Local and General News.

Feilding Star, Volume XVII, Issue 12, 13 July 1895, Page 2

Local and General News.

The Debating Society will meet en Tuesday next at 7.30. The Excelsior Skating Rink will be open at 730 this evening. Entries for Messrs Abraham and Williams' Palmerston sale are advertised today. That man is more conceited than wise who thinks he cannot be done without, no matter what his position may be. Entries for Messrs Gorton and Son'a Sauson sale on Tuesday next are advertised to-day. Members of the Gladstone Small Farm Association are notified that the balance of survey fees must ho paid at the meeting to be held in the Temperance Hall, Feilding on Wednesday the 17th iust., prior £0 balloting for sections. A cloudburst occurred near Toll House, Fresno Couuty, U.S.A., lately, which deluged about 12 miles of land. Roads and bridges were washed away, and narrow strips of level land lying along Dry Creek were washed into the bed of the creek or covered with a deposit of sand, etc. Among the new books arrived for the Library, we are pleased to note one from the pen of a local author, Mrs J. G. Wilson, of Bulls. "Alice Sander" is the title, and the work is of more than average merit, aud we congratulate the writer upon her undoubted success. It is a book that will be widely read. Miss A. Gardner, formerly Art Mistress at " Glenburn House Lady's School, advertises that she is prepared to receive pupils for tuition in oil and water color, landscape and flower painting. The course includes a thorough grounding in the elementary principles of drawing. For other particulars our readers are directed to Mr Carthew. Many farmers have discovered that it dees not pay to plant seed potatoes faom the same district year after year. A good change of seed greatly enhances returns. Messrs Bramwell Bros, advertise that they have received some splen. did samples of Tasmanian [grown seed potatoes, also a good assortment from Oainaru. Inspection is respectfully invited and quotations furnished on application. In the early days of New Zealand, an Anglican carate, just arrived from England, had occasion to preach in the woolshed of a South Canterbury station. Shepherds and small farmers formed the bnik cl' the congregation, the majority of them being attended by a couple or so ot dogs per head. At the conclusion of the service the manager's wife congratulated the parson upon his sermon, adding that she was glad to sec so mnny cockatoos present. " Cockatoos," gasped the curate, " I didn't see any, but I noticed a lot of doss. How Camp meetings first began in America is told thus :-—ln 1799, John and William Mngee, brothers, the former a locnl Methodist preacher, the latter a Presbyterian, started on a missionary tour in Kentucky. Their first labors in a church on Red river were attended with remarkable results, and at their next meeting, on Muddy river, many families cams from a distance in waggons uud camped in tho woods. An interesting discovery has been inada in Egypt which ought to make chess playeis feel more proud of their favourite pastime than ever. On the pyramid field Bukhara, a wall-painting has been brought to light which represents a high ollicial as playing chess with a partner of the time when King Teta, of the sixth d\ncsty, was on the throne of Egypt. Professor Bmgruh makes this about 3000 i:c, to that hero wo have documentary evidence, so to s-petik, that chess was pluyed 111 tho land of Wmva'iin Something like 5200 years ago.

Harry Baker has been fined .£25 at Christchurch for smuggling cigars. Yesterday, at the Wellington S.M. Court, Valentine "Verne was committed for trial on charges of impersonation and false pretences. To-morrow the Rey. J. Cocker will preach iv the Primitive Methodist Church, morning and evening. Strangers are invited, and all seats are free. Mr Robinson, mail-carrier to Waituna, notifies in another column that passenger's fairs and parcel rates must be pre» paid before leaving town. Mr Wood and the Rev W. H. Judkins are the preachers at the Wesleyan church to-morrow. The latter's subject for the evening service is announced in our advertising column. Mr Pirani is interesting himself on behalf of the fire brigades, and has secured the signatures of a considerable number of members to a requisition to tho Premier urging him to grant £250 for the annual demonstration. Notice is given that all claims iv the estate of the late Johu Richard Harper, of Palmerston, are to be sent in to E. O. Hurley, solicitor, Pal-nerston North, on or before the 15th of August, with full particulars of the same. At the Volunteer parade at Wellington last night, decorations for 20 years' service wore presented to Lieut-Cols. Pitt and Bonar, Brigade Surgeon Lieut- Col. Boor, and Major Harris. The presentations were made by the Governor. We are glad to learn that the starlings, which were liberated some time ago by Mr Sherwili, the Secretary of the Feilding Branch of the Wellington Acclimatization Society, have done very well, and a respectable family of five were scon recently on the Feiidiug-Ashurst road, near Colyton. The usual fortnightly meeting of Oddfellows was held yesterday in Mr Chas. Bray's office, Manchester street, when there was a large attendance. One new member was initiated, and one was proposed for initiation at noxt meeting. P. P.G.M. Bro. Parker installed the newlyelected oflicers to their respective positions. A Waipawa resident named Joseph Peers met his death in a singular manner. He was engaged in distributing phosphorus, when it ignited in his trousers' pocket. While endeavouring to extinguish the flames his les^s and hands were severely burned and he was advised to become .1 patient iv tho hospital. Lockjaw set iv and he expired a lew days later. Mr Meredith wishes to know if the Government, with the view of encouraging a few trial shipments of live cattle to°the British market, and to put the question to a practical test, will extend the same concessions to exporters of live cattle as they have given intimation of their intention to extend to experimental shipments of horses to the British market. During the past six weeks Messrs Ratlid Bros., land agents, report the sale of 610 acres in Apiti, from Mr Calthrop to Mr Murray ; 10 acres Kimbolton road, from Mr Bradford to Mr Bishop ; 21 acres Awahuri road, from Mr Toswell to Mr J. Norman ; Mr A. L. Parr's premises and land, G6('t., to Mr \V, A. Sandilands; Mr R. Heald's dwelling-house, Denbigh square, to Mrs Oliver. \lso, in conjunction with Mr 11. Axnp, commission agent, the Colyton Hotel to Mr Barrett, and the j Empire Hotel to Mr Corby ; all at satisfactory prices. An exchange says:— A rather startling discovery has been made by Dr Wheeler, of Chicago, viz. the death microbe. According to Dalziel, the mic.obe can be destroyed even as other microbes perish at the hands of an expert. It resembles the microbe of consumption. If it can be destroyed, nothing short of actual violence can put an end to anyone's existence. It has been experimented with on ani mals, and it has been demonstrated that, the vacillns of death destroyed, no known disease can obtain any hold at all upon the system. The discovery has created a great sensation at Chicago.