The Fielding Star. AND OROUA COUNTY GAZETTE. THURSDAY. DEC. 29, 1892. Local and General News

Feilding Star, Volume XIV, Issue 81, 29 December 1892, Page 2

The Fielding Star. AND OROUA COUNTY GAZETTE. THURSDAY. DEC. 29, 1892. Local and General News

«_- A ball will be held in the Colyton Hall to-morrow night. We have to acknowledge receipt of Typo for October last. The Wesleyan Church, at Birmingham, will hold anniversary services in connection with the Sunday School, on Sunday next. The Post office at Pakihikura will be opened on the ljst January. The mail will be earned there from Feilding via Waituna West. " The Waits " sang the usual carols on Christmas Eve and morning. Their performances were a marked improvement on those of preyious years. TheOam&ru Mail considers that the provisions with regard to the taxation of absentees are not comprehensive enough, and that is one of the defects which will have to be cured next session. We regret to learn that Mr Norman Charlton sustained a fracture of one of his legs on Saturday evening last. Mr Charlton was riding at the time, and collided with a passing vehicle. He is now staying at the Feilding Hotel, and is progressing favorably under Dr Johnston's treatment. The Committee of the Palmerston Caledonian Society having some doubts as to the correctness of the performances sent in by King, the winner of the handicap at the late sports, instituted enquiries, having held over the stakes, with the result that it was learnt that King won a mile and a half mile race at St. Andrews, and which were not mentioned in the list of performances sent in. King has consequently been disqualified, and the stakes and medal awarded to Holder, who ran second. — Manawatu Standard. A ball was held in the Feilding Assembly Rooms on Boxing night. Mr Bilderbeck being the promoter, and considering the short notice on which it was got up, the affair proved a great success. There were close upon 50 couples present, Mr Murdoch making a most efficient M.C. The music provided by Mr Haybittle's String Band was very good, a-d gaye great satisfaction to t^iose present. Dancing was kept up till nearly three o'clock in the morning, at which hour the company separated, after spending a most agreeable evening. As Mr Walter Bailey was driving into town yesterday morning, when half way between Feilding and the Aorangi bridge he encountered a large body of Te Kooti's followers who were making for the Maori pah at Aoranj»i. The horse he was driving took fright, and turning restive, upset tfce trap in the ditch running alongside the road. Mr Bailey luckily escaped without in jury, but the trap was very much smashed up, the two shafts of the vehicle were broken, and the horse, getting clear, started for home without doing itself any damage. The Christmas Day Services at the Church of Eugland were attended by large congregations both morning anil evening. The Rev. A. Hermon officiated and was assisted by the Rev. Mr Coote at the morning service. The Church was yery prettily decorated, and the singiug showed a marked improvement, the congregation joining in heartily. The choir sang the •' Te Deuin " splendidly, and great praise is due to Mr Nicholas the choirmaster, for the progress which the choir had made. The offertories amouuted to oyer £5 during the day.

Mr Milson has now removed to his new shop in Montague's buildings, next to Messrs Cobbs and Darragh, The members of the Manchester Rifles are reminded that the parade this evening will be the last of the year, therefore every man should put in an appearance. The Kiwitea Road Board has been served with a demand for compensation by Messrs Younger and Laing, in connection with the cancellation of a metalling contract. Carpenters and builders are requested to note that the term for sending in tenders for alterations to the " Barracks " has been extended to Saturday, January 7th, 1893, Walter Stubbing, a well-known teacher of music, committed suicide at Auckland ou Christmas Daj by taking a dose of prussic acid. la a letter addressed to a friend, deceased said he was tired of life.

Captain Edwin telegraphs : —Weather forecast for 24 hours from 9 a.m. to-day — Warnings for easterly galee and heavy winds have been sent to all places northward of East Cape, Taupo, and New Plymouth. The business places in Feilding did splendid business on Christmas eve. On fchafc occasion the town was literally crowded with people who came in from all parts of the district. The shops were unable to close until after eleven o'clock. The Evening Post has a very warm article on the recent land inquiry, headed " A Manawatu Scandal." As the inquiry is still sub iudice, we have refrained from making any comment on the evidence until the decision of the Land Board has been given. Mr James Mackay, the well-known native land agent, has been placed in the Auckland Hospital, suffering from some self inflicted mjuries with a piece of wire. Mackay has been drinking heavily, and now lies in a critical condition at the hospital. Notwithstanding the immense number of passengars who travelled by train to and from the Feilding Boxing Day Sports, there was not the slightest accident or contretemps of any kind, and the local railway officials deserye commendation for the manner in which they performed their arduous duties. In Adelaide recently a woman was carrying a tin of kerosene and a lighted candle, when the oil took fire and ignited her dress. She ran out into the yard, and the flames were fanned by fcbe wind, and before she could reach the gate of the yard she fell dead. The body was so frightfully charred as to be beyond recognition. The marriage of Mr Douglas Gordon Forlong to Miss Mary Humphrey was celebrated yesterday by the Key. Mr Lyon, at Green Hill Farm, Makino, the residence of the bride's parents. The bride was given away by her father, and Miss Eva and Miss Jessie Humphrey and Miss Grace Taylor, sisters and niece of the bride, were the bridesmaids, while Mr E. G. Humphrey acted as best man for the bridegroom. The happy couple subsequently left for Wanganui amidst showers of rice and the best wishes of their relatives and friends. Yesterday when Mr Eichard Kobinaon was driving in to Feilding with a load of wool he had an awkward experience. He was raking the horses down a cutting, with a grade of about 1 in 7 feet, when the brake broke with a sound like a rifle shot, The dray went forward on to the horses, but Mr Robinson started them into a smart trot which took them safely down, and when they had the weight on the collars again he pulled up and repaired the damage, so that he was able to bring the load safely into town. There can be no question but that Mr Robinson's presence of mind averted a possible and serious accident. The Cheviot hills estate purchased by Government consists of 84,222 acres. It belongs to the estate of the late Hon W. Robinson and is situated north of the Hurunui river. The assessed valued was L 304.826 and the owner's value L 260.220. showing a difference in favour of the owners of L 44.606. The owners called upon the Commissioner of Taxes under the provisions of the Land and Income Assessment to reduce the assessed value to that stated by the owners in their return of land or to purchase the land at that price. The Commissioner declined to reduce the assessed value and advised Government to acquire the property, which lius been done.