Local and General News.

Feilding Star, Volume XV, Issue 260, 10 March 1894, Page 2

Local and General News.

Several advertisements and other matter arc unavoidably held over until Monday. On the fourth page to-day a quantity of interesting reading matter, including temperance items, will be found. Captain Edwin wired at 12.25 to-day : "Indications for strong north to west and south-west winds, and glass falling." A meeting of the Pohnngina Road Board took place this afternoon. A report of (he proceedings will be published on Monaay, A meeting of the Oddfellows' Lodge was held last evening before the social took place, when two members were in< mated, and two others were proposed. The Foxton Amateurs will produce Gilbert and Sullivan's popular opera of H.M.S. Pinafore in the Assembly Rooms on Tuesday next. Mr M. Fitton gives notice of his intention to apply for a slaughtering license at the next meeting of the Kiwitea County Council. The death is announced of Mr George Duncan, one of the oldest Canterbury Pilgrims aud the settler who turned the first furrow on the Canterbury Plains. At the Palmerston Licensing Court yesterday a certificate was granted to to C. A. W. Hunt (Colyton), in respect to the transfer of a publican's license from Peter Boison. It is understood {says the Dunedin Star) that Parliament will not be summoned for the despatch of business till the third week in June. Sir G. M. O'Rorke will be the Speaker of the House. The timber on the totara reserve at Pohaugina is to be offered to sawmillers within a month. There will be a keen competition for it, as it is well-known as being a sound clear lot of timber. Two of the workmen in the Auckland Evening Star were successful in drawing Broken Hill, the winner of the Australian Cup, in Tattersall's sweep. It is expected that they will divide £1800 between them. A trout weighing rather more than lOlbs was caught in the Pohangina river ou Wednesday by the party of men that are putting up the breakwater under the supervision of Mr Delve, of the Railway Department. A clearing out sale will be held at Willow Creek Farm, Campbelltown, on Monday the 19th instant by Messrs Gorton and Son. This will be a splendid opportunity for those who are desirous of purchasing first-class dairy stock. Notice is given by the Clerk of the Manchester Road District of the intention of that Board to raise a loan of £1656, to construct and widen the Waituna and Makino roads respectively, also a loan of £1130 for clearing and widening the Makara road, also to bridge the Makino stream and metal Ferlong's road. Recently Mr Pirani, M.H.It., wrote to the Minister of Lands, asking that a .sum of .£ .">s() should be authorised for expenditure on the Pohaugina road through the Totara Reserve. He pointed out that the £.300 already expended had only been sufficient to carry out the work of formation aud ten chains of metalling, and unless a further amount was spent in completing the road before the wiutcr season, the whole of the money so far spent would be wasted. A reply has been received from the Minister to the effect that there is no vote available for the purpose. The road from Feilding to Birmingham is a very pleasant one to ti avel, and with fine weather and a comfortable conveyance the journey is very enjoyable. However, there are circumstances under winch this road becomes very tedious, and the following is one of them:— A carter left Feilding early one day this week with ft dray load of sioro goods, Birmingham being his destination. All wont well until ascending the rather steep grade just beyond Cheltenham, when, without any warning, the catch bo't of the tip dray came unfastened, nnd the driver, who whs perched on top of his load, found himself taking a somersault, landing on the bare road with his goods scattered around him. Aft^r considerable trouble lie succeeded in Kftling It is lontl on again, and made a fresh start. lie had almost reached the summit of the hill, when his horse began jibbing, and backing the cart into the wnter-table the belly-band broke, and driver and goods again performed the same evolution. Undaunted, the plucky fellow again loaded up, and eventually i-pnrhed Birmingham about ten o'clock at night.

The cricket match Feilding v. Colyton was being played to-day as we went to press. There were no objections at the sitting of the Assessment Court at Halcombe this morning. The Engineer of the Kiwitea Road Board* Mr Charles Bray, invites tenders for public works, as detailed in the advertisement which appears to-day. Very important sales are advertised to-day by Mr Charles Carr, and we request the earnest atteution of our readers to the details given In another column. Tenders are invited by the Kiwitea County Council up to noon of Saturday, 17th March, for the collection of tho dog tax in the Kiwitea County for the current year. On Friday next a meeting of farmers in the Birmingham Special Settlement clistrictjwitl be held in the Town Halt . Messrs Pivani and Stevens M's.H.R., have been invited to attend. As we mentioned a few days ago, Messrs Bramwell Bros., of Feildiug, have purchased the business of Mr Smith, at Colyton, which branch establishment of the firm will be stocked with every article likely to be required by settlers in and around Colytou, and sold at Feilding prices. It is intimated that Messrs Gorton aud Son have been favored with instructions from Messrs D. aud W. Mansou, of The Pines, Feildiug, to sell on Wednesday, the 28th instant, at the homestead of the Waituna estate, about five hundred bullocks and fifteen thousand sheep. Further particulars will be didy advertised. We are informed that Messrs D. and W. Manson, of " The Pines," Feilding, have, during the week, disposed of, at fairly satisfactory figures, two other sections of their Waituna property. One of 1000 acres to Mr James Bowen, of Pembroke Vale, Turakina, and the other comprising 350 acres to Mr Frederick E. Buruell, of Palmeraton North. Attention is directed to-day to a replace advertisement which appears from Messrs Bramwell Bros., the well-known general storekeepers of Fergusson street. The capital quality of goods, especially teas, which this firm supply are already well-known, and they intend keeping up their reputation for supplj'ing nothing but genuine articles, at moderate charges. Boring operations for artesian water were commenced in Manchester Square this morning by Mr Smith. An Abyssinian well was driven yesterday afternoon to a depth of ten feet to procure the water required for washing out the pipes. The first pipe (12 feet long) for the artesian well was driven in, after which the rods were put in position and the boring commenced. At two o'clock this afternoon they had pipes in to a depth of 18 feet. About five years ago (says the A.sliburtou correspondent of the Press) when cull merinos were selling in our local yards at Is and Is 2d to Is 3d a head, and difficult to quit at that, it was thought the bed rock of low prices had been reached for any animal worth bringing into the yards. This record, however, was lowered at a country sale in this district last week, when a line of 25 sheep was put up and knocked down at 12s Gd the lot, or 6s a dozen. At the same sale a ram was quitted at 2s 6d. This latter figure will probably constitute the world's record for a ram considered good enough to put with ewes. A meeting of ladies was hold at the schoolhouse, Apiti, on Tuesday last (about fourteen being present), for the purpose of taking steps to arrange means of augmenting the Wcslc3'an Church funds. It was decided to give a tea and concert on Wednesday week, the 21st instant, after the celebration of the laying of the foundation stone of the new church, which takes place iv the afternoon. The ladies in the Apiti block have agreed to supply the provisions for the tea, and refreshments during the concert, and, as a large number of visitors from the surrounding districts have notified their intention of being present, it is anticipated that the proceedings will be a success. It is proposed by those settlers in No 6 Ward of the Manchester Road District, who use the Valley road, to divert it at its western end, or where it connects with No 5 Ward, so as to avoid the bills a 1 ; this end. When the road was surveyed it could easily have been taken up the valley at a shorter distance, in place of which it was taken from the Taonui road about a quarter of a mile further up after it had got on top the hills, and then taken a steep winding grade down to the valley again. The suggestion is that the settlers interested should raise the money required for constructing the road by subscription amongst themselves and purchase the necessary land from Mr G. Milieu, through whose property the proposed new road will go. The Road Board will be asked to subsidise the money raised by subscription and thus obviate the necessity for borrowing. Active steps aro now being taken with the above object and a meeting is called for Wednesday next, at 7.30 p.m., in the Aratika school house.