Local and Geneml News.

Feilding Star, Volume XV, Issue 334, 8 June 1894, Page 2

Local and Geneml News.

A company is being .started in Apiti to raise funds for the erectiou of a Public Hall. It is estimated that the repairs to the Awahuri bridge will cost £1500. The Manchester Rifles paraded last night for Government inspection. There was a good muster of all ranks. Mr A. H. Wilson, dairy expert, will lecturo at Birmingham to-morrow evening at 7.30, on science as applied to dairyiug. A horse was killed near Bunuythorpe yesterday morning by the special train which left Feilding shortly alter nine o'clock. A Shorthand Writers' Association was formed at Palmerston last evening, and a stroug committee elected to draft and constitute rules. Lieutenant Swau has resigned his commission in the Napier Rifles. He was a useful officer aud well up in bis work. It is stated that Mr Henry Sanson, of Campbelltown, has determined to go out of dairying and devote his attention to sheep. Wearers of fancy costumes at the plain and fancy dress ball to be held iv tbe Assembly Rooms on Friday evening next, are requested to leave their cards, announcing their name and character, with the doorkeeper. We have received from the inventor, Mr Clapham, of Halcombe, a specimen of his Toasting Jack. From tbe simplicity of the patent, its haudiucss and cheapness, we are sure it will iv a few months be found in every bouse in the colony. Members of tlie Feildiug Football Club who play the Kea Kahas at Palmerston to-morrow are requested to meet at Manchester Square at 12.30 sharp, as the brake will havo to go via Bunnythorpe on account of the bridge at Awahuri being closed for traffic. In the Assembly Rooms to-night Miss Annie Brandt, assisted by her powerful company, will appear iv the farcical comedy entitled "Betsy."' The comedy is a good one, and on their tour down the coast the company have been greeted with capital houses, so doubtless there will be a good crowd at the Assembly , rooms to-night. The following new books have arrived at the Feilding Public Library : — Romance of Two Worlds, by Marie Corelli ; Barabbas, Marie Corelli ; The Downfall, Zola ; The Squatter's Dream, Bolderwood ; To Right the Wrong, E. Lyoll • The Refugio <, Conan Doyle ; The Last Sentence, Maxwell Gray. Other volumes are to arrive next week. In referring to the application made by the Manchester Road Board to the JJorough Council for a share of the cost I of a bridge over the Mangaone stream on the Feildiug-Ashurst road Cr. Lethbridge said at last night's meeting of the Council that one-fifth of the estimated cost, £400, would be £80, which would mean that the Borough would have to pay £4 a year for twenty-six years. A meeting of the Shooting Committee of the Manchester Rifles was held at Mrs Hastie's Hotel last evening. A challenge was received from the Marton Koyal Rifles to fire a match on Weduesday, 13th June, but owing to the lateness of the season it was decided not to i iccept the challenge. It was resolved chat as the protest agaiust Vol McMurray for using English ammunition on he '24th May was not entered on the rauge it could not be entertained. A correspondent of tho Foxton Herald . stiwes that spiritualistic seances are periodically held in that town, and gives •p<- fnllowing description of one of these • assemblies : — Our local medium held a seance a short time ago, to whicli several townspeople were invited, mostly comj posed of weak-minded, curious women. rhe lights were turned low in the ortho . lox fashion, and a lively timo ensued, any amount of spirits present, the medium „ Iroilung at the mouth, and the company , hnrrfering on hysterics, one lad}' having to . he drought round by a good application 2 't cold water. $ There was a fair attendance at last 3 evening's meetiug of the Mutual Im- - provetueut Society, when the subject under discussion was : " Which exer- • cises the greater influence, the Press or the platform '? Mr S. Andrews defended » the Press, and was ably supported by Messrs Trewin aud Buutl&y. Mr Friberg, who supported the platform, being upheld by Messrs Haycock, Johnston, Hickford and Smith. Both sides wero well defended by the various speakers, . trenchant arguments being adduced by the majority of them. At the conclus ion of the debate, the chairman (Revd. Clement) called for a show of hands, which resulted as follows :— Press, If"; j Platform, 10. The considerable amount of quibbling over technicalities, which 1 takes jdace at every meeting of the • Society, might readily be dispensed . .with. It would be a decided advantage 1 to loth jfivU'bcr-i and the visiting i public

It is stated that Mr F. A. Kebbell, of ] Wellington, has purchased for .£IOO tho rough-coated collie Newmarket Ruff, recently imported by Mr F. Rogeu, of Wellington. Mr Chas. Carr held his usual monthly ' stock sale at Feilding this afternoon. The attendance of farmers was very ' good, and tho prices for cattle showed a slight upward tendency. A monster Berkshire barrow pig weighiug 5841bs was on view in Mr H. V. Pickering's butcher shop to-day. Tho animal was three years old aud was fattened by Mr J. Pawsou, of Feilding. The head alone weighed 701bs, aud the hams 701bs each. The following team will play a football match with the Red Stars to-morrow afternoon, commencing at 2.80 sharp : — J. Miugius, H. Brabant, T. Lawton, P. Clark. A. G. Carty, W. Gosling. H. Harris, Kiwi, B. Giesen, J. Whisker, Havbittle, M. Belfit, Preddy, Galland, Hicks. The Wellington Weekly Herald says : — Since the news of Tynan's book being about to be published, it is asserted that Le Carou, the spy, is not dead, and that perhaps ho and Tynan are partners in the venture. If there should be any truth iv the statement, a fortune is hanging out for both of them, whether the contents of the book be based on facts or not. A meeting of tho Birmingham Mutual Improvement Society was held last evening in tlie Wesleyan Church. Thero was a good attendance and Mr T. A. Bryce, [President, was in tlie chair. A number of new members were elected, aud the usual routine business transacted. A paper was read by Mr Morton against " Female Franchise," aud a debate followed. Tho next meeting will be held on the 14th instant. Speaking about a letter received by the Borough Council, suggesting a good ford for crossing the Kiwitea stream, the Mayor said, at last night's meeting, that it all burgesses would follow Dr Moucktou's example and offer any suggestions tbey might think of before work was undertaken, in place of complaining of omissions when it was too late, it would be much better for tho Borough. A clever swindle iv bauk-uotes is now engaging the attention of the Melbourne police. The swindle consists of the circulating of bogus i.'l notes, purporting to have been issued by the Commercial Bank from its head office iv Collins street. In three or four days uo less than forty of these were successfully passed on business men in the city, and were received b}' tho bank of supposed issue through the clearinghouse. The notes arc splendid imitations, j At last night's meeting of the Feilding Borough Council, the Mayor stated that he had seen Mr J. Reid, Chairman of the Kiwitea County Council, with reference to that body contributing towards the erectiou of a bridge across the Kiwitea on Kimbolton road. Mr Reid informed Mr Carthew of his iutcution to oppose the proposition through I thick and thin, but the latter gentleman is still of opinion the Kiwitea County Council will agree to pay a share without going to a Commission. It is the intention of the Manawatu Road Board to approach the Manchester Road Board for tlie purpose of ascertain- j ing whether the latter will contribute a sum towards the erection of the bridge over Henderson's line, which was washed during the recent flood. The bridge will cost about £140 to erect, and as the structure is situated close to the boundary of the Manchester Road District, the Manawatu Road Board considers the Manchester Board should contribute something towards the cost of the work. Manawatu Times. A well-known local medico had a rather unpleasant experience on Saturday morning. Travelling by the eaily Wellington train to Kereru, he was enjoying a snoose, when " Kereru " was shouted in his ear by some wag, and the doctor was just iv time to leave the train as it steamed out of the station. Imagine his chagrin when be discovered that he was at Shannon, However by dint of hard riding he succeeded in fulfilling his biissiou in time to allow of his returning by tlie noon train to Palmerston. No doubt he fondly cherishes the hope that the wag will be a patient of his ac some future date. — Standard. The need for a proper system of handi* carping in rifle contests has caused a cood deal of difficulty to the riflo clubs of tho colony iv the past. Mr Kirk, of the P.-tono Rifle Club, has just receivod from Mr Spier", a welUknown shot of the Oamaru Rifle Club, details of what is called the Australian system of handicapping for M H. rifles. Under it no competitor can claim more than a fixed standard, handicap included. This t>ive« men shooting from scratch a chance of winning if tbey can beat the standard, which ia a high one Mr Kirk intends submitting the details to tbe principal rifle c'ubf, with a view to having the same standard adopted through- out the colony.