LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Feilding Star, Volume III, Issue 766, 31 December 1908, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The Stab, will not be published tomorrow (New Year's Day). In keeping with the New Year seasou, the Literary Supplement to be issued with Saturday's Stak will contain special stories, articles, and verse. Two pages will be devoted to short stories, the list of titles being "New Year's Eve." "The Salt of the Earth," "A Costly Debt,"" "Old Out-o'-Luck," and "A Bruised Wooing." There will be a page of special reading for ladies, and those of the sex who were born in the first month of the year will be interested in an article entitled, "If lou Were Born in January." The special feature of page 4 will be a picture of the famous Kilties Band ot musicians and dancers, from Canada, fifty strong, who are to visit Feilding on February 15. There will also be a column of "Reviews for Readers."- Everybody will find the Supplement readable, interesting, and instructive, A united watchnight service is to be held in the Primitive Methodist Church to-night, to celebrate the passing of the Old Year and to enter the New- Year with due solemnity. Mr J. C. Williamson's Tittell Brune Company had the unique experience of eating their Christmas dinner at the Woodville railway station, where special arrangements had been made for them. A service was held in the Primitive' Methodist Church of Halcombe on Christmas morning and a collection was taken for the S.E. London Mis-' sion, founded by the Rev. J. Flanagan. The Beacpnsfield Suuday School picnic^ held m Mr Northcote's paddock on Boxing Day, was a success notwithstanding a heavy thunderstorm bringing. torrents of ram early in the afternoon. A large number attended and the event was equal to those of previous years. On Tuesday \ afternoon, at St. Mark's OhurchJ, Wellington, Miss Hinemarama Osborne-Gibbes, eeoond daughter of Sir E. Osborne-Gibbes, Secretary for Education in New Zealand, was married to Mr Frederick Greville Thompson, of Ballance, Wairarapa. - The Gore Standard learns from a reliable source that there is every likelihood of a revival of quartz mining in the Macetown district. A large amount of, British capital ie being expended in the development and prospecting of lodes long since abandoned, and also iin new finds. Mme. de Thebes, whose annual almanac is becoming as popular as Old Moore's Almanac in England, prophesies that 1909 will be a "red year." We are, threatened with a general conflagration, and the most critical periodof x the crisis will be from August, 1909, tp February, 1910. The Thaipes Star reports that a few days ago a pair iof horses attached to a waggon took fright at MorrinsvilU, and ga.lloping down a hill actually jumped & seven wire fence, taking the vehicle with them. Lhe driver stuck to his seat, ana escaped with a, few bumps when the waggon reached the other side of the fence. I A native shearer, Perro Andrew, i had an unfortunate experience crossLing the.Esk riverKH.B.) on Christmas Eve. Andrew was driving m a light trap and his horse, evidently getting into difficulties In mid-stream, was Iswept dawn tht f river and drowned.

Mr J. A. Gilruth, the retiring Chief Veterinarian, is to leave Wellington for Melbourne on the 11th proximo. Great is brawn ! Johnson, the large muscular, oratorical cotouired person who beat a white man called Burns in a light on Boxing Day, has been engaged by Mr Rickards to "do a turn ' in a Sydney theatre. Two hundred pounds a week and expenses ior self and trainer, is the solatium. The proportion of aged persons applying in Scotch Western Highlands for old-age pensions has been found to be the gaeatest in the kingdom. Jn one township exactly one-half of the population have applied. Many aged crofters, it is stated, are throwing up their crofts, and trusting to the State bounty. . A dog got under the wheels of the 10.30 down train this morning, and was fearfully mangled, without being killed. It was at once put out of its misery. Several other dogs had narrow escapes, and as the sight of these occurrences is -anything but pleasant, the authorities would be quite justified in prohibiting dogs from going on the public platform. Miss Marguerite Frey, winner of the American beauty competition, has just been married to Mr Wilkins M. Clair Armour, of Dallas, Texas. Tired of being pointed out as the most beautiful woman in America, Miss Frey wanted to avoid as much publicity as possible, so a. quiet wedding was decided upon, only her parents knowing of the date. Boatswain Tipper, late of the Royal Navy, who died last month at Bistson Heath, near Shrewsbury, England, at the ago of 90, was one of the few survivors of those who fought in the New 'Zealand w>ai* in 1845. He saw service in many parts of the world, haying taken part in the Crimean campaign, the China war, and many expeditions against the pirates who in the years gone by infested the coast of Africa and the waters oast of Suez. At the tenth annual session of the National Division Sons and Daughters of Temperance, which was held at Rangiora on Tuesday, the reports showed a marked improvement in the position ot the order both numerically and financially. The bal-ance-sheet showed £U3BS to the credit of the sick and funeral fund, an increase of £381 durmg the past year. The other funds of the National Division also showed a decided improvement The total funds of the order amounted to £8444, as against £7716 for the previous year, a total increase of £727. The sick pay for the year amounted to £504, and funeral claims of £110 had been paid. The fact that a man in Jus uive plays many parts was instanced the other day by J. Vigor JJwwn, o.L\, and Mayor of Napier, when speaking at a meeting in that to vi in connection with the proposed nrusical festival. '" it may surprise you, "out once in my life I sang before u,e ±>uke of Edinburgh," said his Worship. "That was in 1867 in the .Melbourne Town Hall. A man changes! 1 liad a nice tenor voice then, so 1 was told. 1 don't know wh.it kind of a voice 1 have now." Mr T. St. L. Toner : • iviight I ask if your Worship was encored?" (Laughter). The Mayor: " JWncores were not allowed." (Renewed laughter). The shipping facilities of New Zealand oannot be better, said an Australian on returning to Sydney; if they are equalled throughout the world; but the people are too selfcontained, and inclined to be paro/Oj^ial. To the casual observer, it would seem that, with all the. socialistic legislation on its statute books, once the limit of prosperity is reached, and a turning point •comes round, dsiastrous times must follow. New Zoalanders are much too parochial; tno idea that the world begins and ends in the islands is too pronounced, and those who aim at making the dominion " an example to the world," Have not travelled enough to know how wildly bney are talking. Tristan d'Acunha, one of the loveliest isles in the world, is rarely .favoured by a visit from passing ships. It was, therefore, with unbounded delight, writes a Melbourne exchange, f^t the inhabitants of this remote "t> fcrt^a iwipJ 1 Sator drop anchor off the island recently, whilst she was on a voyage from Archangel to Adelaide. Two boats filled with islanders immediately put off to th"c ship, taking with them several sheep, albatross skins, horns, shells, etc., which they bartered for flour, medicine, and other commodities. The settlers also gave the captain of the barque a batch of letters to post to their friends in various parts of the world. The isles of Tristan d'Acunha lie in the South Atlantic Ocean, far from the track of vessels coming to Australia. William Howard Taft, U.S.A.'s President-elect, 'had to start pretty poor — at one time he was a reporter on a newspaper with a. salary of 24s a week ; and very glad to get even that from his brother, who was editor. But, nevertheless, he had advantages which few American politicians enjoy. His father before him was a. Cabinet Minister, and also a.n Ambassador. Thus, from his earliest years, Taft has been familiar witih the inner life and dominating persons of the politics of his country. He- began early, too, to have that knowledge of other countries which has been useful ito him. Among the many appointments held by his father was that of Ambassador to Austria, and' young Taft spent some time in the Austrian capital, there also having the opportunity of seeing European politics from the inside, and learning some of the arts and methods of diplomacy. August Van Biene, wel-known in New Zealand and Ausralia; as the 'cello player of "Broken Melody" fame, went into the streets of London one morning in November with his 'cello and played and collected as : he did forty years ago before Sir Michael Costa rescued him from the gut chael Costa rescued him from the gutter. Herr Van Bienne played in several well-known London thoroughfares, including Arundel-street, off Coven trystreet, Drury Lane, the Haymarket, and Panton street. The sum ne collected was 15s 2d — and this, augmented by a £5 note, he sent to the Music Hall Benevolent Fund, x'orty years ago a ragged and starving boy of seventeen was discovered playing in Hanover Square by Sir Mchael Costa. The great man, struck (;v his wonderful execution, stopped and asked him why he was playing in the gutter, and Van Biene replied, " Parceque J'ai faim*" The lad was engaged as one of the 'cello players, in the Covent Garden orchestra. He then vowed that every year, on cho anniversary of his deliverance from starvation, he would go back to the streets and play, and he has eov«mbroken his vow. A Pittsburg despatch to the New York Herald states that the hopes of Harry K. Thaw and his attorneys that he might be liberated soon from Matteawan received a staggering blow when Judge Young handed down an opinion quashing a writ of habeas' corpus which had been issued for Thaw some time ago by Judge Archibald. The ruling of Judge Young is to the effect that it is not necessary that Thaw be brought to Pittsburg to testify in his own bankruptcy proceedings, that his testimony can be taken at. Matteawan . if it is badly needed. The judge also hints that in his opinion it would be discourteous to the State of New York to attempt to bring^ Thaw here. It was practically certain to outsiders at the close of court that Colonel Asa Bird Gardiner had won his case unless something unforseen came up. One-time Governor Stone and Charles Morschaueer late in the evening filed notice of intent to carry Judge Young's decision to the Court, of Appeals, and. that they would take it to the United States Supreme Court. The hearing was filled with tilts between counsel, and the court occasionally came in with caustic comments. The end for the Thaw people came suddenly, just when Mr Stone was about finishing his reply to Mr Gardiner's request that the writ be quashed. Judge Young interrupted to know why Thaw's testimony could not be taken inside Now York State. "It would not be a reflection on the State of

There "were seventeen births regis- I ;ered in Feilding during December, vith six marriages and six deaths. The marriage took place in Feilding yesterday of Mr Thomas Cooke and Vliss Rhoda Pearson, both of this district. A gathering of friends and relatives afterwards took place at the Gospel Hall. Good Cheer for December, a copy of which comes to us from the publishers (Wanganui) contains much that is seasonable. The contents are generally bright, and of a nature to appeal strongly to the fair sex. Captain Barltrop, of the Manchester Rifles, has gone to Auckland, where he will take part in the Auckland rifle meeting torinorrow; and Vo. Mayhew, of the same corps, left here to-day for Trentham, where he will shoot at the annual New Year meeting. In St. Thomas's Church, Sandon, on the 28th inst., Mr Harold T. Richardson, son of Mr A. B. Richardson, of Maiden (Surrey), was married to Miss Cornelia de Neufville, eldest daughter of Mr C. J. Hill, of Sandon. The marriage ceremony was conducted by the Rev. F. W. Chatterton, uncle of the bride. Mr J. B. Tunbridge, from the year 1897 to the year 1903 Commissioner of Police for ' New Zealand, has just been elected Mayor of Hythe, a south of England town with which he has been for some time connected. Mr Tunbridge was elected a councillor of Hythe in 1905. Before coming to New Zealand lie was known chiefly for his- achievement m connection with the great Liberator frauds, and the extradition of Jabez Balfour from the Argentine in 1893. The two musical sons of Rev. John St. White, Mr G. H. White, organist of Whiteley Memorial Church, New Plymouth, and Mr Temple White, organist of the Feilding Wesleyan Church, are spending their Christmas anil New Year holidays at the Kimbolton parsonage, and Mr G. H. White has consented to preach on Sunday next ,at the Kimbolton and. Valley Road churches. Mr Temple White has promised to preside at the organ at Kimbolton on Sunday night. Possibly they may be induced with local help to give a musical evening at Kimbolton before they return to their homes Asked as to the situation with regard to labour and the unemployed in England, Mr Kenneth Wilson, who has just returned, told a Palmerston Times man that he was not prepared to give any expression of opinion on a subject which was one of enormous difficulty! and required an amount of study, which he had not the time to give it. He, however, mentioned one fact that came under his notice in that connection. "I was staying with an old - college friend," said Mr Wilson, "Vicar of a large manufacturing parish in Yorkshire, practically a suburb of Leeds. The population numbered from 10,---000 to 12,000, and were almost entirely of the artisan class. My friend had been curate and vigar there for ±\) years, and, as he was a very active and energetic man, probably knew the circumstances of most of his parishioners, I asked him about the question of unemployment, and he answered that they did not suffer much from that in his-parish, because they didn't depend on one staple manufacture only. They had practically no 'unemployment question to deal with, and they sometimes had difficulty in disposing of the large sums, of money contributed for purposes of relief.". . . : The Montreal Herald mentions a dramatic incident in the current history of opium suppression in Canada. The Dominion Parliament had passed a Bill ' prohibiting the manufacture and sale of opium in Canada. This action has met with the most grateful appreciation of the better class of Chinese residents in Montreal. . The Chinese Bible Class of the Montreal Mission at a recent Sunday meeting passed a strong resolution endorsing the legislation of the i Dominion Parliament, and asking for its thorough enforcement by the local authorities. This resolution was moved by a Chinaman, whose father had been sold into slavery at an early age by his father in order to get for himself the drug to which he was thjt. helpless victim. So tfoe^sonftf''"^ slave"*#SH^fllßTS l '^wSon of an opium slave uses his freedom to help forward the emancipation of his countrymen. The suppression of the opium traffic in Canada ife not only a benefit to the Chinese. The number of white people in the Dominion who have fallen victims to the drug has become alarming.