General News.

Southern Cross, Volume 6, Issue 5, 7 May 1898, Page 9

General News.

The first instalment of a new story will be published in the Southern Cross next week. It is from the pen of the well-known writer “ Rita.” Gore is to have a steam fire engine at a cost of £550. A meeting of the directors of the Wintou A and P. Society is called to discuss winter, show arrangements. A social to welcome the Rev. Mr Luxford, the new incumbent of St. Paul’s Wesleyan church, was held in the Temperance Hall on Thursday evening, and was well attended. Mr W. F. Ward is on the war path in the Mataura district and Mr McKab renews his wooing of the electors next week. The Spanish and American fleets have had an engagement at Manilla, resulting in the practical destruction of the Spanish vessels. It is stated the Spaniards lost 2000 men and the American j 500.

The Wyndham Farmer reports that Mr J. Russell was killed on Wednesday through a fall of earth in a gravel pit at Oteramika Gorge. The examination papers lost in the Mataura when she was wrecked included those of the Rev. Herbert F. Wilson (son of Mr H. Wilson, of Invercargill) for the B.A. degree. At the recent examination he sat again, and successfully. Mr J. N. Crosbie, a very old resident of Lumsden, died there on Sunday last, from injuries received through being thrown from a buggy several weeks ago. As landlord of the Railway Hotel and owner of one of the coach services to Te Anau, Mr Crosbie was well known to a great many people, and not better known than liked, his many good qualities commanding general recognition. Mr Crosbie, who was 6d years of age, and had been forty years in the colonies, was a good many years ago connected with the late Mr W. Lawson in the shipment of several cargoes of horses from Australia to Southland.—The death is also reported of Mr D. Ross, late of Lumsden, and until recently manager of Retreat Station for the Assets Realisation Board,

Who is to blame ? Unde* this heading a correspondent writes : —Every now and then we hear of towns in New Zealand, some of them much smaller than Invercargill, successfully initiating*' local industries or manufactories. . Here, although the need, in the interests of young people, is urgent, nothing is done, or if attempted is gone about in such a fashion as to make us a laughing stock. Take the woollen mill business, for example. It has been talked of for years, and is still apparently as far off realisation as ever, and with, if you please, two rival projects on the boards. While we are talking plucky little Milton has been up and doing, and with her woollen mills will be able to furnish work for her young people. After due cogitation I’ve come to the conclusion that our public and business men are at fault. They don’t seem able to pull together ; they lack confidence in each other ; they have comparatively little public spirit, and some of them, judging by their actions > are quite willing that Invercargill should remfcin a kind of suburb of Dunedin or any other larger centre. This is not as it should be—we want men with energy and go, or else we’ll drift along in the same old groove for ever. Mr B. Stewart, of Avenal, who had been in the railway service for over twenty years, met with his death while in the execution of his duties as a platelayer on the 29th ult. He left home that morning shortly before seven o’clock, and was then in his usual health. He generally boarded the outgoing train at Grasmere, but when it reached that place there was no signs of him. Not returning in the evening, search was made, his body being found in the river, and beneath the railway bridge, on Saturday morning. Deceased hai reported that several keys (small wooden blocks) were missing from the bridge, and it was evident that he had gone along the bridge to replace them, and while doing so by some means over-balanced and fell into the water, which was then twelve feet deep One key had been driven into its place, and a second was found in one of deceased’s pockets. The last person who saw him alive was Mr T. Ritchie, who wascoming in to the railway workshops, and who exchanged greetings with Mr Stewart as the latter was nearing the bridge. At the inquest the verdict was u Accidentally drowned while in the execution of his duty.” Mr Stewart, who was in his sixty-sixth year, came to the the Sir William Eyre in 1863, and -jsvas, by means of his sterling character, > highly esteemed by a wide circle of friends and acquaintances. Of uniformly cheerful disposition, he was a favourite with his fellowworkers, many of whom, with a large number of other mourners, attended the funeral on Tuesday last. Although of a retiring disposition, Mr Stewart always took a keen interest in the events of the day. At one time he was a member of the Avenal licensing committee, and also did good service as a councillor. At the last meeting it was moved that a letter of sympathy be sent to Mrs Stewart expressing regret at the untimely end of deceased, several councillors bearing testimony to the good work done by the council during Mr Stewart’s term of office. There is a very great difference between the cash system and credit system. In the former, one profit is enough, one profit is quite sufficient, but please mark the great contrast in the credit system : four profits are required —first, for clerical work, second for ledgers, stationery, etc., third, for bad debts, and fourth, for interest on money lying idle in the form of book-debts. Consumers therefore will be wise to make their purchases for groceries from Mr J. 8. Baxter, who only believes in one profit and that a small one, as l e sells all goods of best quality, for lowest prices for ready-money. A trial solicited.—Anvii