LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Manawatu Standard, Volume X, Issue 1568, 28 November 1885, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

F'-lix tto Iriguez, a. well-known compositor, recently died m Mexico. He was one-armed, but very expert, and hehi his "stick" m the stump' of his left arm. Years ago he had a trial of speed with another compositor, aud, losing m tho race, had his own left hand cut off m rago. The names of four justices for tli3 Fellding district have been transmitted to Chriatchurch for the approval of his Excellency the Governor. A remarkably fine trout was caught on Tuesday afternoon m the'Hntt River, near Petcmc. It measured 30iu m length, and weighed 121 b. Two Kilbirme worthies, named Wull and Jock, ware, as their uoses denoted, very tond of a woe drap of spirits. Meeting one day. Wull thought he would have a rise out of Jock, and said to him, '♦ Man, Jock, your uoso is like the last rose of summer." " Weel," answered Jock, glaticing significantly at Wull's nose, "It's not left blooming alone." Iv Wellinjrton an officer of the Public Works Department has Imen dismissed on account of certain offencos against the rules •of the Department, amongst other things supplying quantities to contractors. The Sydney Morning Herald of the 16th hist., contains a vernatiin report of the sermon p readied by Bishop Rod wood on the occasion of the opening of tho Roman Catholic Plenary Council mSt Mary's Cathedral, Sydney, on Sunday, the 15th inst, The rigiit reverend prelate took for the text of his discourse 11 Behold I am with you always, evun unto the end of the woild." (Matthew xxviii., 10.J We hear it is the intention of the Postal Department to send the Welling, ton Bulls mails by way of Sandon, aud several co.ich-drivors have b en communicated with with respect to contracting for tho carriage of the mails from the Sandon station to Bulls. The steam launch Fanny went up the .river on Thursday with a party of gentlemen including tho district engineer, (Mr T. T. Stewart), Beattie (N. Z. Railways), aud several others. The river Suing vofy low and the party anxious to get buck before night, they did not get quite up to Purakiuo, but turned back at the foot of the rapid near that settlement. The snagging paity has done some good work, but the channel m some places needs marking ' better. There were three or four feet ovor the worst places m the channel and the new boat could have gone over any part of it. — Herald. At the R. M. Court, Bulls, on Thursday, D. D. McKenzie was charged by Robert K. Simpson, inspector of ahnep for Rangitik'ei, with having sheep infected with lice m a public yard at Bulls on the 20 h October, 1885, being a breach of the Sheep Act 1878 Amendment Act 1884. Defendant admitted the charge and was fiued 20s aud costs. The name of the Rev Christopher (raustad, of the Lutheran Church, has been added to the list of officiating ministers under the. Marriage Act. At the last meeting of the Manawatu County Council a Utter w.is road from tho Secretary to the Mauawatu Road Board, as follows :— " I am inatructdd by the Manawatu Road | Board to write to you on the matter of repairs to the . Awahuri Bridge. This Board' having spent about \£ 100 In effecting the same, would be glad'if you wilt appoint some day for going over 'the accounts and arranging the matter generally." Prom the report of the proceedings it does not appear that tho letter was further conoid Jred at tho meeting. The Southland Times is responsible for the following : — " A firm not a hundred miles fiom Mataura lately received £3 worth ot a certain commodity from London. The freight to Port Chalmers was some 20s or 255., but from Dunedin to Mataura the carriage by rsiil was about £2 10s., rather over that sum, we think. In other words it took twice as much', or more to bring the commodity from Dunedin to Mataura, a distance of 115 miles, as it did to bring it from London to Dunedin, a distance of 15,000 miles. But then tho railway departmeut, m its sublime wisdom, charges according to its owti classification." At the last meeting of the Manawatu County Council a letto- was read from Mr Falloon, Sanson, offering to run a trap to meet all trains if a subsidy of 10s per week to December 31 was allowed, such amount to be returned if the traps earned £3 a week. A resolution agreeing to these terms was passed. In Great Britain there aro 1 5, 0')0 temperance organisation's, and it is estimated that 5,000,000 persons are total abstainers. • ''•■■■ The Siberian plague, the most dreaded, of all diseas«s, has made its appearance fn three different villages within the immediate district of Odessa. Among Russians cholera has comparatively slight terrors to those aroused by the presence of tha plague, which is alike loathsome, fatal, an»l terribly contagious. The abnormally hot summer, such as has not been experienced during the last nix years m the south of Russia, is propagating, m an alarming degree, many epidemics. The £50 offered by the proprietors of the Referee to the person who should send m one of the Referee coupons the three winners of the Victorian Derby, Melbourne Cup, and New Zealand Cup rospeotively, has hoen won by a Mr A. G-. Curling, of Melbourne, who sent m a coupon bearing the correct " tip " on the 13th October. The proceeds of the Rev Mr Bunn's lecture at Marton on Tuesday evening are to be devoted to the Palraerston Wesleyan Church Fund. Messrs Pollard and Simes of Wanganni, have tiken up the local agency for Messrs Aulsebrook and Co.'s flour and biscuits, for which there is a large demand on this coast. A woman of 98, who was present at the battle of Waterloo, was recently sent to jraol m Melbourne for vagrancy. She wjit tho widpw of a soldier. A gentleman who has recently return-, ed to Auckland from a tour m New South Wales and Victoria states that the temperance party jn Sydney ami Melbourne are gaining strength, and their influence iB felt m thp greater stringency with which the licensing laws are being enforced. From what he saw during | his visit he believes that the publiyani of both oities have " a bad quarter of an hour " before them at the hands of the temperance reformers. A remnant of the great forests which once covered the south of Sweden was recently 4ug out of a bog at Kimxjved, consisting of a boat six feet m diameter' hollowed out of a log. Thr tree from which it was obtained must have been ■ 20 feet m circnmfeioneo. The wood, ] which was blue m color, was' very hard, ] and the boat so heavy that two bullocks ] could not move it.

There it* such a glut, of fruit m California that ImuJreds of tons of plnm^ and other van lies will W allowed to tot, on the trees thin season. Tlio price will not pay for picking. Sir Julius Yogel has forwarded to fluLiyttt»?lo(i Times Iwo papers on a uuw discovery fur obtaining sugar from maize stalks. The space originally allotted to New Z -aland at the Indian rind Colonial Kxiiii'Uion was 11,500 ft. This was afti.-rward incrcnsod to 15,000 ft, luit Sir F. Dillon Bell. Agout-General {or the ' Colojjy, his succeeded m obtaining another 16,000 ft, out of si,oooft allotted to the Caundiaii Government. New Zetland will, thercfore,be placed m a very favourable position. Throe Ministers of the Crown — the Hons. R. Stoul, P. A. Buckley, and VV. J. M. Lnruach — voted at the election for Mayor iv Wellington. Amougst. the votes were eight Chinamen, who filled iv their papers iv a careful and regular manner. It is computed that at least 150 ladies went to the polling booth. Mr McKenzie is supposed to have polled by far the largest v umber of the votes given by the fair sex. The largest number of votes ever polled iv Wellington, since mayors of cities were made elective, was recorded on Wednesday. Altogether, 1697 persons voted, out of which number only three were m. formal. The largest number polled at a previous election was seven years ago when Mr Dransficld defeated Mr Hutchison by two votes ; but on that occasion the local number of votes recorded was only 1438, of which Mr Drausfield received 740 to Mr Hutchison's 738. — Wellington paper. The name of the now river steamer now being built at Wanganui is to -te the Tuhua. Tim launch of the boat will be a gula day for Wangauni, aud wo tnist au auspicious omen of the successful opening of up-river navigation. An effort is being mrde by Dr. Rockstrow and othurs to establish a Masonic Lodge at Foxton. f Several bush fires have been raging m I the Fuilding district during tho lunt day or two. Considerable loss must have 1 been sustain (I, us the bush could not at present be dry enough to secure a good burn. Dr Skeruuiu of Mar ton has been appointed reprojentative of tha Rpyal Humane Society of Australia and Mr Goodbeheru of Feilding has received a similiar appointment for the Oroua ' district. ■ * • Tho costs incurred iv the case of/ Poolo and Trask v. Mauawatu County Council amouuted to £58 10s lbdJ Mr Wilson, of the Heaton Park estate informs tht> Marton paper that he had his wool classed last year' by a professional man — a Mr Tidswell* of Bradford, England. The wool classsod brought S|.. 9., aud 9^. ; whcieas, if the wool had not been classed, the price would have been 7d., or 7£d. per lb only. He has decided to have hot only his own wool classed this year, but the whole of the wool belonging to the Heaton Park station. A number of people pooh pooh the idea of woo] classing, and say that nothing is to be gained by it. Mr Wilson's experience is that the classing of wool does. pay. He has instruoted Mr Tidswoll, who is now m Canterbury, to pay him a visit again this season. It is evident that getting up sweeps must be profitable, for one of tho Robi:> Hood partners, who possesses an excellent business, has advertised it £or sale with the intention of going over tp Sydney and entering the sweeps then*. He is willing to chance the postal authority using the power given liy tho Amendment Act to stop letters. During' the last Jtwelve. months m- his v.irio"« consultations, h.« has had over £500,01 tf) puss through his hands, so no wonder he is ready to give up a legitimate business for the hazard of following the promoting of sweeps. ■ The Yen. Archdeacon Stuck, the Rev. F. Fancourt, and the Rev T.' L. Tudor have been elected to represent the Diocese of Wellington m the General Synod of 1886. The Secretary of the Pohangina Prospecting Association informs us that m . reply to a request sent to the Mines Department for assistance to develop tha reef lately discovered at Pohangina, that department has replied to the effect that should the Orona County Council grant a subsidy to the Association, the Government will advance £ for £ up to £30. The secretary of the Association informs us that he has to-day applied to the Manchester Road Board for their assistance m the matter. . ,„