The Feilding Star, Oroua & Kiwitea Counties Gazette. Published Daily. MONDAY, MARCH 18, 1895. Local and General News.

Feilding Star, Volume XVI, Issue 220, 18 March 1895, Page 2

The Feilding Star, Oroua & Kiwitea Counties Gazette. Published Daily. MONDAY, MARCH 18, 189 5. Local and General News.

Mr T. EL Bredin will continue his clearing sale until the end of the month. A great number of Feilding people went to the Sandon races to-day. Capfc. Edwin wired at 1.30 p m. to-day : North to E. and S-E. strong winds, and glass fall. Mr Milson's usual parcel of English books and periodicals came to hand today. The tender, i' 27 11s, of H. Wishaw for Dog Tax was accepted subject to the approval of the Chairman of the Kiwitea County Council. A Melbourne man claims to have invented an attachment for the usual sheep shearing machines, whereby 400 sheep can be shorn daily by one man. Notice is given to-day that Mr Fred. Pirani, M.H.R., will address the electors in Guy's Hall, Apiti, on Tuesday the 19th and in the County office, Pohangina on Thursday the 21st inst. respectively. Mr Fred. Pirani, M.H.R., has decided, at the request of a number of members of school committees throughout the district, to become a candidate for the seat on the Wanganui Education Board vacated by the resignation of Mr Notman. We understand that Mr D. Sinclair, of Palmerston North, accompanied by his son, is now up the Pohangina gorge prospecting ihe country to see if lie can find any traces of igold. They will remain in the locality named for about a week. We have received from Mr J. L. Durling, of Pohangina, some very excellent samples of the ' Northern Spy ' and ' Marquetts ' varieties of apples. We have also received from Mr Gooden, of Ley's Line, some of the ' Royal Russet ' and ' Queen ' varieties, of great size and beauty. Mr Anyon, superintendant of the Wesleyan Sunday School at Birmingham, has received a second parcel of Testaments and Bibles from Mrs H. R. Hodge for use in that Sunday school, for which the teachers and scholars are very thankful. One farmer on Banks Peninsular has harvested 200 bags of grass seed from his land of 50 acres, being four bags to the acre. He sold the yield at a price of £5 per acre. Its harvesting cost him i'3o without his own labor, so that leaves him .£220 for himself. — Manawatu Farmer. To-day, Mr H. Worsfold, who was the representative of the Feilding Brigade at the Fire Brigade Conference at Hokitika, returned by the mail train. Mr ■Worsfold speaks in terms of the highest praise regarding the hospitality extended to visitors by the West Coasters. A farmer tells us (Taieri Advocate) that the present harvest is one of the best ever seen in the Taieri, the average yield being high and the grain being secured in excellent condition. The wheat average on one Taieri farm was 68 bushels to the acre, and it was sold at 2s 9d — -which, we believe, is the top price at present realisable. It is stated that Mr H. D. Bell and Mr George Hutchison have been retained by the Midland Railway Company as counsel in the Company's arbitration case with the Government. The Government has not yet appointed arbitrator or counsel. The amount involved is a million and a half sterling. — Post. A public tea meeting will be held in the Wesleyan Church at Birmingham on Wednesday next, the proceeds to be devoted to the trust funds of the Birmingham Church. After the tea, a concert will be held in the same building, when Mr F. Pirani, M.H.R., of Palmerston N,, will occupy the chair. In addition to the usual addresses, musical selections will be given by visitors from Feilding and other places. It is intended that this tea and concert shall be a welcome to the R«v T. R. Richards, who has just returned from the Conference. In the Idler for January is found the following amusing story of an aunt of Mr Irving the well known actor. " She was a fine woman, a rigid teetotaller ; but a woman of common sense. She looked wonderfully well, and was, indeed in capital health. " Oh, yes," she said, "I am very well indeed ; and on theselong journeys I carry with me a small flask of brandy, and take a little ; the travelling fatigues me, and I find the brandy gives me life. It is the elixir vitae." Here is a woman strong enough all her life to be teetotal, yet sensible enough to take a little alcohol as a medicine." Just so. It has been decided to put all firstclass railway stationmasters and a number of second-class in full uniform. Stationmasters of all grades are to be supplied with a distinctive uniform cap, so that they may be easily recognised by the travelling public. In the past (says an exchange) it has been decidedly aggravating to the public using the railways to be ordered about by officials who bore no badge of their authority to do so, while on the other hand, cases of carelessness by subordinates have passed unchecked because those who had complaints to make could not differentiate between a S.M. and any other man on the platform. At the close of the service in St John's Anglican Church last evening an organ recital was given in order that the new instrument which has lately been purchased for the Church might be thoroughly tested. Mr Robert Parker, of St Paul's Pro-Cathedral, Wellington, was to have officiated at the organ, but as he was unable to leave Wellington his place was capitally filled by Mr Homer, of Palmerston North, who also presided at the instrument at the morning and evening services. The several instrumental selections which Mr Homer played were most enjoyable, and convincing proof that the organ is a very fine one, possessing not only a rich and full tone, but is also capable of producing a great volume of sound, sufficient for a much larger church than Sfc John's. The organ is a decided acquisition to the church, and it will doubtless be much appreciated by the organist, the choir, and the churchpeople generally. During the recital last evening the solo " Consider the Lilies," was very nicely sung" by Miss Diamond, as also was the solo by Mr Treseder, " The Holy City," while an anthem was very creditably rendered by the Choi*.

A brake, full passengers returning from Island Bay, capsized in Vivian street, Wellington, yesterday afternoon through the wheels catching in the tram lines. One passenger had his ankle dislocated, and the remainder were more or less shaken and bruised The following tenders were received at Birmingham on Saturday by the Committee of the Kiwitea County Council appointed for the purpose :— For metalling the Oroua Valley and Kimbolton roads — For the Valley road— A Pettigrew, 2s sd, (accepted); Lyon and Son, 2a 10^; T Denton, 2s 7d ; J. Shapleski, 2s 7d ; E. G. McDerrnott, 3s 3d ; B. Poole, 2s Bd. Kimbolton road— R. Lyon and Son, 2s 4d (from present pit), 2s 9£d (from Lowe's pit), accepted ; J. Shapleski, 2s 4|d and 3s lOd ; B. Poole, 2s 7d and 3s 7d.