Local and General News

Feilding Star, Volume X, Issue 56, 18 October 1888, Page 2

Local and General News

The new Opera House in Wellington will be opened about the middle of December.

A boy named William Somers, five years of age, was drowned m the Hutt Biver, Wellington, on Tuesday last, by falling out of a boat.

The number of children laid up at present is not decreasing, on the contrary we hear of fresh, casei ev»ry day, but no serious results are anticipated as in each instance the complaint, whether scarletma or scarlet fever, is only of a yery mild character.

Mr Haybittle has now in course of erection, at the back of his store in Fergusson street, a commodious cooling chamber for storing butter preparatory to forwarding it to outside markets. The room is well ventilated and nothing appears to have been left undone to secure the desired end.

The contest for the English Derby of 1890 will be a thoroughly international one. America will be represented, if all goes well, by two colts — one by a horse Kingfisher from Lady Munnore, by King Tom ; and the other by St. Blaise, while Australia will probably be represented by the Hon. J. White's two colts by Chester.

The following are the names of the Peilding jurymen summoned to attend at the District Court, to be held at Palmerston on the 24th instant : — John Adsett, E. Barton, Thomas Barker, John Johnston, Samuel Mills, Thomas Oliver, Anthony Pearson, Wm. Beading, Peter Thompson, "Walter Watts, William Wilson, George Wickham, and Charles Wickham.

Harry Laing met a Victorian middleweight "stranger" in the Oddfellows' Hall, at Timaru, on Saturday evening, undertaking to knock out his opponent in five rounds. It was a most hollow affair ; the stranger was on the floor most of the time in the first round. He was cut short by getting a heavy blow on the side of the head from which he could not recover in time. All was over in four minutes.

"The reason I like to travel first class is that I can there only come in coptact with the better and more refined classes," he Baid, and took his seat between a minion of Cloacina and a desciple of St. Crispin ; while his interlocutor planted himself in a second-class carnage between a member of Parliament and a Doctor of Divinity. This incident occurred a few days ago on the WellingtonManawatu railway.

The Wellington Press, m an article on the New Zealand railways, says : — •• Supposing the passengers to be sober and in their right mmd, — and drunken people and lunatics are very properly excluded from the trains and stations— we know of no safer place in the world than a New Zealand railway. The only injury that anybody could suffer from there is pickness from the oscillation, dislocation of the bones from the jolting, or apoplexy from exasperation at the slowness of the jouraey.*'

A cattle train yesterday afternoon took down seventeen trucks of sheep.

A horse and trap fell over the side of the Gorge road on Tuesday, but both were extricated without injury.

The Minister for Public Work 9 and Minister for Education will probably leave Wellington on Monday on a month's visit to Melbourne.

Mr W. Spnggms notifies in our wanted column that he will have a grand illuminated display, on Saturday night, of boots aud shoes in his shop in Fergusson street.

The libel action brought by the Hon. Mr Larnach against the New Zealand Herald will be heard before a special jury m Wellington at the January sittings of the Supreme Court.

At the Supremo Court, Wanganui, on Tuesday, George Biirnfather jc () t6 month's for burglary, Ludwig Perschfjacher two years' for forgeiy, aud VV. 11. Fisher two years' for foigery.

Messrs J C Morey <nd O-o.'s new a ivertisenieni i- umivon nbi.v held over until Saturday They have a nntire in our wanted column, to which we pqne^t the attention of our readers.

The net proceeds of the entertamment in aid of the Public Library, given by the Feildini- L'aunui Minstrels, were £7 6a. A special vote of thanks will be moved to the performers at the next meeting of the Library committee.

In the Bankruptcy Court at Wellington on Tuesday, Henry Travers, a clerk, applied for his discharge, which his creditors did not oppose. Judge Richmond thought the bankrupt had been rash in mining speculations, and withheld his discharge for twelve months.

The secretary of the Feilding Cricket Club, Mr Wrightson, has shown us a photograph of the cup to be competed tor by the sevpral teams on this coast. It is very hand-some and should be a powerful incentive for every member to put forth his best efforts to assist the club in winning it.

A Yankee marksman writes recom« mending whisky as an antidote for pow« der and dirt crusting in the barrel of a rifle after firing. Before resorting to this ratlier expensive procedure he had tried coal oil and naphtha, all of which failed, ani eventually he filled the barrel of his rifle with high-proof whisky, which he allowed to remain for a few minutes. Applying the " swab " after running off the whisky, he was rewarded by finding the inside of hia barrel shining like a mirror. We are not told what ultimately became of the whisk y.

We regret to learn that Mr J. H. Stevens, our local postmaster, is so ill that Mr L. V. Caldwell was sent from Wanganui to assist Mr Dixon, and Mr Halliday arrived this morning to take charge during the period of Mr Stevens' illness. For some days past the eldest son of Mr Stevens has been suffering from scarlet feyer, and it is thought Mr Stevens has overworked himself m nursing the sick lad, who was kept isolated as much as possible from the other members of the family, and contracted the the infection himself. With good care and attention we expect to see Mr Stevens at hia post again in a very few dayß.

For many weary months the Press Association deluged the newspapers of this colony with telegrams aneut the throat of the late Emperor of Germany, with whose death we hoped the matter would end. We are bitterly disappointed. The doctors havo now got up a lively discussion on the cause of his death, consequently the Press Association has followed suit and wires minute particulars of the progress of the dispute, which are quite uninteresting, and are not eveu amusingly stupid. When will people get sense ? News received at Auckland on Tuesday from Dargaville states that a man named John Beglej' had a narrow escape of his life on the 10th inst. A railway tram was nearing Maropia, when Begley tfas discovered by the brakesman (Bhodes) lying asleep some distance off with his head across the line. The brakes were put down, but it was impossible to stop the train, and Bhodes at a great risk let himself down in front of the leading wheel, and when the train approached kicked the man's head off the rail. The box of the carriage caught Begley by the shoulder and tfcrew him a few feet, breaking his collarbone.

A gentleman who has considerable knowledge on the subject informs the Xorth Otago Times that the recent rise in the price of wheat nietns an additional £35,000 to the farmers of the district. Tins represents the difference between the price wheat was selling at some months ago and the price that can now be obtained for it. As the wheat was mostly in farmers hands, they will receive the direct benefit. If (asks the Otago Daily Times) in wheat alone there is a clear gain of £35,000 what additi< nal sum can be added for the rise in the prices of other products— such as dairy produce, other cereals, frozen meat, wool, potatoes, &c ?

Says the Post : — " Wherever you meet Scotchmen," said the Key. J. Berry in his sermon at the Wesley Church on Sunday night, " they are always at the top of the tree, and if you want an argument in favour of the nutritious properties of oatmeal you can point to the fact that the middle classes have boen reared upon it, and they they are the finest race on the earth to-day." This remark caused a very audible titter on the part of the congregation, but Mr Berry assured his hearers that he said it in all seriousness, and added that there was a still greater thing, and that was that m every Scottish home the Bible was read, and this, combined with the oatmeal, had made the Scotchmen such a fine race.

The live stock traffic on the Manawatu railway has been increasing in a most remarkable manner during the last twelve months. The following statistics illustrating this fact have been supplied to the Post by Mr James Wallace, the general manager : — During the four weeks from 17th September to 13th October the company carried over their line 99 trucks, containing 727 head of cattle, and 350 trucks containing 20,433 sheep. During the corresponding period last year the figures were 45 trucks containing 585 head of cattle, and 61 trucks containing 5213 sheep, The company expect that the present average will be kept up until Christinas, which is generally looked upon as the end of the meat export season.

Mr S. J. Thompson, of the Red House, Feilding, has been appointed sole agent in Feilding for the "scrub exterminator." It is not a machine to be worked by steam or by horse power, neither is it a tool of any sort to be worked by the hands of man, as might be supposed, but a chemical preparation, which, when applied to scrub, briar, gorse, docks, sorrel, etc. , destroys the same. The manufacturers, who are a Melbourne firm, have receiyed numerous testimonials from farmers, gardeners, and nurserymen, testifying to its destructive qualities, and highly recommending it to agriculturists and horticulturists. Mr Thompson is now opening up a consignment, aud will be willing to give information to persons wishing to test the " scrub exterminator," — Advt.

There will be a sitting of the H.M. Court here on Tuesday next.

It is looked on here as a dead certainty ;hat Mr Parsons -will defeat Mr Laird for the Wanganui mayoralty.

By telegram from Sydney we learn that Charles Henry has at last been arrested and will bo forwarded at once to New Zealand.

The total sum received by Sir Morell Mackenzie for his services to the lale Emperpor of Germany is said to amount to 300,000 marks (£15,000.

Cobbe and Darragh have a good selection of garden tools, consisting of spades, rakes, hoes, and trowels. They also hold a large stock of Yates' renowned garden seeds,

Mr Atkins, architect to the Wanganui Education Board, invites tenders for the erection of a scho.<l master's house at Stan way. The plans' &c, are at Mr .vherwill's office.

Another unutterably silly cablegram has reached us to day anent the Sir Morrell Mackenzie and German doctor trouble. In order to give tone to the shindy the name of Her Majesty the Queen has now been dragged in.

We learn from the Manawatu Herald that two of Voltigeur's stock, which were amongst Mr John Stevens' recent shipment of horses to India, were the first sold, and realised fifty guineas each. Voltiguer is now the property of Mr T. Wilson, of Carnarvon.

We publish an inset to-day from the now famous Red House in which a few particulars are given of the Spring and Summer stock just opened up by the proprietor, Mr S. J. Thompson. It will be seen that the list includes every requisite to satisfy even the most fastidious taste. Particulars of shipments per Arawa and Aorangi will be published immediately on arrival.

In an article on the peculiar management of our railways which compels a Palmerston timber merchant to cart his timber from Makino because it is cheaper to do so than carrying it by rail, the Manawatu times asks, " Does it not seem ridiculous?" Does our contemporary not know by this time that the more absurd a thing is the more it recommends itself to the railway authorities P

Grocer — Good morning, sir, what can I do for you this fine Mr. Smith — Don't expect any more of my custom, sir. I've discovered that pure family lard jou sold me is half cotton seed oil, and you'll take it back or I'll sue. sir I'll Mr. Isaacka (rushing in)— Mr. Grocer, you von sheet und schwindler. I sue you right avay. Dot bure vegitable cotton seed frying oil vat jou sell me is halif hog grease.

" Theek's a good time coming, boys." What with the gold discoveries at Mahakipawa, copper lodes, alum deposits and other minerals constantly being revealed, and the prices of our staple products on the ascending scale, we may hope and confidently expect in the near future a vast improvement in the fortunes of the colony, and a large increase to the voluma of business at Te Aro House, Wellington.

We are amply prepared for such a result. All our departments are stocked with the newest goods, most advantage* ously bought. Our utmost efforts here, coupled with the ability of our buyer in the Home market, have for this season enabled us to give greater variety and better value than is usually to be bnd, while the prices are exceptionally low at Te Aro House, Wellington.

It may be possible to come near us as to quantity in the matter of hats, scarfs, ties, braces, portmanteaux, carpet bags, &c, &c , but for real, sterling value in these and all other articles we are simply unrivalled at Te Aro House, Wellington

Need we say more? Verb. sap. The man who is wise in his generation will go for these goods to the Wholesale Family Drapery Warehouse, Te Aro House, Wellington.

Gentlemen more especially will find we can cater more advantngeously for their wants in the mercery department. No firm can show a better assortment of shirts, while, rpgatta, Oxford or Crimean, underclothing, such as undershirts and pants in cotton, merino, silk or flannel, socks of erery description and the best makes, than are now on view at Te Aro House, Wellington.

Our only address — James Smith Te Aro House, Wellington.