Local and General News.

Feilding Star, Volume XVII, Issue 145, 18 December 1895, Page 2

Local and General News.

Mr H. S. Fish, the retiring Mayor for Dunedin. has been presented with a purse of 100 sovereigns. An eight-year-old girl named Carmody has died at Sydney through eating what she supposed to be an ordinary mushroom. Mr Beckley, of Sherborne House, has now made arrangements for lady visitors to have afternoon tea upstairs in his establishment. Poor old Duncan M'Kenzie, so well known from the early days of Hawke's Bay, died iv the Old Men's Refuge at Waipawa on Monday. It is estimated that Australia will require to import this year about 8,650,000 bushels of wheet, of -which New South Wales will require four million. The clerk of the Borough Council, Mr G. C. Hill, invites applications for the position of Borough Inspector. Particulars may be obtained at the office of the Council. Mr E. J. Martin, the well known deep well borer, has just succeeded in getting a splendid flow of artesian water as a depth of 337 ft on the property of Mr F. Boswell, on the Oroua Downs Estate. Birmingham is the greatest brassmaking town in the world, and it keeps in steady employment an avernge of 7000 brass-workers. Paris comes in a good second. George Drew, son of a selector near Brisbane, while engaged driving cows, and the pony he wasridiug, were struck by lightning last week. The pony was killed instantly, and the boy died a few hours later. In some Japanese temples may be seen suspended great coils of rope woven from hair. Such ropes were made of hair sacrificed by thousands of women and girls, were originally used for hoisting stone and timbers for the temple, and are now preserved as relics. The Dutch have a delightfully original way of collecting their taxes. If, after due notice has been given the money is not sent, the authorities place one or two militiamen in the house, to be lodged and maintained at the expense of the defaulter until the amount of the tax is paid. Pingault, the well-known racing man has invented a safety bicycle propelled by electricity, which he intends to use for pacing purposes. He recently appeared on the Seine track while a number of riders were practising and he took them round at a 26 miles an hour bat. It is not generally known that it is a Royal prerogative, belonging exclusively to the reigning sovereign, to drive down the middle of Rotten Row. Ihe Queen has only availed herself once or twice of the right. From this ancient privilege came the name Rout dv Roi, whence the corruption " Rotten Row." Amongst the handicaps for the Manawatu Cycling Club's bicycle race meeting on New Year's day are the following .-—Maiden, 1-mile, Watson, scr. ; imile, Watson 30yds ; 3-mile roadster, Staff an 360 yd s; 1-mile open, Watson 50yds ; Treyena 75yds ; Feck 120 yd s; 2-mile wheel race, Mingins 70yds, Trevena 135 yds : Bracelet l|-miles, Staffan and Feck 195 yd s; 5-mile roadster, Staffan 560 : 5-mile open, Mingins 150 yds, Watson 200 yds, Trevena 445 yds. It is understood (says the Christchurch Press) that one of the objects of Bro. H. D. Bell's visit to England will be a personal explanatiou of tho present state of Masonic matters in New Zealand, with a view to the alteration of the present unsatisfactory position. After April next the Grand Lodge office will be removed to Dnnedin, where the headquarters of the New Zealand Constitution will be fixed for two years. To this we may add that Bro. W. Barron ia likely to be the G.M. of the Grand Lodge of New Zealand for the next term. The Sydney Referee aays ; — One of Tattersall's consultation first prizes (£10,000) on Melbourne Cup was won by a syndicate of Civil Servants employed in the Treasury Department The syndicate comprised forty shilling shares, and when .one of the tickets drew Auraria some of the members thought so little of the Adelaide Ally's chance after her poor display in the Derby that they cold out cheeply, and those who bought had a nice dividend. One member scooped in £2500. another £11,000, a third £900, and the balance was split up in smaller sums. In Somersetshire apple* /ar/j so plentiful that the owners hardly know acjy to dispose of them. A farmer in thai county &cut 20 baskets, each containing a hundred weight of apples to London, paying railway carriage and other expenses incidental to tb^e posit .of transport, and instructing his agent fco se/1 as profitably as possible. The latter obeyed, and, after having retained his commission, remitted to the farmer 7d., his share of the profit on the transaction or, rather the total sum due to him for a ton of excellent apples. What the middlemen realised we are not told ; bat the information would be interesting. Female labour is being largely employed at the coal port of Mogi, in Japan and the steamer Breconshire, which bas arrived at Brisbane from the East, was recently coaled at the Japanese port entirely by women. The women worked in gangs of 40, and as there were fonr gangs, 160 were employed at the job. Standing in rows, they passed the coal in baskets from one to the other, while the empties were passed back by others. By this endless chain system of worki iag the steamer was soon supplied with coal, the workers not stopping till the full amount ha 4 been put into the bankers. It was statecf ttiat the husbands of these women were at home minding the children. It will be seen by reference to onr advertising column that Mr Thos. Howell has tttg&p over the hairdressing and tobacconist ,i?o3iAsgs in Fergusson street lately carried pn by Us &. £,ray. Mr T. Howell's reputation as a akilt ai iaasfitial artist is well and favourably known, ac he has fpr the last 'twelve months' been '&upigyed at Mr D. JXo3S'. Mr Howell having ftaji & JonV experience in various parfs at the coESkf, /& 0 * 50 who f»™nr him with their patr onajjfe aiagfiply npon every satisfaction' being 'given. We understand that the new proprietor has Jub/c ffifpvleted several iinpiovetaerits for the coWftMM and convenience of the Bob|ic/'ano toe price for haircutting ia |U iW branches will be on a reduced I J

A Masonic Lodge was opened at Hunterville last Friday evening, with the . usual ceremony. Wool is now being brought into Feilding in very large quantities to be forwarded to Wellington. It is stated that as the day fixed for taking the census is Easter Sunday, it is probable that Sunday, 14th April, will be chosen. Mr Trewin has just opened up a large consignment of ladies' and gentlemen's boots and shoes, all of the latest fashions and superior quality. We have to acknowledge receipt of several exceedingly neat card and book almanacs from Mr H. L. Sherwill, local agent for the Phoenix Assurance Company. The books " Domhey and Sou " and " Martin Chuz/.lewitt " have been added to the Feilding Library, and several others suggested by subscribers have been ordered. Mr Andrew Laing will run a special coach from Birmingham on Saturday for the convemeucc of those desiring to be present at Fitzgerald's circus on the evening of that date. The polo match Napier v. Feilding, will be played here to-morrow afternoon. The visitors will arrive this evening. Great interest is being taken in the match. The Feilding Lawn Tennis Club will open on Saturday next. During the afternoon a general meeting of the members will be held when the prizes won last seasou will be distributed, and the ladies will arrange for the afternoon tea. Yesterday Mr Charles Bray (senr.) inspected a windmill pump made by Mr D. Jones, engineer and blacksmith, and erected by Mr W. Heald, for a resident on the Kimbolton road. Mr Bray was highly pleased therewith, Last evening while Mr C. Boyd was riding around the Oval on a bicycle a thoughtless youth threw an overcoat over him, causing Boyd's machine to fall. Fortunately both rider and machine were not injured, but the careless act might have resulted seriously. " Who owns America '.'" — The railroad companies own two hundred and eleven million acres, or enough to make six states as large as lowa. The Vauderbilts own over two million acres ; Miss Disston, of Pennsylvania, owns over four million ; the Standard Oil Company one million ; and Murphy, of California, an area equal to that of tho state of Massachusetts. During the examination of a bankrupt yesterday, the D.O A. was particularly anxious to know why the debtor purchased tobacco a few days before he filed his schedule. The debtor replied that he wanted it to smoke with and if he did not smoke he could not live. " Why couldn't you live '?" pressed the D O A " Because I would get so fat that I would not be able to work, " came the prompt answer from the lover of the soothing weed. — Standard.