NEWS AND NOTES.

Marlborough Express, Volume XXXVI, Issue 74, 29 March 1902, Page 1

NEWS AND NOTES.

A considerable number of people have left Blenheim on Easter holidaymaking bent, and not a few visitors have arrived.

Owners and occupiers of factories and work-rooms are reminded by advertisement that the annual registration fee is due on April Ist.

On Thursday the members of the legal profession at Dunedin presented Inspector Pardy, who is retiring from the Police Force with a pension, with an address and an arm chair as a reminder of their pleasant association.

The statutory public meeting of ratepayers for the consideration of the proposal to raise a loan of £2000 fdfc the rehabilitation of the Literary Institute will be held in Ewart's Hall on April 9th.

At the close of the performances of the last pieces at the recent band con-

test at New Plymouth, the members of each band, as they had finished playing, were entertained at the Criterion Hotel by the manager of the Dresden Piano Company, Wellington.

Good Friday was observed yesterday in a quiet manner, and with due religious solemnity. The trains conveyed to Picton a goodly number of people, who took a good deal of intsrest in the warships in the harbor.

The special railway arrangements for Easter Monday are advertised in to-day's issue. Trains will be run in connection with the usual excursion to Piclon and with the regatta at Spring Creek.

The cricket match between teams representing the district north and south of the Wairau River was played at Picton yesterday, and resulted in a win for the northern team by one wicket and a few runs.

The main public attractions for Easter Monday are out of town. The Wairau Regatta at Spring Creek will doubtless be attended by a large number of people; Picton should prove a popular resort; and sports will beheld at Havelock. General regret has been expressed at the news that the warships will leave Picton early on Monday.

The friends of Mr John Adams, of Grovetown, regret his death, which occurred yesterday. Deceased, who was 76 years of age, came out to the Colony from England at an early age, and had been a settlor in this district 'for a period of forty years. He leaves a grown-up family in which there are six sons and two daughters.

The Wirth Bros* had a remarkably successful season in Blenheim With their circus and menagerie. The matinee on Thursday afternoon attracted a large number of young people, the extensive seating accommodation feeing well filled ; and on Thursday night the third performance was largely attended. The tiger act was again watched with fascination. Mr Phil Wirth announced the intention of returning to Blenheim ,within twelve months with new artists and additions to the menagerie. The organisation took its departure at about three o'clock in the morning on a special train.

The local Volunteers mustered on Thursday night for embarkation for the Nelson Easter encampment. Owing to the shortness of. the notice and various other reasons, the representation of the Blenheim Rifles was not as good as was hoped for; but the Garrison Band, nnder Bandmaster Rose, turned out in satisfactory strength. About twenty members of the Company and the Band, having marched through town from the Drill Shed, took their departure by the evening train for Picton, where they embarked on the Rotorua. The Company was under the command of Lieut. Baillie, Capt. Powell having gone to Rotorua, The Waitohi Rifles, under Captain Kenny, joined the Blenheim Rifles on board. The Mounteds set out on the overland journey early on Thursday morning.

Yesterday the township of Havelock was overcast with feelings of regret at the news of the death of two of its old schoolboys, some of the earliest settlers of that district. In the early part of the day news was received that Trooper W. Bl Smith, Lanarkshire (Scottish) Yeomanry had died at Ladybrand from wounds accidentally received on 21st January at Megnatling's Nek. The deceased trooper, who was in his 24th year, was a son of Mr W. H. Smith, storekeeper for Messrs Brownlee & Co., and a grandson of Mr W. Brownlee, and left Haveloek eight years ago to serve an apprenticeship with a Glasgow firm of mechanical engineering. Twelve months ago, in a spirit of adventure, he joined the Imperial Yeomanry, and his time of service expiring at the same "as that of the Sixth New Zealand Contingent, steps have recently been taken by the Premier, at the desire of the relatives, to obtain deceased's transfer from the Yeomanry to the " Sixth " that he might return to his birthplace. The action in this., direction has elicited the information of his death on Ist February. The news is more keenly felt, as his re* latives have not seen him since his boyhood, and his early return, after eight year's absence, was earnestly looked forward to. —A further death is to be recorded, in Haveloek at noon yesterday, when Mr Frank Pope, jr., son of Mr George Pope, died from the result of enteric, contracted three weeks ago. The deceased, who was 30 years of age, was widely esteemed for his happy and unobtrusive disposition. He leaves a young wife and two infants to mourn their loss.