LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Manawatu Standard, Volume 4, Issue 132, 11 May 1883, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

A Wanganui Native named lire Te Augina has started m tho healintr line, a la Milner Stephen, and according to the Wansrtmui Herald, has so fur achieved very remarkable success. Messrs Stevens & Gorton elsewhere announce the catalogue of their nextj Awa huri .stock, which will take place on Fri« day, the 18th m at. Patea is agitating for two useful institu* tions, viz, a commercial union and a fire* brigade. There was very nearly a serious acci« dent to an express train the other day, writes a correspondent of the Wanganui Herald. It appears that a son of one of the platelayers living near Mr Kidd's crossing, had tethered a horse on the line at night, and the horse preferring the dry pravel to the wet grass as a bed, lay down between the sleepers. The express coming unexpectedly killed the poor beast* on the spot, and was delayed for a long, time. 1 Writes the Wanganui Herald ;— " Mr Stevens' Rangitikei constituents are bej coming rather impatient about his meet" ing. Mr Stevens occupied so good a position politically that his friends are very anxious to hear what he has to say on public, questions, especially on the main line of railway, and he ought not to disappoint them." We may »aj that m a private letter recently received from Mr Stevens, he stated his intention of soon addressing his constituents, first at Marton, dates to be announced very shortly. It will be interesting to learn the results of the observation made of Monday's solar eclipse at places within its limits of totality, the duration of the sun's total obscuration being greater than will occur again during the present century. It must be remembered.however, that the century has only 17 more years to run, and m 18 years, that is to say, on the 17th May,l9olUhere will be another total solar eclipse of still longer duration than that of Monday, viz., 6min. 24sec. , and the loqalities^jwhere observations can be made will bcj much more accessible. So them is hope at least for ouryounger astronomers. The steamer Hauroto took away to Sydney on Tuesday a full cargo of colonial produce, including a large quantity of butter, 50 tons Nelson hops, and 55 horses from Canterbury. Here is probably the shortest courtshi on record. A miser m California fell mi n love with a girl at first sight. She was equally smitten with him, and there entire courtship was : " My pat P " " You bet." The New Zealand Copying Company of Auckland are producing portraits m watercolors from photographs, superior to anything yet executed IE the colony, and equal to the best work of the kind at Home. The principal feature about these portraits is that they are not enlarged photographs, but paintings exncuted from the photograph as if this occupied the place of the sitter m propria persona. The artistic excellence is very great, and de» serves encouragement. Certainly no one need go out of the colony m future to get his portrait painted. Some specimens are on view at Mr Huff's 'rooms, m the_ Avenne, Wanganui. The prices are moderate. A general servant m a private family is advertised for m our wanted column. A Wanganui paper states that Mr W.T. Watts takes possession of the Club Hotel, Marlon, at the end of the preient month. notorious character named Margaret King, of Marton, has been sentenced to three months hard labour for being illegally on the premises of the Club Hotel, Marton. MrA Honore is inviting tenders for bushfalling. Messrs King Bros, are m want of a boy m the ehos-