Local and General News

Feilding Star, Volume XIII, Issue 102, 25 February 1892, Page 2

Local and General News

Mr J. Slipper has been gazetted postmaster at Bunnythorpe. There will bo a tea meeting and dance in th.o Mangaoce Hall, Oolyton, to-mor-row evening. The timber is being placed on the ground for Mr J. Hugh's shops in Manchester street, opposite the Denbigh Hotel. Mr Grattan Biggs and his talented company have been drawing crowded houses on their return visit to this coast. Our readers are reminded of the performance to take place to-morrow night in the Assembly Rooms, when the " Shadows I of a Great City " will be produced. It is stated that the Governor was willing to appoint Messrs W. Montgomery, B. Eichardson, J. A. Tole, H. Feldwick, W. C. Walker, and Sir W. Buller, as Legislative Councillors, but would not agree to the appointment of nine others whose names were submitted by the Ministry. The Otogo Daily Times has a very severe article on the Primate's conduct during the recent session of the Synod. It says he has no possible qualification for the office he holds, and characterises his action towards Caaoa Hovrell as " paltry meanness — meanness that is m» tolerable because it is so paltry." If we may form an opinion from the expressions used by our contemporaries on this coast, there will be " a strike" amongst the proprietors against the Press Association for supplying such " awful trash" from London. The messages re " Lidderdale" should be the last straw to break the camel's back. The Wanganni Chronicle, referring to Mr A. W. Brown who recently levanted from Wellington, says: — " We fear there is too much truth in Mr Brown's plea that the demands upon his time and his means during his long connection with public affairs hayo largely contributed to his financial breakdown. Mr Brown was a capable and energetic man of affairs, and won golden opinions from the representatives who were present at the Municipal Conference in Wellington last winter, over which he presided. Lieutenant - General Page (formerly Lieut. Page, of M.M. 58th regiment, who served in the New Zealand campaigns), writing from Eastbourne, England, to Sergeant - Major Haslam, of Auckland, says: — "Do you know what became of tho bugle that Allen, the bugler, used on the 16'h May, 1846 ? There was a tablet of white marble put up in the church at Auckland, siuce pulled down, with the names of those who were killed. I could not ascertain, when in Auckland in 18G8, what had become of it, Certainly it should have been put up in some other church, but I am not sure at this date whether it was not at Wellington, which would haye been the proper place." It will be romembered that in the Hutt war the natiyes surprised a post of the troops. The bugler endeavoured to sound the alarm, when he was wounded in the right arm while sounding the bugle, and catching the bugle with his left hand he gave the alarm, till that arm was struck down also, and the heroic bugler killed by being tomahawked. Perhaps some old soldiers may bo able to furnish lmformation on tho other points raised by Lieutenant - General Pago's noto. This letter is of historical intorost. Many old Wellington residents will remember that there existed a fear that tho namo of Allen the bugler, whose heroic conduct is mentioned, was lost.

A nieeting of the Fire Brigade will be held to-morrow night. The Primitive Methodists of Awahuri contemplate building a chnrch there. The Assessment Court will sit to-mor-row, and afterwards the B.M. will dispose of certain cases held over from last Court day. Teacher— "ln the sentence, ' The sick boy loves his medicine,' what part of speech is ' loves ?' " Johnny—" It's a lie, mum." Wo learn from the Manawatn Times that Mr Walkely, of the Commercial Hotel, Palmerston North, has sold out to Miss Crawford, of Wellington. Work has now commenced in connection with the erection of Mr Hugli's shops in Manchester Street. Mr Rawlingon is supervising the work for Mr Munro, the contractor. It is stated that Lord Onslow has insured his son Hnia in the Government Insurance Office for .£2,500; to be paitl over when tho youngster becomes 18 years of age. Captain Edwin telegraphs :— Weather forecast for 24 hours from 9 a.m. to-day — Warnings for westerly gales have been sent to all places south of Napier and New Plymouth. A Masterton farmer was asked what were his chief troubles. He replied : "Well, I'm darned if I know. What with the Land Tax and the Hessian fly, a man don't know how to turn." Mr Houston, of New Plymouth, was the successful tenderer for the removal oi the Bank of New Zealand premises from Halcombe to Feilding. The work is to be commenced on the Bth of March, The Court Journal states that the Governorship of New Zealand was offered to Sir Herbert Maxwell, M.P., who, however, declined it. The Hon. baronet is not anxious to retire from active political life. The weather fortunately cleared up this morning, enabling the teachers and friends of the Presbyterian Sunday School to hold their picnic, which is being held as we go to press in Mr S. J. Thompson's paddock on the Awahuri road. A correspondent in the Post says : — " Brown is not the color of the commercial classes in Wellington." True, their color is the same as that of the glasses in the spectacles purchased by Moses, the son of the Vicar of Wakefield. The tennis match between Feilding and Palmerston, which was to haye taken place last Saturday, but was postponed on account of wet weather, will take place on Saturday next at the Feilding tennis ground, play commencing at 1.30 p.m. At tho Wellington Supreme Court on Tuesday the Chief Justice in Chambers, upon the application of Mr Gully, who appeared in support of W. and G. Turnbull and Co.'s petition, adjudicated Arthur Winton Brown, ex-Mayor of Wellington, a bankrupt. We regret to have to announce the death of the wife of Mr W, McKeague, of the Awahuri road, which took place yesterday morning, after a long and painful illness. She leaves her husband and a family of eight children to mourn her loss. The funeral will take place to-morrow at 1 p.m. The alterations to the Cash Exchange are being rapidly pushed on by the contractor, Mr Watts. A new verandah is to be erected round the building. The improvements will be completed early in March, and failing to let or sell Mr j. C. Thompson will commence business about the middle of that month. The Endymion Hotel, at Awahuri, under the proprietorship of Mr M. Drury, has undergone a complete change for the better, and now presents an appearance of cleanliness and comfort very agreeable to travellers and others. The alterations have involved considerable outlay, but Mr Drury has determined that his hotel shall be one of the best between Wellington and Wanganui. The cricket match Feilding y. Wanganui Collegiate School did not come off last Saturday owing to the rain. The Feilding team went to Wanganui by the Friday night's train and returned on Saturday night, having enjoyed the outing although it was so wet. The collegiate boys expressed a hope of again seeing their visitors in Wanganui in better weather, before the season closes. The Wellington Post puts the matter very disingenuously when it says : — "The Oamaru Mail is in a state of terrible anxiety at what it recognises as a strong probability — that the new Governor will refuse to swamp the Legislative Council by new creations. It is furious with Lord Onslow for refusing to accept the Ministerial list, which, it ia rumoured, included the name of Mr George Jones, jun., tho proprietor and editor of the Mail." Poor dear man ! In the New South Wales Assembly, Mr Dangar asked leave to bring in a Bill to abolish barmaids. The Premier, who has had experience apparently, said it was dangerous to meddle with bar» maids. He did not oppose the motion actively— the Government had no objection to the matter being discussed in committee— -but at the same time he reminded Mr Dangar that the last member who attempted to deal with barmaids lost his seat in the House. The member concerned did not seem much frightened at this warning, and, amid general laughter, succeeded ia getting his motion agreed to. School Committees and teachers in this educational district will be pleased to learn that the new scale of payments adopted by the Education Board, and which has now been in operation for a time sufficiently long to enable its results to be judged, has worked out so well as to warrant a proposal for increasing the capitations to committees and in some cases raising the salaries of teachers. We understand that at the next meeting of the Board, to be held on Monday first, Mr Bridge intends to submit, or to give notice of, a motion on the subject. Exactly what shape his motion will take we do not know, but if it can be shown to the satisfaction of the members of the Board that they can increase the payments in the cases above mentioned, and still have a safe working margin, we have no doubt but that the spirit of any proposal Mr Bridge may bring forward will meet with their ready acceptance. — Chronicle. In connection with Miss Amy Vaughan's Burlesque and Pantomime Company, Mr A. E. Woolcott, the advance agent, arrived here on Tuesday from Wanganui, with a view of providing for the amusement-loving public of Feilding a treat in the shape of burlesque and pantomime, entitled " Little Bill, and his ship Amazon," a nautical burlesque, in combination with a harlequinade in the good old fashion. This will be the first pantomime that has visited Feilding, and there can be no doubt they will be greeted with crowded houses when they appear next Monday and Tuesday. For the past month they have been playing in the South Island to crowded houses, and have just concluded a season in the Wellington Opera House with the same success. The Southern press speak very highly of the way the company carry out the smallest details. The pieces are spoken of as excellently staged, and the costumes magnificent. Farther novelties liavc been added to the stock of electro plated ware in the show case. These include some beautU ful designs in butter, sugar, and biscuit jars, cruets, toast-racks, jelly jars, in fact the stock must be seen to be pro. perly appreciated. — Eed House, Kimbolton Eoad.— Advt.

j The first account of an armoured sliip j is in 1530. It was one of the fleet of llie I Knights of St. John, entirely sheathed vrith lead, and is said to have successfully resisted all the shot of that day. Mr Marten has now got to a depth of 66 feet in sinking the artesian well. The rate of progress is very slow at present, the material to be bored through being a hard blue metal or a kind of cemented shingle. Twelve to twenty inches per day is the average boring through this material, and Mr Marten estimates it will take three weeks before he strikes water. We direct the attention of fanners, settlers, and others interested, to Messrs Stevens and Gorton's annual rain and sheep fair, which will bo held at their 1 yards to-morrow, commencing at 1 ; o'clock. Besides the big Qntries of puT6---1 bred rams, the entries in other classes are also large, the whole totalling nearly 17,000. The sale will be one of the larg- : est ever held in this district. | The remains of the 180 British sailors who during tue Crimean War, died and were buried at Betoos on the Upper Bos- ' phorus, were, on December 29. disinterred ■ and removed to the cemetery at Scutari. Her Majesty's Charge d'Affaires, with I the staff of the Embassy, and the officers of her Majesty's ships Imogene and ; Cockatrice, wero present in uniform. The ; Sultan, who desired to honer the memory i of those who had fallen in defending his , country, was represented by three aides-de-camp, and a battalion of troops with the band and colors, rendered military P honors. A short funeral address was delivered by the embassy chaplain, and 1 the remains, enclosed in two large cases having been consigned to the earth, three volleys were fired over the grave by twenty men trom the British ships. [ A little more than one hundred and three years ago took place what may be j termed the birth of steam navigation, On tbe 14th of November, 1788, tbe first vessel propelled by steam power was ' launched open Dalswinton Lock, in Dum 1 friesshire. Its inventor was Mr Miller, : son of the then Lord Justice-Clerk of bcotland, while William Springton, a 1 young engineer at Wanlockheud, had superintended the construction of the necessary machinery. The company who were present on board the tiny craft on 1 the momentous occasion included Henry, afterwards Lord Brougham, Koberl • Burns, the bard of Scotland, them a ten - ant on Mr Miller's farm at EUisbauk, and Alexander Nasniy th, artist and father of the inventor of the steam hammer. — Dunedin Star.