Local & General News.

Feilding Star, Volume VI, Issue 100, 7 February 1885, Page 2

Local & General News.

Several additions are made to-day to Stevens and Gorton's Pahnorston stock sale. In another column wo publish an advertisement anent the election of a Licensing Committee for the Borough of Feilding. ,We learn from the Advocate that frost was experinced in parts of the Eangitikei on Thursday night. It was very cold in Feilding. A Fenian has been arrested whilst embarking at San Francisco for Australia, it is believed with the intention of blowing up the Australian prisons with dynamite. A correspondent writes complaining of the bad quality of a parcel of tea purchased by him. His letter is not suitable for our oolumns. The safest place is to buy tea out of the chest. Five arrests have been mado in connection with the illicit distilling cases at Hawera. The prisoners will bo brought up at the E.M. Court, Hawera, on Wednesday next. Ehoda Howard, of Owingsville, Kentucky, is stated to be one hundred and sixteen years of age, and has smoked tobacco for one hundred years. If he had used some of the tobacco consumed in New Zealand he would have been ' ' numbered with his fathers " years ago. It is expected that through trains will run for the first time on the railway between Foxton and New Plymouth on the 25th March — the day of the Hawora races. There will be a connection, when the contract between Hawera and Manutabi is finished, of about 200 miles. His Worship the Mayor, in response to a numerously signed requisition of ratepayers, has called a public meeting, to be held on Thursday next at the Public Hall to discuss matters in connection with the formation of a spepial settlement by taking up some of the Government land now open for selection. The following singular advertisement appears in a Wellington paper : — ' ' Notice. I, John Herbert, of Herbortville, apologise for crying my wife's (E. Jane Herbert) credit down on the oth of January. John Herbert, of Herbertvillo. H.R" John must have had tho fear of something before his eyes when ho went to this oxtent to show his humility. Mr Owen Pleasants, of Taonui road, I has just thrashed 30 sacks of grass seed and stacked six tons of hay from a paddock of four and a half acres, which had been shut up for only throe months. This is a veiy excellent return, when it is considered that the bush has only been felled two years, and the stumps and roots which, yet remain in the ground prevented tho hay being mown very clobb.

The scholars attending the Makmo Road State School were entertained by a picnic in the school grounds yesterday. The usual games were indulged in, and the youngsters heartily enjoyed themselves. A good many older folk wero also present and joined in the fun. A substantial tea was provided by the friends of the scholars, and each of the scholars, and each of the latter received a present, which was handed to them by Mrs Fry, wife of the chairman of the school committee.

At the Benevolent Society's meeting held on Thursday evening it was agreed to incur a further . expenditure of six shillings per week for the present, to provide medicine for one family already receiving supplies from the society. : A small balance is in the hands of the treasurer, but funds will be reqaired immediately. Messrs Webster and Stevens will be happy to receive contributions, to be supplemented by the Government bonus of£for£.

The quarterly inspection parade and muster of 'the Manchester Rifle Volunteer corps was held on Thursday evening last. There was a full attendance of members. The corps was marched on to the corporation paddock adjoining the square/ 1 and put through various evolutions, The band of the corps played the men on to the ground, and during the "march past" drill their services were in requisition. After parade they played the corps into the Public Hall, when, after the.inspection of arms, the prizes for the district firing were distributed,, and the men dismissed.

A certain Bishop of the Epsicopal Church taught his. youngest son to repeat the blessing at the table. For a year the boy had done so, and assumed it to be his special provinc?, though unfortunately he had rather lost sight of the reverent attitude due on the occasion, for one day his father entered the dining-room in great haste, obliged to take a railway train which started in half an hour. Seating himself hurriedly, papa asked a' blessing almost without the 'usual' pause. 5 His Hopeful youngest- listened, watched, ■hiraat'ite closea few. momentspianiLthen ejaculated, " Well, you have got cheek !"

The Cannarvon-Sandon tramway is being worked at a loss of £1 per day. To-day we publish notices anent the next sittings of the Aseessmont Court. The funeral of the late Mrs Child will take place at tho Ilalcombo cemetery to- . morrow afternoon. The Manchester Road Board was sitting as we went to press. A full report will appear next issue. Rewi has succ-pded in obtaining from Mr Ballance the restoration of his pension of L2IO per annum, which was forfeited by Kr Bryce. The arrears are also to be paid. All owners and keepers of dogs within the Borough are reminded of a notice, which appears elswhere, that the amount of doers tax has been fixed at 10s per dog, and that the fees are now due and are payable at the Borough Council office. " Your house is covered with shingles," said one little girl to another," but ours is covered with iron." " Ah, well " said a third and much younger one, " our house is covered with something bettor than cither, for I heard father say that it was covered with a mortgage."

Fresh tenders are invited by the Kiwitea Bond Board for the erection of two bridges and some road formation on the Cheltenham Cross-road, and one bridge on Mackay's line. Tenders will be received up to 2 p.m. on tho lGth inst Plans, specifications, and ghnoral conditions may be seen at tho Board's office, Peilding.

A |serious accident happened to Mr Gnrdiner, a mill owner at Cust, Christchurch early on Wednesday morning. He by some means or other discharged a gun, and the charge lodged in his stomach. Dr (iordan attended the sufferer, who lingered till 8 o'clock on Thursday when he expired. Deceased, who is an old resident, leaves a widow and a large family in comfortable circumstances. Te Kooti and his f oilers met the Hon. Mr Ballance at Kihikihi, when he made Mr Ballance a formal presentation of a handsome dogskin mat and whalebone mere, accompanied by a congratulatory address on behalf of his people. Mr Ballance lhanked him for for his kind expressions towards him, and in a lengthy speech referred to the nitentions of the Government with regard to the natives. He has visited Kewi and had an interview with him. The Dean of Exeter was initiated an Oddfellow, at Exeter recentlj', and Dr Cowie took the opportunity of pointing to the great improvement effected in the position of the professional classes by operstions of life insurance., and in the condition of the working classes, by the, existence of mutual benefit societies. The existence of the nuthrif ty, as well as the thrifty, marie the Socialist's idea of equality impossib c, but these societies placed those dependent on others more on equal terms, and great advantagfe was the result. There are two settlers iv this district ■whose names are spelt and sound somewhat similarly. One is frequently getting letters and other communications intended for the other, and vice versa. Yesterday one was heard to tell the other that he had received some notices re payment of calls in certain companies, in order to meet those companies' overdrafts at their banks. The former said that as he was not a shareholder in either of the companies, tho correspondence was probably intended for his friend. "All right, old man," said the latter, •' I don't care a button as long as you get all the duns. Lot me have the remittances." . A well-known sporting man went to have a tooth stopped. Tho dentist advised him to have the tooth taken out, and assured him that he would feel no pain if he- took laughing-gas. >. " But what is the effect of the gas?" asked the man, "It simply makes you totally insensible," answered the dentist ; "you don't know anything that takes place." I he man submitted, but just previously to the gas being administered, he put his hand into his pocket and pulled out his money. *' Oh. don't trouble about that now ?" said the dentist, thinking he was going to be paid his tee. "Not at all," remarked the patient ; " I was simply going to see how much I had 'sefore the gas took effect."