LOCAL AND GENERAL

Feilding Star, Volume I, Issue 295, 19 June 1907, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL

— — - > Mr R. F. Haybittle, who. has sold his interest in the Masonic Hotel at. Woodville, has decided to return with his family to Feilding. Mrs John Ballance, who returned to tUo colony from England three months ago, was attacked by diphtheria whib on a visit to her sister in Wanganui, but is now well on tho road to recovery. ( In connection with a letter recently appearing in the Stab to the effect that some men had broken into the supper room at a dance at Bewa, and stolen the dainties provided for the supper, we are informed >that a rumour is being circulated in the Rewa district that the letter was sent by Mrs M. H. Signal. In justice to this lady, we may state that she was not the author of the letter.

The Kimbolton School entries in the School Garden Competition at the • Mnnav.atu Winter Show were very successful, a good percentage of firsts being secured. The public are reminded of the t< v j roc; ting in the Oddfellows' Hall tnis aitemoon, at 5.30 p.m., in connection with the opening of the new Baptist Church, and the celebration of the second anniversary. Major-General :..d n-lo> cCI, speaking at Sheffield, said that, so far from it being a "one-man show at Mafeking, they were just a happy family, working shoulder to shoulder through the siege. F. B. Thompson, the seven miles' amateur walking champion, set himself the task of walking seven miles and running ten milts in two hours at the evening meeting of the London Athletic Club, at Stamfordbridge, lecently. His tinu was 5b m'in, 26sec for the walk and lhr 36 sec for the run. A woman in the village of Sangiovanni, Italy, had a vision recently in which she say a pig whose back was marked with the image of the Sacred Heart. Tlie villagers discovered a pig similarly marked, and are worshipping it as miraculous. The parish priest lias threatened to burn the pigFour thoimnd pounds was realised for the 404 lots of duplicate orchids from Mr J. Leemann's "West Bank House" collection, which was sold lust month at Mr Leemann's seat at Heaton Mersiy, near Stockport. The top price of £441 was obtained for an odontoglossum vVispum perfection. The New Zealand Alliance has secured the services of Miss Murcett, of Glasgow, for the No-Lioense crusade in connection iwth the next general election. Mis¥~~ Murcett, who is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, is to arrive in the colony about August. Lady McDonald, widow of the late Sir Hector McDonald, protests in a letter to the Glasgow Evening Citizen of April Bth against- the cruel statements made that her husband had been seen in the flesh. She pointed out the fact that none had spoken to the supposed Sir Hector, whom indeed she wished were alive. On enquiry to-day, we learn that Messrs R. Somerrille and H. Salmon, who were injured in the accident at the railway crossing yesterday, are progressing favorably. The irjuries sustained by Salmon are of a somewhat serious nature, the wheel of the trap having been drawn right over his chest. Dr. Willis is attending Salmon, and Dr. Johnston, iSomerville. Mr F. Y. Lethbridge, M.H.R.. has kindly offered to take the Feilding members of the Manawatu representative team to Foxton on Saturday, by motor car. The offer has been gratefully accepted, as it will enable the players to go to Foxton early on Saturday, and return that evening, whereas if they went by train they would be compelled to stay over Sunday. A.D. Bro. Hastings presided at the Druids 1 meeting held last evening. Arrangements were completed for the card tournament to be held on Friday evening, and it was reported that the tickets for the da.nee to be held next Tuesday were finding a ready sale ,and a good evening's enjoyment is assured. During the evening three candidates were initiated, and six proposed for rrembership. The new officers are very zealous in their endeavours to fciher the interests of the Lodge, and the initiation ceremony was impressively carried out by them. Before closing the Lodge, it was announced that the outgoing officers will entertain the members of the Lodge next Lodge night. Some "Sinn Feiners" in Scotland are agitating to have the King's title altered to Edward I. They have issued a pamphlet containing the following: — "The King is not, and never can be, Edward the Seventh. No Edward tver sat on the British Throne till now. The six Edwards referred to by the term 'Seventh' were merely English Kings. To call the British Monarch 'Edward VII.' is to make it seem as if the British Throne were merely English, to violate therefore both treaties of • i mon, and to affront all the British, but not English, portions, both of Great and Greater Britain. The King is the First Edward of the British Empire." Mr J. Murdoch, an employee *at Bailey Bros.' mill, near the Toitoi. Mangaweka, met with a serious accident on Monday. He was trucking timber down a slight incline, when, owing to the heavy frost, the brakes refused to act, and he was jammed between two trucks. Assistance was soon forthcoming, when it was found the unfortunate man had sustained sever© bruises, more especially about the head. He was at once brought across the river and conveyed to Manga weka by train for medical treatment. Owing to the absence of th© local doctor, the poor fellow had to be kept lingering at the Railway Station until the arrival of the up train to Taihape. Upon arrival there his injuries were attended to, and we are. pleased to learn that no dangerous results are likely to follow, beyond a slight disfigurement of the face.— Settler. The willingness with which many &ons shirk the responsibility of providing maintenance for their aged patents is often demonstrated in onr Courts. A typical case came before our local S.M. when a fine, upright old gentleman, an old veteran and late sergeant in one of the Imperial corps which want through the Crimean War and the Indian Mutiny, had to resort to the provisions of the Maint .nance Act to enable him to extract the small pittance of 10s per week from his son. The latter was establish id in a prosperous business at Akaroa some time ago by his father, and is still doing successfully, if making money may be called a success. The father, who is a total abstainer, was in receipt of an Impel ial pension, but this was insufficient to koep him He was willing to work, and wished to secure some light* employment to keep his hands and mind occupied. The S.M. made an order that the son pay £2 per month into the Court at Wanganui. — Herald. The following paper was read at the Feilding Debating Society's meeting last night, on the subject of the Ch inese storekeeper : — " There are too many Chinese doiug business in Feilding, and it is all tire more disgrace to the people who support them. Wo are told the Chinese will not be tolerated in Christchurch, and quite recejitly two towns in the Wellington Province — Levin and Mangaweka — boasted they had starved out the last remaining Chinaman. The question for us is, does the Chinaman do good or ill iv the community? _ It is unquestionable that he does ill, by bwering the standard of civilisation, which it should be every patriot's endeavour to uphold. There is no dispute about the question, especially among business men. The more serious matter is, how are we to get rid of the Chinese storekeeper? The answer at once comes, "Starve him out!" But it would take the concerted action of the whole community to do that. To bring about the consummation, I would jeer at those people who patronise Chinese stores, and hold them up to the public contempt of the whole community." As a result of the recent heavy rains a tremendous slip came down off the hills opposite Mr Hingston's residence, on the Te Kapua road, Mangaweka, last Saturday. The huge slip, with its thousands of tons, of earth and timber, made a direct line for the dwejjing, but in its course struck a projecting embankment in front of the house turning the full force down a gully. Here it played havoc with the thoroughly demolishing them: The crashing of the buildings awoke Mr Hingston, the rest of the family being absent in the South Island. The sight which met his gaze on going outside will not easily be forgotten*. Logs, stumps and trees were piled up in endless confusion, and he at once realised what a narrow escape he had had from an ftWful death. Strange to relate all thjtfpigs, poultry, and stock escaped; •. Some considerable distance away from where the original dog kennel stood, the dog was found with its chain still intact on the top of the slip. — Settler.

Yesterday morning (says the Chronicle) Mr W. R. Tuck received a cable from Mr J. D. Barnett announcing that he and Webb had arrived after a good trip, and that all was well with the New Zealand champion. The cable added that the Parramatta had been decided upon as the course, and that good arrangements had been made. v The funeral o* the late Mrs C. H. Hodges took place this afternoon, the remains being followed to their last resting place by a large number of friends and relatives. Some beautiful floral tokens of respect were forwarded by sympathising friends. The funeral service was most impressively performed at the graveside by the Rev. A. S. Innes Jones. Chinaman's luck again. An Opunake Chinaman who recently arrived from Kawhia, where he had been in business, contemplated a return to those regions in order to look up seme slow-winded customers, ana made all arrangements to go by the lu3t trip of the ill-fated Kia Ora, when at the last moment he.- was prevented by business. On hearing of the disaster he remarked to a customer, "Velly near I there, too." The town on a Saturday night (says the Hastings Standard) 1b oc- ! casionally the scene of rowdyism ! resulting sometimes in a street dis- ! turbance. Last Saturday night, two j men disagreed in the vicinity of Mr |6. F. Roach's shop, and in the "rough and tumble" that followed, one of the disputants was pushed through a window. The next day the two men were fined £1 each, and ordered to return £2 each for the ' damage done. | The plain and fancy dress ball, to be held on Tuesday, the 26th inst, to celebrate the anniversary of the Makino Lodge of Druids, promises to be a most successful function. Tickets are being disposed of freely, and Mr ■ A. J. Hart has the catering in hand, this being sufficient guarantee that , the supper will be above the average. Early application should be made for tickets, as the Drill Hall will only accommodate a limited number. Bandsmen will be interested to learn that the Wellington Garrison Band (Lieut. Herd, conductor) has purchased from the Dresden Piano Company a complete set of Hawkes' Excelsior Sonorous instruments. It is a superb set, and will no doubt win further honors for the baud.^ Th/a following are the instruments : — Seven B flat cornets, 1 E flat soprano cornet, 5 E flat tenor horns, 3 flugel horns, 2 B flat baritones, 2 E flat bombardons upright, 2 B flat contra bass, 1 BB flat contra bass, 2 B flat tenor slide trombones, 1 G bass slide trombone, 1 B flat euphonium 4 valves. A remarkable story is told of i» farmer who lives near Jlfracombewho travelled to Exeter to see "The White Witch" respecting the death of three horses. The animals died in a mysterious manner, in the first place sitting on their haunches, and then ly--1 ing on their sides. Two veterinary 1 surgeons were unable to say what was the nature of the disease, and. after ! the death of the third horse, the farmer made the journey to Exeter. The woman known as "The White Witch" visited the farm, and told the man that he had undoubtedly been "witched." The farmer firmly believes that such aw sthe case. In answer to interrogations by a pressman as to whether he really believed in the ' superstition, bo replied definitely that he was sure that it was right, 1 adding, "And it was a good joo I • went, or else I should have lost every- ' thing. I lost all my horses, and it was awful." J Mr It. C. Bruce, of Ngaruru, Hunterville, writing to a resident of Christ--1 church in regard to the supposition ' that the Maori dog of New Zealand is j extinct, states that there is one of ' pure breed in the possession of a set- ! tier in his district. " When I settled i here nearly thirty years ago," Mr ! Bruce adds, " several packs of wild dogs inhabited the locality. Some ; of the packs had then been crossed j with collies, and even with blood* ; hounds, but some were evidently quite 'pure. One day 1 bed a splendid opportunity of observing two of the 1 pure-bred animals. I was on a cliff, j and they, quite unaware of my presence, were immediately talow me. I was then strongly of opinion that they both were of as perfect types as : might bo the foxes, dingoes, or wolves. Both were of a rather light cream colour, with pricked tars, and their tails were carried quite curled up. Although much smaller, they reminded me of the Eskimo dogs, ano--1 ther feature of resemblance bflins; '. sharp noses." ! At the Feilding Debating Society's '. meeting last night, a paper on roads ! and road-making was read, as a contribution to the Manuscript Journal.. < After showing that roads were means of guaging the civilisation of a country, the paper goes on to say : — "All the world seems to be busy at road making. The cry everywhere is— good streets, good footways, good railroad tracks. Open tip the counttry — make it easy for people to move to aud fro. Did I say everywhere? Well, I made an error, and hasten* to rectify it. One spot on this fair earth is behind the times. One public body seems on this matter to lx> asleep. You can travel over its streets and roads week by week, month by month, and find no improvement. Holes that you fell into six .months ago are still there, nnd deeper. Holes that you bumped through when driving three months ago on the main thoroughfare axe still there. But, alas! they are deeper. Tis possible in the very heart of this town of Rip Van Winkle, to walk up an arterial road and find your progress suddenly checked by an ujibridged and unroaded stream You lose time in making a detour in order to find your way, but no one worries — at least, not in public. Rumour hath it that in many homes, servants have struck against boot cleaning, and that one divorce suit is pending because when last taken out by their husbands two or three ladies were led into dreadful pitfalls and thought their husbands had done it on purpose. It is further said that » breach of promise case is probable. ■The young people had arranged to n.eet one evening at 7.30 at a ♦c.ysting place. The lady wisely nevor left home, but the young man, dad in his Sunday best and goloshes, mistook a shimmering mud hole for the asphalt that he- had been used to elsenhere, and was seen no more — at least that night That such a state of things is allowed to cnTit'l'im* pusses comprehension until it is made Known to us that the town is § Feilding, and the responsible parties the . (Here the M.S.S. j hruptly