Local & General News.

Feilding Star, Volume V, Issue 41, 8 April 1884, Page 2

Local & General News.

Parliament will meet for the despatch of business on the sth of June. Major Atkinson was a passenger by train to Wanganui on Saturday evening .last., .'■'.,'■.■'.'.' ''.-■•■■ The Wellington Telegraph and Post Office officials moved into the new buildings yesterday. Hr.Dudeok, of Kiwitea, who advertised his land for sale in the Stab a few days ago, was. not long in finding a purchaser, W. Godfrey, Esq., having become. the, proprietor on Saturday last.. The price given was to the satisfaction of beta parties. .

The Hon Mr Mitchelson, the Minister tor Public Works, was a passenger by | train from Foxton last night to Mar- | ton. ■ MrW. Stevens to-day handed us for examination a magnificent bunch of grapes, grown in the open air. We found i them of excellent quality. The grapes Were accompained by a damask rose of remarkable beauty. It is, we believe, definitely decided now that Mr Walter Johnston will not leave for England until after the coming session of Parliament, and that he will retain his seat in the Cabinet until the termination of the session. Last year there were 1,451 bankruptcies in New Zealand, nearly as many as there were in 1879. It is calculated that the solvent people of the colony have, through insolvents, within the last seven years sustained a dead loss amounting to L1,500,000. Messrs Halcombe and Sherwill will hold their first Ashurst stock sale on Thursday next, at the yards of Messrs Whibley Bros. As the number of entries is very considerable we expect that the attendance will be equally good, and the bidding brisk. In memory of the deceased Prince Leopold, the ships of war lying in Sydney Harbor fired minute guns. With half-hour intervals the firing lasted throughout the day. In Auckland all the vessels in port had their flags at half-mast. "There is a pride that apes humility." When Maior Atkinson went up by train on Saturday night he occupied a " reserved " carriajje iu solitary grandeur at j the " head of the train." When Mr Mitchelson went np last night he had a " reserved " carriage, but it was hooked on to the rear of the guard's van in the most abject manner. An advertisement from Mr Frank Thompson, shoer and general blacksmith, appears elsewhere. He has taken those premises known as the Vulcan Shoeing Forge, recently occupied by M r Gordon to whom he was for some time assistant. He is reputed to be a good workman, and will no doubt get a fair share of patronage. Our respected postmaster. Mr Stevens, when driving in his buggy on Sunday had a sligh* mishap, which, beyond a little natural alarm to the other occupants of the vehicle, was attended with no unpleasant results. One of the horses began to play up, and kicked its heels through the dashboard, and in its struggles broke the pole. No further damage waa done. The residents of Bunnythorpe had a ' very pleasant gathering at the Man- 1 Chester School-house on Tuesday evening, for the special purpose ot welcoming the new teacher, Mrs Boddy. The i parents had brought a liberal supply of j viands, which were enj .yed by all partaking, and a very pleasant afternoon was spent. The Committee must have been pleased at such a happy result of their labors, as the pleasure of the gathering was without a drawback. Mrs Boddy has already created a very favorable impression, and her coming to Bunnythorpe, to take charge of the Manchester School, is regarded with satisfaction by the whole of the local community. — Staudard. A party ot jurymen recently inspecting Sunnyside Asylum, Canterbury, missed two of their number. Thinking they had already departed, they made no delay in starting as soon as the hour of inspection was over, and were driving away, when a representative of the police, who was present, spied two hats behaving themselves in an extraordinary manner at a window. To him who knows Sunnyside (says the Press) few! things are astonisnine, but the hats certainly seemed out ofjplace, and the constable returned to investigate. He then found that the two jurymen had got locked into an unoccupied cell, and and the frantic motions of the two hats were caused by their owners' anguish at being abandoned by their co-jurors. They had a very narrow escape from an enforce stay in the assylum of appallingly uncertain dui ation. We learn from the Chronicle that a serious buggy accident occurred on Nol 1 Line, nearly resulting fatally to two ladies, Mrs White, of Eaitoke. and Mrs Rotheram, the wife of our respected railway manager. It appears the ladies were to drive into town with the buggy on Saturday evening, and were just starting on their ' journey when the accident happened. As it was coming on to rain, the ladies were putting on their mackintoshes, and the rustling startled the pony, which bolted off. It dashed down the hill at a tremendous pace, and Mrs White, who was driving, lost al! control of it. Two young ladies at the foot of the hill were holding open the gate. On seeing the animal coming at s.uch a pace they let the gate go, when the horse dashed up and collided with such force that it was partly knocked off its hinges. The occupants of the trap were thrown with great violence on to I the ground in such a manner that the gate came on top of them, and inflicted serious injuries. Mrs White wa9 quite unconscious, aud had to' be conveyed to the house on a stretcher. Mrs Rotheram, though insensible, speedily came round and walked to the house with assistance. Mrs White was cut about the head having several large scalps wounds, and her nose was smashed in a frightful, manner, she did not- become conscious until Sunday evening. Mrs Rotheram was much braised, and- received three large cuts on the head and forehead. Both patients are under the okilful treatment of Drs Connolly and Tripe, and may expect a speedy recovery.

The Resident Magistrate's Court will sit to-morrow at 10 a.m. Bhe : " Will you mind, dearest, if my cousin takes me to the Opera House P" He: " Not in the least love." Aside : "Eight shillings saved, and an evening to myself. A real treat to have a wife with cousins. The building of Messrs Fraser, Bros., new store at Awahuri is fast progressing, and at the present rate will soon be completed. The new building is on the opposite side of the road, not far from the store of Mr Bennett, and will be very substantial and commodious. The Alexandra Cavalry, the horses of which occupied 16 trucks, passed through Feilding by the 12 o'clock train to-day, en route for the Wellington Encampment. The men were apparently in excellent spirits, and looked very smart in their new uniform. During the past four or fire days the Town Hall has presented the appearance of grand bazaar. A representave of the firm of McArthur and Co., of Auckland, has been showing up to our local tradesmen a large variety of goods, figuratively speaking from a needle to an anchor.