Local & General News.

Feilding Star, Volume VI, Issue 85, 30 December 1884, Page 2

Local & General News.

A Masonic Lodge is about to be opened at Marton. Thursday next will be observed as a bank holiday. There will be no issue of the Feildino Stab on Thursday next, the Ist of January,. 1885. Mr Henry H. Staite, of Gisborne. died a few days ago after a very short illness. He was a brother, of Mr W. S. Staite, solicitor, of Feilding^ We have to acknowledge receipt of Messrs Stevens and. Gorton's almanack, which gives the respective dates of their sales for 1885. Mr W. Stevens sent to our office to-day a dish of strawberries for our examination and opinion. We have pleasure in stating that they are the largdst and best that nave yet'been grown in Feilding:

The annual cricket match, Canterbury v Otago, which concluded at Christchurch yesterday, resulted in a win for the former by nine wickets. In our report of tho Boxing Day Sports the time for the two-mile walking mutch, viz., "15 seconds," was obviously a printer's error, and should have been "15 minutes." We have to acknowledge receipt from tho Government Printer of the address of Ilia Excellency the Governor on tho defence of New Zealand, and of No. 25 of Hansard. We are pleased to report that the catering of Messrs Summers and Mayhew at the Boxing Day Sports gave everj- satisfaction to their numerous patrons. The luncheon was most excellent and the liquids beyond praise. We have received from Messrs Halcombe and Sherwill, the Feilding agents of the National Insurance Company, that company's almanac and calendar for 1885. It is handsomely got up. People lose their heads during fares. At. Napier last week a man chopped down fruit trees to save them from being burnt. This is equal to throwing mirrors out of tho windows and carrying feather beds downstairs. Mrs Bullor, wife of the late Rev. James Buller, one of the oldest of the Wesleyan missionaries in the colony, died at Christchurch on Monday evening last, having survived her husband only seven weeks. Mr M' Cardie intimated at Friday's sitting of the Land Board, Wellington, that he intended to move at the next meeting for an inquiry into certain alleged cases of dummyism in the Wellington district. We havo to acknowledge receipt from the courteous secretary, Mr F. Mowlem, of a complimentary ticket for the Palmerston United Friendly Societies' Sports, Ball, and Concert, on New Year's Day, 1885. Mr J. Morris has forwarded to this office samples of a broad bean, the pods of which measure 13£ inches in length, and he informs us that he has had somo much longer. The bean is a new kind, and we understand is very prolific, while the eating is delicious. A loan of two and a half millions for New Zealand will probably be placed on the London market on January 11. This j will include the million and a half authorised last session to be borrowed, the remaining million being tho money authorised for the Northorn Trunk Railway. An unfortunate mishap befel a son of Mr Beazar, a settler at Bunnythorpo, yesterday, whoreby his ann was so seriously injured that Dr Johnston, who dressed the injury, deemed it necessary to send the sufferer to the Wanganui Hospital, whence ho was forwarded by train this morning. An official inquiry into the stranding of the Star of the South was held before Dr Giles on Saturday, and resulted as follows : — " The wreck was caused solely by the culpable rashness of the master, Capt. Charles Hodge, in entering the Grey River in reckless disregard of the harbor signals, and it is adjudged that his certificate be suspended for twelve months, and that ho pay the costs of the inquiry. Yesterday afternoon the weather boards near the chimney of the premises occupied by Messrs Gosling on Manchester square caught fire from what must have been a defect in the flue. Fortunately Mr Gosling senior was coming in at the time, and saw the flames, which a bucket of water at once subdued, and thus what might have boon a serious conflagration was prevented. M. de Hirven, the Belgian delegate, considered that the time had not come for the establishment of many new manufactures. Regarding the possibility of a Belgian company being formed to work the Taranaki iron sand, M. de Harven considered tho proposal premature, as wages were too high, and Belgium could sell. New Zoaland raw iron (landed here) at least £2 per ton cheaper than it could be made in the colony. Archdeacon Thorpe, who is about to take charge of St. Matthew's Church, Dunedin (says the Wellington Times), was the recipient, on Wednesday, of a .purse containmg 175.sovereigns, presented to him by Mrs Waterhouse and a committee of ladies, on behalf of the parishioners of St. Paul's. The Archdeacon -has likewise received a handsome clock from the teachers and pupils of the "Sunday School. * Miss Thorpe also received, a tastefully-bound text book. We were somewhat amused this afternoon at the vagaries of a bull which, from the heat of the weather or the novelty of his situation near the sale yards of Messrs Stevens and Gorton, became somewhat alarmed and "made tracks for home." He broke into the Corporation paddook on the Square, where he was followed by several excited horsemen, whose whips and yells did not tend in any degree to sooth his agitated mind. He gallantly cleared the fence near the Court House — an example which was carefully avoided by the riders — and travelled up the railway Ene. M. Comely, the principal writer in the Gaulois, warns Frenchmen not to bo deluded by the pessimist lamentations of I certain English Admirals about the decadence of the British Navy. He maintains that that navy is yet stronger than the French in every part of tho world, and that if France, puffed-up by misleading statistics, were to be so unlucky as to go to war with England, Admiral Courbot, unable to coal, could only bring home such ships as might not be sunk under sail round the Cape, for England would block the Suez Canal. He doprecates the delusion. The newspaper published at New Caledonia(LeNeo Caledonien) writes in strong terms against the proposal to send criminals from France to New Caledonia. One of the arguments used in the Senate in support of the bill was that the same thing was done by England in case of Australia. Le Neo Caledonien contends that it is useless .for this to be cited in support of the bill because the convict element in Australia has been wholly obliterated by free immigration. Le Neo Caledonien says the land in New Caledonia is all required for legitimate colonists, and' the soil is too rich to be set apart for criminals. It is said that when the late John Brown entered the Royal service, the little' princesses were ordered to call him "Mr Brown," and all obeyed except Louise. The Queen thereupon informed her that if Bhe again addressed Mr Brown without a handle to his name she would be sent to bed. Tho next morning, when hepresen^ed himself in tho royal apartments where the family assembled, the little miss said, flippantly, "Good morning, Brown." Then, as she saw the eyes of hor queenmother fixed upon her, she rose, and, with a courtesy, continued, "And good night, Brown ; for I'm going to bed." And she walked resolutely away to her punishment.

During the past year 15,702 Germans have been sentenced for endeavouring to emigrate to avoid military service. Meat preserving works, on an extensive scale, are about to be established at Foxton by Mr \. Easton. Messrs Stevens and Gorton's stock sale this afternoon was fairly attended, and most of the lots passed off under the hammer at rather upward rates. j Marlborough papers state that the late heavy rains have considerably beaten down and damaged the crops in the Wairau. Letters of naturalisation have been issued to Peter Nielsen, settler, Kiwi, County of t >roua, and Marx Voss, farmer, Palmerston North. Elias Laycock is to act aa trainer for Hanlan for his forthcoming: matches with Beach and Clifford. They will shortly take up their quarters at Gladesville. During the current year the property in Adelaide and Port Adelaide destroyed by fire is estimated at £153,050, of which £117,000 was covered by insurance. A Michigan Justice of the Peace advertises : — •' Marriage ceremonies performed at all hours of the day or night. Knots tied after midnight, 50 per cent, extra." An honest Hibernian, being in bed in a great storm, and being told that the house would tumble over his head, made answer : " What care I for the house ? I am only a lodger !" The Chief Justice of Queensland recently committed a man to goal for 24 hours for driving a spring-cart past the Supreme Court and causing noise, after being warned not to do so. Mr Hastie notifies elsewhere his intention to again illuminate the Folding Hotel on New Year's Ere, and invites I the inspection of his friends and the ' public generally. The Makino Band will again perform on "■•he balcony. A correspondent, writing to an exchange en the libel case against the Zea- ] land Times, says :— " The lawyers have the matter in hand, and it is expected that there will be considerable consternation in political circles when it is made known who are the actual proprietors of the journal in question." On Saturday afternoon, about three o'clock, during a thunderstorm which passed over the Kiwitea, some very large hail stones fell, also some blocks of ice which measured in some instances 1£ inches, and weighed about two ounces. No damage was done except to some fruit trees. The new uniforms for the Manchester Rifles, which arrived a few days ago, were served out yesterday by Color-Sergt. Nicholas to a number of the men. As they are well made, consisting of a black helmet and Glengarry cap, scarlet tunic, and black trowsers, they will add much to the soldierly appearance of the men. The writer of the notes in an English paper, the Country Gentleman, says:— " I have found out something. At the greater number of the London restaurants frozen meat is used. And it is not at the shoddy places alone that one is fed with Australian mutton. In certain smart city establishments every inducement is given to the waiters to sell made dishes instead of cuts from the joint. For tbe frozen stuff is best disposed of in this fashion. The middle men are reaping fortunes." A Napier lady, by a sailing ship lenving this port some months ago, forwarded a box of curios to a lady relative in England. Advices of its receipt were received in Napier this week, says the Telegraph, with the addition that on opening the box a live bee was discovered, which, had found the voyage rather long for its liking, and was nearly passing in its cheques in consequence. A little care and feeding, however, brought it round, and now one of the most interesting of that box of curios is the bee who made the voyage as a stowaway. A doctor was much annoyed because 'some of hia patients would persist in consulting him in the street. In this way they thought they would escape being charged a fee, and. indeed, the doctor never put these consultations in the bill. But he adopted a plan to check this mania for gratuitous medical advice. When his carriage was stopped by a patient who exclaimed, " Oh, doctor, I'm so glad to see you — I've got an awful pain in my side," he expressed the greatest concern, and said, " Shut your ayes — close ! Now, show me your tongue." Then he drove off, leaving the patient with his tongue out. j There resides at Copenhagen a man who feeds himself by means of a funnel. His name is Knud Knudson, and hia case has attracted a good deal of attentiou among the medical profession. Knudsen has undergone an extraordinary operation. As his esophagus — the tube connecting the month with the stomach — was contracted to such an extent that he could not take any food, it was found necessary to open his stomach and to insert in tbe opening a rubber tube. The patient passes the fluid food in a funnel connected with the tube, and thus feeds himself. The rnbber tube is supported by a belt. It is stated that the man feels well, and that the surgeons at the hospital believe he may live a long time. He served in both of the Schleswig-Holstein campaigns, has a decoration, and is in receipt ol a pension.