Matiere.

King Country Chronicle, Volume IV, Issue 292, 7 September 1910, Page 5

Matiere.

I regret to have to chronicle the death of Mr Flett, of Wbenuakura, one of our oldest and most respected settlers, after a long and painful illness. Mr Flett, aided by the industry of his family had succeeded in transforming his farm from its natural state into a well improved and smiling homestead, and no doubt the hardship engendered by such a strenuous effort and the unfavourable conditions of pioneer settlement had much to do with his illness. The interment took place on August 31st, at the Matiere cemetery and was well attended by neighbouring settlers and friends, who formed a long cortege over a deplorable road. The deceased will be missed as a settler of sterling worth and rigid integrity. An instance of the danger of handling explosives occurred at the twelvemile last Wednesday evening, when a young man named Buick had his hand badly lacerated and his face cut, with injuries to his eyes by an explosion of gelignite. Strange as it may appear, it has been a custom to pare or break small pieces off a gelignite plug for the purpose of kindling fires, the small particles acting in something of the style of a "fusee." Mr Buick, however, neglected to remove the paper wrapping and also ignited a whole plug with the result that it blew a great deal of ashes into his eyes as well as the damage to face and hands already stated above. Mr Buick in now doing favourably, and has gone out for medical treatment. The frame of the new livery stable is now erected and promises to be a very large affair. I believe a new boarding house is likely to be shortly "put on the stocks." Grass is now becoming plentiful and the bleat of lamb 3 and calves gives cheerful prospects to the sheep and dairy farmer alike. Mortality percentage in breeding ewes has so far been low, but the cold driving rains of a fortnight ago were responsible for a fair death-rate among newlydropped iambs which could not win their feet in the numbing downpour. A Wellington agent was through here last week endeavouring to enlist saleable properties en his books and to provide settlers with that indispensable "a mortgage," but I am afraid that most of them had the latter and the majority are unwilling to sell at present. The candidature of Mr Boddie is very favourably commented upon, the more especially as he has pledged himself to do justice to this district by his advocacy oE a start for the rail way at Ongarue. The Matiere court sat on September Ist, Messrs Hunt and Williams, J.P's., on the bench, The cases were of a civil nature, and judgment was given for plaintiffs in the following:—Airo v. Clark, Beale v. Person, Beale v. Person and Stubbington. In the case, W. A. Garter v. Chas. Geisler, the bench decided that the accounts showed a balance of nine shillings in favour of Geisler, and after a lengthy hearing gave judgment for defendant with costs. A number o? cases were settled out of court.

A somewhat amusing incident is reported to have occurred last week in connection with a drapery sale at present being held in Napier (says the "Herald). A young matron desirous of attending the sale took her infant with her in a go-cart. After awaitof about an hour, entrance was obtained amongst the throne, which bad also been waiting for seme time, but baby and go-cart had to be left outside on the footpath. Evidently the bargains proved attractive, for in making purchases, the young mother was shown cut of the back door laden with parcels, and finding the hour rather later than she thought, rushed home to get her husband's tea ready. On her arrival home the husband was already there, and he interrupted a breathless description of the bargains secured with the quesW tion: "Where's baby?" "Oh, I've left him in Emerson street," said the young mother, who immediately rushed down town and recovered her forgotten offspring, who was sleeping, oblivious of bargain sales or any • .pther mundane matters.