Local & General News.

Feilding Star, Volume VI, Issue 105, 19 February 1885, Page 2

Local & General News.

The Manawatu Butter Factory shipped 57 kegs of butter by the Aorangi.

Mr Wilfred Jackson left by train yesterday morning, en route for Auckland.

There is a good opening for a steady man in Feilding to start business aa a barber.

The Government invites competitive designs for a Custom House in Auckland. The cost is not to exceed £12,000

An ordinary meeting of the Borough Council will be held this evening at a quarter past eight.

Mr D. Proudfoot has commenced an action against the Bank of New Zealand in which damages are laid at £300,000. No information is to hand as to the cause of action.

We have received from the secretary of the New Zealand Industrial Exhibition, 1885, a number of the official programmes and forms of application for space. We refer our readers to the advertisement, which appears in another column.

It is stated that footrot is assuming alarming proportions amongst the sheep on the Canterbury Plains. Many experts who have had experience of both scab and footrot state tnat they would rather encounter and could more easily cope with the former.

The Wellington Post remarks that it is noted that Mr Macarthur's recent address to his constituents of Manawatu is the first occasion for 13 years that the electors of that district have been addressed during the continuance of a Parliament by then* representative.

Tire Taranaki Herald is vety angry with its Wanganui namesake for poaching on its preserves. It considers the conduct of a representative of the latter journal in " cadging for a few shillings' worth of job printing" in New Plymouth as " very lowering."

A number of children named McCormick were nearly poisoned at Oamaru, some days ago, through eating the poisonous berries of the tutu plant. Two doctors had to be called in, and under their care the children have recovered, though at one time the lives of several were despaired of.

The Napier Education Board has decided "that unless Government will provide funds for necessary buildings, the Board will cease to act, and leave Government to administer the Education matters in this district." All the schools are over-crowded, an average of 123 children attend for each 100 places provided.

As excursion trains have proved such a success on other lines, we would suggest to the secretary of the Feilding Jockey Club that he endeavor to make arrangements with Mr Rotheram, the District Manager, to run excursion trains from Wanganui and Foxton simultaneously for the benefit of those persons desirous of attending the Easter Monday Races.

Mr Edwin Toung has just received a consignment of most delicious fruit of all descriptions We observe among others, oranges, lemons, cocoanuts, apples, pears, peaches, plums, and apricots. This is the best sample of fruit that has been in Feilding for sometime. As Mr Toung is desirous of quitting them promptly the prices are exceptionally low.

We are glad to learn that the hint we gave a short time ago with reference to Bpecial prizes for needlework to girlß attending the Feilding State School is likely to bear fruit, and that more than one prize for that object will be offered. We hear also that a prize is to be offered for the best scholar in New Zealand geography.

Messrs Reid and Gray's twine binder beat the field at the great contest which came off on the 10th instant, at Oamaru. Among those which competed were McCormick's, Woods' Samuelson's, Deering's, Osborne (2), Howard's Johnstone's champion. Reid and Gray's proved itß supiorority over them all, and thus added another victory to its name. Four acres af heavy laid crop were finished in two hours and eleven minutes. Out of the 11 machines which competed only 6 finished.

The Makino Brass Band will play on Manchester Square on Saturday, 21st February, the following programme : — 1. Quick March, " Royal Lancaster" — E. Newton. 2. Overture, " L'lntrepide" — L. Bousquier. 3. Valse, " Peirrot"— Joseph Meissler. 4. Selection, " Nell Gwynne" (comic opera) — R. Planquette. fi. Lancers, " Merry Songs" — E.Newton. 7. Valse, " Cordelia"— R. Smith. 6. Fantasia, "La Passirelle" — F. Boisson. 8. Fastasia, "The Sacred Lyre"— E. Newton. " God save the Queen."— J. P. Cubreen, Bandmaster. We are sorry to have to again call attention to a practice which prevails among the youth of the town and neighborhood of doing wanton mischief to vacant property. The place near the railway line known as "the Priest's house, and which property comprises a well-stocked fruit garden has been empty for only a week or two, pending its occupation by the new tenants, and yet every tree has been stripped, the windows ef the house broken, and the place generally made one scene of desolation. It is a pity the perpetrators of such criminal mischief cannot be made to suffer in some way for their conduct. It is pleasing to hear visitors remark upon the neatness, cleanlines, and general order observed at our Public Library and Reading Room, and the ample and various hill of fare to be found upon the table of the latter. One who has visited the reading rooms at some of the largest towns in the colony reoently remarked that many of them are not better supplied withpapers and jperiodicals than the one at Feilding. One thing, however, is observed, and that is the comparative scarcity of books upon our Library shelves. Youth, however, may be pleaded as the principal excuse of this fault, which is one for which time will provide a remedy. J. W. Crabtree, a prisoner who is undergoing a sentence of 13 years in Lytteltongaol for horse-stealing and larceny, made a most determined attempt to escape on Tuesday afternoon. He was with a gang of prisoners working on the reclamation works at Sticking Point. An acoident occurred to a man named Higgins, whose leg was injured by some stones falling on it. While the waaders were attending to Higgins, Crabtree took off his boots, and ran up the hills. He waa fired at by Warder Gilohrist, and missed, and stripping off his clothes as he ran, Crabtree gave his prfrsuers a hot ohase for about a mile. Eventually he waa oaptured close to the water edge at the foot of a precipice 20 feet deep, down which he had dropped. He was mich exhausted when takes.

Wisconsin hop-growers sow buckwheat in their yards upon which the lice will feed in preference to hops.

Mr Pharasyn, the thir I mortgagee, was the purchaser of section 4 of subdivision E:, offered for sale to-day by Messrs Halcombe and Sherwill. The prioe was £9 per acre.

A quantity of bush was burning near town this afternoon, contrary, as we learn, to the wish of the owner. The sparks were flying over the centre of the town, and some pieces of burning kiekie were pick el up near Manchester Square.

The Government intend to try the experiment of selling railway tickets at the post offices nearest to railway stations. The experiment will, in tbe first instance, be tried at Christchurch, and should it prove successful it will become universal throughout the colony.

The following errors appeared in the critique published in last Saturday's issue : — In the sentence, " The source of all pervading sight," " sight " should be "light." "The old idea" should be " the odd idea." In the finishing sen* tences, the word "banquet" should be " bouquet."

The Bulls Horticultural Show was held on Tuesday last, and we learn that it was favored with splendid weather, excellent receipts, and a very good all round collection of exhibits. The only class poorly represented was cut flowers. It is said that considering the season the show of fruit was remarkably good all round.

We hear that a movement is on foot for getting up a display of fireworks here on the night of Paster Monday next. It is to be on a much larger scale than the one which took place on Christmas Ere. The- funds are to be raised by subsciption, with the understanding that no money is collected till after the affair has been duly advertised.

In the London newspaper Life, of 25th December, the following paragraph appears :— " A director of the Swedish Match Company (Limited) has, through his solicitor, applied to the puhlic prosecutor to issue his fiat for a criminal prosecution for libel of the financial paper called Money." This is the paper that has been defaming Sir Julius Yogel.

A meeting was held this afternoon at Messrs Halcombe and Sherwill's ©ffice for the purpose of taking steps to form an Acclimatisation Society for the Manchester and Kiwitea districts. We understand that the boundaries were defined, bye- laws adopted, and prepared for the Colonial Secretary, to whom they will be forwarded to be gazetted.

As an evidence of the adaptability of this district and climate for the growth of fruit, to-day we had tbe pleasure of seeing the first orange grown in the open air in Feild intc. Mr Wm. Stevens, in whose orchard the fruit was produced, informs us tbat the number of oranges en his tree is small, but he is satisfied that he will now be able to produoe a regular crop.

Mr Bray, who has recently had his dwelling house in Gnr atreet considerably enlarged, has just had it painted by the new pigment known as " terra cotta." which is simply a prepared earth. This is merely mixed with oil, and forms a very cheap paint. The colour it a dark salmon, and its effect can be better judged of by seeing it than by any description we can give.

Our Feilding contemporary says : — Although it rained heavily on Sunday night last at Palmerston, not a drop fell in Feilding or in the vicinity." This is certainly a rank injustice to the town for which calendars have been and seasons should be arranged. It is just like Palm, orston's selfishness to take every drop of rain. If Feilding forgives on this occa•ion Palmerston will be glad to pass on the next earthquake as a mere act of justice to the sister township. — Palmer ston Times.

Mr W. A. Ellis, of Auckland, President of the New Zealand Psycological Society, was on a visit to Feilding yesterday. By invitation, about 2') persons, including several of our leading citizens, met bim at the house of a private resident, whore a * sitting " was held. Several remarkable "tests" in clairvoyance, clairaudience, and " psycometry " were given by Mr Ellis, some ef which were particularly well done. Tbis gentleman has promised to pay another visit to Feilding if possible at an early date, and give a public lecture on the subjects referred to.

It is thought by some people says the Pest that New South Wales is not entitled to the honour of beine the first colony to offer to send assistance to England in the present Soudan emergency. It will be remembered that a few days days ago it was announced by cable that 600 of the Canadian militia were expected in London to do garrison duty in place of the Guards ordered to Egypt. The explanation of this is held to be that the Canadian Government made the offer of this assistance prior to that of New South Wales. It may be forgotten hy many that Canada rendered valuable assistance to the Mother Couatry at the time of the Indian mutiny by rising a regiment which was afterwards incorporated in the regular British army, and beoeme known as 101 st Foot