LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Feilding Star, Volume III, Issue 66, 3 February 1883, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Tt is rumored that Mr T. L Harconrt is starting a brewery iv Aucklaud. Mr Fred Towler has succeeded in propagating some new varieties o£ gooseberries from se •ds». A telephone station lias been opened at the Manawatu Heads, in charge of the pilot. The Bey. Mr Murray proceeds to Auckland on the 20th instant, to attend a meeting of the Scotch Presbytery, to be held shortly after that date. It is probable that the railway reserve on both sides of the line at the Feilding i station will be fenced shortly. Mr J. C. Thompson is to-day opening up and marking off his goods for Stocking bis .store, aad will be fully prepared fur his customers next week. We have received from the Commissioner of the 2s ew Zealand Government Insurance Department, a copy of the Prospectus Ordinary Branch. The pamphlet is well got up, and enumerates tlie special advantages offered to assurers who desire to ami I themselves of the Government scheme of life insurance. Mr Hugli is making a very good collection of Maori curios, and is al*o taking a number of photographic views of Native groups and settlements. We believe it is the intention of Mr Hugli to present these to a museum in one of the Swiss Cantons, where they will be objects of considerable interest to Mr Hugli's countrymen. We omitted to mention in our last issue, that Mr James Sykes, of Halcombe, while delivering timber from Webb's mill to the railway station, met with a rather severe accident a few days ago. While unloading sleepers from his waggon to a truck, he fell between the two, some the timber also falling on him, and inflicting such injuries as will necessitate his being laid up for some time. Mr '!'. Boundy, of Makino, whose sale of goods took place to-day, leaves the district on Monday en route for England. He has been a somewhat successful settler, and being a most steady and upright man he has always been greatly respected. Mr Boundy has been about 10 years in the Colony, and is leaving purely for family and business reasons, and not from any dissatisfaction with the country or his own experience as a colonist. He and his family leave in the Lady Jocelyn, and we wish them a safe and pleasant passage. The bridge over the creek fronting Mr Salisbury's house has been re-erected in a most substantial manner by the Borough maintenance man, and the job does him great credit. This, however, h only one \ of several bridges or culverts that are , greatly needed nlong the same road. They would not only be a great convenience to the residents along the road, storekeepers, &c.. but also to the manyequestrians who prefer riding oa that side of the railway line. The expense/would not be great compared with the advantages and the enhancement ti>at would j be given to the value of the properly. The additions made by Mr Chamberlain to his flour mill on the Kimbolton road are very extensive. They measure 25ft by 30ft, which makes a total base to the building of 70 by 44ft. The proprietor found that increased room for storing grain and flour was absolutely compulsory from the largely increased demands made by the public for his flour, which is certainly unequalled on the coast whether locally produced or imported. We are glad to be able to state that Mr Chamberlain's long illness has not prevented him extending his business operations, and trust soon to be able to announce that he is again able to devote his entire energies to his business as usual. MrT. Bush, Draper and clothier, of Wanganui, is about to extend his premises, preparatory to which he purpose* stock-taking, and to lesson the labour thereof he is offering his present stock at rediculously low prices as can scarcely fail to insure an enormous reduction if not absolute clearance. In addition to the large quantity of drapery, millinery and general clothing, a grtat feature of attraction iv his establishment is to re found in the " tables," which are laden with articles from 6d up to 2s6d each. He has also a huge quantity of traveller's samples, which as they only cost him about htlf their actual value he is offering at ridiculously low rates. We would remind intending visitors to Alpha House, (the name of Mr Bush's establishment.) that it is opposite the Theatre in Eidgway street. It is rumored in Carnarvon that the oat crop on a gentleman's farm there is unusually heavy this season, and the following "yarn" is instanced in confirmation thereof. A few days ago the farmer engaged two men to tie the sheaves after the reaping machines had cut the crop. He took the men to the gate of the field, and entering himself, he walked on expecting them to follow. After proceeding a few paces he addressed some remark to them, and receiving no reply he looked round, and saw them hastening away. He managed to stop them by his cries, and on overtaking them inquired the, reason of their conduct. They infoi wed him that the sheaves were "too darned heavy for one man to lift, and they wer'nt going to try." They left. „■

The llannwatu County Council will hold its usual monthly meeting at Foxton on Tuesday next at 12 norni. The peach crop will be a com para lire failure this year, a peculiar blight having attacked the trees. Another alleged discovery of diamonds is reported at Pokino, 40 miles from Auckland. Wellington will be well represented at the Wanganui Regatta on the 9th inst , the Star Club having entered for all the principal events. We regret lo learn that Mr J. H. Stevens is suffering from an aggravated attack of iniluanza, or hay fever. His illness does not, however, incapacitate him from giving his usual energetic attention to his duties. The Feilding Anniversary Committee were to have met last evening at the Denbigh Hotel, but in consequence of the weather there was not a quorum present, and the meeting was posponed to Monday next at 8 p.m. in the same place. Sir John Hall has informed the electors of the Selwyn district that, owing to continued ill-health, he has been compelled to forward bis resignation to the speaker of the House. He thanks his constituents for the confidence placed in him in the past. Ihe residents in Poole and Campbellstreets complain that they have no way of ingress or egress, except through their neighbour's land. They are beginning nnxiously to enquire what they are to do in the winter months, when the ruins will make their present route impossible. The refreshing rains which have descended throughout the district generally within the last few days, have been most welcome, and have had the effect of starting the grass, &c, into growth, and there is yet some prospect of the hitherto parched ground being soon again " with verdure clad," to the great joy of the farmers and graziers. Sir William Jervois will leave Wellington on an official visit to the Soutn 4 Island on or about the 19th instant. He will be absent four weeks. The change will be an agreeable one for His Excellency. It is not anticipated that he will be able to visit Auckland and the North generally until after the meeting of Parliament. The visit of King Tawhiao has had a bad effect on the Maori shearers this season. Formerly they were only too willing to work, but now they refuse to shear lambs at 20s per hundred. They prefer the gratuitous hospitality so plentifully bestowed by their brethren on all visitors in attendance on the King to hard work during tne warm weather. J A large number of Natives were assembled at Kawhia on Thursday, to meet and welcome the Hon. J. Bryce, Native Minister. No opposition to the.occupation of Kawhia is anticipated. The Kitiu Natives consider the area of the township so small that complications may arise from Native landowners selling lands under pressure to Europeans resident in the township. The New Zealand Accident Insurance Company, the business of which is still j increasing, and wh se operations now extend to all parts of Australasia, held its annual meeting at Auckland on the 31st ultimo. The report states that the total amount to its credit is £15,739 10s Gd, wlrle its total debit is £11,235 18s, leaving a balance for dividend and reserve fund of £4.557 12s. A quantity of counterfeit bank notes are in circulation in Sydney. Mr Neil, of the City Bank, received two forged notes on the Bank of New South Wales on the 2nd January 'Jney are photographic copies, and are so well executed that only experts could detect the difference between the forged and the genuine notes. The deposit clerk in the eastern branch of the City Bank was the person who discovered the fraud, the notes being tendered to him for deposit by a customer. In our last issue " Roman Nose " complained about some stinging fish and preserved pigeons which were lying at the railway station, and which were very offensive. We notice that the baskets and tins containing the offensive matter are now p led up against a telegraph po'e near the platform, awaiting the arrival of the consignee, who will no doubt be expected 1o pay railway freight and storeage before he (or she) obtains delivery of the goods. It is said, but we do not vouch for the truth of it, that the telegraphists on the lino as far as Wanganui now complain of the offensive odour ! Mr John Anderson, of Wanganui, ihe proprietor of the well-known and longestablished furniture and carpet warehouse, one of the largest on the coast. makes an announcement in another column of his various and extensive stock of such goods as are indispensable for household use, comfort, and decoration. Our recent visit to his establishment convinced us that his stock, both as to quantity and quality, is scarcely to be surpassed, in the colony, while the prices are evidently such as to give full satisfaction to purchasers. Visitors to Wanganuidesirous of having their abodes replete with every addition necessary for , cemfort and convenience w»H do well to I pay a visit to Mr Anderson's emporium j in Victoria Areaue.