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Manawatu Herald, Volume VII, Issue 237, 25 January 1889, Page 2

The winner of the .Selling Hack Race was auctioned immediately after it was won, and Mr H. Davidson became the purchaser of the " DucheßS " at £17. " She Appeared to be a good bargain. The two engines advertised for sale in onr columns have been sold, the advice to us to withdraw having reached us by wire after bur last issue. A gentleman is in town who would like to hear of any patches of fUx for sale anywhere along the banks of the river or ap« proacbable by road. In another column the Wirokino Road Board are calling for tenders for a good number of road cont-Hcts, all suitable for labour without capital . This should cause good competition. » We are glad to leiirn that. Mr Gardner successfully crossed hia engine over the river last week, and has it placed safely on its site. The excuision train laid on for the Foxton Racing Club's meeting, must have been very satisfactory to the department, as it was crammed with passengers, and was one of the longest we have seen on this section, having had two horsebox s, seventeen carriages, some being double •nes, and a fareakvan. A lot of bushfalling has been done this season south of the Otaki river, Messis Gear and Ling having had about six hundred acres down, and Mr Gillies some three hundred, and other owners, blocks of one hundred acres to thirty acres. | There should be some smoke there by and' bye. Tomorrow night (be Public Hall should be filled, as tbt Parewanui Rums, or the Rangitikei Christy Minstrels will appear in an entertainment aeleet aud amusing. These neighbourly interchanges'^ eserve encouragement, aa they tend much to cement friendships. . The purpose for which the concert is given is decidedly a worthy one. On no more point iB the true Catholicism of the colony diplayed better than when an appeal is made for funds for any religious purpose, as persons of all creeds, as a rnle, roll well up. We trust we may record that it is so in this case, as the performers have travelled some distance to pay us this compliment. Recollect tome rrow night at the Public Hall. Tiokets can be obtained for reserve seats at Mr Gray's store, where a plan oan also be seen. This convenience is sure to be appreciated. •' For Satan finds some mischief still for idle hands to do " was truly illustrated on the race day. Two well known residents were in solemn consultation as to which horse it was advisable to back on the totalisator on the first race of the day, and at last decided on going " halves " on Rata. Off goeß our energetic friend to place the money as agreed, but so many friends stopped him on his road, and he had so much to siy to them, that by the time he reached the machine, he had quite forgotten which horse he should back, and plunged his money on the rank outsider Satan When the race was won his partner forgave him as Satan did the mischief by coming in first and landing a - £4 19s dividend to the happy pair. Last night there was a fire raging in the standing bush on the first range of hills behind Shannon, and appeared to be very near the back of tba property owned hy the Messrs Andrews. There was also another bnsh fire near Kereru. We regret to ! learn from the Evening Post that the Waikanae flaxraill, owned by Mr Robert Gardner, late of this town, was destroyed by fire on Saturday last. Par* ticulars forwarded to Inspector Thompson by Constable O'Ronrke, of Otaki, are to the effect that the fire broke out in the scutching room of the mill ' about midday on Saturday, while all the hands were at dinner. The outbreak was first noticed by Benjamin Bell, who was engaged in drawing green flax close to the mill. He gave the necessaiy alarm, and all the men turned out sharply and succeeded in saving the engine and shed which were detached from the mill, a plentiful supply of water fortunately being obtainable from a stream need for working the mill. The mill building was oompletly gutted, the scutcher and flax press were burned, and two bales of flax, each weighing about 3cwJ, were also consumed. The loss is estimated at about £100, and there is no insurance. The engine, which was saved through the efforts of the mill hands, was valued at £400. and was insured for £100. The origin of the fire is not accounted for, but it is believed to have been purely accidental. Last Saturday the refuse flax around Messrs T- P. Williams and Co's mill got alight, and for a time threatened the destruction of the mill, however, by well directed energetic efforts the fire Was subdued before any much damage was done. Punctuality is a most commendable quality, when practised only at the expense of the parties interested, and it is therefore a matter of much annoyance to the sufferers to find that visitors to the races desirous of reaching their work quickly and easily, made a swoop upon the unguarded horses in the township, and rode them away barebacked. This was discovered to be the case, the following morning when the horses were wanted, and something like fourteen horses were found to be missing. Since then a few have worked their way home again, hue the sufferers are determined, if possible, to make the borrowers p-y f>r their pleasure. The awards in fleece wools made at the Melbourne Exhibition reorda the second prize being given for Ions; wool greasy, 'O our old resident, Mr Robert oV>b, Mr Reid of Oa'fimu taking the first priz . .....vW-'->. ■ •• ' .., | .Bret Harto tells tis that "If Mr Jones, I Lycurgus B, had one peculiar quality, 'T was his severe advocacy, of conjugal fidelity," aud that " he frequently went on a spree ; but in his wildest revelry, on this especial subject he, betrayed no ambiguity." In this town lives aMr J. Lycurgus B, who i* fortunate in having a Mrs B, who is aware of his raanj little failings, and therefore keeps the key of the money box. , Mrs B in her way is fund of a jaunt, and makes occasions inroads upon the joint account, but is prudence itself when the old man talks of having a fling. Oa Anniversary day the old gentleman ventured to remark that he thought he would fro to the races, and asked Mrs B for the needful. " Yes John.'' says she, " you can go, here's half a sovereign for you." Poor old fellow, you should have seen his look, half a sovereign for the races! without a word be slowly rose from his chair, donned nis working clothes and retired to bis sbop where ail day he ruminated on the difference betwixt me and thee, the thee taking £6 for a trip, and for the "' me" to have only half a "soy" for bis fun, and "he smiled-— a bitter imile to see."