Local & General News.

Feilding Star, Volume VI, Issue 109, 28 February 1885, Page 2

Local & General News.

The drawing of the " Armadalo" sweep has been postponed for another month. Volunteers attending captain's parade on Tuesday evenings may attend in plain cl«th^s or in the old uniform of the corps. The Sydney correspondent of the Otago Witness says Beach is confident of beating Hanlan in the forthcoming race. At least 15 persons in England and Wales are said to have committed suicide over the Oriental Bank failure. The Dunedin Citizen, edited by Mr "W. Hutchison, ex M.H.E. of Wellington, abuses the Native Minister most virulently for the Te Kooti affair. Waipawa (Hawke's Bay) was enveloped in smoke the other day from the bush fires in the Peilding district. The smoke crossed the Euahine Eanges — 60 miles. Pulmonary consumption is the cause of one death in twelve in New York State, and the State Board of Health have laid tho caused to be bad ventilation of schoolrooms, Two barristers recently had a quarrel. | The row became serious, and one called ! the other a jackass. He then went into court and referred to him as " my learned ' brother." i The avorage person speaks about 120 words a minute. This estimate is considerably short of that required when a trunk-lid falls on a speaker's head when he is hunting for a button. The Willmott Dramatic Company have been playing a long season in Blenheim. ! The company has been remodelled since it played here and among its members is Mr . Harry- Diver, a son of tho late Dr Diver, . who it will be remembered was " cut off ■ with a shilling" in his father's will, because of his refusal to be educated for the medical profession. The Auckland Star, writing of Mr Ballance, says : — " No Minister, since responsible government was established in New Zealand, succeeded to power with such brilliant opportunities and under such favorable circumstances as Mr Ballance; and no one has so speedily destroyed the hopes that centred in a change of administration. Every sentence of Mr Ballance's address to the natives at Kihikihi is pregnant with evidence of utter want of knowledge of native character, and singular ignorance of the practical difficulties which would attend.the workingof hisscheme." Our namesake appears to have formed rather a hasty judgment. Mr Ballance has a thorough knowledge of tho native character, and knows, beeides, perfectly well what he is about.

Mr Jensen will send to the Industrial I Exhibition a "Combination Firostand and Eoiler." I

Angelina (who had never seen a revolving light be-fore): "How patient and prosevering those sailors must be. Ktlwin. The wind has blown that light out six times since thoy first lit it, and they'vo lighted it again each time."

" How came those holes in your elbows r"' wad tho widow Smith to the irrepressible small boy. " Oil, mother, I hid behind the sola when little Jack llornr-r was suyin' to our Jule that he'd take her, even if you had to bo thrown in ; and he didn't know I was there, and so I held in and laughed in my sleeves till 1 burst 'em."

Officer inspecting ranks; SergeantMajor following. Officer: "Private Atkins hasn't shaved this morning, Sergeant-Major. " Sergeant-Major: "He is goiug to lot his board grow, sir," Officer: "I can't have men coming on parade liko this. Any man wanting to grow a board must do it in his own time and not on parade."

A man named Fredrick Lynees, who was arrested in the morning at Halcombo was brought up on Thursday afternoon before H. L. Sherwilll. Esq., J*P., charged on the information of Constable* Median, under tho Vagrancy Clause of the Police Offences Act, with having no visible moans of support. He pleaded guilty, and was sentencod to three months imprisonment in Wanganui gaol.

A gentleman in town has a common hon which is about 14 years of age, and continues to lay well. A day or two ago he importer], and introduced into lub poultry yard, a game cock. The hen at once tackled the new chum in a most vigorous manner, and seizing him by the neck, dragged him a considerable distance, effecting in fact a complete victory over the intruder, and compelling him to retire.

Frederick Lyness, who was brought up at the Police Court on Thursday was evidently an old " canary," as it was shown that no less than 23 convictions had been previously recorded against him. It seems he is well-known in Wangauui, and was thoroughly .familiar with the internal arrangements of ono of its Government establishments. As there is no place liko home" he was again sent there to .spoud another happy throe months of his life.

J. Roberts, junr., the famous billiardplayor, is literally covering himself with glory just now. A few weeks ago I had to tell you how ho made the best spot-stroke-barred score on record (322), and then how he beat this with 327. Last week he succeed in lowering the last record, lie was playing a match of 12,000 up with Ered Bennett, and at the end cf tho second day had an unfinished break of 160. On starting on the third afternoon Roberts played with his usual brilliant stylo, and completed another 200 before lie broke down. Tho record now, therefore, is 3GO.

Tho Post is very severe on the youths of Now Zealaud who are volunteering for tho Soudan, and more than hints that the feeling of patriotism is not genuine. Our contemporary contemptuously says in its local columns on Monday last — " We are sorry to ccc that a number of volunteers and others are making themselves ridiculous by offering their services for the Soudan. It is perfectly well known that offers of the kind cannot be accepted, and tho making them with a foreknowledge that they will bo refused is certainly no proof of courage, but really rather the reverse." This is hardly fair; whiletheslur cast on tho courage of our Volunteers is not justified by the past history of the wars in New Zealand.

We (New Zealand Times) have been requested to state that Mrs Eade, who died at tho hospital from blood poisoning recently, and who was buried at her own request, under the auspices of the Salvation Army, was employed by the Wellington Ladies' Christian. Association to visit the houses of those in want of assistance as a Bible woman. The Ladies' Association, however, had nothing to do with the Salvation Army funeral. The deceased, who was a veiy conscientous and hard-working woman, had been very successful in her occupation, and her loss is much regretted by the Ladies, Association. She came to New Zealand with very favprable testimonials from Mrs Leonard, superintendent of the London Biblo Woman's Mission, from the Rev. Mr Barnott, vicar of Whitechapel and others.

Here are some examination absurdities — bonafida answers, says a home paper, to questions set in recent examinations, which appear in the Journal of Education : — (I) " First they made the Apostles' Creed, but no ono would believe it, so they made the Nicene Creed and some didn't believe it, then they made the Athanasian Creed, and that no one could help believing;" (2) "William Pitt began life by playing the cornet in the Blues ;" (3) " Dryden was a man in high position, Pope lower, Johnson was still lower. Johnson was a frequenter of the Cock Tavern in the Strand;" (4) "Zacharias and Elizabeth had a son named John. When lie grew older he had his head cut off to please a young lady." Men have had their heads turned " all on account of a lady," but cut off — never, at least by their own consent. -

The February number of The Wellington Landed Property Guide just published by Messrs Kennedy Macdonald & Co., the well-known land and mercantile auctioneers, Panama street, is without exception the most complete publication of its kind that has come under our notice. Besides giving details of : upwards of a thousand properties for sale by the auctioneers on advantageous terms, it contains a record of land sales that have been made in the different districts of the colony. This in itself is most interesting, and becomes a record of the value of landed estate in the different localities. We notice that the guide contains the details of a number of Foilding properties which are for sale on easy terms, and which should interest some of our readers, who should apply for a copy to the auctioneers, who will supply them free of charge.

Among othor delicacies which are imported into this colony from America is a small fish called the candlefish. It is somewhat expensive, but is much appreciated by epicures. Now; we have in abundance in New Zealand waters, two kinds of fish which are equal if : not superior to the candlefish — the garfish, and the grayling. The former is to be had in millions in the Auckland bays and in Cooks Strait's while the latter 'is equally plentiful in the West Coast rivers of the Middle Island. The fish, possess the same peculiarities being almost bonelops, and of -singular sweetness of flavour. In the experiments of tinning' several varieties of fish, with the object of ascertaining which is most suitable for export and consumption, to be made by Mr Banks, the manager of the Auckland Frozen Meat Company, we expect the two kinds mentioned will be the most popular. *

Bishop Had field will be in Feilding on Sunday, the 22nd March.

The advertisement of Messrs Thynne Lin ton and Cos. next caltle sale at Foxton will appear in our next issue.

Pnrmir fhe present month Messrs Nelson .Bros, will have turned out of (heir Freezing works at Tomoana over 22.0"0 frozen carcasses of mutton, which will have been shioped in the bay to thi* sh'fiiniT lonic and ships Lady Joceljn Opawa, by the steam lighter Weka.

When Mr G C. Milne, the clerical actor, was playing "Hamlet" in Texas recently an odd incident took place. A cio« fight began, and the combative canines jumped on the stage -just as " Hamlot" was soliloquising on suicide, " One of them, says the local paper. " fastened his toeth into Mr Milne's leg, causing a ghastly wound from which the sawdust poured upon the stage. It was a pitiful sight to see Mr Milne shrinking from his* usual plumpness to a decided lameness."

At the Public Hall on Wednesday, while the business of the Horticultural Show is going on, Mr Hunt, the wellknown florist, will have for sale in a part of the lin.ll which has kindly been allotted to him by the committee, a splendid assortment of flowering and foliage shrubs. Mr Hunt's well-known skill as a tlorist will be a guarantee that each shrub will be of the best of its kind. The prices will be remarkably low, so persons desirous of obtaining a few ornamental pot plants will now have a splendid opportunity for doing so.

It is well known with what care the Masons guard their secrets, and how jculous they are of the intrusion of the fair sex ; hut one of the ineligihle of mankind very nearly entered a local lodge the other night. It was on the occasion of St. Mary's Church Concert, which was advertised to take place in the Freemason's Hall. The building meant was of course, the old hall, but a lady unthinkingly concluded it was the new one. The windows of the latter were lit up the same evening, and the sound of music could be heard within, so she attempted to enter. The brethren are not so sanguinury now as they were in the days of yore, so the lady was allowed to retreat wiithout being branded or treated otherwise according to ancient custom. — Taranaki Herald.

A rather amusing instance of absence of mind occurred in town yesterday. A person from an adjoining settlement rode in treat haste up to a certain shop door, and hitching up his horse, and taking: a piece of paper from his pocket breathlessly entered said shop. " I hope to goodness you havn'fc got a bill for me said the trembling proprietor " "Oh no," was the reply; " I am in great hurry, and want you to make up this prescription, while I do a little more business." " All right," said the vendor of anything but pills and potions, " I'll have it made up by the time you return," and taking the long document written in strange and to him unintelligible characters into the next shop, the maker of cordials got from the mixer of physic the exact preparations

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