STRATFORD.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1201, 8 March 1895, Page 18

STRATFORD.

The school excursions to New Plymouth are very popular. On Tuesday some hundreds of parents and children and teachers from Normanby and Te Roti went to New Plymouth. When they arrived at. Stratford, they were welcomed by the whole of the Stratford teachers and children, who presented the excursionists with a large supply of buns. A good deal of cheering took place as the train moved on. The excursionists returned between six and seven in the evening. On Friday the Eltham children and their friends availed themselves of the excursion privileges. The train was crowded with cheering children. The Ngaire, Bird road and Cardiff School Committees are organising to make the trip together, and the Stratford School Committee also are moving with the same intention. The latter will probably have a sufficiently large number to fill the train by themselves.

The Rev Mr Isitt has been lecturing on prohibition and temperance to well filled houses at Eltham, Ngaire and Midhirst. He lectures on Friday, Saturday and Sunday at Stratford. The Stratford Racing Club are so well satisfied with the success of their recent race meeting that they are now preparing for another hack meeting, to take place on Thursday, the 25th April. The programme so far consists of seven races. Master Thomas, of Ngaire, is congratulated on having passed the Civil Service examination at the conclusion of his scholarship term at New Plymouth. The same youth won the second prize in the boys’ race at the Tariki Sports, so that it is evident brain and muscle go together in this case.

Mr and Mrs C. D. Sole have lost their little son, aged a year and nine months, from convulsions, and Mr and Mrs Walsh their little one of ten weeks from inflammation of the bowels. Great sympathy is felt with the sorrowing parents. The Stratford Fire Brigade is about to join the United Fire Brigades’ Association. They will send a delegate to the annual meeting at Hokitika. They will probably send a team to compete at the Hawera Brigade’s Sports at Easter. The contract for metalling the 3|- miles from Toko to the Gordon road has been signed and will be proceeded with at once. The metalling is to be shell-rock, which can be obtained locally. The project of establishing a co-operative dairy factory at Toko is shelved for the present on account of there not being a sufficient supply of milk. Fruit appears to be very plentiful this year, especially apples, which producers are obliged to sell at very low rates. After a week’s fine weather, rain set in on Friday evening. We hear of numerous parties being arranged to make the ascent of Mount Egmont during the month of March.