Manawatu Herald. [Established Aug. 27, 1878.] THURSDAY, OCT., 6, 1904.

Manawatu Herald, 6 October 1904, Page 2

Manawatu Herald. [Established Aug. 27, 1878.] THURSDAY, OCT., 6, 1904.

We understand that Mr G. A. Simpson (Mayor) has withdrawn his presentation Cup from competition by the local footballers untill next season. Mr Alex. Speirs, builder and contractor, of Main street, Foxton, advertises that he has a large stock of dry and seasoned timber always on band, and is prepared to execute all orders in a satisfactory manner. All class of building work will be attended to,

The Himitangi sailed yesterday afternoon for Greymouth with a cargo of live stock consigned to Messrs Sprott & Co. A cablegram from Melbo i says a ploughman unearthed a nugget at Breckc*. Back, near on. There is great excitement, gold having never been seen in the vicinity hitherto.

The condition of the village school' master in Russia is not to be enviedThe case is reported of a master who has been in one school for 13 years, a married man of 35, with five children. His annual salary is 200 roubles, or about £2O. The Manawatu County Council call tenders for the right of working the Shannon Ferry, and collecting the tolls thereat tor twelve months. Tenders close at the County Offices, Sanson, at noon on the 12th instant. Specifictions can be seen at the County Offices, Sanson, and also at the Town Clerk’s Office, Foxton. The Foxton Borough Band rendered a programme of music last night at the Triangle, which was much enjoyed by the townspeople. The band is making rapid progress in its music, and a few more open-air performances of a similar kina should tend to bring them to a standard of perfection.

Colonel Loveday inspected the Foxton Public School Cadets this morning. He complimented them generally, and expressed pleasure at the manner in which the- various movements were carried out, remarking that it was evident they had been well looked after. The Celortel'd remarks were as follows; —Marching and Manual Exercises : Good. Sergeants and Corporals : Good. Steadiness: Excellent.

Fokton's principal industry is its flaxmilling, and its principal asset from the point of view of sports and recrea tion is its river. It is unfortunate that this is not so fully availed of as It should be, especially when we consider that it would contribute largely to the health and happiness of the residents. The Manawatu Rowing Club meets on Friday week, and it is to be hoped that local residents will not lose an opportunity of becoming members and by so doing help to restore Foxton departed glory for aquatic sports.

The privileges in connection with the Otaki Spring race meeting were sold by auction on Saturday last, when the following prices were realised !—No. I publican's booth, Mr Pacey, of Levin, £10; No. 2 do, Mr Pacey, £5; outer gates, MrG. H. Harris, of Wellington, £ SO. Last October’s privileges for the publicans* booths realised £2O and £ls respectively. The great drop this year, says the local paper, was due to the fact that the Licensing Committee has decided not to grant any conditional licenses except to a licensee residing within the district. This debarred outside publicans from competing, and as Mr Pacey was the only local publican present at the sale, he had matters all to himself.

The special reporter of the Post writes: "At Kumara Mr Seddon found his constituents, old and young, waiting to do him honour. Children swung on gates and fences and waved battered hats and dingy handkerchiefs, and members of the Coast aristocracy—the eight hundred Who originally returned Mr Seddon to Parliament in 1879—came down to the roadside to shake his band and congratulate him on bis jubilee. A bent old woman of eighty, who had been fifty years in the colony,- came down along the steep road to s£e him, and another told him she prayed for him twice a day during his illness. The lusty gum-bboted miner came up out of his claim for a few words pf welcome, and an old miner unable to leave his but wept when the Premier came to his bedside, because be felt they would not meet again on earth.”

According to. Lyttelton Times, Mr Parker, the “ Handcuffs King,” had a difficult task set him at the Opera House, Christchurch, on Friday night last. Mr J. Birch, acting for the Chubb Lock Company, had challenged the expert to release himself from a Chubb lock without injury to the mechanism, and Mr Parker’s success would be rewarded with jfsoo—a standing offer by the company for the teat. Mr Birch submitted 0. heavy triple-folding Chubb lock, of the pattern used tor fastening the doors of safes, besides an array of smaller devices for securing property, and a pair of formidable legirons. Mr Parker volunteered to try his fortune with the lock, and gave an assurance that he would not damage it. Mr Birch then passed a chain closely around the “ king's " neck, a key clicked in the lock three or four times, and Mr Parker, with his bangle and a 61b pendant as his only binding, retired to his cabinet. Some minutes later a blood-stained hand reached from the screen for a towel, and the contest recommenced. When the ordinary vaudeville turns had been finished, it was announced that Mr Parker would take several hours to complete his task, and the majority left, but two or three hundred remained. “We won’t go home till morning ” was sung lustily to the accompaniment of a mouth organ, and solos on the same instrument helped to beguile the weary minutes. After an hour’s seclusion the “ king ’’ emerged from his bower with his back bleeding, but free from its ornaments. The spectators cheered, but the congratulatory sounds were speedily changed to hooting and groaning. Mr Birch found the blood-stained lock on the floor, but it had not been detached from the chair scathless. The clasp had been sawn through, and thei locking mechanism remained intact. There was at once a “ hostile demonstration,” the survivors of the audience, a few dozen in number, hooting vigorously.

Henry Banks, a letter-carrier, came np for sentence at Wellington yesterday morning on a charge of wilfully neglecting to deliver a number of cirjulars. He admitted that he had left circulars at a butcher’s and had failed to call for them again to deliver them. Judge Edwards commented on the seriousness of letter carrieas not delivering posted communications, but in view of the circumstances of the case released the accused on his own recognisances, and ordered him to come up for sentence when called on.