The Western Star. (PUBLISHED BI-WEEKLY.) WEDNESDAY, JULY 1,1891.

Western Star, Issue 1575, 1 July 1891, Page 2

The Western Star. (PUBLISHED 81-WEEKLY.) WEDNESDAY, JULY 1,1891.

Eor discussion to-night the Riverton Mutual Improvement Association had chosen the burning question "Should the franchise be extended to women? Mr C Cuff is fortunato enough to bo the ladios champion, and will doubtless prove himself worthy of the smiles which arosurc to reward bis efforts, but on aocount of his antagonist, tho Rev. W. White of Wailactown, being unable to bo present, tho debato has been adjourned to the 15th. Tho debate set down for the latter date on the syllabus—" Should I'arty Government be abolished!"—will bo taken this evening instead ; Mr Jaa. Pattisou leading on the affirmative side and Mr J. S. Neave on tbo negative.

A meeting of the Harbour Committee wa« held on Friday last. Present—tho Mayor (in the chair), Messrs Acheson, Hamilton, Evans and G. 0. Cassels. Tho tender of R. Robert* son, £ls, for boat and service in connection with survey was accepted. Mr P. McFarlano took a first prize at the late show for his union*, and uot au hon. or. as slated by mistake in our report. There were two entries of linseed.

Mr J. W. Bridge took his doparturofor tho home Country via Melbourne, on Friday evening, per s.s. Taluno from tho Bluff.

It is with much regret that wo have lo uiiuounco the death of Airs Siophpn Burgess. tbo late hostess of tho Carriers' Arms. Mrs Burgess was a general favourite, and many a pcnniloss wayfarer to whom she has supplied ■nipper and Led gratis will acknowledge thai the poor swaggers have lo»t a friend. The news of Mrs Buigosa' death was a sh-fk to cue whole of Rivorton, her illness being a very short one—the causo was inflammation of the luugs.

The agenda of the Picturesque Atlas were ig-.in successful at Dunodin on Monday against a Peniusula settler who, with his Jaughtcr sworo that the order which had bot-n signod by the defendants had boon ,-;igued with peu and ink, whereas the order produced iu Court was signed by an indelible ink pencil. The Magistrate was not satisfied that there had Leon forgery, and tho plea of fraud set Up, be considered, had not boon proved. At the request of defendant's solicitor tho order was impounded for some days. Mr T, S. Miller of Invercargill, the Engineer selected by tho Uarbour (Jommittep 10 make the preliminary surrey of iho siio of iho proposed Harbour, arrived in Kiverti<n on Monday. He was engaged yestordoy in shore work, setting alignment poles, &o. Should this fine wealhet continue Sir Miller will begin to take soundings to-'iay, and lou'itless his work will be watched with .•iuch interest by our townsfolk onjoying thoir half holiday. Thomas Rodrique who is engaged f»s leadsman actod in that capacity for Capfc. Stokes when that offieer was em ployed iu surveying the New Zealand coasts.

There w;i3 an inquiry at Diptoli on Monday last into the lire which lately dostroyi tl the Diptou Railway Hotel and thy adjoining bakehouse. The District Coroner, Mr C. E. Etawaon, presided. Constable McKonzie conducted the inquiry, and Mr Russell watched ctti? &i%d on behalf of the Insurance Com. panics MUb¥ bearing the evidence of Mr and Mrs Gorm.?"- Miss Cameron, and Mess.-. Whitakerand Ross, £« «* * hota Mr W. LI Whitikcr was foreman, returned a v idi." t " that the place had been wilfully .° flt on fi I' d- some person or porsocs unknown."

Am eg ih.- Bill- to be laid before the tl.m e :bis 80->sion is one with which we have ~... f> -tiav fairU be termed a . oi i hn Grand Juries, . s ;aui clause roads thus: .. ~ .'Uiii-s, and powers hereto- . ,'y iin 1 juries sbai!, from w d

. ~ . ~„ vc. ohall come into operation, lo lone, exercised and performed by a judge

instead of by grand jury." It further provides " that witnesses subpeonaed by the judge in the exercise of these duties shall be allowed the usual expenses and allowances.' Surely tho abolition of grand juries is a step in the right direction, and will relieve the public from a task whioh from its vary nature is likely to be porforrned in a very perfunctory manner. We hope tho bill may become law.

The well-known farmer, Mr Charles Howard, M.P., of Biddenham, Oxfordshire, has lately written to the Royal Agricultural Socioty of England on the footrot in sheep. The following extract from his letter will probably interest many of our flook-owners : —" I hope the attention of stockowners generally will bee lied to tbesubjectandthatsomeethinggood may come outofit. When I wis a youth and fiist went to learn farming (some fifty years ago), this disfase was uot known in tho locality in which I was situated. It has now become the bane of a shepherd's life, and entails unknown losses to British flockmasters. lam glad to say that I have now but very tew lamo sheep. I owe this to the constant attention of ray shepherd and to an ointment that I have been fortunate enough to meet with. In the summer of 1880 I visited tho farm of my friond, Mr 11. Page, of Walmoroourt, Kent, I found that he had but littlo if any footrot amongst his sheep, and in tho course of discussion he told me that he could euro it in ouo or two dressings at most with au ointment which his old foreman prepared. Ho sont me some to try and both I and my shepherd were so struck by its efficacy after using it that I wrote to Mr Page asking him to induce tho old man to part with the recipe by paying him tho small sum he required. Tbo following is the recipe: 2oz verdigris, powdored; 2oz Armenian bolo, powdered; 2oz. blue vitriol, powdered; caustic powdered; g pint turpentino; loz. Stockholm tar; 2oz. hogs' lard; 3oz. oil of vitriol. Boil together, but pour tho oil of vitriol in last and very slowly or it will boil over. Remove at onco from the fire, and keep stirring with a stick until it leaves oil boiling. The course I pursue is lo draw out all tho lame sheop ; take them to a dry shod; thoroughly well pare their feet so that the disease is bottomed and then apply the oinlment. Tbo sheep remain in tho shed or 'n a dry gravelled yard for tho night."

From the Like County Press wo get the following news of the opening of tho Cromwell bridge :—The formal opening of the new Crorawoll bridge took place on Friday last, when tliGre was a very largo gathoriug of people—variously ostimated at from 600 to 1500—to witness the interesting ceremony, and Cromwell was en fete. The bridge was gaily decorated with flags, and two trimnphiat arches were erected on the new structure. All parts of Vincent County were fairly represented, and such a gathoriug of thoso of the old identities of the district who have managed to still retain their hold on life will probably never take place again— pooplo who had come to Cromwell before tho place was known by such a name or even existed; before the erection of a bridge at " the Junction," as it was then called, was contemplated ; and before the formation of roads.

Tho following extracts from a lottor received iu llivertou from a gentleman at lureroargill on tho subjeot of our pronosed harbour will be of interest. It is believed that tho Oorarnitfcao will adopt the mjst important of this gODtloman's suggestions:— The writer says :—" My idea is that Admiral Lord Cburlos Scott should bo inoniotialised and furnished with all particulars of what is already known and also with what your surveyor will shortly fu r ßJsb, and roqnesied that when the i'l'et visits New Zoaland waters ho will allow a cruiser to slay a short time in Howell's Itoads and instruct the officers to make a survey of the proposed harbour and furnish you with a plun and report. Should you obtain favourable consideration of your memorial, I vontuio to say that you will have done move tcwards the realisation oE your wishes than you could by any other moans. It tnay take a lirtlo time, but think what an advantage a roport and survey from an Imperial officer which could not bo impeached would bo to you wk-n bringing your Enabling Bill before the House. Should you get this survey you would not require to import an osporfj and that means saving money; and this part of your scheme 1 confess I do uot like ono bit, for I am sure that tho colonies could supj.lv u perfectly competent man. With the Mtjbourno Ilaibour Tiust works nearly completed good mon must be available, ii' from Sydney or Adelaide where harbour works have been going on for years. When f read of your determination to send home, it struck me that some one wanted a trip to cleat, ami as you tiro in earnest and hope to aicoiO'l, you must be cuivful not to let anv job interfere."

The Lake Wakatipu Mail states that Mr A. S. Patorson, a Scotch banister, not very !on<? ~;jl; from home, bus written to one of the Wellington peT'Qi'3 earnestly deprecating the .appeal of Government to tiie Privy Council, re the Edwarps' ease, as a needless waste r# si-no and money, as ho assorts, from l)ng person i! knowledge of the praotico of .the coii't, the judgment is certain to be in favor of the vHjiuity of Mr Edwards' appointmentShould the appoal be made, however it moy resnli, very considerable oxpenso will be otrailecl on tho country without; any bonofit

whatever. It is clearly a case of showing spite towards tlio party previously in office, ana iVunworthy even of such a Government as is now in power. Wo are please 1 to notice iu the Melbourne Life tbo following highly favorable notice of a young lady well-known to all Rivertonians. —" The South Yat ra Hall was the scene of a very enjoyablo dance on Monday evening, June Ist, given by Mr auJ Mrs R. 10. Howell in honor of the 21st birthday of Miss Daisy Howell, one of New Zsaland's most promising vocalists. The young Lidy won golden opinions over iu the land of the Maori and Moa, and arrived in Melbourne some little time ago for the purpose of studying nuder Singor Ccochc. Miss Howell has made wonderful progress in her studies, and her artistic rendering of 'Good Night, Beloved ' »nd ' Marguerita' on Monday evening more [ fchau realised the eulogistic opinions of her New Zealand admirers." An Invercargill gentleman met with a somewhat funny adventure bore on Monday morning. Having spent Sunday in Rivorton he decided to mako a very early stark for home and harnessed up at about 5 a.m. After leading his horse and trap into the street, just below the railway station, he went back to shut and fasten the gite, and haxing done, so, lotuvneJ, but both horse and trap had gone. Our friend was far too well known to bo mistaken for a " book fiend," even by the "ghastly glimmer" of a morning moon, so did not attribute his loss to the just vengeance of a victimised subscriber; but still tho question remained : What had become of the horse and trap ? No one was about at this hour, but after a long search In met a friend on his way to the 8.30 train aud learnt that the friend staying at the Aparima Hotol had heard a buggy pass at about 5.30. Continuing his search in the direction pointed out he found his errant steed standing placidly on the road well on his way to Moore's mill The trap had sustained no damage whatever. •■ Tho United Farmers' Agency Co., IM. hold sales at Thornbury to-day ami at Winton to-morrow. Prank Henderson opens business as saddler lit Urauiraond. G. Stevens, Otaitai Bush, inserts a notice. P. Fletcher wants an owner for a bullock, Mrs E. Taylor.—Occupation license for dairy farm, Orepuki. Rev. Mr Evans officiates in Church of England, ou Sum lav next. Messrs Pankhurst and Hart notify a dissolution of partnership. Tbe funeral of the lute Mrs liurgess will bike place to-day at 2 p.m., and that of (iordoa Frew on Friday next at 1 p.m.