WOODVILLE.

Waipawa Mail, Volume IX, Issue 885, 26 January 1886, Page 3

WOODVILLE.

[by telegraph—own correspox dent.J

Woodville, Monday. Tiie fire that was started on a property on Harding’s road last week produced some bad results. It spread across the Manawdu river, and got into the bush on a section belonging to a settler named Peart, and burned his whare. Poor Peart was blinded by tho fire and smoke, and was conveyed to Woodville to Mr Gilbert’s Temperance Hotel. Dr Fussell is attending him, and I am pleased to say the patient is now improving. Mr Peart is an example of prudent thrift, for fie belongs both to the Oddfellows and the Rechabites as well, the Lodges of which he is a member beingsituated in Masterton, at which place he used to reside.

The lire also spread to Mr Henry Baker’s section, and did some damage to property, though it did not harm him personal!}'. On Saturday evening James Knight, a carpenter, well known about this district, was conveyed by Constable Motley beyond the reach of the seductive influence which is sometimes experienced at tho corners of our towns. Mr Fountainc, however, let him off this morning with a caution.

This evening f saw the constable taking up Toil»ill Hansen, a huge Dane who lives in the Kmneroa. Ho will no doubt be charged before one of our local justices to- morrow morning.

From what L hear of tlie Pahiutua sports they were n great success. Mr Geo. Loveday won a first and a second prize and lost another through falling. Mr Fn d. Holder took one and I believe Mr Ed. Rabone another. In fact all the running prizes went to Woodville men. excepting one, which was taken by a native.

Some of the bush fires have been very close to the town, and have, caused no little anxiety ; hut fortunately there has been next to no wiud, so that they do not spread or travel much. Had it been otherwise, the place would have had a narrow escape. The town is tilled with pungent smoke, caused by the fires. A volunteer parade was held on Saturday evening, when Captain Moore announced that as only seven drills had been held from the beginning of the year, and tHo conditions of competition for Mrs Moore’s cup was attendance at three-fourths of the drills, there will be another drill on Saturday next, to make a fairly divisible number. He also stated that Colonel Butts would probably be here to inspect the corps on the first or second week in February.

A well-known hurdle racer of days lmig ago, named Doubtful, was offred recently at auction in Napier, and passed in at £lO.