Local and General News.

Feilding Star, Volume XV, Issue 331, 5 June 1894, Page 2

Local and General News.

It is estimated that tl»c damage by the reccut floods to the Ouepuhi bridge is X2500. A meeting of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals will be held this evening. The Buffet Boardinghouse, at Bulls, is advertised for sale. This is a tine opening for au enterprising married couple. Yesterday, which is supposed to be the worst " fourth " in the year, was a complete success in Feilding, notwithstanding the floods. The Rangitikei County Council have accepted the following tender of the Manawatu Timber Company for the supply of timber for 12 months: — 14s per 100 feet up to 20 feet long, and 6d per foot extra for overy foot up to 30 feet ; over 30 feet and up to 40 feet, Is per foot extra. Widths over 12 inches, Gd per 100 feet extra for every 100 feet. The Primitive Methodist quarterly circuit gathering was held in the Foilding Church yesterday afternoon, when there was a large attendance of delegates and favorable reports were received from the various parts of the district. In the- evening a tea Mas held and was well patronised. The public meeting after tho tea was also well attended. Thp Judce who conducted the Loan and Mercantile Agency enquiry in London ba«* a drj wit judging from the fol 1 wing incident of ihe enquiry related by the London coi respondent of a contem* porary :— " When the company'tt solid* tor, Sir Thomas Paine, was in the box, a question of costs cropped up. and tho firm's bill, a huge folio volume, had to bo handed up to the Bench. Too .Turlce offerud no comment oc ita proligioue length nor en its cum totul. What be tiid say w;is . "Is this a bill cf c>sts ? Dear n>e ! Has it any index, Sir Thoma>? ' The meeting of householders at Bunuythorpc on Saturday evening was well attended. The following gentlemen were elected to serve as a school committee for the ensuing year : — Messrs Maddeu, Tremewan, Clevely, Mathesou, Eager, Rogers and Baker. Mr Madden was elected chairman. Mr Scheidt, who has so satisfactorily fulfilled the duties of chairijiau, declined to stand for rc-clcction, as hja business now required all his time and attention. A narrow escape from death occurred in Wellington at about 11 o'clock on Saturday night. John Coster, a private marine of H.M.S. Rapid, was crossing the railway line on his way to the ship, when a passiug engine, whose approach lie had not observed, ran into film and knocked him down. Fortunately he fell clear of the rails, otherwise he would most probably have been killed. He was at once taken on board the Rapid, where an examination by the ship's surgeon showed that no bones were broken, although he was a good deal bruised and shaken. Mr Sam Daw was able to bring his coach right through from Peinberton to Feilding yesterday, this being the first trip he has made since the floods. He experienced many difficulties on the Peuiberton road, and had sorao narrow "squeaks" where slips had occurred, and it waw doubtless his indomitable pluck and experience as a '■' whip " that carried him through. In order to deliver his mails in Birmingham during the flood, Mr Daw had on one occasion to carry them on foot, a distance of about twenty miles, and take his course along the tops of the hills, this being the only way of reaching his destination. On the ou«afcVOfj #f the forthcoming production of Mr Kjiigl>i'»i comedy-drama Miss Helen Fergus, who Is waul to I«j £)>p possessor of a rich soprano voice of excellent quality, will sin» the favourite Irish song " Killarney " and will also render tho pretty ballad " Return, Oh Love, Return." Thoso whose tastes lie in the direction of mirthful malady havo not been forgotten, a« Mr Fred Keen and Miss A. Norris will introduce humorous Irish ditties in keeping with the action of tho play. As active preparations are now being made to produce the comedydrama in as perfect a manner as possible, we hope to be able to to chronicle a complete fiuaucial and, artistic success.

The funeral of the late Mr Donald Fraser took place this afternoon, and was largely attended. Mr H. D. Bell, M.H.E., of Wellington, it is stated, will be appointed Danish Consul for New Zealand. A Masterton clergj'ruan, who has a strong antipathy to dancing, recently described that pastime as " closebosomed whirling." The pier at Southend, Englaud, already oue mile aud a quarter in length, will have to be lengthened, owing to the washing up of the sand. A Sydney papor snys that there ie quit© a palmistry craze in Sjdnoy, and an enterprising publican is thinking of having hi* barmaids trained to read customers' bands. The Commercial Bank of Sydney has provided handsomely for the wife and children of its manager, McKay, shot at Barraba defending the bank's property, by giving her i.IOO a year. Mr Bobert Scott, one of the oldest of Victorian colonists, who had made and 10-t two fortunes, died at Charlton ro ce»:lj. Another old colonixt, Mr Joseph K<ff, v-rotninentlj identified with Ballarat iv the early days, has died at Windsor. A very useful stump extractor, Linton's patent, was tried at Cainpbcllfcowu a few days ago, and for simplicity is said to be unequalled. It is merely a chain with a double screw, and to extract a stump is attached to a solid one, while the oue intended to be drawn is dug round, aud the chain having been fixed the screw is turned — something has to shift. . Iv the Campbelltown district fodder for cattle is very scarce, aud farmers arc finding it difficult to keep ' their cattle, some haviug to sell their stock at a loss. This is caused through stocking up to the full resources of the land and now that we have had a spell of weather the reverse to good for young grass, farmers are feeling the want of winter fodder and suffering for their neglect. During the recent floods the water covered large portions of tho Kopani and Oroua Dowus properties, aud it was not without its incidents. While the water was risiug Mr Greeuawaj^'s children were sent out to assist mustering the sheep, and while on a portion of # laud higher than the surrounding country they became encircled by a body of water. Two of Mr Greeuaway's station hauds set to work aud made a raft to rescue the children from their perilous position, aud while navigating the craft, | oue of the men, a recent arrival from the Emerald Isle, fell into tho water, aud was so disgusted with his experiences, more particularly with his cold ' bath, that he remarked* -'Be dad, I wish I was back in Ould Oirland." On Mr Clarke's property a gentleman, who was riding round the ruu, became surrounded with water, and iv trying to find his way home rode into one of the numerous ditches before ho kuew where he was. As his geographical kuowledgo of the place, which was by this time covered with water, failed him, he thought discretion the better part of valour and got on a wire fence, where he was 2>erched, holding his horse, for two hours and a half.