LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Feilding Star, Volume III, Issue 8, 12 July 1882, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The English mail, via San Francisco, closes at Feilding, on Friday next. Two quarter acre sections at Halcombe changed hands for £35 this week. An offer for some partially improved land, in the Kir. tea, was made recently, of £4 per acre, and refused. Tom Rawlinson, one of the smartest drivers that ever started a locomotive, is in charge of the engine at Messrs Munro and Temple's sawmills, Kiwitea. Messrs Richmond of Sandon have forwarded MrW.G. Haybittle,of this town. a half ton of magnificent cheese from their factory. It is now on view at Mr Haybittle's lieady Money Store, Manchester Square. We are glad to learn that Mr Morphy's stables are now to be completed. Tlie work will be in hand next week, and the building will be a handsome addition to the town. In the past it has been a wretched eyesore. Lambing has begun early this year. In the sheep paddocks of Mr James Whisker we notice several ewes with lambs at foot already. We hope that the cold weather will not in any way interfere with the general increase of the flock. A most successful sale of shrubs and fruit trees was held at Sanson on Saturday last. There were buyers from Palmerston, Awahuri and Bulls present, and the prices realized were very fair. Among the purchasers were some Natives, who paid considerable prices for some fruit trees. We regret to notice the death of the second son of Mr Alex. McMinn, journalist, of Palmerston North, who fell a victim yesterday to that fell disease, diphtheria, after a short but painful illness. We sympathise with the bereaved parents in their loss of a favorite and promising child. One of our subscribers on the Railway line complains of having his paper "lifted" frequently by some person, who is evidently under the impression that he is not known. We warn this newspaper pilferer that if he repeats the offence we shall hand him over to the tender mercies of Constable Price. This hint should be sufficient. A younsj lad, whose name we were unable to learn, had a narrow escape from meeting with a serious accident on Sunday evening last. He was riding a restive horse, in company with several other lads, down Manchester-street, when his horse shied at some passing object, and threw the young fellow violently to the ground. Beyond a rather severe shaking, the lad appeared none the worse for his mishap. It has been suggested that a splendid opportunity offers itself at Cheltenham for an enterprising man to establish strawberry gardens for the entertain, ment of visitors from Feilding and its neighborhood. We endorse the idea, for its distance makes it a pleasant drive or ride, and easily accessible to pleasure seekers and others to whom a little relaxation is absolutely necessary. The traffic on the Kimbolton road is now yery considerable. Horsemen, buggies, timber-waggons, firewood carts, cattle, <fee, are continually passing orer in numbers surprising to anyone not familiar with the rising districts to which it gives ingress and egress. In a year or so we confidently assert that a line of coaches will be running, anticipating the railway which, must in course of time dis place them. Wandering cattle are again bee ■ a public nuisance. On Sunday a cow , moved into the garden of a gentleman 1 residing in upper Manchester-street, and was beginning to make sad havoc amongst the flowers, shrubs, Ac. Fortunately the owner was in, and he speedily moved the < aggressor from his garden. Where are I the Borough bye-laws ? However, a| 2 Ranger will shortly be appoinled, and an ' 1 end put to such nuisances. ]

A man n"ned Spooner was nrres'ed. on Mon biy uiiernoon, by Constable Price, charged with the larceny of a concerfin •■ . Full particulars appear in our report of the sitting held at the Resident Magistrate Court to-day. Mr Kenny, late R.M. and District Judge for Hawke's Bay, has resigned his position to enter the legal profession as a barrister and solicitor. Mr Kenny goes into partnership, we believe, with Mr Finn, of Gisborne. Jane M'Kellar and Frances M'Nair, inspired by jealousy, fought a duel near Lamberton, South Carolina. The tigresslike conflict was ended by M' > air stabbing M'Kellar to the heart with a bowie knife. The victress swooned at the sight of the blood. The planet Venus (says an exchange) which is so conspicuous in the western sky in the evening, is now in such a position, of such bilbancy. as to be visible during the broad daylight. The planet will increase in brilliancy for some months yet. An oft-vexed question has been decided by Judge Ward, in so far that a top-rail is not a fence. Two southern J.P.s held that a top -rail was sufficient, but, on appeal, his Honor remarked that a toprail might constitute a fence for a conscientious Christian, but certaily not for a cow, who had no conscience. It is rumored in Wellington that the friendship which existed between Mr Macandrew, M.H.R., and Mr J. W. Thomson, has been rudely severed. The latter had risen in the House (so the story ! goes) with the object of exposing the I fallacies in the financial Statement, when his friend James passed him a note telling him to sit down. That was more than the member for Clutha could stand. The cost of the General Election ia 1881, was : —For compiling rolls, £3402 16s ; Election of European members, £4981 17s 7d ; Election of Maori members, £830 lis 3d. Total cost of elec tions, £9,215 4s 10s ; out of this total, Manawatu contributed £102 19s 6d for compiling rolls. £22 lis 6d was the cost of unapposed election ; Total £125 lis. This is accounted for by there being six polling places. At a sitting of the R. M. Court, held at the Feilding Court House yeslerday, William Spooner and Thomas Barker, were severally charged with the larceny of a concertina, the property of W. Spearing. Owing to the absence of the principal witness, when the case was called, the police asked for a remand, to the sittings of the R.M. Court to-day. Messrs Macarthur and Sherwilll, J. P.'s were on the Bench. Prisoners were liberated on bail. We are glad to hear that the local ; Coui-t of Foresters (Court L yal No 5768) is making rapid progress. The members' | roil is constantly receiving additions, and an increased interest is being taken i by the members in the general welfare of the lodge. This, added to the present [ movement to establish a Rechabite Lodge, i should be a sigu of better times. Benefit societies are of immense advantage to every community, and in time of sickness and death prove a great boon as well as support to many families. Mr J. B- Hamilton, draper and clothier of Palmerston^ North, (successor to Mr Manson), is just now making a grand display of winter goods at astenishingly low prices. Mr Hamilton is determined to uphold the well-known reputation of Mr Manson's business establishment, both for the excellence of his goods combined with moderate charges. Purchasers will do well to inspect Mr Hamilton's stock, it being one of the largest and best assorted in the trade on the West Coast. Attention is directed to his pricelist, which appears over the leader in to-day's issue. Surely something can be done towards laying out footpaths alongside the principal streets of the town for the convenience of the public. It is very trying to the temper of irritable pedestrians to have to dodge out of the way of horses and traps every few minutes when proceeding, as necessity now compels them, in the middle of the road. The evil is more particularly objectionable at night, wben unshod horses run close upon one without being heard, and allowing pedestrians barely time to escape being run over or knocked down. William Foster had a narrow escape a few days ago, from sudden death or mutilation, at Cheltenham, when bush falling with his mate. It appears that when a tree was falling he was unable to get out of the way, owing to the undergrowth and some decaying logs being near to him. However, he took in the situation at a glance, and threw himself flat on the ground, in such a position that when the tree fell, it was prevented fr. m crushing him by one of the logs that interfered with his movements. A bruise on the hip bone, of no consequence, was the only result. He had one of the most narrow escapes on record in the district. Should Major Atkinson's proposal of a National Insurance against poverty and distress of any kind, become law, one result will be that a few more hundreds of the Tite Barnacle family will find comfortable provision made for them in the employ of the Government, whatever may happen to the unfortunate people who are compelled to make provision for old age under compulsion. We wish he would introduce a scheme making all appointments of any kind whatever Government billets, so that persons desirous of hiring (we beg pardon) accepting the services of, say a cow boy, or a lad to carry round milk, or anything that way, would be able to apply to the Minister for Public liequirements for one to fill the vacancy. The boys would be much keener to " take office" than they are at present. We throw out the suggestion to the- Major, who can accept it or r- ject it as he wills, but if he does either he will only act up to his principles of " the greatest good to the Tite Barnacle family," whose shadow is not likely to grow less for some years in this good colony of New Zealand.

For variety and excellence of design, durability of quality, and suitableness for the winter wear, the Kaiapoi Tweeds at R. Loudon's are the best ever shown in Feilding, and at the most rcasoaahle prices. — [Advt.]