Local and General News.

Feilding Star, Volume XXI, Issue 206, 5 March 1900, Page 2

Local and General News.

The time in New Zealand is about nine and a half hours earlier than at Ladysmith. News has reached Feilding that a youiiy man named Leys, formerly a billiard marker at Mrs Hastie's Hotel, was siiot in South Africa. He was in a mounted corps. The clerk of the Kiwitea County Uouncil, Mr \Y. G. Hicks, publishes a notice concerning a loan of ±'1100, particulars of which are detailed in the advertisement. The candidates nominated for tbe vacancy on the Wanganui Education Hoard, made by the resignation of Mr Sanson, are James Knight, of Itongoteu, W. T. Wood, of Palmerston, and William Williams, of Manaia. As a shopping resort the Ben Marche seems to be yarning in popularity more tnd more. Tho Messrs Spence and Speuce will be glad when their new additions are completed as they are finding their present accommodation rather crumped at busy times. The Kakariki bridge was opened for general -tnillic to-day. The rules and regulations for the conduct of traffic will oe found ported at the Greatford, Haljoin be and KaKariki stations, and at the uorth and south ends of tbe bridge. They were published some time ago in this journal, Newspaper editors are supposed to know everything. A* correspondent, not far from Kimbolton has, in perfect goud faith, written asking us " for the contents of the secret despatch sent to the Premiers," promising not to divulge them if we let him have them. A German doctor, who was present in the Boer lines during the fighting at Magersfontein, states that a Russian military officer is with the Boers advising them. He is paid a salary of £15,000 per annum, and has been promised a bonus of ii 250,000 if the Republics prove successful. On Saturday outside the C.T.C. stores were displayed 24 samples of vegetables which were grown by Mr J. H. Scott, Kimbolton Road, which secured first prize at the Horticultural Show held on Friday for the best selection of vegetables grown from Gibbon* ,i! <\i Tor whom the C.T.C. stores are ioeui u fa eute,

A reward is offered for the return of an umbrella. Mr Chas. Carr's stock report is unavoidably held over till to-morrow. Captain Edwin wired at noon to-day : Strong northerly winds and glass fall. An advertiser wants to rent a good four or five-roomed house near the railway station. A sale of dairy stock will be held at Makino to-morrow, on accouut of Mr J. Saxon, by Mr C. Carr. Mr Chas. Carr will hold an unreserved clearing sale at Colyton, on the 14th inst., on account of Mr R. L, Pudney. Tenders are invited, to close on March 10, for the privileges in connection with the Awahuri races to be held on March 21. Mr Houlfc, of Feilding, will be held at Cheltenham on Wednesday for the purpose of purchasing horses suitable for troopers. Harvest thanksgiving service will be held in the Church of England, </olyton, on Thursday, and choir practice will be held to-morrow evening. On Wednesday next the business premises in Feilding will be closed at 11 a.m. (instead of 1 p.m.) to enable shopassistants to attend the Cheltenham sports. The funeral of the late Louis A. Black, son of Mr David Black, took place yesterday, and was attended by a large number of sympathisers. The Rev. C. Murray conducted an impressive burial service. It is with much regret that we announce the death of Mr A. F. Halcombe, the first manager of the Emigrants and Colonists Land Corporation in Feildina;, which took place at Urunui tTaranaki) on Saturday night. We hope to be able to publish further particulars to-morrow. Mr I. Lovelock, of Rangitikei Line, has had a splendid yield from three sacks of Dun oats, which were sown in the winter on eight acres. They were eaten off by the sheep several times and eventually allowed to grow. The oats were thrashed on Monday and yielded 72 bushels to the acre. Zeke : Say; Mose, you know my brudder Sam, wot set hisselt up as a sciety genelman ? Well, he's just bin 'rested fer stealin a suit of clothes. Mose : Well if he ain't the mos ignorant nig dat eber I come across ! Why didn't be buy a suit an' not pay fer it jis the same as the white sciety geneltnau do ? We regret to have (o record the death of Mr J. C. Sly, which occurred at his residence, Otaki on Thursday morning. Deceased, who was in his 69th year, was one of the first few of the earliest settlers in the Manawatu district, residing on the Foxton Line, near Longburn, for 22 years. During his efcay in this district he occupied for many years a seat on the Manawatu Koad Board, and was frequently requisitioned to stand for a seat in Parliament. Harvest thanksgiving services were held in the Primitive Methodist Church yesterday, both morning and evening, Mr Woolloxall (Home missionary) con ducting both services, which were well attended, there being a particularly large congregation in the evening. The church was nicely decorated with flowers, fruit, grain, vegetables, etc., and suitable hymns were sung throughout the day. On Tuesday evening a social in connection with the harvest thanksgiving will be held. Lord Battersea, who recently sat in tha House of Commons as Mr Cyril Flower, is the author of one of the neatest retorts ever made from a political platform. His lordship was addressing a meeting in bis former constituency, on the eve of the election, when somebody called out from the gallery in a sneering tone, " Does yer mother know yer out ?" Without pausing for a moment, Lord Battersea replied, "My mother will know I am in to-morrow night " a prophecy which proved true. We are glad to hear that the effort to start an Amateur Operatic Society shows every sign of being successful. It is intended to stage " Les Cloches de Corneville," and several excellent practices have deen held, the choruses being well advanced. Any intending members should hand in their names at once before the detail of the opera is commenced Practices are held every Monday night. We hope to see the opera brought to a successful conclusion. The fortnightly meeting of the Loyal Manchester Lodge of Oddfellows was held in the Oddfellow's Hall on Friday evening last. Owing to counter attractions there was a small attendance of members. Two new members were proposed for initiation. The church parade to be held on March 11th was postponed to the 18th on account of the Rev. T. W. Vealie being unable to be present on the morning of the 11th, The members of the social committee are requested to meet this evening at 7.30 p,m. " It is impossible," observes the Syd ney Mail, " to view the enormous reduction in the number of sheep carried in New South Wales, which has come about in a few years, with equanimity. I: may be said that wheat growing and other industries have, to some extent, compensated for the loss on the great wool industry. But a drop of fifty-five millions of sheep to tbirity five millions means a capital loss of something like ten millions of money. The gain on other developments is therefore insignificant in comparison." Some romantic yonn? lady, who was uinonpst those who forwarded woollen caps for tho fourth contingent at Welpugton pinned a note inside one conveying ' blessings to the boy who gets this, aid I hope he'll come back to dear old Xciv Zealand safe and sound." Adding, • I've had it on first." The cream of cue joke is that the cap fell to the lot of Lieutenant Colonel Collins, a staid, -.oberminded, rather stoutly-built gentle man of middle-age, who concluded that it was a " put-up job," and the endeari ul; message only leaked out by chance. A London correspondent writes : - Large quantities of New Zealand butter are coming to hand, and everywhere in che city I hear praises of its quality. It is said to be better that last year, tud far and away of choicer quality than anything which has arrived from vurftralia, the " fishiness " said to be characteristic of Australian butter being almost totally absent in that from New Zealand, while there is universal rich- ■ iess. As a result, what the London provision merchants term " fancy J>rice3 " having been obtained in a good aiaoy instances. The Swiss and Italian residents of Beudigo, Victoria, are taking steps to show their practical sympathy with the British arms io South Africa. At a meeting called for the purpose Mr Jacob Mani made a stirring appeal to his countrymen, pointing out the great privileges " enjoyed by foreigners under bmish rule. He considered that they wouid be ungrateful if they failed to express their loyalty to the throne of England while that couutry was engaged in a righteous war for liberty and freedom. A call for subscriptions was well responded to.