LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Feilding Star, Volume I, Issue 131, 1 December 1906, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The lonic left Monte Video on Tuesday last for London. Mr A. J. Smith has sold his goodwill of the Masonic Hotel. Waitara, to Mr Grantham, late or Feilding, who will take possession on Monday next. During the progress of a bazaar at Northland, Wellington, on Thursday, the electric light gave out, and, though caudles were procured, the sale of goods had to be stopped. At the Feilding Court at noon today, before Messrs W. Carthew and J Kirton, J.'sP., W. Smith, on a charge of obtaining 141 b of sausages by means of falso pretences, was convicted and discharged. The Agricultural Department is importing twenty-four stud sheep from well-known English flocks. The consignment will consist of a ram and five ewes, each of the following breeds: — Ryeland, Southdown, English Leicester, and Border Leicester. At 1 1 o'clork yesterday morning, the contents of a swill-barrel of kitchen refuse was accidentally upset from a cart in Willis street, Wellington, in front of Wardell's grocery establishment, much to the annoyance of crowds of pedestrians. ■, The precise relation between shellfish and a motor-race would puzzle most folk. Yet the motor races on Brighton beach, rear Christchurch, ' had to be postponed the other day, ov.ing to the soft state of the beacb caused by the presence of innumerable pipis. "There will never be peace in a certain North Canterbury circuit untill some of our people go to Heaven. This was a statement made by a speaker at the Methodist Synod m Timaru The remark caused a hearty laugh, but is was later on explained that the remark did not -apply to one circuit in particular, but to every oirouit in the colony.

To-day is Queen Alexandra's sixtysecond birthday. The Rev E. Drake, of Wanganui, an ex-president of the Conference, vill preach in the Primitive Methodist Church on Sunday, morning and evening, and at Colyton in the afternoon. The following are the records kept at Kimbolton School for the month of November: — Barometer.: Highest 29, lowest 28.3, mean 29.2. Fine days 14, cloudy days 7, rainy days 9. Thermometer (in the school room): Highest 66, lowest 47, mean 59. Rainfall: Heaviest 125 inches, lightest, 3 points (dew), total 3.54 inches. Shearers are scarce throughout the K&nmer district, and several sheds are opening short-handed. On Saturday morning St. Helens commenced with seven men on the board instead of twenty-eight. It is reported that fewer Australian shearers have come over this year owing to having had a good season in Australia. New Zealand figures, in Punch again. One illustration shows a butcher's shop, the dramatis persons being a most amiable-looking butcher and a very severely-faced old lady. The old lady speaks first: " Are you sure," she asks, "that it is English mutton?" "Well— er— replies the smiling butcher, "born in New Zealand ,madam, but of English ..parents!" This must surely have been quite satisfactory. Mr Patrick Macguire, said to be the -oldest Mason in . Australia, perhaps in the world, died at Kangaroo Valley, New South Wales,yin the early part of the mo\th, aaed ninetyone years. He had\belo*ged to the Masonic fraternity fo\»venty-three years, having been inflated in Ireland in 1833. He came to Australia from the North of Ireland many years ago, and settled in Shoalhaven. The new bridge over the Pohangina river at Awahou will be officially opened by the Premier, Sir Joseph Ward, on Wednesday afternoon next at one o'clock. Th/i Premier will subsequently be entertained at luncheon by the committee which is in charge. Messrs J. J. Lynch and D. C. McCarty are respectively chairman and secretary of the committee. The crops in North Canterbury n;ucle good growth last week, and seme of the early sown wheat is in ear There is abundance of feed for the stock, and fat lambs will come into the market in considerhbJe numbers shortly. The weathe/ has favoured the shearing, which is now in full swing on the large stations. The potato crops continue in a liealthy condition, and other root crops are coming on well. At a meeting of the committee of .the Bush Districts Agricultural and Pastoral Association it was stated that Mr McCrea would like to be relieved of Ayrshire cattle, as they were not a favourite breed of his, and that Mr Jarvis would like to be relieved of bacon pigs, as it was generally reckoned that he was prejudiced in favour of halfbred Tamworths. It was resolved to assure those gentlemen of the confidence of the committee, and to ask them to act. A 'South Canteibury correspondent writes:— The blight on the blue gum trees, which is so extremely bad in South Canterbury is, I firmly believe, being checked, either by tbe lady birds which have been imported from Australia, or by some natural cause. Some very fine gum trees on Mr Hawdon's Sstate, near Peel Forest, which last autumn looked as if they were dying, now show a change for the better, having put out a great show of healthy leaves, not on the st«m, but at the ends of the bi anohes. Messrs Martin Bros., wood and coal merchants, notify that they have disposed of their busin. ss to Messrs ShtjOierd Bros The new firm have been for some considerable time established m the same line' at Aranioho, where they are still carrying on a snocesstul business. Meases Shepherd Bros, have/ a thorough knowledge of the requirements of the tiade and intend ♦«$ hold large stocks of all classes of wood, coal, find produce, and Folding residents will find it to their advantage to patronise the new firm. We wish them every success in their local venture. Our Sanelon correspondent writes: — To-morrow (December 2nd) will be a day of rejoicing p.mong the Sandon \Aesleyans. It is the anniversary dav of the foundation of the chapel. There will be service the whole day thiough. It has been arranged to have some recitations and sacred songs during the afternoon. Tho char and a number of Sunday school civldien held a practice recital last night, which attracted quite a crowd of people who might otherwise have gene to Mr Hazel's picture entertainment, which happened to be on a*, the same time. Mr Hazel got a fair house notwithstanding The Nelson Mail says:— The country has benefited immensely from the late rains, and crops generally are looking splendid. Gardens everywhere are looking well, and promise an abundant yield of vegetables and •so on. Fairly large areas have been planted with potatoes. They also are, doing well so far, no sign of blight being apparent, thoagh some wore cut clown with frost about the middle of last week. Most farmers are fighting shy of the Brown River variety. The hop gardens in and aicund this district are looking well, and growers are looking forward to better returns for the coming crop. There was an alarming fall in glass from some verandah roofs along central Stafford street the other night, says the Timaru Post, when ■» number of dogs which had run upstairs into the Loan and Meicanti'e Agency Company's buildings found when they wanted to get out again that their only means of exit was j through a window facing Stafford sticet. They jumped through the window one after another on to the glass verandah below, and they ran along the glass northwards for a considerable distance until they had broken sufficient glass to enable them t.> fall through on to the pavement beneath. About fifty panes were broken in all. At the Feilding Court this morning, before Messrs W, G. Haybittle fend R. Burne. J 'sP., Minnie Abridge, alias Wild, appeared on three clarges of vagrancy, obscene language, and drunkenness, and was sentenced to a month's imprisonment on each charge. Jas. Doyle, alias IK-re, was charged with vagrancy. The police and detectives said that accused was in town last night with undesirable characters, and they had kept a strict watch # oyer him. A list of previous convictions were also r,ut in against accused. He strongly eenied the charge of vagrancy. The Bench informed him that they were satisfied that tho charge had been fully proved. He was a man that di 1 not make the best use of his time, therefore he was better in safe keeping. He was sentenced to three thou ths' imprisonment with hard labour. Sheepbreeders on this Coast will bo interested in some particulars respecting the flock of Romneys established by Mr Arthur Harding, of Siberia, Ashhurst. Mr Harding started with some 170 ewes from his Kereru (Hawke's Bay) station less tban two years ago, and has since purchased 200 from Mr Bldwell, of Featherston, and, more recently, 20 two-tooth ewes from Gray Bros., of Masterton. The rams were all obtained from Messrs P. Mungavin. E. Short, and Gray Bros., so it will be seen that Mr Harding has spared no pains in getting a first-class flock together, all his purchases being fiom well-known breeders. Mr Barding was among the principal exhibitors at the recent Wanganui Show, where he gained first prize with a ram under 20 months, first prize with a ram over 18 months and under 30 months, v.h.c. for two rams 18 months and under, and the same place for two ewes 18 months and under. The winning ram over 20 months was said to be the best Romney ram ever shown at Wanganui, and a true example of what the Romney should be. He had size, wool, carcase, and show condition, and, generally, all the points of a magnificent sheep. The other, ram, over 18 months and under 30 months, was said to be a. grand specimen. — Standard.

On the local bowling green this afternoon, a first-class team from Feimerston will contest the honours with our best local team The F&lmerston players are said to be in great form. The handsome gold mounted whip, met ented to the Feilding Jockey Club by Mr Dunlar, a local saddler, for the rider of the winner of the First Feilding Stakes at the races on Thursday, was won by F. Jones, who had the mount on Sir Geo. Clifford's Glenculloch. The presentation was made by the president, Mr F. Y. Lethbridge, MJI.R. On Friday last the men at the i- ctal pit on Parap&ra road, Raetihi, who were receiving Is per hour, struck for 9s for eight nours, and as a result on the Saturday all the diivcrs of the teams metalling had to load their own drays. The engineer in charge, however, succeeded >n replacing them with others, and the work will now go on as usual. At the school concert at Makino on Wednesday, a little girl of six gave a recitation in an admirable manner, with suitable gesticulation and appropriate inflection of voice. Being encored, she gave another delightful recitation, hut the fun commenced when she was taken away, as she felt fully persuaded that the demonstration or the audieuce meant they were still unsatisfied, and she sadly wanted to give them some more gems from her repertoire. The Salvation Band were unable to give their itusical programme in I the Victoria Park last Sunday afternoon, owing to the inclement state of the weather. The band, however, have decided to render a first-class programme of vocal and instrumental music to-morrow (Sunday) afternoon, at 3 p.m. The band will be assisted by a singing company. A collection, in aid of the new instruments, will be taken up. Messrs Gorton and Sons' yarding e.f cattle to-day was an exceptionally heavy om». and perhaps the larg est on record for some months past. Several good lines of yearlings and store cattle were yarded, also a number of young dairy cows. The sheep yarding was fair. Tho poultry pens at Mr A. H. Atkinson and Co.'s rooms are well filled" and the narket is good. The sale was also made attractive by several other useful lines. A quantity of new potatoes also met with ready demand. A Napier school boy must be credited with quite a new interpretation of a passage in Sir Walter Scott's "Marrcion." During an examination he was called upon to parapharase a few lines from that famous and warlike poem in which reference is made to the English soldiers hearing trumpets blown and a "stifled hum" from the Scottish lines. The boy's idea of "hum" seems to have been something offensive to the nostrils. He therefore wrote that the English heard the trumpets blown, "and; experienced the unpleasant smell of Scotchmen !" — Herald. A largely attended "noeting was held iii the Kaiewarewa schcolroom ou Wednesday evening last, Mr McNeale being voted to the chair, when the following resolution was proposed by Mr D'Dwyer and seconded by Mr John Caird, and carried unanimously, ''That this meeting resolves that any sum incurred in erecting boxes, above Postal Department's subsidy, shall be subscribed by settlers, on condition that the mail is run tri-weekly, mail bag made up at Mangaweka, and carried as proposed fiom Pukerimu coiner, at £10 per annum." A slum child from Angel Meadow, Manchester, who was taken into the ocuntry for the first time, was much impressed, the correspondent of a provincial papor states. "Why," she exclaimed, looking with wide eyes on the green expanse of Hill and n-eadow, ' There's no cemeteries! Theie can't many people die 'ere." She lives in a part in which^ graveyards are as common as policemen. '•Oh," she was told, "there's a cemetery by the church on the top of tin hill." "My" she said,. gazing up the modest slope, "I'd ray then go up it in an 'erse nor on my feet." Yesterday afternoon (says the Chronicle) shortly after the arrival of the steamer from Pipiriki, a local resident was politely accosted by an American gentleman, accompanied by his wife — evidently tourists — and asked if he would be good enough to tell them where they could best in their time" until the evening. The information was promptly supplied, whereupon the lady joined in with the piquantly voiced inquiry, "Say. sir, have you any cars in this city? Understanding, rightly, that the lady wished to know if there was an electric tram service here, the townsman replied, "Well, no, not just at present; but curiously enough we haw just taken a vote of the people and have decided to get an electric system." There was a mischievous twinkle in the eyes of the American lady as, after hearing this statement, she instantly rapped out • "Thanks, I don't think I'll wait. Good-bye!" Under the State Anti-Gambling Act of 1860, Mrs J. L. Harsha, one of the leading hostesses of Beaver. Falls, Pennsylvania, was recently fined £1 and costs for giving a bridge pp.-ty. The prosecution (says the New York correspondent of the London Daily Mail) was instituted by ! Mtb James Bronson, whose eighteen-year-old daughter was a guest at the party, which continued till a late hour. The prosecutrix informed the Court that bridge parties were so fiequent that great injury was caused to the morals of society. Her daughter had become so fascinated by the game that she attended all such parties, although forbidden to do so. Her mother found it impossible to induce her to apply her mind to anything else, and, therefore, resolved to prosecute the hostess of every party the girl attended. Mrs BArzha, nn the advice of her counsel, pleaded guilty and paid the fine, stating that Miss Bronson was a loser.