running at the Grand Theatre, will be presented in Leeston on Wednesday, May 9. There will be "fc matinee for school children and others who will be unable to attend the even- , ing screening. Owing to the confusion which the.re^ tention of the name Ellesmere has occasioned, the -Diocesan authorities of the Church-of England have approved of the name of the Ellesmere parochial district being changed to the Southbridge parochial district. The parish embraces Southbridge, Dunsandel, Killinchy and Sedgemere. At one time the whole of the Ellesmere county (or road district as it was then) was worked from Southbridge and the name Ellesmere has been retained ever since; There has be.en much delay with correspondence going to the wrong' quarter. In England there is held annually a competition known as the Whitley Cup competition, which does much to ascertain which is the best pig for bacon purposes—though it does.not assist in ascertaining which is the cheapest quality bacon to produce. A Profitable Discovery. —During the past year many people have discovered that quite the best place in town for thes purchase of jewellery of all descriptions is the well known establishment of Messrs Pri'ddis and Co., Cathedral Square, controlled by Mr B. O. Priddis. The store is in an ideal position, less than a ntjnute from the tram shelter, and, what is more important, you could go further and nowhere will you find such moderate prices. Mr Priddis is at present specialising in, watches, wristlet watches-, diamond' rings and a very special attraction is a 10/6 lever with a luminous dial, guaranteed for 12 months. A call at Priddis and Co., Cathedral Square, will repay you. (8)

The flood in the Rakaia river last A week-end was the heaviest that ' hlg^ been seen for a long time. It is stated that on Saturday night the.water was touching the deck of the traffic bridge at Rakaia. Thinking that the flood was likely to have damaged the River Board 's protective groynes, Mr E. J. Cowan, chairman of the Board, and Mr D. Taylor, secretary, yesterday _ afternoon made an inspection of the groynes at Dobbin's Ford and'opposite Mr Abbott's farm. It was found that no damage had been done, the main body of water running -well out into the riverbed. Mr W. M. Gabbie, of '"Mt. Pleasant," Little Rakaia, has developed a strong dislike for ferrets, weasels and suchlike night marauders, and not without good cause, for he has lately, lost about six dozen of his choice young fowls and ducks. About, three dozen were done to death in one night.:v Ferrets have been the cause of the- \ trouble and five or six^of these destructive animals have been destroyed,, most of them being caught in rabbit traps which were set alongside the fowl pens. Mr Hutchinson,^ a resident of the Southbridge township, who breeds choice poultry, has also lost many young birds through raids made by ferrets. The scarcity of rabbits on the Rakaia, riverbed is probably the cause of the ferrets raiding fowlyards,about the district. Rabbits have probably I never been so scarce as they are at present.