FOXTON.

Manawatu Times, Volume III, Issue 83, 27 July 1878, Page 3

FOXTON.

[FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.] The Foxton Choral Society held their second annual meeting at the Athenaeum on Thursday evening last. The chair was occupied by the vice-president, Mr Hulke, who called upon the secretary, Mr Flower, to read the report, which was as follows: —"Your committee are glad to report that the Society has successfully reached the

second year of its existence. During the past twelve months the usual number of concerts have been given— two under the conductorship of Mr Beatty, and three under that of Mr Somers, who— on the former gentleman's removal to Wellington— at the request of the members undertook the duties of the post. A concert has also been given at Palmerston, and was largely attended, the net proceeds being handed over to the Cemetery Fund. balancesheet, as laid before you, will show the financial position of the Society, which must be deemed satisfactory. Your committee heve to express their thanks to Mr Beatty and to Mr Somers for the zeal they have shown in the welfare of the Soeiety, as exemplified in the manner they have conducted the practices and concerts. In view of the removal of so many of our members from this town, it remains for this meeting to decide whether the Society shall be carried on, or be wound up." The balancesheet was then brougnt forward, which showed a deficiency of £5 5s, but as subscribtions from members for the third year are now due, a considerable balance will be placed to the credit of the Society. As 20 members were expected to enrol, it was unanimously resolved to carry on the Society for the third year. E. S. Thynne, Esq., was then elected president, as was also a committee, consisting of the following ladies and gentlemen : — Mesdames Maclean and Flower, Messrs Somers, Maclean, Amos Howe ; librarian, Mr Young. A vote of thanks to Mr. Flower, for his services as treasurer and secretary, concluded the business, and the meeting separated. A fire which, but for prompt action, would have been very serious, occurred on Thursday evening at the house of Dr. Rockstrow, in Foxton. A lady visitor, Mrs Gower, heard a roaring noise in the vicinity of a room on the ground floor. Imagining that the chimney was on fire, she looked up, but could see no sign of fire in the flue. Returning to her seat she was alarmed to find that the wooden casing at the of the chimney was on fire. Communicating at once with Mrs Rockstrow, that lady, after immense exertion, succeeded in wrenching away some of the casing upstairs, enabling her to throw water down and keep the fire under, while Mrs Gower went for assistance. The two nearest neighbours, Messrs Proctor and Keoner, were both in bed, but immediately upon being roused, ran with all speed to the scene of action, and stayed the progress of the fire before any serious damage was done The disaster was occasioned through the chimney being built in a defective manner. In order to ensure excellence of workmanship, the contractor employed a Palmerston artisan to build the chimneys, but the material used as mortar appears to be whitewashed sand only, and as the chimney dried, the sand has fallen from between the bricks, leaving the spaces between numbers of them perfectly clear, thus making a passage for fire and sparks clean through the side of the chimney. Too much praise cannot be awarded to Messrs Proctor and Keoner for the the energy and skill they displayed in combating with the devouring element ; but for their timely help, the whole building would have soon been in flames.