NEWS AND NOTES.

Manawatu Times, Volume III, Issue 36, 19 April 1879, Page 2

NEWS AND NOTES.

MBBBB3. TUYXSB, LIXTOX'a SAM.— WfI -desire especial attention to the tale to tak* place at Messrs Thynne, Linton't Booms to-daj, at which a itoek of oats for the winter may be had cheap. Those needing either •oap or boots can also be well supplied at their own bid. Aa there is not to be the weekly lale at Mr. Snelson's, we expect to tee' a strong muster of prrchaiert at that m Broad street- . Good Nbws fob thb Affuotbd* — As will be seen by advertisement m another column, Mr. Greenwood, surgeon-dentist, from Wanganui, intends paying a short visit to F eilding end Palmerston, so that those who wish to consult him professionally had better arail themselves of the chance. He will be at the Denhigh Hotel, Feilding, ■ on Tuesday, and at Palmer ston on Wednesday on which latter occasion he may be con* ■ulted at the residence of Mr, Dungan Broad street. As his stay will he confined to one day m each place, intending patrons had better make a note of the fact. Thb Wkllikotok Ghbonicub. — " It is an ill wind that blows no body good," and we learn from Mr. Metard, that the illjudged policy of the New Zcalander m raising its price has reduced its subscribers m Palmerston, fully ffty per cent, those who hare knocked off that paper taking the Chronicle instead. This is a matter for little surprise, for even were the prices the same the latter is by far the better paper of the two, but with the iVei» Zealander twopence and the Chraniale only a penny, the last-named journal should command a larger circulation amongst those who wis h for a Wellington paper. I Thr Fibst Dbath is Woodtimiß.— i Monday would be a black-letter day — if we may use the expression — m the annals of Woodvillo, Hi upon that morning there occurred the first nntural death which has taken place since the settlement of the town»hip. The monrnful honor has been assigned to Mm. Joseph So wry, a lady highly esteemed and respected throughout {he vrholo district, who, after a long illness, succumbed to consumption. The deceased lady has left a husband^ and a family of twelve ohildren to mourn her loss, * Thb Otakj Highway Boabd. -t- Tlip election for a Warden to represent No. 1 Ward m the Otaki Highway Board, m place of Mr. Q. Hadfield, took place at the Court-house, Olaki, yesterday. It wat proposed by Mr. William Smith, and seconded by Mr William Langley— that Dr. Charles Hewion was a fit and proper person to re-jivt-oeul the ««rJ, &n<X a* . thois were no

other no other nomination!, the returning officer, Mr. Linton, declared Dr. Hewson duly elected. Thb Catholic Coxoibt. — We understand that more than usually energetio «l • forta are being put forward to supply • good programme. Mr. Baker ni ; m town yesterday hCeompainj with Mr I&binadn. of Wamjanui, who has also generously conseWted to give hit eerrioea, and arranged with the committee the part they are to take m the entertainment. The former will aing " The Death of Helaon," and " The Dear Little Shamrock," and Mr Robinaon "In Happy Momenta" and " The Frienda of my Youth." Miraculous Escape. — Aa Mr. Palmerson was driving along the Stoney Creek road m a buggy and pair, the drirer of a waggon which "was then passing stupidly insisted m maintaining the middle of the road. In trying to pass to the side, the wheels of the buggy got too low, and the vehicle completely turned orer. Strange to say that although the conveyance was | smashed up considerably, its occupants | escaped without a scrach, owing, no doubt, however, to- the fact that there, was a good growth of grass. Had there been many stumps about, however, there might have been a very different story to tell. | Thb Cobpobatio'x Lamps. — We would like to ask " the- Powers that be," why it is that the lamps at the Square are never utilised. They are by no means ornamental, and the only admissible tuppositon is, that they are designed for utility. If such be the case, however they have been sadly lacking m their duty, *• instead of proving a beacon to the traveller, so far they have been nothing more, than colliding posts where contact is met with-, and generally with damage to the nasal organs of One of the colliding objects. Now that the Candle Club has been successfully started m Palmerston, perhaps some similar arrangement might be made for making provision for the stock of oil required, the burden evidently being. too great for the Borough's shoulders. ' DistbhsblXO AoomBNT. — On Friday morning last, while the coach to Wellington was travelling between Foxton and the Beaoh, a poor fellow was found lying stiff alongside of the track. Upon the alarm being given by Mr Linton, one of the paesengers, the coach was pulled up, and a messenger sent back to proenre help to convey the sufferer to some place of shelter. It appeared as if he had been thrown from his horae, dragged, kicked, and then left insensible. Every effort was used by the passengers to bring him to ccnacionsueas, but without avail. It may be added, that he appeared to have* been drinkiug freely, which moat probably was the immediate cause of the accident. Great credit is due to Mr Pugsley, the coachdriver, for his attention, aa it earned a delay of quite an hour on the stage between Foxton and Horowhenua. Thb Fbildiho Lock-up. — The absurdity of drawing plans and letting contracts from a distance, has, been fully exemplified 'by the arrangements with regard to the Feilding lock-up. A new, but- not over spacious, Court-house has been erected, and the constable's quarters and cells considerably enlarged and improved, but the stupid blunder has been committed of having the place of detention at one end of the town and the Temple of Justice m the other. This is most objectionable for many reasons, but principally that while it will cause considerable delay to the Bench, it will inflict an uncalled-for indignity upon the prisoner, m causing him to be publicly paraded m custody through the streets. The whole arrangement is an official blundering, which will necessitate the building of extra cells at the court-houae, and even that step will only da away with half the evil. Hard upox thb Editor. — Considerable amusement was created at the last sitting of the Palmerston Court, when an -aged gentleman from Sandon, who was .called upon to verify a document, found himself at a loss for ins glasses. In his difficulty he looked all round the room for some friend to help him m his extremity, when suddenly his eye lit upon the editor of this journal, and rushing over, he politely asked tho Pressman for a loan of his spectacles. The joke cannot be sufficiently/ relished until it is explained that'the gentleman applied to was m reality almost the youngest person m the Court, although the absence of all capillary substance upon his cranium would lead to a, different supposition. Those who were not aware of this fact . were consequently at a, loss to account for the indignation exhibited at the application, or the vehemence with which the applicant was informed by the. irate editor that -he had no necessity for such articles. * Fapts abb. Stubborn Things,— Were a stranger to pWthrongh Jj'eilding-^or rather the place where Feilding was not — five years ago, and, to be told that, m less than half a dozen years, land would be disposed of at twenty-tix hundred yomndt per acre, we imagine he would be rather sceptical on the on the point. Time would, however, prove to him that wonderful as the change would be, it would, nevertheless, come to pass. On Thursday negotiations were concluded for the purchase of half an acre m Ferguson street, close to the station and almost fronting the post office, at the sum of £1300. Mr. Macarthur> the sub-agent of the Corporation, was the vendor, and Mr. Belvee, of the Turakina Hotel, the purchaser, It must be allowed that the position is almost the very pick of Feilding, and for the site of a hotel — for which purpose it has been ; bought — not %o be surpassed m the town- ] ship. To show that th,at is not an isolated case of the high value of land m, Feilding, we may state that, some time ago, a. gentleman up north wired to know the price of a certain quarter-acre section. He was , informed, and so high did it appear that he wired hack—" Are yon joking, or do you mean an acre ?" Since then the same party . has taken the ground at the figure he then, deemed so preposterous. A Prizb Fight at Fbildino.— As an evidence Ctf the increase of population — if not of a civilisation — it may be mentioned that Feeding was disgraced with being the scene of a, brutal prize fight on last Sunday morning. It wouH appear

that there is an individual m that locality named Mike Dillon, who m is own estimtr tion, and m pugilistic phraaeology W|i accounted "a good man." Though the supposition waa generally acknowledged m the district, there was a half •cftate' najped lifting, who wm not only sceptical open th© point, but d#ol4jed that if ftillon w#r* " a good man " he w»a prepared to prove himself a better. Arrangements were then made to put the matter to a practical proof, and superiority and £10 was the trophy to be fought for. Although all the professional preliminary arrangements were .effected with a secrecy designed to elude the vigilance of Coastable Price, that lynxeyed officer of the law was not to be outwitted, but unfortunately for him a little matter occurred which completely upset all his plans of operation. He was aware that the battle was to be fought on Sunday morning, m Lethbridge's paddock, about three miles from town, and had made hia arrangements accordingly. However on Saturday night three sporting gentlemen who had arrived m town from the Gravel Pits with the intention of patronising the morrow's sports, passed the time m kicking up a disgraceful row, and were " run into " durance rile. As the lock-up wa» under* going alterations, the security of the place was by no means assured, and aa a consequence Constable Price was compelled to mount guard the whole night over his three prisoners. Aa the hour drew near for the approaching battle, the officer began to get uneasy, and was extremely puzzled what to do m the dilemma. If he were to leave the lock-up, his three prisoners would escape, while on the other hand, if he remained, the fight would take place. ' In this quandary, h« hit upon the expedient of sending for their employers and setting his prisoners free upon substantial bail, but as the sequel ahowed his exertions were of no avail, as when he arrived on the battle-ground, the contest waa over, and victory decided m favor of the Maori. The result proved that Mr. Mike Dillon was not the "good man "he had imagined himself ; and certainly he could not be said to be a pretty one after Mr. Laing had been done with him. As soon as Mr. Dillon has sufficiently recovered his eyesight he will be able to peruse the invitation received to interview the Resident Magistrate about the matter. He is now a wiser and a poorer man by £10 ; after the coming interview that sum may be increased.