Local & General News.

Feilding Star, Volume V, Issue 54, 8 May 1884, Page 2

Local & General News.

» ■ ■ Of the 83 miles of the Wellington* Manawatn Railway, 53 miles are now contracted for. The work of protecting the banks of the Makino in Hobson street was commenced yesterday. This work was much required, and is not being done too soon, as at the rate the stream, when flooded, was. carrying away the banks, there would soon have very little of the street left. Mr Stevens, M.H.R. notifies that he will address his constituents at the times and places mentioned in advertisement. The following is the programme :- Marton, 12th instant, after which follow Bulls 13th, Turakma 14th, Upper Tutaenni 15th, Kiwitea 16th, and Makino Eoad 17th. It should be bourne m mind, especially, by settlers in country districts, that sittings of the B.M. Court at Feilding are not, correctly speaking, held fortnightly, as many persons appear to imagine, baton the second and fourth Wednesdays in each month. We again give this reminder, as yesterday one or two litigants came into town expecting to find the Court sitting. We would call the attention of the local authorities tip the unsafe condition of ft bridge near the railway crossing at the top of North street, and would give a timely warning t<- persons requiring to use the same. A day or two ago, a horse fell through and pitched its rider off with tuch violence as might have resulted very seriously. Something should be done at once with reference to this bridge, so at to prevent further accidents. The most curious attempt at suicide on record is that of a young man named Denis Labaisse, in Paris. He was employed in a small restaurant in the Ecu de Sichelieu, and was considered quite, >ane, until one evening he was found voraciously devouring a lonp and heavy rope. One more coil and he would have been suffocated. It was pulled out I of him and the poor fellow was sent to an insane asylum.

The people in Hokitika are very anxious to have Donaghuo the murderer hanged out of the way. Good quartz reefs are reported as havinn been discovered at Ross. Fifteen leases have been pegged out. The Press Association reported Major Atkinson's speech, made at Wellington on Thursday last, in ten lines. Some American physicians are speculating upon the influence of the telephone upon the sense of hearing. They have . found several cases wherein diseases of i the ear have been aggravated by using it. j The first of January inaugurated a new i era in the town of Metz— namely, the ' official use of the German language. The I change has naturally been eagerly greeted by the German population. In New Zealand there are two Government officials to every hundred of the population. With their wives and families, there is one eighth of the population of the colony supported by Government money. We omitted to mention in Tuesdav.s issue that the Town Band played on tue the Square on Saturday evening the programme as previously published. They had evidently made very commendable progress, and their performances were generally appreciated. The prolonged absence of rain has had the effect of emptying a good number of water tanks in town, and we notice that several householders have had to import from other sources thenecessnry supplies of aqua pura. The slight showers of today will be of some good. The Sydney Telegraph says : — Murdoch was bowled by the first ball in the match against the Soulh Australian fifteen. This is the third occasion recently in which ho has lost his wicket in a similar manner. The " revered ashes" will be left in England if the Eleven do not improve in batting. With reference to the trap accident which happened in Denbigh street on Tuesday a 8 already reported, full particulars have been furnished us. It was certainly most extraordinarily provideni tial that the two htfe girls were rescued just before the horse bolted, and Mr Fowles' escape from injury was almost miraculous. The Post's London correspondent writes — Little or no interest seems to be felt in the coming visit of the Australian Eleven, many of whom are now as well known frequenters of Lords and the Oval as our All England team. One of their first matches will be played in London on Whit Monday. We notice from the mortality record for the year ending February last, as published in the Australasian Medical Gazette, that New Zealand is still much below any other of these colonies in the number of deaths as compared to the number of population, and that Wellington shows the lowest rate of mortality among the large towns of this colony. Dick Seddon, M.H.R., said, in his speech at Kuraara on Monday, "&« one of the rank and file his place wus to look on and vote straight." Let us hope that the hon. gentleman will remember thi« remark during next session and record a silent vote. If he abstains from inflicting on a suffering people aay of his bombastic effusions, he will earn their eternal gratitude. When a Marcus girl wants her follow to go home she takes down her back hair. Le Mars girls take off their shoes. Sanborn girls say : " It's time for my dearest Charles to unclasp his circling arms and hie away to his paternal domicile." Correctionville girls are more practical and less demonstrative ; they simply say: " Sonny, times up, git." We call attention to an advertisement from Mr Holland of his desire to sell or let the Vulcan Shoeing Forge in Kimbolton road, and also a sawmill at Bunnythorpe. These are two desirable speculations, and as each includes all the necessaay plant, tools, and implements for carrying on the respective trades* they may be confidently recommended. Accidents with vehicles appear to be pretty frequent lately, and the report of yet another is to hand. Mr Morphy was driving his brake laden with goods, together with a former settler here and his family, to Danevirke, and after leaving Woodville the brake capsized, smashing one of the wheels to pieces, but fortunately injuring none of the occupants. Mr Morphy had to return to Woodville and borrow another wheel in order to continue the journey. The Native Minister has decided not to prosecute, the gold prospectors, Barry and M'Donnell, who were arrested by the natives and sent to Alexandra. It seems they were not aware they were breaking the law, though the? really rendered themselves liable to be fined £50 each for prospecting on native land, the title to which bad not been deter* mined. A curious request has been made by the unconscious offenders, that they should be returned at the Government expense to Wanganui. South Australia must be a miserable Colony to live in ; who can read the following sad, sad story of a setter's experience in that part of Australia without a feeling of regret for the poor man ? He says — "I have been here five month*, and of 60 cattle I hare lost all but two. Five months' idle time ; mj savings of eight years all gone, and my family, whom I left as comfortable as any family in the Colony,, almost unprovided for. Stocks are dying in thousands, and every - thing- is going to the bad. There is no feed, little water, and rations are rnnning short." And yet there are people ready to emigrate there.

The death is announced at Wanganui of another old settler, Maior Nixon. The Deceased Wife's Sister Bill has again been carried in the House of Commons by a large majority. The Bill will probably be thrown out in the House of Lords as on two previous occasions. Bank failures are beginning to be the rule. We recently announced the "death" of the Oriental Bank, and our English cables to- day inform us of the failure of several private banks in New York. The Public Heading Boom has been enlarged by the shifting of the partition which divided it from the Library. This is a decided improvement and will afford that additional accommodation which was much required. The Gisborne telegraphic correspondent of the New Zealand Herald says — "The Poverty Bay Herald has been served with a notice of a libel action by Mr E. ff. Ward, on behalf of Mr M'Donald, for its strictures on the latter's conduct." A clergyman of Newcastle, N.S.W., in the course of a letter written to a friend in Wellington, «ays : — " The summer has been more than usually hot, with a large excess of illness, one doctor having had 150 cases of typhoid fever at one time. Diarrhoea has been very bad through bad water, but the district is now much healthier." The Feil-iing Early Closing Association held a meeting last night in Mr Thompson's old store. Mr Boal presided. Mr W. Bray was clocted secretary, vice Mr Bowater, who has left Peilding. Mr! Dafter was admitted as a member. It was decided to send for the Wellington Association's rules, And the meeting cl osed with thnnks to the chairman. We are glnd to find a determination on the part of the leading local tradesmen to adhere to the early closing principle, and hope to see it still faithfully and punctually carried out. The Orient mail steamer Warwick takes Home from Tasmania a large quantity of apples. The shipment was of choice and carefully-selected fruit, and after some consultation it was decided to place the fruit in or near the thawing chamber, where an even temperature would be maintained. The apples are expected to be in the market at Home lust about the close of the society season, when this description of fruit is scarce, and a good price is expected to be realised. The Meat Freezing and Preserving Company's buildings, at Patea, are now in conrse of erection, and it is expected that operations in the meat trade will be actually commenced within two months from now. It is significant of the value of meat preserving to learn that fat bullocks at Orange, New South Wales, at which place extensive freezing and preserving works are in operation, are worth £14 per head. Farmers on this Coast would like to trade at such a price. — Taranaki Budget. The Wairaropa Standard is responsible for the following : — " About thirty years ago a Canterbury farmer, while making his way home, disappeared in a very mysterious manner, and nothing was ever heard of him until a few days ago, when an old man named Hubbard. over eighty years of age, while lying upon his death-bed confessed that he and two other men murdered him, buried the murdered man. and agreed that .the man who survived the other two men should confess the crime." Special attention is called to a notice elsewhere from Mr J. B. Hamilton, the enterprising draper and clothier, that his Feilding branch will positively close at the end of a fortnight from the present time. As will be seen, the clearing out Hale which will take place within the next fourteen days will be absolute, final, and without reserve. To save the trouble and expense of packing and removing, no reasonable offer will be refused, so that purchasers will virtually get goods at their own prices. As the stock is large and the articles are of good quality, persons desiring to fortify themselves or families against the approaching cold weather will do well to visit the establishment of Mr Hamilton, and secure some of the exceptional bargains he has to offer.