Local & General News.

Feilding Star, Volume V, Issue 5, 12 January 1884, Page 2

Local & General News.

The Tasmanian Mail points out that New Zealand meat can be bought in London for less than meat can be purchased in Hobart. The retail sale of liquor " on credit " is made punishable by witldrawal of the license in Prussia to a recent Ministeral decree. This shows that even Bismark is not above gathering a wriukle from Sir William Fox. The splendid singing of Mr Gray at the concert last night afforded a striking proof of how a person is frequently compensated for the less of one faculty by retaining another ia an extraordinary degree, as we may mention that this gentleman is almost entirely blind, although the defect ia not noticeable by tlie audience. A new advertisement from Messrs Bentley Brothers, of Marlborough House, Palmerston appears elsewhere. Their great stock-taking Shlo o f drapery, millinery, and clothing commenced today, and great bargains in every line will be found at their establishment, situated on the Square. ; " I thought," said the senior Bagf^es, J as he produced a suspicious looking flat j bottle from his son's valise, " that there was nothing but surgical instruments in this bag." "That's what I said, dad." "Then, sir, what do you call this?" '* That ? Oh, that's my eye opener, dad ; very useful instrument, very useful ; indispensable, I assure you." — Boston Transcript. To prevent any misunderstanding we may state that all the events at the forthcoming Anniversary Sports are to be confined strictly to residents in the Manchester Block, and each competitor must be qualified by having resided or worked thereon for the past three months at least. The veterans' race is not intended, as several persons have interpreted it, for old soldiers simply but for all men over 40 years of age. At the request of a number of the residents of Sandon, the Madame M. oiler Operatic I'otnpanyhave consented to give a special performance in Sanson on Wednesday next, in the schoolroom. As this company is composed of artistes of splendid colonial reputation, and their performances are remarkably pleasing, the Sandon iolks may anticipate n musical treat. The Emperor William returned to Berlin on October 23rd from his visit to Baden Baden. His Majesty is about to start on an extensive hunting excursion. The restless vigor of the aged monarch is regarded as perfectly marvellous, and it is generally admitted by European diplomatists that he would have made a fortune as a book agent, or newspaper canvasser. . Two well known residents of Bulls had a slight difference of opinion the other evening, about 7 p.m., in the Rangitikei Hotel. High words led to a loss of temper, which resulted in one of the disput ants launching a blow (a " knock-down" blow) straight from the shoulder, which landed between the visual organs of the ' recipient, depositing him on his back. Ihe spectators were delighted at this display of skill in the noble art of selfdefence, and departed to their homes rejoicing at the valor of their fellow townsman. We hope both parties will have the good sense to let the matter end here. Mr Delauney, a scientist, predicted in a memoir presented to the French Acidemy ot' Science in 1881, the catastrophe at Java, making! a mistake of only two days. In the same paper he stated thai another and m»rc terrific convulsion vt ill occur^in the name place in 1886. Ii would be a great convenience to the gen eral public of these sort of predictions were collected and published in calendar form in order that peoplo might know when to expect and so prepare for a " convulsion." A coat ot honor and a money bonus might bo given to the lucky predictor. As the matter now stands, we never hear of these prophecies until after their fulfilmen , which is very annoying. . The larrikin* were again up to fh««ir little games outride the Town Hall last night, to the discomfiture not only of the audience but even the performers. Mr Gilbert had actually to stop while Ringing a solo, and request the nuisance to- be abated. Not satisfied with making great noises at the windows these promising candidates for employment on the Wanganni sand hilla, again rushed the donrs, and assaulted Mr Morris, and attempted to snntch the tickets from his hands. Constable Price had to be spnt for, and had he not quickly arrived there is no knowing what mischief might have been done. Some very stringent measures j will yet hare to be used to put down this intolerab c and growing evil.

Mr John McLachlin has announced himself as a candidate for the Selwyn seat, and will address the electors on Monday. Mr E. Wakefield will address the electors of the same constituency on the Following Tuesday. The utterances of both gentlemen will be looked forward to with some interest. A well informed correspondent at Wellington telegraphs to us (Wanganui Chronicle) that, although it has not yet been publicly made known, it is considered settled that the central railway route will come through the Wangaehu Valley, that being the easiest line. All the surveys from the Taranaki districts are utterly impracticable. A notable inspector of schools in the Old Country, whose ability to perform his duties is of the highest order, says p — '• My experience is such that I can generally pick out from a number of school girls those who have been durjng the past few months preparing for an examination, especially if their faces were familiar to me before commencing the course «f cerebral torture. I have watched the fading of childish blood, the undermining of childish joyousness, the cruel growth of unnatural pallor, and the expression of anxiety and aged seriousness." A correspondent sends the following story, the scene of which is laid in the Anglican Church, Waipawa : — The organist was away on her Christmas holidays, and there was no music for the choir, consequently no singing. The parson rubbed il into the choir nnd the congregation for not being able to sing the chants and hymns without the organ, and related a story. He said that at home (Ireland his home) he went into a church where every one of 40,000 people were singing beautifully songs of praise j to the Dord without the aid of any musical instrument, and more thau half of them didn't open their mouths. Mr Irving, it is stated, may well be gratified by his reception in America. His first performance was " The Bells," which created an amount of enthusiasm never equalled in an American playhouse He was recalled time after time before the curtain amid a perfect hurricane of applause. On the second night he appeared in "Charles I," when Miss Terry made her debut, and achieved a triumph greater even, if possible, than that achieved by Mr Irving. The almost unanimous verdict of the critics is that his mannerisms of speech and gait, unwelcome as they are at times, detract but little from the genius which is perceptible in all his characterisations. The Key Father Carew left Feilding today en route for his new sphere of pastoral duties at Greymouth. His departure is regretted not only by the members of his own church, but by all our citizens who knew him, as, although he had only been amongst us a few months, he had during that short time, by his genial and gentlemanly manner, and liberal spirit, made a great many friend ■, and was bidding fair to become both popular and useful. We sincerely wish him health, and prosperity in his new scene ef action, and to his successor, the Her Father McManus, who arrived from Greymouth to-day, and of whom we hear all that is good, we accord a hearty welcome.