Local and General News.

Feilding Star, Volume XVI, Issue 163, 9 January 1895, Page 2

Local and General News.

Some very welcome rain fell here last night and to-daj 7 . Experts are well pleased with the indications at the New Plymouth petroleum works. Boring will be started almost ininiediately. The Adelaide Oval, where the next test match between England and Australia is to be played, is said to be the fastest ground in the world. If so, we may expect to see some tall scoring. Says the Standard: — Sawmilling is not altogether an unprofitable business. At Mr Whiley's meeting of creditors, Mr H. S. Fitzherbert said a half-share in the profits of the Ohau mill for two years was _1050. The driest place in the world is that part of Egypt between the two lower falls of the Nile. Rain has never been known there, and the inhabitants do not believe travellers when told that water can fall from the sky. An Auckland settlor paid sixpence for three fish the other day. On opening one of them he found a half-sovereign, of date 1845, embedded in tho stomach. Result, three fish and 9s 6d ahead of it, as the sports say. The unfortunate man, Patrick Carrick, who lost his life in the Manawatu river at Ngawapurna last week had been on a visit to his family at Wellington. The deceased took the crossing too low down, and was riding an old broken down horse. The body has not yet been recovered. Following are the respective scores at the recent chess tournament in Wellington : -Mackay, won 8 lost 2; Cocks, won 7£ lost 3£ ; Edwards, won 7 lost 4 ; Lelievre, won 7 lost 4 ; Hookham, won 6ri- lost 4£ ; Gifford, won 6£ lost 4| ; Barnes, won 6 lost 5 ; Barnes, won 6 lost 5 ; Barraud, won 5 lost 6 ; Pleasauts, won 5 lost 6 ; Hatherly, won 3£ lost 7-J- ; Pearce, won 2 lost 9 ; Wood, won 2 lost 9. As the public do not seem to know there has been alteration in the postal rates we are requested by the authorities to state that the postage on newspapers for the United Kingdom and foreign countries is Id for 4ozß, and £d for each succeeding 2 ozs or fraction of 2ozs. For Australia and S.S. Islands, Id for each paper irrespective of weight. All newspapers not prepaid as above will bo charged double deficiency on delivery. A Napier man was charged with being drunk and disorderly, which he denied, and a companion who was with him had to appear in the witness box. ' Have you ever seen the prisoner drunk '? he was asked. ' No ' he firmly replied, ' never.' ' Remember, you. are on oath,' he was cautioned. ' Have you ever seen the prisoner drunk ? ' ' No, for before he's half drunk I'm blind,' explained the witness. He was told to stand down.— Napier News. At Wangamii the other day, District Judge Kettle strongly condemned the careless, thoughtless and in some cases reckless way in which people swear to statements in affidavits afterwards filed in Court. Ifc was absolutely essential that people who swore to affidavits or declarations, whether in priuted Government forms or otherwise, should read them through carefully and be certain that the contents were within their own knowledge true and correct in every way A lawyer was asked the other day his opinion as to the genuineness of a halfsovereign. He applied the old time test of patting it between his teeth, when it slipped down his throat. The owner insisted upon the immediate return of his money, and an emetic was forcibly administered, when (judge the surprise of the expectant owner) the result was only three and four pence. The legal gentleman went through a system of internal substraction. We regret to learn that Mr Friberg is passing his vacation in the sick-room. He wen ft to Wellington on Christmas Day and immediately fell ill from influenza and overwork. It was his intention to have returned to Feilding on the Monday before the Colyton school treat ; but when that day came he was ordered not to leave his room for three days. So his friends in Colyton who were disappointed at hisnon-appe&rauo.e will readily understand his enforced absence, He is now in Makotuku but will not be about for another week or so. We are pleased to find in the Rochester Guardian of November 24th, 1894, among the names of those who have passed the final examination for the degree of Bachelor of Arts in the London University, the name of Miss Florence Bird the second daughter of the Head Master of the Mathematical School, and a grand daughter of Mrs Wrightsoii, of Makino. Miss Bird was educated in Germany at the Darmstadt Girls' High School, at the Notting Hill High School, London, and has for tho last two years Held a scholarship at the Royal Holloway College. Messrs Rochelle and Wright, of Palmerston North, have just fimsbed building a yery neat little Catholic church at Campbelltown, which will seat about 100 people. The church is built on a section near the square, which had been fenced and planted with trees some time ago. There are no great pretentions to architectural design. As the funds were limited, the building having cost about _185, but, as previously stated, it is a yery »eat Mitlp church. It will be opened shortly, due' notice of which AviU be given. Mr Rochelle supplied the plans for the building and gave a price for tho §ame which were approved of and accepted ty fee iter, Fssbej? fWffivf.

A fruit grower in Auckland realised _50 per acre from his plums. The local medicos also did well. The nominations for the Halcombe Sports closed last evening, and the result is very satisfactory: Captain Edwin wired at 12.55 p.m. today :— Strong S.E. to S. and W. winds with rain ; glass fall. Mr A. Hildebrand of Greymoutb, died on Monday evening after a short illness. The deceased was an old West Coaster. It will probably be a month yet before the Government is able to send away the trial shipment of timber for paving purposes. j Mr A. L. Parr, whilst having a spin on his new bicycle yesterday, in company with Mr Feck, collided with a large boulder on the road, and came a • buster.' One hand was caught under the machine, and the little finger was yer, seriously iniured. Dr Charlton dressed the wound. Australian producers have a lot to learn (says a Queensland paper). American apples are being landed in Charters Towers in beautiful condition after at least eight weeks' transit ; yet the Tasmauian apples, with less than a fortnight's carriage land in bad condition. The proposal to regulate Victorian clocks by convention instead of by rising and setting of the sun, hae, says the Age, met with anything but approval Neither from a scientific nor a commercial stand poini is there the slightest advantage to be gained by establishing the hour zone system throughout Australia. One of our New Year gifts is a bottle of Sir John Power's Pot Still whisky, received from Messrs T. and W. Young, the local agents. The special member of our staff whoso duty it is to sample presents of this kiud pronounces the whisky mellow, and everything else that it should be. An accident of a rather serious nature occurred to a lad named Harry Richards in Wellington j'esterday. While jumping off the tram he slipped and fell, •with the result that the car went over his left foot. He was taken to the Hospital, where it was found necessary to amputate three of his toes. The Mercury says: Mr R. E. Beckett has just completed at his sale-yards, for the convenience of his clients, a first class sheep dip, capable of holding 800 gallons, with a drying pen large enough to hold about 120 sheep at one time. No doubt settlers will nppreciate this iui provement, and repay our enterprising auctioneer for his forethought;. A notorious malefactor had heen sentenced to death, and the last penaltj' of the law was about to be enforced. As he stood on the scaffold while the final arrangements were completed, he shook hands with the Governor of the goal, the chaplain, and even the hangman ; but to the newspaper man who was present he simply nodded, nonchalantly saying, " Tata, old man : see you later on !" The Manawatn Farmers' Co-operative Association, Palmerston N., advertise to day that they are prepared to purchase all kinds of grain and locally grown grass seeds. They have on sale, in addition to a general stock of groceries, clothing, etc , a large assortment of farm requisites Applications for samples of sreds are invited. The Association have in working order a grass seed cleaning machine wliich growers will be allowed to use at low rates Amongst the nominations for tho Wan gamri Caledonian Society's Sports, to be held on 22nd January, are the names of the following local men: 100yds -I. Watts, A W. W-itts ; 220yds— I " Watts, AW. Watts ; 440 yds —l. Watts, A. W Watts, F. Jouansen ; 1 mile — A. E. Foster, J. Johansen ; i mile — A. E. Foster, F. Johansen ; walking — A. E Foster, C Staffen, F. Johansen ; bicycle, 1 and 5 miles — J. H Mingins, E. A. Feck, A. H Way; lOChds hurdles— A. W Watts. The Directors of the Feilding Permanent Building Society met at the office of the manager, Mr E. Goodbehere, vestprday afternoon. After the usual routine business had been gone through, the manager reported that there was a considerable sum of money in hand read? for investment. It was resolved that if any applications were received before the next meeting of the Directors a special meeting be called to consider and grant such applications if approved. It is a pleasure to mark the prosperity of this useful institution. Yesterday morning Mr R. Bowler, whose teams were carting metal on the Makino road, had the misfortune to lose a fine draught mare. It appears that Mr C. Guthrie, who was driving the team, drove the horses into an old metal pit, partly on Mr Lethbndge's property near Bosher's saw mill, to give the horses a drink, The water being deeper than he expected, he was in danger before he noticed ifc. He managed to unfasten the leader, it swimming ashore, but the shaft horse, being weighted by the dray, was drowned before Guthrie could undo the harness.