Local and General News.

Feilding Star, Volume XVI, Issue 41, 14 August 1894, Page 2

Local and General News.

Mrs Knott, au old and respected resident of Martou, died in that town on Sunday last at the age of 72, Notice is given by the Engineer to the Kiwitea County Council that tbe road from Birmingham to Pembertou is closed to vehicular traffic until further notice. A play is to be performed in New York shortly and heard in a London theatre, through the telephoue, and seen through the kinetoscope. Notice is giveu to-day of the bankruptcy of John Dorset Valentino, of Feilding, carpenter. The first meeting of creditors will be held in the Courthouse, Feilding, on Monday, the 20th instant. Mr W. G- Shearer, cabinetmaker, etc., has a new advertisement in to-day's issue to which we would call the attention of our readers. Mr Shearer hab in his warehouse a choice selection of locally-made furniture of all descriptions. A fine lot of new books has just been opened up by Mr Win. Carthew, bookseller. A list of the names appears in ! to-day's issue, and on a perusal it will j be seen that some fine numbers are amongst them. Two of the alleged unemployed waited on a Feilding man the other day and asked him for " five bob " to see them on their way." He told them he believed in men being independent so if they would chop up a log, which he pointed out to them, the required sum would be paid. They left, but the log is still to the fore. A dangerous practice, and one which needs repelling with a firm hand, is that indulged in at times by a number of youths in this town, many of whom are old enough to have more sense. The practice referred to is that of exploding fireworks in some of the main thoroughfares of tho town, to the annoyance and danger of persons who happen to be riding or driving past. We were yesterday shown a freak of nature in the shape of two lambs con- | joined, with one head. Tho animal, or animals, were obtained on the farm of Mr Wm. Baker, at Waituna, and Wheu found were dead although they had apparently lived for some little time. The bodies were perfectly formed as far as the shoulder, but here they were joined together, although the eight legs were in place. There were four ears on the head, which was somewhat deformed, and the whole thing presented a peculiar and uncanny spectacle. A paragraph appeared in the columns of the Star recently describing the bad state of a coach road in the other Island, and mentioning an instance in which the coach was bogged and the driver had to carry the passengers on to dry laud on his back. A person who often has I occasion to travel the Birmingham-Pern-j berton road happened to observe this paragraph, and it seemed to amuse him muchly, as he was heard to remark : ! " Now, no doubt they thought the action of the coachee in carrying the passengers out on his back a very clever and thrilling performance, but, great Scott, I have seen Sam Daw get bogged and carry the blooming coach out on his blooming back, and think nothing of ft either. Tmuk of that now 1 "

The tender of Mr F. Rink, for the delivery of river bed metal at the Colyton saleyards, at 2s 8d per yard, has been accepted. It is estimated that England pays something like £6,000,000 a year for foreign fruit, tno3t of which might have been very well grown at Home. The Chronicle's parliamentary correspondent wires:— Mr McKenzie's Libel Bill is uni versally ridiculed, and it is quite possible it will be withdrawn. — On the 999 years lease question there is talk of a compromise, so many Ministerialists being opposed to it. A narrow escape from fire occurred on board the R.M.S. Kaikoura at Lyttelton on Sunday morning. The coal in one of the bunkers amidships became partly ignited by contact with one of the steam pipes, but the danger was noticed in time to preveut any damage being done. Tenders are invited by Mr Joseph Corpe for felling two hundred acres of bush, in four blocks, adjoining the property of Mr T. Haiues, Kiwitea. Specifications are now on view at the Fkildikg Star Office, and the Makino store. Intending contractors will be shown the bush by the proprietor, who resides on the property. fcraid the Hey Mr Issit in one of his lectures, " I shnll be a prohibitionist as long a? I live, nnd I do not care if ' L. M. Issit, prohibiuouer,' isengraved upon my tombstone." " But," he added, " I hope it will not be writ, ' Here lies L. M. Isfit,' elc, for the publicans will come along and say, 'Ah T6», there he is at his old game still/ and I shall "fiot be able to confute them." Yesterday morning a number of the unemployed (16) waited on the Mayor, Mr Carthew, to ask if work could not be provided for them by the Borough Couucil. His Worship replied that the Council '.vas not in a position to assist them iv the direction indicated, but he would put himself in communication with the Government on the subject. The men were all strangers to Feilding. On Saturday next, in the Colyton Hall, Mr Spencer, the Chairman of the Cheltenham Butter Factory, will read a paper on " Tho chemistry of milk." All interested are invited to attend. In this connection we may remind our readers that ,Mr Spencer is an expert of recognised ability, and thoroughly qualified to convey to his hearers the most useful information on what is at tho present time a peculiarly iuterestiug subject. A serious accident happened to a young man working in the Huuterville bush yesterday. In using an axe the handle broke short off by the head, and iv order to extricate tho piece out of the head he loaded a gun with a heavy chargo and placing the axehead over the barrel thought to blow the piece out. In some manner he received the whole charge in his right hand, which was shattered to fragments, and Dr Smith, of Huutcrviile, had to amputate the remaining portion above the wrist. The World's Trio Company will appear in tho Assembly Rooms to-night, when one of their laughable performances will be gone through. This is the farewell visit of these artists, and should j the weather hold tine there will no doubt be a good house. A new and immensely funny skotch is to bo introduced, viz., " The Dummies," and iv addition *' Sam Key's Laundry " and " The Burlesque Trapeze Act" will be given, so those who attehd the performance may depend on haviti" a merry time of it. Ibe Smut of oats is one of the most destructive diseases of this grain It is closely related to the rust which is preli tmnary to it, and thought by some to be j merely a stage of the smut into which tbe rust developed. But there is an offecuvo remedy for both of tbrse diseases j This is to steep the grain used for seed in a solution of sulphate of copper as is done for the seed wheat. Four ounces of the pulphato is din lived in water, and the solution is diluted to fire gnllons. The seed is steopod in tho liquid for a fewminutes, aud then dried aud immediately 8 >wn A Campbelltown correspondent," Onlooker," writes complaining that although that settlement is remarkably moral and religious, yet pugilistic encounters are not so conspicuous by their absence as they should be to accord with the high-toned character of the place. He further alleges that on last Sunday morning he saw a man with one horse harnossed pulling another horse, which had departed this life, towards a grave in which to bury it. He admits it is a meritorious deed to " bury a dead horse," but opines that any other day than the Sabbath would have been better adapted for tho work. On Friday last the bachelors of Apiti gave a dance in the local Public Hall, at which about seventy or eighty couples were present. The general superintendence and catering were very satisfactorily performed by Mr and Mrs Eagar, the popular host and hostess of the Apiti Hotel. Tho music was supplied by Messrs J. and E* Cureen and was, it is almost needless to say, everything that could be desired. The Committee earned golden opinions for the way in which the whole thing was carried out. Dancing was kept up until the small hours of the morning, when this very pleasant party broke up. How seldom uow-a-days, alas, is the principle of thoroughness applied to any of our actions. Expediency is our watchword, aud we do not so much care how we perform our allotted tasks as long as we can get through them somehow. It would almost appear that iv the hurry and bustle of this fin de siecle stage of our existence that thoroughness has become a lost art. However, some people are conscientiously thorough aud aim at perfection in all they undertake. Amongst these exceptions is the Empire Tea Company, of Wellington. This Company has ever aimed at perfection in its methods, and it is therefore to-day in tho proud position of being able to boast that its teas are about as near perfection as it is possible for them to be. A perusal of the Empire Tea Company's advertisement in another column will show how this highly desirable result has been arrived at An incident has come under our notice where a debtor received several accounts rendered from his storekeeper. One day the debtor waited on the creditor to point out the reasons for the delay and his inability to settle the account. Tho story was very pathetic. For the past goven years the unfortunate man who was now a debtor had a continuous run of " back luck." He was unlucky in business, had received sundry bodily injuries necessitating his sojourn in an hospital for many weeks and afterwards within his own house, while at times one or other members of his family were also afflicted by sickness or accidont. Ho was now in a state of convalescence after having to move about on crutches for several weeks. With more " downs " than " ups " iv his carper during the |ast seven years he viewed his position philosophically and promised to pay his account provided time was given, as he expected to have a run of " good luck" for the next seven years. The creditor promised as requested not to waste any more money in postage stamps in sending accounts to the at-one-time capitalist, while the latter went away rejoicing in the expectancy of being able to liquidate his liabilities during the reign of good fortune he now confidently expects. _^_ — __ -^____