Local and General

Western Star, 16 August 1912, Page 2

Local and General

At tlio meeting of the Wallace County Council, held to-day, the sum of £lO was voted for work on the Mossburn Cemetery road. The Mataura, Ocean Beach, and Makarewa freezing works close down on the 23rd hist. Lady Campbell, widow of tho late Sir John Logan Campbell, died on August 11 after a short illness. Constable Beadle, who has been transferred from Bluff to Kiverton, was presented on behalf of Mrs Beadle with a purse of severeigus prior to his leaving the. Bluff. The presentation took the form of a small social, Mr F. J. Tipping presiding. Constable Beadle suitably responded. Owin" to the company's capital being exhausted, the Government has been asked to take over the works and machinery of the Otira tunnel, and complete the "work. Herbert. Shields pleaded guilty at the Invtrcargill Court on Wednesday, to breaking" and entering the shop of A. Varcoe, on the 7th inst., and stealing (roods and money. He was committed to tho Supremo Court for sentence. For Chronic Chest Complaints, Woods' Great Peppermint Cure, Is 6d, 2s 6d.

S. J. Deck, esq., who leaves shortly for Australia, and who is in his 81st year, will give a farewell address in the Gospel Hall on Sunday night, at 7 o'clock.

For Children's Hacking Cough at Night—Woods' Great Peppermint Cure, Is Gd, 2s 6d. As a result of the petition received from settlors in the Tuatapere district, thero is every likelihood that the Railway Department will accelerate the train service. It is possible that the morning train will leave Invercargill at an earlier hour than at present.

Miss Jean Sutherland notifies the public in this issue that she is prepared to receive pupils for pianoforte tuition, at her residence in Palmerston Street.

The " Guv'nor " will be in Riverton on Wednesday and Thursday, Sept. 11th and 12th. Prior to the commencement of the Riverton stock sale on Thursday, Mr F. C. Mills made feeling reference to the loss sustained by Mr W. Armstrong through the death of his youngest son. To show their sympathy and respect to Mr Armstrong, who was so well-known as a dealer in stock throughout the district, the sale was adjourned for five minutes.

Mr A. Farrelly, through the Hgency of the Southland Fanners' Co-operative Association, has sold to Mr S. James, of Aparima, part of his property in North Otautau, comprising 18£ acres, with buildings. The block purchased by Mr James is that between Grey and, Frederick Streets and the river. The price was something in the vicinity of £45 per acre.

It is with feelings of regret that we have to chronicle the death of Mr and Mrs Win, Armstrongfs youngest son,', Horace, at the comparatively early age of seventeen years. The young man had only been ailing for some two weeks, and his demise will be regretted by a large -circle of friends whose sympathy will be extended to Mr and Mrs Armstrong in their bereavement. The funeral took place yesterday and was largely attended by residents from all parts of the district. The services at the graveside were conducted by the Rev. Lopdell, of Orepuki.

The arrangements in connection with the Anglican Church entertainment, Thornbury, on Wednesday next, 21st inst., are now almost complete, and as tickets have had an unprecedented sale a large house is assured. Several splendid vocalists are to be present, and the church members have completed their practices of the various farces, etc. The committee has Been successful in securing the services of Madame Murrumbidgee's troupe of performing kangaroos, and this alone should be a big attraction. Drags are to run from Riverton.

The Gore post office and telephone exchange were destroyed by fire on Thursday morning; also a four-roomed dwelling, the property of Mrs Tielle, of Orepuki was totally destroyed by fire on Monday through a defective chimney. The building and furniture were insured for £2OO in the Standard office.

The Southland Sawmillers' Association, in order to harden up the Dunedin Timber Merchants' Association, which has been falling to pieces lately, have resolved to reduce the price of timber by 30 per cent. A Southland sawmiller informed a "News" representative yesterday that at a recent meeting of the Association in was decided to allow Dunedin builders thirty per cent, discount instead of ten per cent, previously deducted. This action, he said, was due to some large firms having withdrawn from the Association, and cutting prices, also to competition from the West Coast. Invercargill builders receive five per cent discount. The reduction to Dunedin builders will date from August 19.

At Sandringham, Edward VII., when Prince of Wales, instituted a pleasing custom of weighing both the coming and the departing guest (says Sir H. W. Lucy in the " Cornhill Magazine"). At the first convenient opportunity aftor being shown to his bedroom the guest was weighed, the result entered in a book, he being weighed again on the morning of his departure. The book forms one of the most interesting collections of autographs in the world Amongst other signatures is that of "Salisbury," with the portentious announcement that on his last visit to Sandringham the Marquis weighed just over eighteen stone —a. record not to be regarded without uneasiness, even by reference to Lord Salisbury's height.

Mr Q. Laurenson, one of the disappointed ministers of the old Government is still very sore at being cast out of office, and in speaking to the financial debate in the House en Wednesday caracterised the Government as a snare and a delusion. In one passage Mr Laurenson scourged the Wellington Central's whirligig member, the Hon. P. M. B. Fishei" —tho pot which is always- noisily making allegations about the blackness of kettles. On Friday night it pleased Mr Fisher ta declare that Mr Russell was a most unsuitable and unreliable politician. List Monday night it was Mr Fisher's tuAr to be hooked and towed at tho stern of Mr Laurenson's launch. To hear Mr Fisher talking of consistency, remarked Mr Laurenson, was like having a weasel addressing a meeting on the prevention of cruelty to animals. Lyttelton's member then described how the stormy petrel of tho Cabinet had once been a "New Liberal" in the Seddonian days and how he had hawked himself among the various parties, and finally found refuge in the Conservative household. Mr. Fisher, lie continued, was like a Japanese acrobat on tho politician stage. He was first on his head and then on his heels. No one knew where he was. To have him speaking of consistency would be like having a drunken man falling about a platform and giving a lecture on total abstinence. Mr Laurenson confessed Mr Fisher's movements on the political that he began to get dizzy when watching stage. _ .

Bather an unpleasant experience, which might have been attended with serious results, recently befell Mr Huncan Kennedy, of ''The Devil's Den" (writes the " Lyttelton Times "). Having read of the ease with which it is possible to get over snow country with 1 the, aid of skis Mr Kennedy manufactured a pair and started out, unaccompanied, in search of keas, which have been playing great, havoc with his (lock during the heavy snows. Unexperienced in this pastime, Mr Kennedy was soon in difficulties, and on becoming cast, in a. drift was not able to regain his feet, not having the necessary stick. Some hours ntor two shepherds seeking -belter for the night and attracted by a dog's bark heard Mr Kennedy's cries for help, and released him from his perilous position. The town of Overlook, New Jersey, r.S.A., is in trouble with its dogcatcher. The local council agreed to pay the catcher two dollars, or about Sa, fot" each dead dog ho produced. Recently ho killed forty-seven and stacking them in his back yard, hied to the council office and announced the fact. On returning with an officer only twenty defunct canines were visible, the other twenty-seven having been carted away by some person unknown. The council refused to pay for the missing bunch, wb.9re»pou the catcher went en strike.

Tho explanation of the term " Buckley's chance" was given in the reading of a paper, entitled " Earl- Port Phillip and Victoria in the Sixties," at a meeting of the Australian Historical Society lately. Captain J. H. Watson, who read tho paper, said it appeared that when Batman's party landed in Victoria in 1835, they were surprised to find among the natives a man whose features showed him to bo of European extraction, but his skin was as black as tho natives'.When however, tho letters " W.B. " wore found tattooed on his arm, inquiries were made, resulting in tho following discovery: About 32 years previously, Captain Collins had attempted to found a colony in the south-eastern portion of Australia, but iiad failed. A number of the convicts escaped, but all except William Buckley had died or been shot. He and a companion travelled along the coast for nearly a year. His companion was never heard of again. Buckley soon after foil in with a party of natives, and for over thirty years had lived with' tho tribe, not raising them to his level, but descending to theirs, and thus he alone of all the escapees had survived. Hence tho term'.

For Influenza, take "Woods' Great Peppermint Cure. Never Fails. Is Gd, 2s 6d.