THE Western Star. PUBLISHED WEDNESDAYS and SATURDAYS. Vincit, Amor Patriae. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 1892. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Western Star, Issue 1640, 20 February 1892, Page 2

THE Western Star. PUBLISHED WEDNESDAYS and SATURDAYS. Vincit, Amor Patriae. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 1892. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The Wallace County Council meets to-day. Mr E. Tennyson Smith concluded his temperance mission here on Wednesday evening. As a result of his efforts forty-nine signed the pledge of total abstinence. The first part of the entertainment consisted of dramatic reoitals and humorous sketches, which, needless to say, were thoroughly enjoyed. The second part was made up of recitals of selections from some of the most famous passages of John B. Gougb's celebrated orations. At times Mr Smith thrilled his audience, and his visit to Riverton will be long remembered. Mr Nca.ve ocoupied the chair, and at the close moved a -vote ofl"thank's to 'the lecturer for his noble-efforts and magnificent reoifcal o ', which was carried amidst applanse. During the evening Mrs Owens, Miss Bailey, and Mr Brown gave some good songs. Mr Moore contributed an excellent cornet; solo. Miss Rocked played; the accompaniments, besides rendering sey|ral pianoforte selections in a manner. At the ejpset of the meeting, Mr Stnjth proposed a vote* «Jf thanks to the Rev. Mr NeaVe and Mr Hewatt, who had acted as chairmen on .the previous evenings, 'the singers, and a special rote to Miss Rocke for her servi'cei.and the loan of her piano, whioh were accorded in a hearty manner.— Mr James Fullarton requests us to say that any who have not yet signed the pledge may do so by calling upon him. Th> return match bstweenjhe Round Hill Cricket Club and the Aparima C.C. will be played en the local ground' at the Kaik to-day commencing 12.30 sharp. . " Give him beans " and *' great beans " are two familiar expressions, but we never thought that a grc\t boan suoh as has been sent to us for inspection by Mr Foster of Thornbury;'fr6m whose'garden it was taken, oonld be grown. It is more like a ououmber than anything else. It measures. one foot in length, is three inches in circumference, and contains seven large beans. It is a prodigy. We have also been shown some peas from the same garden five and a-half inches long, whioh contain as many as eleven seeds—splendid specimens. They may be .'seen at the shop of Mr Pattison, cabinetmaker, Riverton, by any who care to see what Thornbury can do in the way of growth. They might well be named " I-never saw the like of them." .

• For the position of starter for the Dunedin Jockey Club fourteen applications were received, and Mr L. MoLean was appointed. Amongst the unsuccessful candidates' was Mr James O'Dowd, Riverton.'

Seven boats started for the Champion Dingy Race on Wednesday. Queenie led round the magazine, elosely followed by Ripple, with- Trio as nearest attendant. Shortly afterwards Ripple took command and- led"; roundjtthe' rocks by a considerable distance i&. ;; frppt*bfclthe Gladys, whioh led the Vixen. Coming home the Ripple was fast being overhauled .by. the Gladys, but eventually won by about four minutes ; Vixen third, Trio;fourth, Queenie fifth, Clarico last. The Ripple broke her mast step and consequently sailed under difficulties; and the Elsa eapsising before the race started, she did not compete. The next event comes off on Monday at 7 p.m. ' The, ;Eer. .H. T. Robjohns, 8.A., ageat of the British and Foreign Bible Society, will address- a * meeting in St. Mary's Episcopal ,Church on Thursday next. He is an interesting lecturer, aiid is well worth hea.'ing by all those interestei in Christian work.

He is coming. Professor Mason, physiologist, phrenologist, electrician, - and scientific' lecturer is billed to aVpear in Riverton n*xt "Wednesday. Uisleotures are both amusing and instructive, while each evening he g>'ves a free concert. , His vocalists are splendid singers, and apart from the lecture, are a ..host, in themselves. Professor Mason extracts teeth "free, gratis, and for nothing:," and of his ability in this respect, a lady who had teeth' drawnjsaid she " was willing to bit £2O to a penny that my teeth were not o»t." • ;< .

• A meeting of .the Wairio District Jockey Club w»s held in the Wairie hall, on Wednesday evening.. Present—Mes«ra Bates (chairman), fi Gann, Groves, MeAnelly, Gosgriff, Cournane, Finn, Ford and Heathoote (secretary). Three tenders for the booth were received, and that of Mr Firzsimmons of £l9 10s was accepted. Mr T. Flynn and Go. obtained the gates for £l2 - 6s. Mason and Roberts' offer to work the totalisator was acaapied. It was decided to make no special railway arrangements for the meeting, as the'trains would arrive in plenty of time for the first race. J. Gardner, Esq., aooeptod the position of judge, and J. Ritchie, Esq., that of starter. Mr H. Howells, of Invereargill, was appointed handicapper. Mr S. James, Seoretary Dunedin Jockey Club, wrote,stating that the programme had been approved. ■ The nominations for the six races have been most numerous, and giren a fine day on March 2nd, the Wairio meeting will be one of the best held in the district. ' Great enthusiasm is being shown. Dr Hodgkinson has sent us a letter with reference to the proposed visit of Mr L. Reynolds, Harbour Expert, to Inrereargill, suggesting that he be interviewed with respect to the Howell's Roads Harbour. The letter will appear next issue.

On Thursday the famous sealskin cises were finished, Hatch being successful all along the line. The jury in his oivil action against G.-R.Waddel and Jas. Roberts, of the Bluff, for wrongful conversion of skins, for the larceny of which the sealers were convicted, returned a verdict for £775, or £3 per skin, less 10 per cent, charges for sendiug Home. Judgment, as in the larceny cases, was subjeot to the deoision of the Conrt ef Appeal on law points reserved by Mr Justice Williams. It came out in evidence that Waddel, who also sent a vessel sealing; and Hatch had agreed that that the prioe to be paid to sealers should be 15«, but defendants had paid 20s to Hatch's men for skins. His Honour, summing up, said if the evidence of Printz as to the difficulty of discrimin iting were correct the Government regulations, re sealing during two months in the year and restricting sealers to male seals over 3ft in length, appear to have been framed in complete ignorance of the habits of seals and the ways of sealers. The following telegram, date.l Gattysburg, January 5, appears in the San Francisco Chronicle : —" A post mor!c:n examination of the body of Daniel \f ummerr, a farmer living near East Berlin, who died a few days ago, revealed the fact that his stomaoh was full of lizards. It was thought that he suffered from consumption, but just before his death he vomited six lizards, and that aroused the physician's suspicions. He waa a railroad supervisor and accustome 1 lo drink directly from small springs while at work." Sir Michael Hicks-Beach having refuser? to denounce tho favoured nation clause in the treaties with Germany and Belgium, has 100 to much disappointment in Canada, and the press there complain thnt it mikes parleying with the United States for reciprocity moi e difficult. Tho Empire Trade League intervi to carry on a vij»orqus oampa'gn in England. The Governments of Italy, Framoe and Sweden have been asked to appoint delegate? to take part in the Bohring R.ia arbitration. England and the United S.ates will each nominate two delegates,

Still wanted—dominations for Ma ■ ir. J. It. Mills ami Co.—Sell Mrs Poi't)' s'a TSXW, OrepiUl, on 27th. Additions to Thosabmy s ■'>. itev. H. T. Bobjohns addresses nni itfcijr m Si/. Mary s Church. IT. Oarswoll and Co.— r Jtock sale, 'J' lorabn-w. Prof. Mason—Oddfellows' Hallfr.' 'ilitas mgavs. Notice to sottlers ot Wiiirio, Nishi::ip3, and Wrcys nsh. , .. , Wesleyan Church services for to-)n >rrow aavevsiMd. Tenders wanted for harvesting. Napier leaves fur ftiverton on l'rltl.iy,