LOCAL AND GENERAL

Western Star, 24 May 1904, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL

During a discussion on poisoned 1 grain at the county couucil on Friday, the opinion was expressed by Crs Stevens and Newton that poisoned oats in preference to wheat would be.more effective in destroying the small bird-pest, c as : oats were principally grown in the.district. The poisoned wheat, they contended, very often remained some time dn the ground before the birds would take it.

At the last Burnside stock sales Mr John Mclntyre, Thornbury, obtained 19s to 17s 9d for 64 wethers, and Mr H. Stewart, Drummond, 20s to 17s for 56 ewes. • m

Lord Delamere, the big game hunter, who for the past two years has been in East Africa, has matured-fa remarkable' emigration scheme. He" has. purchased round Nairobi 100,000 acres of land, for general farming. He has been guaranteed 50 square miles of land, and offers this free to 50 suitable settlers. The best free plots are between Elburgon and Fore Ternan, and within the railway zone. Lord Delamere says there are enormous timber trees, evergreens, grasses and clovers ; perennial streams abound, the climate is temperate ;it will grow anything, and is a chance iha thousand for, men with a little money. Each person-of age in the household may have free 640 acres. Such land in Australia and New Zealand, he says, is now worth LlO and L2O per acre. Lord Delamere says that agriculturists are chiefly wanted ; the artisans' day will come later. .»!.''. Mr Andrew Carnegie, on his arrival at Plymouth from New York, referred to, the Chinese labour question. He said English political history was marked by three"great blunders, ; Tb,e f> first, cost-Great' Britain'their Great North; American dependency, now the United - States ; .--the second was the Crimea War; and-,; the third was the Boer War. 'Undoubtedly the latter was a far more serious mistake than the Crimean War, because when the latter was over the trouble was ended.' At any rate the introduction of Chinese labour would not make the colony British nor could it possibly tend to \ bind it closer to the British Empire. There could be no doubt that the Government were confronted with a very serious prob-"-lem in South Africa, and he regarded it as being even a more difficult question than that of the Philippines to America.: : '; '.

Russians are very careful about the way their tea is made. They make it in a porcelain or earthen teapot, and drink it from tumblers of glass, so annealed that there is no danger of the hot liquid breaking them-. Their ; tea -is always made of water, at the first boiling—an important matter. The tea brewed in the teapot is made quite strong, but the tea glasses are but one third filled with this tea, and then filled up with boiling water, This gives a delicate line fla V.oured cup of tea, not strong enough to have a rank taste, .': ■ . . . - s The Winton Record states thatMr J. T. Cox, of Harringtons, the well-known horse dealer, has purchased from Mr J. Carrick, of Otautau, a three-year-old colt by Ringmaster, at the satisfactory price of Ll5O. Mr Cox has also purchased from Mr J. B: Sutton, of Thornbury, a 2-year-old colt by Shepherd Lad for LIOO, and from Mr F. Woodward, of Dipton, a specially good 2-year-old colt from the same sire for L2OO. „*. / ~ ' "■■- Woods' Great Pepperaent" Cure, for Coughs and Colds never fails. Is 6d. f

Mr Donald Macdonald, who purchased Heddon Bush estate, has decided to cut it up into suitable farms and there hold a clearing sale of stock implement, etc, on Fsiday-27th. May, sale to commence at 11 o'clock. The stock of the very best "and should meet with a ready sale. The estate is now being offered, suitable farms at from 200 to 5000 acres; Already there' have been macy . enquiries from northern farme s for the property. The National Mortgage • and Agency Coy. have received instructions from the ! i trustees of the late George Stevens; to I offer his desirable farm situated at Gum- | mies Bush containing 409 acres 1 rood 2 poles, on Saturday 4th June. At the Winton Police Court on Tuesday last, before Mr S. E. McCarthy, S.M. John Proctor, jun., was summoned for stealing a sheep, valued at 13s. the property of Archibald' M 'Kay, on the 19th April, at Dunsdale. The parties., are neighbours, and in a statement made to the police accused said that Mr M'Kay's sheep were continually coming in and out of his place, and had destroyed his garden and a standing crop of ryegrass' On the date in question he was so exasperated that he chased four of the sheep into a small enclosure, and one ran into the hen house, and in a fit of passion he killed it. Accused was " given an excellent character, and in view! of the circumstances of the case and J-the respectibility of the family the Magistrate in committing accused for sentence in the Supreme Court allowed bail, which was at once forthcoming.

In the Imperial Parliament Sir H. C. Bannerman's : amendment condemning the increase in the National expenditure was.negatived by,297 to 213. )\ ~ f J ' .A stout elderly, gentleman went to his tailor to get measured for a suit of clothes. The Tailor, who was a bit of a wag,, gotf out his measuring tape and placing one ,end of it on the gentleman's side said to him : I'll be round in five minutes.' The Breslau Gazette states that the 20-year old daughter of Professor Merescbowsky was deputed-to assassinate the Czar at a review at St Petersburg.; She gained admittance to a seat near- the Czar's stand, but her straiige demeanour attracted notice. She was arrested, and a bomh was found in her possession, She was summarily cendemned to death.

An Irishman was in search of a situat-i ion, so he went tothe gas , works., As, he was proceeding down the yard, he was met vby the foreman. 'What do you want V asked that pei sonage. 'I want work,' said Pat, 'Wh?t can you do?' asked the foreman. 'Almost anything,' replied Pat. 'Well you seem to-be a\ smart fellow ;, but could'you wheel a*, barrow of smoke V 'Sure I could do that easily if you will fill it for me,' was Pat's answer. . The Southland Times Lumsden correspondent' is creditably, informed,that the Homestead block on Castlerock is 'disposed of, it is said to.Mr T. L. Barnhill. , I cannot vouch for the truth of this 'statement but Lhope so, for I think most of j us would be sorry to know the district I was losing him, I am unable to say how !, long Mr Barnhill has been associated;, .with Castleftjpk and si the > district, but it must be upwards of 30 years. This gentleman, although not .talcing any prominent action in public affairs, is at the same time well known to be deeply interested in all that concerns the welfare of the. township, and is always ready to lend a helping; hand to further its progress! Fox these and many other reasons which could be advanced, I hope he is the purchaser of the block of land and buildings in question, and intends to continue his residence amongst us. . 'The' Catholic school, which has been opened at Atmaudale for some years and whose teachers have been under some disadvantage for want of a suitable building, have now their wish gratified. The com- ! mittee seeing their want approached the Southland Education Board and secured the public building which had been lyingiicUe. These ;-were removed to 'the; Convent grounds and thoroughly renovated, and are now' up-to-date, every for both teachers and scho'ars being attended to. • T<s commemorate the opening and to raise funds to help.to defray expense of improvements, it has been decided to hold a grand entertainment by the school children interspersed •with humerous anecdotes, by Dean Burke, of Invercargill, who is well worth going a long way to hear. Judging by the success of the last concert given

by the children at. Nightcaps; the; enters; tainment should be I a .'record one. The" Concert takes place on Tuesday. June 21st, tickets being now available for admission. ' The annual meeting of the Wrey's BushWairio Ploughing match: association takes : place at the All Nations Hotel, Annandale, on May 28th, commencing at 7.30 p.m. A public meeting will be held in Kelly's Hotel; Otautau, on Friday, 3rd June, at 7.30 p.mi to consider the advisability of holding an A and P. Show. _'■.'-'

Messrs Henderson and Batger have been instructed by Mr G. C./Tothill .to sell the furniture in his residence, South Eiverton, onFriday, 27th inst. at 1.30 p.m. Mr and Mrs,J. Tennant Jeft fpj : , South Australia by the Mokoia on Monday. Mr Tennant took with him his old favorite hunter Kobin, and Maori Jack.

A laree number were present at the opening night of the Hiverton Literary and Debating Society held in the Court house on Monday evening. A. report, of the debate and .election of office-bearers wiUJippear in our next issue.

'- ; A limelight ente: tainiaent will be given in the Oddfellow's Hal this evening by the, Mission'avie&of the Chuich Jesus Christ, sL.S,': Magnificent views of works in America will be shown, of which interesting descriptions will fee given. The : lecture will be free.