Local and General News.

Feilding Star, Volume XVI, Issue 123, 20 November 1894, Page 2

Local and General News.

A boy at Wakefield, Nelson, enjoying the popular pastime of sliding down the staircase rail, fell aud broke his arm. Tlie Hawera Star says the small beetle is again attacking the young apples in that district. The oldest horse iv Rangitikei, known as " Old Gus," died last week, his age being 35 years. Mr Francis Parrish, an old resident of Grovetowu, Marlborough, died last week, aged 58. Admiral Ito, the Japaneso hero of tho day, who is known among his devoted sailors as " tho Lean Admiral," on account of his extreme thinness, has a daughter who is one of Japan's very few blonde beauties. The percentage of lambs in the Apiti district proves to havo beeu very good this season, the average being between 80 and 90. One or two settlers have lost heavily, but this mortality is said to be due to a shortness of feed. Christchurch papers record the dpath of Mr James Townsend, who arrived at Canterbury in 1850 by the ship Cressy, oue of the first four vessels to reach that province. Ho was for many years qlerk of the R.M. Court at Lyttelton. A return laid before Parliament of tho pay meu ts to 8886 workmen employed by the New Zealand Railway Commissioners show that 1879 receive loss than £2 per week, whilo only 896, or about ten per cent, of the whole, receive 10s por day and upwards of 12s. A spieler at the Victorian races found a victim in a small boy, a seller of race programmes, who first staked 2s and finally lost LI. Upshot : Three months' hard labour for the spoiler, wilh a fine of LlO for trying to bribe a policeman by offering him a pound if he would let him make off. Impulse, the New Zealaud Cup winner, was knocked down to Mr S. Bradley for 35 guineas at the Auckland sales of 1889. Lottie (second) was probably purchased for a " 'alf a 'undid," and Aldershot (thjrd), >yas originally purchased by Mr Stead froiu Mr Elliot, qf \Vaitara, for irlOO. Mrs Seddon haß been seriously ill since her return home at tho close of the session. Tho Colouial Secretary received a telegram ou Saturday reporting that she is a little better. Tho Premier also has beeu iv indifferent health since he left Welliugtou.— N.Z. Times. What's this? The Financial Reform League of Melbourne, " a committee of accountants and business men," complaining of the involved character of Victorian State papers dealing with finance, say that the Treasurer's Budget in New Zealand is drawn up exactly on the lines ofthe balance-sheet of a public company We are now awaiting the next irom Her Majesty's Opposition. A new steel cantilever bridge is to be built across the gorge at Niagara Falls, just below the cataract It will gowned by a syndicate of New York capitalists. In form it will be a combination of the . arch and cantilever principles with a span of 1000 ft or 2000 ft longer than any arched bridge in existence. It wjll have accommodation for trolley cars, raijroad cars ; and foot passengers. Thp latest phase of larrikinism uj an adjoining settlement deyolpped a few nights ago into painting a welhknown resident's pig. The gentleman is naturally very wroth at liis porker having beeu mado the subject of a practical joke. Tho night following a supposed culprit was caught in the viciuity of tho sfcyo with his pals, who made good their escape.

A meeting of the Directors of the Feilding Building Society was held tliis afternoon. A meeting of those interested in the formation of a Bowling Club will be held in Messrs Halcombe and Son's office on Friday evening at 8.30 p.m. Two Gisborne men were charged reoently with walking along a footpath with a load of timber on their shoulders, and were fined Is and costs each. Tho office of the Pohangina County Couucil at Pohangina Township is open for business every Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., public holidays excepted. Huia, a native at Puketotara, near New Plymouth, met his death iv a strange manner. He was sitting in a chair dying, when he fell forward on his head, and broke his neck. A bull broke looso iv New Plymouth a morning or two ago, aud scampered about the town, relieving the monotony of cxisteuco considerably. Tho first place he made for was a publichouso. One of the party of bushfallers at Titirangi, Marlborough " went through " his mates' effects, to his personal profit aud their discomfiture. He was hunted and caught, and disgorged fifteen .£1 notes. It has been suggested by several athletes who are traiuiug on the Oval that if a roller wore now passed over the ground after the recent rains it would greatly improve tho tracks, especially for the bicycle events. To-morrow evening the committee of the Feildiug Football Club will meet at Mr D. Ross', at 8 o'clock, to arrange about ploughing and puttiug in ordor the new football ground. The best means of suitably closing the season will also be discussed. To-day's Chronicle says : — News was received in town yesterday that two men, experienced miners, who for some time have been prospecting for gold iv this district, havo struck what thej' regard as a payable reef, and specimens of tho stone wero brought into town. Particulars as to locality, &c, have uot leaked out. At Burranaug, N.S.W. a non-unionist shearer, one of the Pastoralists' Union's trial importations, knelt down behind a standing sheep and commencing at the stern, shore off tho wool along the spine in a nnrrow lone strip, after wbich he mapped out parallels and diagonals with the remark : — " Shearing is easy enough whon you know how ; anj dashed fool can do it " It is rather peculiar, remarks the Napier Telegraph, that the Hastings Rifle Volunteers, one of the corps condemned by Colonel Fox in his new historical report, has during the current year sue ceeded in winning every firing match it has competed in, and for two consecutive years has won the Government prizes for volley firing. If every child attending the primary schools of the Colony were taught to read with pleasure to himself or herself, and to all who might listen, the works of sterling authors, to read poetry as well as prose, we believe that the omission of some other subjects would be more than compensated for, and that the advantage would be national. — Nclsou Colouist. A Cabinet meeting is to be held this week to sottle various matters of importance, the onlj T Ministers now absent from Wellington being tho Premier aud the Hon. Mr Carroll. Both theso Ministers aro expected to arrivo tomorrow or Thursday. The appointmout of a nautical adviser to the Govcrument is to bo determined towards tho end of tho week. — Times. At Messrs Gorton and Son's stock sale bore on Friday, six first-class draughts, which include four well-bred marcs, will bo tendered for salo on account of the well-known horse breeders, Messrs Hocken Bros. This is a class of animal selected in Canterbury for tho requirements of farmers iv this district, and they are of a very high standard. A trial will be given, therefore satisfaction to the purchasers is practically guaranteed. The following agonised expression of sorrow is from the Woodville Examiner : — Woodville i.s gettiug euough of tho Yellow Agony, and the town is to bo cursed with auother Chinese business. Throe Chinamen from Wellington intend opening in busiuess immediately. We wish local bodies could tax out of the town those landlords who encourage Chinese competition with tho European tradespeople, who are the life and soul of the town and have families to maintaiu. Amongst the newly-applied for patents at Sydney is a " nose-flute " intended for the use of inveterate suorers. This contrivance is a flute or fltitelct which fits on to tho nose. When the snorer gets to work the flute begins to play. Tho music is said to be very grateful and comforting. Two suorers lying side by side cau be fitted with bass aud tenor flutes and so play a duet. Thus does science triuniph, turning even our curses iuto blessings 1 West Stafford, near Dorchester, has been considerably agitated of late by the rumour of ghosts walking near tho village. Recently a search party was formed, both men and women being armed witii sticks. On a gate tliey saw a figuro draped in white; tho orowd pressed forward, and the loaders severely thrashed tho ghost, who screamed for mercy. Ho was found to be a labourer in the village, whoso wife was in the attacking party. He was so bruised that ho had to be removed to the Dorset Hospital. The General Feildiug Reception Committee met at Mr F. Owen's office last evening, thero being a fair attendance, and arrangements for the reception of tho General were advanced a stage. Ho will be met on Saturday, at Halcombe, by Mr E. Giesen, tho C.L. and L.C. agent in Feildiug, aud will travel from thero by road, arriviug iv Feilding in the evening. On Monday afteruoou, at 4 o'clock, he will bo accorded a publio f-ecoptiop in tlje Feilding Assembly Ropnis, Whe'4 ho will be presented with a bqautjfuj.ly iljuminated acldrpss. Qn tho same eveniug tho General wilj bo banquettod at tho Manchester Hotol. The tickets for tho banquet are limited to sixty, fifty-eight of which have already beeu disposed of.