Local and General News.

Feilding Star, Volume XVI, Issue 12, 14 July 1894, Page 2

Local and General News.

The Victorian Grand National Steeplechase is run to-day. There will be a Band of Hope meeting held in the Temperance Hall at 7 p.m. on Monday evening next. All are invited to enjoy a good programme. A meeting of milk-suppliers and settlers will be held in the Temperance Hall, Campbelltown, on Monday evening next, at 7 o'clock. Some important business will come up for discussion. The Pope has decided to forbid all performances of the well known Masses of Mozart, Haydn, and Weber. He thinks that they are of two florid a character to be any aid to piety. — Exchange. The Wellington Press hears it is not correct that the bank legislation was preciditated by the falling due of debentures of the Globo Assets Company. They do not, as a matter of fact, fall due for a good many years yet. As will be seen, Mr Watson's American War lecture, postponed from last week, is to be delivered on Tuesday evening next in the Assembly Rooms. In addition to the undoubted attraction of the lecture itself, au excellent programme of songs, etc., will be gone through. The Foxton paper says that during the last few days some wreckage has been found on the beach, and one deck house, close on 20 feet by 15 feet, has been washed ashore complete, bearing signs of having been broken off the deck. The spot where the house landed is about six miles north of the Manawatu River. The reported discovery of a wonderful deserted cit.y in a remote section of the nciifl Madre Mountains, in Durango, U.S.A., has been verified by a party of explorers. They found a secret entrance [>; : he city, and made an exhaustive ex • They returned laden with >uino»ities from the abandon* d residences •nd temples The population of the city could not have been less than 25,000. A hitch has arisen with regard to the licensing of one of the Lyttelton hotels. The license was granted by the committee and taken out in the usual way. but a change in the management of the house was arranged. The licensee signed a transfer of the license, but the Chairman of the Committee has so far declined to grant a license to the person nominated, and consequentlyja difficulty has arisen. A careful record kept at Yale University for eight years shows that non* lihokera are 2p per ceut taller, 35 per cent" heavier, and liave 60 per cent more J lung capacity than smokers, A recent graduating class at Amehrst pretended a similar differenco in favor of nonsmokers, who had gained in weight 24 per cent over the smokers, and in height 37 per cent, and also exceeded them in lung capacityFox terriers are remarkable for their pluck and singular knowledge of things, but still they are capable of putting up with a good deal. One of these dogs had made for him a comfortable konnel, roomy, yet snug, and well filled with sweet straw, but it was noticed that he did not occupy his intended abode on all ordinary occasions, while at particular hours of the day he avoided it carefully. The reason of this strange conduct was discovered yesterday. A hen had selected the kennel in which to lay her eggs, and the dog with a chivalrous modesty which did infinite honor to him bod given flaw to her.

The usual quantity of reading matter trill be found on our fourth page to day. The Mayor, Mr Carthew, invites the burgesses to help in the celebration of Arbor Day (August Ist) in Feilcling by the donation of suitable trees, or by assisting to plant the same. A Wellington correspondent informs us that Mr F. Pirani, M.H.R., is neglecting nothing that can forward the best interests of his constituents, especially in the back country portion of his electorate. A telescope having a glass not more than two and a half inches in diameter opens out a vast field of no less than 650,000 stars all round the world. Of this multitude only some 5000 or 6000 are ordinarily visible ! The Moors say of persons whom they think hypocritically religious, and who use a profusion or pious phrases, "If a man has been to Meccs once, keep your ejo upon him. If he has made the jour ney twice don't trust him. If he hamade it three times move into the next street." With the decadeuce of the crusade against gambling in England, will begin a movement against tho use of tobacco. Enemies of the soothing weed have good ground to do battle on because the absurdity of growing tobacco and working it up at an enormous c xpense and then blowing it away in smoke, must be patent to every reflecting person. Mr A. C. Gregor, cabinetmaker, Manchester street, has taken the agency cf the " Karl Schumann " piano, imported by the well-known London and Berlin Piano Company. The pianos, which have iron frames, are made of Italian walnut and have a rich tone. Mr Gregor has also the agency of the " Cbappel Cottage " piano. These pianos may be had on the time payment system at very reasonable rates. The Wanganui Herald makes bull's eyes considerably often. In a local in our contemporary we find the following : —Judge Richmond says: "Newspaper men are a great deal more sensitive to what they write about each other than anyone else," That may be, but if you want to find a hyper-sensitive man, just criticise with a little freedom the stupid argument of a conceited young lawyer and see how he'll squeak. Mr Firani is asking the Minister of Justice whether the Government will consider the propriety of expunging Rule S3 of the Practice and Procedure in Magistrates' Courts, seeing that its operation unjustly and unnecessarily deprives the solicitor of his right of lien for fees pnid and earned by him, and is otherwise inconvenient and unnecessary ; or otherwise to alter the same, to exclude operation as affecting solicitors on the record Says the Otago Daily Times:— Capt. Kelly, of the ship Westland, has brought out with him, as a gift to a friend in the North Island, a magnificent collie dog of the purest strain. His grandsire was the celebrated dog Metchlcy Wonder, whoso owner refused £"800 for him. Metchley Wonder was a noted prizetaker, and the introduction of his strain here will no doubt do much to improve the breed of collies. The question of the strike in America was discussed by the Wellington Trades and Labour Council on Thursday night, and it was resolved, " That this Council, while regretting the action taken by the strikers in destroying property, desires to place on record its fullest sympathy with the employes of the Pullman Palace Car Com pan v of America, and condemns that Company for not allowing the question to go to arbitration ; and that the necessity for compulsory arbitration is demons trated by that refusal." It is always the unexpected that most surely happens. A settler in one of the northern towns while in the enjoyment of alleged pork sausages for breakfast had the good fortune to strike something hard with his fork, which, on close inspection, proved to be a genuine gold sovereign. We have been given to understand that all sorts of curious things, from a shirt button to a watchkey, have been found in the choppedmeat luxury commonly known as " bags of mystery," but this is the first time we have heard of a man who found a sovereign in a sausage. " The Sage of Chelsea," the great and grim Carlyle, wrote a treatise on the philosophy of clothes, which he gave the word under (he tide of " Sartor Reeartue." In another part of our issue will be found a brief treatise on the philosophy ot teablending, which has been put forth to the world by the Empire Tea Company Three very great and cogent reasons are lucidly given, why the teas blended by the Empire Tea Company should be vied. The whole treatise is admirably brief and to the point, and those who have any respect for their digestions or health, should study these words of wisdom with care and attention. It was stated in the cable messages some days ago that it is intended to treat the murderer of President Carnot as a parricide. An explanation is given by a correspondent of tho Otago Daily Times in the following quotation from " Roger and Sorel's Codes et Lois Usuelles " :— " The prisoner condemned to death for parricide will be taken to the place of execution in his shirt, barefooted, and his head covered with a black veil. He will remain exposed on the scaffold while the Sheriff's officer reads to the people the decree of conviction, and will immediately be executed." We had a clipping in our columns some time ago referring to Lord Randolph Churchill, as alleged, having made an exhibitiou of himself by addressing the House of Commons while in a state of intoxication. We observe, by more recent English files, that this statement is contradicted. It is said that he is suffering from a nervous malady which renders distinctness of utterance difficult. The painful point of the thing is that he will not be convinced that anything is wrong with him at all. Wo trust that this is the case. It would be sad indeed if the brilliant guerrilla chief of tho Fourth Party should now be a disgraced and ruined man. — Press. ilenry Louis Bertrand. the author of the sensational murder which convulsed Sydney in the early sixties, has arrived in VI elbourne. The Standard states that he looks a living wreck after his 28 years' imprisonment. He had given up all hopes of being released, and when informed by the gaoler that he was a free man he did not at first believe the news. When the news was confirmed he fainted, and on recovenug became delirious with joy. Mrs Bertrand is still alive, and livea with her son, aged 32, and her daughter aged 30. in one of the suburbs of Sjdney. They refused to see Bertrand during hie imprisonment, or at hid release. His only friends appear to be some relatives in Melbourne, with whom he will probably lire. A meeting of the W.C.T.U. was held in the Temperance Hall on Wednesday afternoon. Miss Dalrymple, President, occupied the chair. A communication was read from Head-quarters, requesting that resolutions be forwarded to the Member of the House of Representatives for the district as follows, That the Feilding Branch of the Women's Christian Temperance Union appeals to the Legislature to protect women from the temptation to enter upon the demoralising occupation of barmaid by making the said occupation illegal; Also, to make the presence of youths in public houses and billiard rooms unlawful, and that the age of consent be raised to eighteen years; That tho President write for information re the legality, or otherwise, of htoses of ill-fame. After routine business^ had been, transacted, the ucetipg terwrnatca.

Tbe Pohangiua Road Board meets today. Temperance items and otber reading matter will be found on the fourth page of to-day's issue. The Feilding Football team journeyed to Marton by the noon train where they play their second round with the Marton Football club for the championship, The point-to-point steeplechase, under tbe auspices of Rangitikei Hunt Club, took place at Marton on Thursday, and resulted as follows : — Mr T. Simpson's Hop Bitters, 1 ; Mr J. Green's Ascot, 2 ; Mr F. Richardson's Tory, 3. According to recent insurance statistics, if the wife dies first, the husband on an average survives nine years ; whilst if the husband dies first, the wife survives eleven years. Of course, if they marry again 11 they don't count." Notice is given to-day of the dissolution of partnership (by mutual consent) between Thomas Harvey James and Frederick William Heaps, architects, of Palmerston N. and Feilding. Mr James will carry on the business at Feilding under the style of James and Heaps. At the Palmerston Magistrate's Court yesterday, George Cowper, for being the owner of sheep infected with lice, was fined 20s with costs 14s 6d. William Maxwell, the owner of a diseased bullock, was fined Is and costs. In the case of the M.F.C.A. v. Henry Hickford, claim £34 13s, on a promissory note, judgment was given for plaintiffs, with costs £'6s 6s and solicitor's fee £1 11s. An application for immediate execution was granted. We regret to learn that Mr T. Ford, the veteran Australian actor, who performed the part of Dumpy Mullins in the recent production of the " Banshee " in Feilding, is now confined to his room with a severe attack of paralysis. It may not be generally known that Mr Ford has an Australian reputation dating many years back, he having been associated with nearly all the dramatic stars who graced the boards in the early days of the colony. In the fifties he played in golden Ballarat with Clarence Holt (father of the well-known Bland) Aronia Jones, J. P. Hydes, R. Greville, William Haskins, G. V. Brookes, and a host of others. While in Ballarat Mr Ford enjoyed the distinction of playing with the once celebrated Lola Montez a lady who achieved considerable notariefcy in various parts of the world, and who while performing in Ballarat soundly horsewhipped a Mr Seekarap, the editor of the Ballarat Star. There are times when the lot of the poor strolling player, like that of the Gilbertian guardian of tho peace, is not a happy one, so it is only reasonable to assume that Mr Ford has bad his full share of the many vicissitudes incidental to a long professional career in the colonies. We understand the sufferer is at present under the care of Dr Charlton, and as that gentleman is doing his utmost for the patient, we hope soon to have the pleasure of recording that Mr Ford is on the rapid road to complete recovery.