Local and General News.

Feilding Star, Volume XV, Issue 317, 18 May 1894, Page 2

Local and General News.

We have to acknowledge receipt of a complimentary ticket for tbe concert at Makino this evening. The Manchester Rifles had a good parade last night, a full complement of officers and men being present. Nominations for ' the Cheltenham Sports on the Queen's Birthday closed last night, and they will appear in tomorrow's issue. The handicaps will be published on Monday. A cable message to the Sydney Daily Telegraph, dated London the Bth inst., says that in a prize light on the 7th Griffo, the feather-weight pugilist, beat Billy Murphy in the eight round. The fight was a severe one. Mr Valentine, the Government Dairy Expert, addressed 50 farmers at Masterton last Wednesday. Aftev dealing exhaustively with dairy matters and answering several questions, he was accorded a vote of thanks. Mr Valentine stated at the meeting that the matter of providing adequate means of transit of dairy produce on the railways would soon be attended to*

A brewer's epitaph. The Bulletin says : — •• Brewer Frederick Tooth, late of New South Wales, who died recently in London, left i-339,472 behind him— representing just twenty-eight million * long-beers.' Sic jacetV To 'which we (Scrutator) may add on our own account, that it .took a good many "tootbfuls" to make a Tooth full of money.

The Awahuri xjeople intend putting up a Town Hall, and it is to be done by a company, who will issue 120 shares at ;£1 each. This amount will, it is estimated, put up the building, as it is hoped much of the work will be done gratis. The hall will be about 50 x 30 feet, and there will be two rooms in the front to be utilised as a library and reading room. A large part of the shares have been already taken up, and it is hoped that the full number will be readily subscribed for. A hall is badly wanted in Awaburi, as there is notliing of the kind in the place, and if the residents heartily support the affair the thing will be d.Qtie.

The Napier Volunteer Fire Brigade have decided to disband, and divide the property of the brigade among the members. Eight Maoris are about to leave Napier for Utah, having been converted to Mormonism. One is a large landowner, and makes a good fat haul for the Saints. The friends of Mr W. Croucher, of Sandon, who has been suffering for some time, will regret to learn that all hopes of his recovery have been given up. There was a moderate attendance at last evening's meeting of the Mutual Improvement Society. Mr Trewin read an essay on the life of Dickens and Mr Haycock, read a piece from " Pickwick Papers." Mr Charles Carr has been instructed by Mr Taylor, of Denbigh street, to sell by public auction the whole of his household furniture and effects, on a date to be advertised to-morrow. Mr Taylor is leaving for New South Wales. The concert which was to have been given in the Birmingham Town Hall on Monday next, May 21st, to raise funds to build a vestry to the Wesleyan Church, has been postponed till Wednesday, the 23rd inst. A good programme has been arranged for the occasion. Mr E. G. McDermott, of Spring Creek, Birmingham, had a crop of potatoes this season from three acres of land, which averaged fourteen tons to the acre. He sold what was not wanted for home consumption at four pounds per ton.

On Wednesday, afternoon, a porter at the Government Railway station, Wellington, was struck by the connecting rod of an engine while engaged in shunting trucks, the result being that bis left leg was broken near the knee. It was found necessary to amputate the leg, and the unfortunate man, who is only nineteen years of age, is now making good progress. Yesterday afternoon a four-year-old son of Mr Scott, of Makino road, was playing about an old metal pit on Mr Fidler's property, when he followed some dncks into the water. Mr Fidler, who was a witness, jumped in and rescued the child, who was almost drowned. Dr Sorley was sent for and the child is now on a fair way to recover)'. We would again remind our readers of the concert to be given this evening in the Makino schoolhouse. There is every prospect of the night being beautifully fine, and no doubt many will be tempted to journey out there from Feilding. Amongst others who are taking part in the concert are Mrs Oldham, Miss A. H. Fry, and Mr Matheson and the Rev. Innes Jones from Feilding. Mr Herbert, of Shannon, met with a peculiar accident on Tuesday last. While he was driving in some cows (says the Farmer) a horse would insist in trotting after them, and, in trying to prevent it following, Mr Herbert was thrown to the ground and stunned. On recovering he found that three of his ribs were broken. We (Standard) draw the attention of the local branch of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals to an occurrence which is repeatedly brought under the notice of those who frequent the railway station. Trucks are so over loaded with sheep that numbers of the poor animals are killed during transit. Last evening we noticed over a dozen sheep lying dead in trucks which were attached to the Wellington train. The circumstance is disgraceful.

The match between the Pirates and Feilding Football Clubs takes place on the Palmerston Showground to-morrow. This game will be one of the most interesting of the season, and some fast and exciting play should be seen. The Feilding team will be slightly different to that which was published. A. Mines j will take Cameron's place at half, and W. Watts and C. Aitken will replace Smith and Sanson in the forward division. The team, which is a very fair one, will leave Manchester Square at 1 o'clock, and should return home giving a good account of themselves. We have to acknowledge receipt of the "ABCof New Zealand Politics," a hand-book compiled by Mr Archibald Sanderson, and containing a quantity of very useful reading on the political progress of New Zealand from 1893 to 1894, and including a map of the colony with the electoral and licensing districts ; polls at the general elections of 1890 and 1893 ; bye-elections ; biographical sketches of the members of the House of Representatives ; roll of the Legislative Council, etc. Those interested in politics should secnre a copy of this very handy book, and they will find it contains much .valuable information. Some extraodinary prices were realised at a recent sale of postage stamps in England, Among the principal lots dis posed of were :— Great Britain, the V.R. (damaged), £8 ; Naples, £t., " Arms," £15; Moldavia, 108 paras. £17; Spain, 1851, 2 reales, £20 ; Geneva, the double stamp, £22 : Vaud, 4c. £14 ; Wmterthur 2-J rappen, a block of four, £17 ; Poste Locale, a made up plate, £B 2 10s ; Tuscany, 60 crazie, unused, £14 ; ditto, 3 lire. £26 ; a collection of Russian locale, £115 ; Cape of Good Hope (woodblock), Id blue, £42 ; aud Mauritius, 2d blue, very fine, £21 10s. Mr Scobie Mackenzie writes as follows to the Taieri Advocate of Wednesday last : — " My attention has been drawn to a paragraph in your issue of Saturday in wihch it is stated that friends of mine are canvassing the Tuapeka seat on uiv behalf in view of the resignation of the present holder. If such be the case — and I do I not believe it— l can only say tbat such canvassing has been gciug on with out either my knowledge or consent. I am not so desirous of a seat in Parliament as to induce me to hang, yulture like, over a sick man, more especially when that man happens to be an old friend of my own." The old friend referred to is Mr Vincent Pyke, M.H.R. An adjourned meeting of the proposed Sandon Dairy Factory was held in the | Town Hall at Sandon on Wednesday afternoon, when there was only a moderate attendance. Tho general opinion of those present was that it would be more profitable to work the proposed creameries there in conjunction with the Paliuerston North factory. After considerable discussion it was resolved to adjourn the meeting until the following evening, in order that Mr Roberts, Secretary to the New Zealand Dairy Company, might be present, and then further adjourn until June sth, when, on account of a stock sale being held in Sanson on that date, it is expected there will be a large representative meeting of farmers.