Local and General News

Feilding Star, Volume X, Issue 43, 18 September 1888, Page 2

Local and General News

The Palmerston Fire Brigade will hold sports on tde Prince of Wales' Birthday. We notice the contractor for the theatre adjoining Mrs Hastie's Hotel, is making good progress with the work. The Manchester Rifles will parade on Friday next when Lieutenant-Colonel Stapp will inspect the Company. Jf we may judge from the stale yarns and things which appear in the Advocate, the tree of knowledge of that journal is the " Chestnut" tree. We have to acknowledge receipt of the Prospectus of the Waipawa Industrial and Art Exhibition to be opened on Wednesday December sth, 1888. The Chriitchureh Telegraph calculates that it will require sixty ships to take Home the output of the wheat crop from Oumaru, Timuru, and Lyttelton. Another of Wellington's pioneer settlers, named Thomas Burt, died at the age of 69 years. Deceased leaves a grown ' up family to mourn his loss, amongst { them being Mrs Henry Sanson, of Sanson. The Marton Advocate justly remarks he is unable to teach history, and we cordially endorse the statement, and feel pleased he should so openly and candidly confess his ignorance. The Albanian garrison at Metyoro, exasperated at non-receipt of their wages revolted on the 15th August, and burned ten houses and killed a number of Christians, and then plundered many shops. We understand that a movement is on foot to have Wednesday afternoon appointed as the regular half holiday in the Forough instead of Saturday as at present. The reason assigned for the desired change is that numbers of employes who could have Wednesday afternoon, cannot get away on Saturday. It is probable the various business people of the Borough will be canvassod on the subject at an early date. By an Order : in Council the following fees are fixed under the Coroners Act, 1888 :— To the Coroner or Justice holding an inquest, £1 Is ; mileage one way, Is 6d per mile. To medical witness, £1 Is ; for making a post mortem examination, £3 3s ; mileage of more than two miles away from the place where the inquest is held, one way, per mile, Is 6d. To the holder of a publican's license on whose premises shall be received any dead body for the purpose of an inquest, £1. A shocking case of human sacrifice is reported from the Central Province, near Isagpore. A boy of sixteen was offered in sacrifice to the gods, in accordance with a superstition , that human sacrifices caused a bountiful' harvest. The boy's head was severed from the body and offered to a goddess, while the trunk of the body was offered to a god. The case is under investigation bj' the police, and fears are expressed that this horrible custom is prevalent in the Central Provinces. Harry Donovan, of New York, champion bridge jumper of the world, leaped from the Clifton Bridge, over the river Avon, England, on the morning of August 7, and met his death. The bridge has the highest span of any in Great Britain, and Donovan made the leap without any special preparation for the feat. There was an apparent collapse of the body before it struck the water, and the unfortunate man is believed to have died m mid-air. His body did not rise to the surface after sinking. Donovamhad previously leaped from Brooklyn Bridge, Niagara, and London bridge. H^e was about 24 years of age. and a compositor by trade. Later despatch say that Donovan's body had been found in the water at Doptford.

Captain Edwin telegraphs at 9 a.m. to-day : — Warnings to expect strong | south winds have been sent to all places north of Napier and New Plymouth. j They are getting up a real ice rink in j Melbourne. The slabs f or. the floor will ■ be cut from the Victoria glacier on Mount •■ Cook. When we begin to send ice to Mcl- j bourne "a cool thou" or two will be added to our total exports. ■■■■ i Two sons of Mr Bellve were riding a i pony yesterday afternoon <when the. little, animal bolted and threw the youngsters. ! The eldest one was cut on the face and leg, but the youngest escaped unhurt. The injired lad was assisted home to his parents house by some neighbors, and we are glad to learn he is doing well. On the railway platform yesterday, at mid- day, a sturdy aboriginal was seen to j wildly clutch at the tattered linings of a | once fashionable . black cloth coat, then run his fingers through his woolly locks, and bolt towards the Empire. In a few minutes he returned, looking like the baby in the picture when it has secured a "Mignon" piano, bearing in his right grasp a roll of one hundred pounds in notes — this being the proceeds of a recent land sale, which he had dropped on the footpath, and so quickly, and fortunately, recovered, Yesterday's Palmerston Times says: — We regret to hare to record the death of Mrs R. Kibbiewhite. which occurred at 4 o'clock on Saturday a c ternoon, at her residence, Palmerston. Deceased was an old settler, having arrived in Wellington in 1842 in the ship Clifton, Deceased was 73 years of age, and leaves eleven children— 7 sons and four daughtersand over 50 grandchildren. The funeral took place this afternoon and was largely attended by friends and members of the family, some of whom came through from Matterton, Marton, Feilding, and elsewhere. A young man, named John Fergusson, laborer, of Halcembe, met with a very serious accident this morning. He had placed a slasher on the far side of a fence, aud, in getting over the latter, the rail turned in his hand. Fergusson fell forward on the slasher, which was lyin? with its edge upwards, and cut a ghastly wound in his left arm at the elbow, severing an artery. The wound was temporarily bandaged up, and the injured man placed on a horse, when, accompanied by a brother, he rode in to Feilding to Dr Johnston, who stopped the bleeding, and stitched up the wound. The sufferer has lost a good deal of blood, but is in no danger. There was a narrow escape from a serious fire here last night about ten o clock. It appears that Dr Johnston's housekeeper was in her room upstairs preparing to retire, when a window curtain was ignited by a lamp burning near. Miss N. Parr was also in the room adjoining, and the alarm was at once given. With commendable prudence one of the ladies shut the dividing door between the rooms, so that the fire was isolated. Mr James Shields was quickly on the spot, and, as there was no water at that time available, he beat out the flames with a heavy counterpane. In a few minutes plenty of willing hands were ready to give all necessary assistance; but their services were happily not required. However, Dr Johnston, in another column, tenders them his best thanks for their intended kindness. The whole value of the damage done would be covered by a few shillings. We understand that the house and furniture are covered by insurance. ________^_____