Wanawatu Herald. THURSDAY, FEB. 24, 1898.

Manawatu Herald, 24 February 1898, Page 2

Wanawatu Herald. THURSDAY, FEB. 24, 1898.

A case of a very serious character will probably engage the attention of the Magistrate on Saturday, being an alleged serious offence under the Criminal Code Act. The Rangitikei Hotel, at Bulls, was burned down yesterday morning. The Town Clerk has now moved into his new office in the Library Buildings. This is in a better situation to the old office, as it can be seen from Main-street, and is to the right of the entrance to the reading room. We shall probably hear less of the difficulty experienced in finding him. The Borough has been wise enough to profit by experience and has had the safe bricked in. In a letter to the Committee the head master of the Foxton school thu« comments on absenteeism : — " Too many children (or their parents) have converted absenteeism into a perfect science. Thus no less than 14 young hopefuls have been careful to attend just the exact number of ' times required by law to avoid being fined. For example, one clever parent, well known to the Committee, sends her boy to school morning and afternoon of one day, in the morning only of the other four, and thus gets the better of the School Committee and the schoolmaster. Clever parent !" The Otaki people have paid over £308 to the Hospital Board, and the leases for the site are finished, so they are looking hopeful'y forward to a commencement of ihe Cottage Hospital. The New Zealand Agricultural Department has been informed that the Government of New South Wales has prohibited the introduction from any place ou side the colony of any plant or fruit affected by the codlin moth, Queensland fruit fly, peur-tree slug, or scale insects. The growth of intellect interests the schoolmaster more than the growth of plant 3, as in a letter to the Committee the master complains:-— "A dray load of school boys being driven out by a local market gardener this morning to plant cabbages in his section was not a pleasant or inspiring sight." The Bishop of Christchurch, when speaking at the conference on Sunday observance the other night, told a capital story. He said that when a curate in Somersetshire he used to ride one of the high cycles then in vogue. • His rectoi was a strong and most persistent supporter of the strict observance of Svmd&y. One Sunday the Bishop met his rector whilst ridiDg to an afternoon service, and the latter begin at once to inveigh against anyone riding on Sunday. All that the Bishop could urge as to his being able to get another servioe in through this means was of no avail. "Do you enjoy it?" at la.-t queried the irate reotor. • I do, 1 said the Bishop. " Then I'm sure its wrong,' replied the rector with an air of having triumphantly proved his case. v "Well," said the Bishop, " Suppoie I were <o put a tack into the saddle with the business end uppermost, do you think that would make my riding the bicycle on a Sunday right ?' This was too much for the rector, who gave up the contest. Tho edible white snail is scientifically cultivated on snail farms in Germany. The snails, after being gathered during the month of August in the surrounding forest are put into a pen and fed on newlymown grass and leaves. After staying in the pen abeut a month, the mouths of the snails are covered with a hard membrane, which indicates to the snail farmer that the snail is as fat as it ever will be, because its closed mou.h prevents its eating. The snails are then gathered and packed ready for the market. The Wairarapa Standard says :— Wheat straw chaff is already in demand and is being stored for winter feeding of sheep. In a letter recently received by a Manawatu Bettler from Mr J. Carroll, from Waierford, lieland, the writer remarked : — " Mr H. Gillies sent me two lambs and a case of preserved meat, which was delivered all right af Christmas. Folks here were surprised and delighted with it at his time of year. The country people never saw any of it before. I think a trade might be opened up for the sale of it in Waterford. No doubt it will eventually forca itself on the public in spite of the prejudioe now existing against it." Punch sums' up in a very amusing fashion the present situation in international politios. A decrepit-looking Chinaman, hobbling painfully on orutches, is aooosted by the Sultan, who wears an air of cheerful convalescence, and whoso crutch, held lightly in one hand, is the only sign of recent infirmity: — '-Going to pieces, old man?" says Abdul Hamid cheerily. " Nonsense ! All you want is a Hose of ' Concert of Europe 1' Why— look at nit t" The Magistrate's Court was to-day adjourned to Saturday, when Mr Greenfield will be present. Many years ago there carried on business in England an auctioneer noted for the attractive style of his notices of properties for sale. A Wellington firm took a leaf out of his book the other day and gave many particulars about the Paiaka Estate, which came as news to those who have seen the property, and it thus a pity that their well-meant efforts to secure a purchaser failed, the property having been bought in, the reserve not being reached. The Sarah and Mary, from Hokianga, reports picking up a ship's raft n»ar the New Zealand coast, marked No. 83, and certified to carry 11 adults. At the New Plymouth petroleum works a depth of 2000 ft 6in has been reached Oil showed freely, there apparently being at first (after the bore had been undisturbed fos an hour or so) about Bft of pure oil on the surface of the water. Several days must elapse before pumping can begin, but it is hoped the result will be tv free the bore from water, and. to demonstrate that in this instance the well is payable. A case of alleged breach of promise of marriage occupied the Napier Supreme Court on Tuesday, Jessie Robertson suing Reginald Maurice Power for £600 damages. The defendant admitted the promise, but ciaimed that it was given as the result of misrepresentations on the part of the plaintiff. The jury awarded the plaintiff one hundred guineas and costs.