Local and General News.

Feilding Star, Volume XVII, Issue 224, 25 March 1896, Page 2

Local and General News.

♦ — — Two Salvation Array officers were fined il eacb at Patea last week for obstructing the footpaths. Mr T. Watson announces in our adtising columns, a large grazing farm to lease, together with stock thereon. Tbe annual meeting of shareholders in tbe Campbelltown Dairy Factory will be held at 7.30 this evening. Entries for Mr Charles Carr's Birmingham sale, and additions to his Rangiwahia sale are now advertised. There will be no charge made for admission to the Oval on the occasion of the Temperance Demonstration at Easter. At a gathering of military men at Broken Hill it was decided to cable to England to Dr Jameson wishing him " good luck " at his trial. In Wanganui last night Lieutenant Colonel Newall presented to tbe Wanganui Rifles Colonel Fox's silver salver won by that corps at the independent and volley firing for last year. Mr Charles Carr will hold a sale of unredeemed pledges, comprising gold and silver watches, chains, gold rings, etc., iv the Assembly Kooms on Saturday, March 28th, following the sale of race privileges. The committee of the Wellington Cricketers' Association have decided to ask the New Zealand Cricket Council to take steps to invite the Australian eleven to play in the Colony on its return from England and America. •' I was never exactly buried alive," said an old shopman, recounting his experience, " but I once worked a week in a place that did not advertise. When I came out my head was almost as white as you see it. Solitary confinement did it." It is expected the sham fight to take place at a point midway between Woodville and Eketahuna, will be the most interesting event in the history of volunteering in the North Island, for some years. The annual tea meeting in connection with the Presbyterian Church will be held tuis evening in the Volunteer Hall. The after meeting to be held at 7.30, will be addressed by several visiting Ministers, including Mr Patterson, of Wellington. A Wairarapa storekeeper has just got his returns for butter shipped per s.s. Ruapehu on 29th Nov., says an exchange. It sold in London market for 100s per cwt, or nearly 10^d per lb. The beauty of it is the Government grader marked this lot as third grade, and reported it as " very inferior." The Oamaru Mail states that negotiations ar* actively proceeding for the pur chase by the Government of the Tokarahi estate, less 1500 acres around tbe homestead. The price mentioned is L 7 to L 7 5s per acre, and there is every probability that the negotiations will be successful. In accordance with the National Association's plan of campaign, Capt. Russell and Dr Newman, M.H.R.'s, will deliver addresses on political subjects at Napier next Monday. Dr Newman will afterwards speak at Gisborne, New Plymouth, and one or two other towns in the North Island. — Post. The wedding trousseau of Miss Vanderbilt is said to be by far the finest and most costly ever worn by an American bride, costing into the hundreds of thousands of dollars. The almshouse ou Randall's Island, near where the wedding took place, is so full of paupers tbat over a hundred of them are compelled to sleep on the floor. About 70 pheasants haye been liberated by the Wellington Acclimitisalion Society during this season in various parts of the district. According to the reports received the season has been a good one for pheasants, wbieh are looking remarkably well, and some good bags may be anticipated. The season for shooting imported game opens on May 1 and closes on June 30, both inclusive. From a private letter received from Coolgardio we learn that the sum of .£43,000,000 represents the share capital of the companies promoted to deal with the field. A lot of wild cats are on tho market. Coolgardie is growing rapidly and the population is increasing by scores daily. The writer thinks some splendid goldfields will be found in the Never Never country some 250 miles to the North-east of Coolgardie. — Pahiatua Herald. Mr J. Besaut, of Wellington, bas just had returned to liim a box of eggs packed in October last, and shipped on board the s.s. Aotea in November. The eggs have been to London and back, thus crossing the equator twice, and aro yet in an eatable condition. The experiment was intended to test the length of time that infertile eggs would ke«p good on board ship in a varying temperature, and has thus proved completely successful. Zimmerman writes to a Chicago friend (an English paper informs us) and from the tone of the letter it is easy to see tbat J tbe champion is thoroughly homesick. He ' states that he is not acclimatised aod is in poor health. In his estimation, Parsons, who defeated him, is a great rider, and would probably lower the colors of some of America's crack riders should he decide to go to tbat country. Zimmerman has a very high opinion of Australia and its riders, adding that y it is a fine place for honourable riding." The Government of Chili has appointed a commission of enquiry to determine what steps should be taken to re coloniso tbe island of Jua» Fernande?, upon which Alexander Selkirk was east away, from •whose experiences Daniel Defoe derived the hint of bis immortal story, " Robinson Crusoe." Frpm one hundred and fifty tbe population of the island has dwindled down to tbrpe, owing to the dtc'.ine of the whale|3shery -,land now an effort is to be made to restore its prosperity by the introduction of other industries.

Mr T. Ryan wants returned at once several articles mentiened in tbe advertisement, taken from his premises. So far .£3200 has been spent on the relief works near the Wellington Botanical Gardens, started last winter. Thirtyfive men are still employed, and .£7OO remain in hand. At a Nelson flax-mill a hank of flax, perfect in quality and of unbroken texture, no less than 19ft long, was obtained the other day. It is considered a great curiosity, and will probably be presented to the museum. The question of religion versus fishing* ended somewhat disastrously for the two principals in the affair. At Noree (N.S.W.) a small boy preferred going fishing on a Sunday morning instead of going to mass, and Father Guinness took upon himself on the following Sunday, when the delinquent did come to mass, to thrash him severely with a stirrup leather. At the police court the cleric was mulcted in a fine and costs which totalled i.6, the Magistrate declining to allow him to arrogate the power of punishing people for not going to church. An up-country West Coast storekeeper called a meeting of his creditors the other day, and imparted to tbem the gratifying intelligence that his assets were nil. " Well, it's no use crying over spilt milk," said a jolly little man in a light tweed suit. " Here, Joe " (to the bankrupt) " give us a song ; come on, let's have something for our brass." The " broker " hesitated, but being appealed to again "to come on," came on, and gave them " You'll remember Me." They were fearfully wild at first, but as tbe humor of the situation struck them they began to laugh, and before the singer got to his last line theywere just roaring.