Manawatu Herald. SATURDAY, DEC. 17, 1898.

Manawatu Herald, 17 December 1898, Page 2

Manawatu Herald. SATURDAY, DEC. 17, 1898.

Mrs Woollass is to sing a special solo at the service in the Methodist Church to-morrow night. On Monday night at the Public Hall the Salon Cinematograph will be exhibited. As this is one of the best instruments no doubt the hall will be well attended, and the proprietor will receive good support. Though the Borough not only supplies a reading room, well lighted, and a number of papers and magazines, some of the public are not satisfied and unblushingly annex papers to read elsewhere. This is an act that might be termed by an unpleasant name, and yesterday we are informed, some person took away the last number of Pearson's Magazine. Such conduct is not only dishonest but it is almost worse as it tends to restrict . the advantages of a free reading room. Mr Alf. Fraser with to-day's issue distributes to our readers a pleasant reminder of the approaching season, and his business, in the shape of Christmas cards. We reciprocate his kind wishes and trust the busiaess this season will 'be even better than that of last season, with him, and that was very good. The Long Vacation of the Supreme Court begins on the 20th inst. and extends to the 31st January, both days inclusive. The holidays in the Court office begin on Christmas Eve and end on the 3rd January, and during the Vacation the office will close each day at 1 p.m. Mr Joseph Leiter, the American speculator, is forming a company with a capital of £20,000,000 to work the Hoadley compressed air motors in all countries. Two tram and omnibus lines in London have promised to adopt the new motors. A process has been discovered by which sails for vessels of all kinds can be made out . of paper-pulp, and it is claimed that they serve quite as well as canvas and are very much cheaper. They swell and flap in the wind like the old-fashioned article, and are supposed to be untearable. The " Post " says that, the trial of Gillman's chemical process of dressing green flax was conducted at Featherston by Mr Robert Gardner, on behalf of the Agricultural Department. The results were not up to anticipations. At the request of Mangascia — a powerful Abyssinian feudatory of the Negus who recently rose in revolt, and who desires to make submission to Menelik — the Italian Government will mediate with the King oa bis behalf.

Thirteen millions sterling is the yearly value of the potatoes grown in the United Kingdom. A most delightful trip— a moonlight excursion up the river — is being proposed for Wednesday, the 28th December, in aid of the funds of the Town Band. Mr Betty is the or ganiser, and a river trip and music combined, should be attractive enough to cause the tickets to go off like smoke. Mr P. Guerin has six or seven head of stock for sale, one cow ne^ir calving Having parted with a paddock is the reason tor the stock being for sale at this time. The store of Mr Joe Tos has been considerably enlarged, and will soon be filled with a varied collection of goods beautiful and useful. To-day he calls attention to a collection of Christmas toys and glassware. There will be one window worth looking into to night— that of Mr Langley's. He has it decorated with a handsome bridescake in the centre, and Xmas cakes supporting it, as well as a wonderful supply of small cakes, bon-bons, chocalate creams &c. All the work is that of Mr Langley which shows he is a baker of very much experience and taste. M. de Rougemont (or Grien), whose sensational stories of adventure in Australia have attracted so much attention during the last few months, delivered a lecture at Brighton, at the conclusion of which he was warmly denounced by Mr Ogden, a Sydney Justice of the Peace. Mr Ogden gave details of an accident which occurred in Sydney to a diving machine in which De Rougemont, under the name of Grien, was interested and by which the diver lost his life. He declared that Grien was a " polished liar."