Local and General.

Feilding Star, Volume II, Issue 142, 13 October 1880, Page 3

Local and General.

Mr Dalziel of Bulls is advertising for tenders for felling about forty acres of bush adjoining 'the Cheltenham Hole'. The contracts will be let in four sections of ten acres each. Tenlers close on Saturdaynext. _ We would agaid remind our readers •of the concert an I dance under the auspices of the cricket club which is to 'take place at Hal combe on Friday evening next. A capital programme hasbjcn drawn up, and an enjoyable evening'sen'tertainnient may be anticipated.

The Mataura Ensign says—Mr C. Maunsell, 'of Mataura, despatched a epiantity of oats to London through an Invercargill firm. He has received advice that they yielded in London Ms per quarter or equal to four shillings per bushel. ,

In the tJmbulla 'sweep on this year's English Derby (which it appears, is usually got up by the English officers in : India), 22.962 tickets we're taken at £1 each, the money being divided as under.— First horse, £1115;?; second hcrsej £5,570 ; ' third horse, £'2,788 ; divided among starters (not 1 2 and 3), £15:5; divided among non-starters, £bSS ; expenses. £1,150 ; to the Umbulla'race fund, £1,148: total, £22,9(32. All the 249 horses were drawn for. The fortunate drawer of Bend Or v, as a poor clerk only getting his £4 a month, but as the sweep was drawn a week before the race he had plenty of time to hedge, and sold his chance for £2,000 down, and 2,000 more in case of a win. Lord William Beresford and a confederacy were the purchasers, but did not bag the difference, £7,000, as they hedged themselves by wire to Tattcrsall's. The secord horse 'was drawn by an officer in. Afghanistan, and the third by an officer in Hyderabad.

Under the heading of '■ Journalistic " the following choice item appears in Saturday's Wargaiiui Chronicle: —"lt is said tiiat a certain well known journalist is trying hard to induce political ami non-political men to help him to start a paper in one of the "West Coast townships, and that withthis object he recently paid a visit to the member for Manawatu. ar.d expatiated on the advantages which would accrue to him in the coming contest with Mr Halcombe were a new paper started at Feilding. F is said that Mr Johnston failed to see the project ill thai light, and did not fork out the expected cash."

At the R M. Court on Monday last a man named Join: liobinson was lined L"-> or in default three months imprisonment for using ni>-■<■;. ne language in the Feilding Hotel Bobrnson's manner ;in Court was particularly impudent, and he appeared .quit c indignant when charged With ■having used obscene iangmige. However the seliielici look some of the bounce out of him and he did not seem to relish the situation. Bobiusoii we believe, is in receipt of on Imperial pension, and generally contrives to make things piviu lively when, lie gets his quarter!,) cheque. A couple of months in Wanganui with a pick, shovel, and wheelbarrow, will give John an opportunity of making up ids mint! to reform, lie left for his new quarters by the Wanganui train on AJondav evening

A painful accident and miraculous escape from death-happened to a woman named .Mary Conrad at Halcombe on Saturday evening last. J: appears that as the Wanganui train approached the station tie.' woman made an attempt to cross in trout of it, but failed to do so, and was caught by the cowcatcher which threw her off the line. She was immediately after picked and taken to a room at the* Station. Dr Alexander who was present examined the woman and fott-id that she had been terribly cut and bruised aliou'. the ilngh, Dr Alexander attended-to tie' unfortunate woman, aiier which she was pl.'ecd in the train. whi< It was delayed for nearly an hour, ami taken to the Wanganui Hospital and placed under tbe care of Dr Duiiahl.-on, who has pronounced the case to be a critical one. .No blame whatever is attached t ) the engine driver, as tin- night was dark, and he did not observe the woman iii time to bring the train to a standstill.

A brilliant meteor was observed on Friday evening last, it fell in a u>rtl'erly direction, and had ilie appearance of a huge ball of lire. ■We. regV;< to hear "thai ?tl r Join;. Duthie's private residence in Wicksteed street. Wanganui, was Imrnt to the ground on I'riday night last. The liiv Was first discovered hv the children, but owing to the delay-in procuring water the lire obtained such a i.rm hold that by (he time the lirebel)s rang the whole building was amass of il.imes. Some ol the furniture from the lower rooms was saved. The furniture ard building were partially insured, but the insurance will not near "cover Mr Durhic's loss which is estimated at thousands of pounds. There was aheavy shock of earthquake on Saturday evening last about live minutes past seven. The shrck lasted for some seconds, and ws.s the most severe that lias been experienced for some considcrablotime. As far as we can learn no damage was done in the district. There was but a poor attendance ol" the members of the Manchester Rifle Corps; at the parade on Saturday evening. The: company headed by the band, paraded, the principal streets in town and on re- ■ turning to Manchester square were dis- j missed. | It is rumored thai Parliament frill be j called togetheralmost immediately on Sir | Arthur Gordon's arrival. | The New-Zealand Times says the re- ; trenchment programme of the Government will include the closing of several of the smaller ports of entry of different parts of the colon v. The subject is still under consideration, but it is understood that seven or eight places are to be deprived of their Customhouses, and doubtless, therefore, the whole of the lesser ports will await with some interest the result of Ministerial deliberations. As a proof of the scarcity of ready money in Masterton, the following may be mentioned: —Several hack horses were sold on Thursday to pay the expenses oE grazing. The owners either failed to see advertisement, or thought horseflesh not worth claiming, for when the animals were sold at auction the prices ranged from 21s to 25s each. A Writer in the Auckland " Herald" thus refers to recent attacks on private characters, which, have appeared in one of the Auckland papers :—"Men's wives, and especial I}', clergymen's wives, have been held up to ridicule lately in a manner which is unmanly and unjust, and one cannot help asking how long we citizens of Auckland are going to submit to this sort of thing. A minister's wife's name was emblazoned in a paper on Saturday, to give effect to what I know to be an unmitigated lie, and if the law did not provide a remedy, a good horse-whip-pmg would be the best reply. The next Government inspection parade of the Manchester Rifles will be held on Saturday next at 4-80 p.m. The company will muster on the Square. Those who have not yet e trued their capitation hould make it a point to attend. : "Pour hundred and thirty six acres are under crops of pea-nuts in California;, the yeild averages 10001 b. per acre. '

One of the biggest mtaches in the matrimonial market now on the cards is that between Lord Duplin and Miss V'anderbilt. The father of the bride-elect makes a million a year, and she is clever and beautiful as well as rich. On- dit that the wealth of the millionaire will not come amiss to the noble bridegroom. A. Western minister told the trustees of his church that he must have his money, as his family was suffering. •■ Money !" said one of the trustees, "you preach for money! I'thought you preached for the good of souls." Tin; minister replied : " I can't eat souls, and if I could, it would take a thousand such as yours to make a-meal."

The Burials Bill which provides for giving to dissenters the right of haviuy the. futierial services read by their ministers iu the church yards-hits been passed by the Lords, but some amendments were made in the Commons extending its operations, to which the Peers objected. They were, however, induced to withdraw their opposition, and the measure has now become law.

A lady says that the first time she was kissed she felt like a tub of roses swimming in honey, cologne, nutmegs and bananas. She felt as if .something was running through her -nerves on feet of diamonds, "escorted by several little Cupids in chariots drawn by angels, shaded by honeysuckles, and the whole spread with melted rainbows.

Some time since we stated that a new gold Held was likely to be found at Te Aroha but it seems the people at Grahamstown are looking for it on the map of the district and Ihe Thames Advertiser says "■the new gold held has no! yd been discovered bill lucre is no doubt but that it will be when, they iiud it." Wo know the latter fact long since. Our \\ aikato contemporary, is noticebig the depression throughout tho colony, say.- the problem of how to unlock capital, employ ythe destitute, and relieve the growing state of depression, is one that mii.-t be early solved; if it be not, the prospect is indeed a dark one.

The following resolution was passed at a late meeting held at C.itl.ns River, Otago ; -" Llia; the time has now come when either County Councils yii Koad Boards must be done away with seeing that subsidies to local bodies are now to cease; and we arc of opinion the County Council is the body that should be done away with, in the meantime this meeting urges upon the County Council to hand over to the lioad Boards their equal portion of rates levied, and allow them to expend it."

Some of the boys of Lawrence have offered to act as a local Fire Brigade' There was cue regiment in the service of France, composed of boys, and they fought with remarkable bravery.

Her Majesty .-till keeps up the late Prince Consort's farm; the last annual sale of stock realised CJ.Ci.IO.

In her lecture " .Melbourne by day and night." Madame Wilmotl paints, in words, an apparently faithful picture of the daily action of a Melbourne merchant. On Sunday evening last, pit, stalls, aed the dre-s circle were fairly attended. A few oi the bur sex were eager listeners, and son,., children -at in the r\rr\r. Referring to the river Var.-a. she said " ;343 deaths, unmciilioned by police or Press. lake place in the Yarra annually, and these deaths arc all suicides.

In accordance with a wish expressed by our cm-respondent "blocked Up" who-e letter appears in another column we despatched a reporter to risk the -North Koad. The road is truly in a deplorable state, and it is a matter of wonder how the settlers nianagi to gain access to their properties. The road from Denbigh street to the Makiuo i.'twr is nothing but a bug. and has been cut up to such an extent by the cattle, that it is next te- impassable. Along the centre of tin' road the mud and slush is up to a horse's km 's, and in some parts it would be over hi- back. Our representative has some V. i-y lively recollections of the state of llm road for in one place his horse sank in a bog up to his girths and did not evtricate bimseiE without considerable dilliciilty. and to the peril of his rider. Some short time ago a Mr Lines applied to the Board for permission to slope the banks of the river so that a cart could be taken across but up to the present he has not started the work, and as far as we can see it would be ridiculous to make any such provision until a road is madealong which a cart could be taken to the river. We sympathise with the North Road settlers and quite agree with them thai the Board should spend a few pounds in improving the road. There arc a number of splendid paddocks along the line, off any one of which a man could make a fair living had he o;dy a fair show of carting hi.-, produce into town. The settlers have undergone considerable hardships in clearing tlie set tions, and. it would indeed be unjust if through the want of road communication they are to be deprived of the benefits of their labor. A meeting of the Board will be held today, and we sincerely trust that now the matter has been placed orominently before them they will give it their earnest consideration. The opening up of the North Road means the settlement of a large number of families in that portion of the township, and therefore, we say, that the Board are in duty bound to make some effort towards improving the road communication. Verily the North Road settlers are a long-suffering pcop e. The Pioneer says: —" Remaps one of the most curious episodes of the occupation of Cabul by our troops, after a wellnigh forty years'absence is that a wellknown major in one of our Goorkha battalions finds himself again in Cabul, his birthplace in the days of the olel occupation. Born in Cabul, he was carried by his mother the wife of a staff ollicer of the army, through all the horrors of the dreadful retreat, was borne into captivity, released by Shakcspeare,s cavalry, and grew u]i to bear Her Majesty's commission, and again to enter Cabul. Stranger still, the gaoler of his mother litis come to Cabul, and visited his prisoner of bygone days." The Wairarapa Standard says : —As an instance of the cheese-paring of the present Government, Mr C. Wilton, of the Jvuripuni Post OHice, informs us that he receives £1 per year as postmaster. He receives his pay quarterly (6s) and last pay day ten per cent was deducted from it, bringing the sum down to 4s Sd, We believe he has since resigned the position.

The Japansc keep rheat fresh in hot weather by placing the raw flesh in a porcelain vessel anel pouring on it boiling water, whereby the albumen of the surface is quickly coagulated anel forms a protection against further action of the weather. Oil is then poured on the surface of (he water, so as to prevent the access of air and consequent putrefaction of the meat.

A correspondent of the-Tablct, writing from kelson, says :-—"The congregation (St. Mary's Boman Catholic) is noticed to increase, slowly, it is true, but still percept ably, and I have heard that during the last 'live years the Eev. Father Mahony has received • into the Church in and about forty to fifty converts, the latest being Dr and Mrs Duff and family, who'arc likely known to many of your reader: .- Mr Dull: being son of Alexander Duff. WD-, who so distinguished himself ■ inlffte 'ctluse of the. Indian missions as to be appointed Moderator of the Free Church of Scotland.

The Duchess of M ii/rbordngli Vdommittee have purchased 1.200 tons of the disease-resisting Scotnh champion potatoe to be distributed'as seed in the 1 WCst of Ireland.

Six children were committed to the Industrial School by the Dunedin City Bench lately. They were the family of the mar, O'Neill who was convicted at the Lawrence Circuit Court of fraudulent bankruptcy. O'Neill's wife died since the conviction.

The Auckland merchants are proposing to make arrangements to develop the trade -with the Waiuiate Plains when settled.

The prdduction of coal from the Waikato Company's mine is steadily increasing. The output-last month was between HiOOO and 17000 The brigantine Clansman is now a cargo of 100 tons for Oamaru.

On 'Mo'mlay, the :11st May (says the Hong Kong Daily Press) a dreadful accident, happened at Bangkok, which has plunged the court of Siam in mourning. His Majesty the King, some of the'ladies of the palace, and some of the royal children were on a pleasure, trip to the royal retreat at Koh Bang-pu-in. A barge containing (lie Queen and her infant daughter, the Princess Karama. was capsized through the rope attaching it to the steam yield, ami ab on board are said to have been drowi ed. The body of Her Royal Highness and that of the young princess, locked in tne arms of her nurse, have been recovered. A royal prince and a high military oliicei* were tried by court martial, and sentenced to degradation. " Come. Pill, it's fcsjl o'clock, and I think we hail better be going, for it is time hoi.est men were at home." "Well, yes." was the answc : JL " 1 must be oil", but you need not hurrjr on that account." An old author quaintly remarks, ''Avoid arguments with ladies." In spinning yarns among silks and satins. ; n man is Sure to be worsted and twisted,and when worsted and twisted he may fairly consider himself wound up. At the pro-cathedr;J in (he capital of one of the Australian Colonies, the congregation is larger on the c<loin.:' ion of the fashionable weddings than upon ordinary occasions of Sunday worship. On one day lately a nuptial ceremony was to I take place. The bells rang out—seats i and. aisles were crowded—choir and

organist in great force. All went, as usual, pleasantly until in the middle of the service, the parscm, whose head was level, announced, '\\ collection will now be made '" He made that congrogration look funereal in live second-;. There is a woman iii San Francisco who fails to sleep o very i i/mSffce sits down, and even when standing bythe window sleeps there to the no small surprise 'of the pas-

sers by. Some month: ago she had a tumor taken from i\<?v side, and ever since has hail continual pain in the back, aliayed only by taking laudanum, which dose, iii'ici n drops she has augmented to three spoonful Is >r da j". As she eats he: breakfast the spell comes on, and she sleeps for hours, and no matter what her occupation may be, off she drops into the embrace of Morpheus. She cannot give ii|/ the drug, ar.d the poor woman has so little strength that upon awaking from her sleep she is unahh to stretch foi'Ui her hand.

A California!! has invented a torpedo in flu'shape of a keirel of corn, -which is designed for the beguiluient of festive crows. As soon us the offensive crow takes hold of it it explodes and blows the top of lib head off.