THE Manawatu Times. SATURDAY, SEPT. 18, 1880. NEWS AND NOTES.

Manawatu Times, Volume IV, Issue 72, 18 September 1880, Page 2

THE Manawatu Times.

SATURDAY, SEPT. 18, 1880. NEWS AND NOTES.

" "TTord* «rt f.iinjj, and a drop. •( iak falliac Hk« d«w up«a» t;.o;ijht, product* tlMk waifa atahtt thoui^ndi, pirk»pa million! thinjc."

The Rimutaka Calamity, -™- In order to give tlie inquest upon the catastrophe on the East Coast m full, we haye omitted our leading article and Qthep itemsof news. An Advantageous Pall.— We are pleased to note that Mr. Armitage on the Square has determined to reduce the price of his potato** £1 per ton, so that a similar ' article to what he was selling last week for •£4 lOsjhe now offers at £3 10s, As the news is pro bono'publieo,we have great pleasure m being a medium for making it known. The. I)istriet| Court.— Although the busineis at the District Court, whose sitting: commences on Monday, does not promise to b# an extended one, still it is imperative that juror* and witnesses should observe punctuality m order to avoid the paini and penalties attached to a neglect thereto. Ten o'clock sharp is the hour at which their ati tendance is necessary, A Puzzle. — A« Mr ? Porster, our respected District Court Clerk, was discussing the merits of a fine hen egg at breakfast the other morning, he was surprised to find a large hard subittnice enclosed within the shell. TJpon removing it and placing it m a fitting position foj iaspectiou, he discovered that it was a large French hean, but how it managed 'to reach the quarters which it bad taken up is only a question which can be anssvered by the scientific. News of an old Friend,— We learn from our exchanges that James Nelson Owen Uas been granted a license for a hotel at Te Nui, a locality somewhere m the vicinity of Castlepoint. Jn chronicling the event the local organ dila»es -in glowing language upon the enterpriser speculation, and numtrous good qualities of the now Boniface,, eulogiums which we. trust a move intimate aquainta^ce with "Jock" will r»ot be calculated to dispel. We haTef, however, ,bur own opinion upon-the mattev. r . . . Juvenile Larrikins.^We hay a been asked to call the attention, of parents' to the fact that a number of young scamps muster at All Saints' Churbh on Sunday evenings during service, and amuse them-, selves by tricks which are , calculated to disturb the congregation. These consist of indulging m whistling and iinging, varied by eithei- a hatj* cap, or handful of gravel bping thrown into the " ch^roh; t We have been asked to give this frieq3ly wauning to the delinqucnta,- far assuredly if tha same conduot be continued, the aisistanceof the police will have to bo ; eroked to put down tha nuisance. The- Cemetery Cbncert.r-I n *pother column the programme fop the forthcoming concert m aid of the Cemetery JTun.d is pubh'shed, and frqto a' perusal it will' be seen that an entertainment of a superior character has been prepared. In addition to the' local ..talent, available several ladies and gentlemen from* both FeUding and Foxton h aye kindly given their service*, and we l*am ; that an original apilogua, ■written especially foy the docasion by Mr. Thomas Bra'ckenrithft Pqet Lauraate of New Zealand, will be read. The bbject Iqt which, the appeal has been made is a most deserving one, and we trust, therefortj to see the Hall crowded f rom itaga to doox. An Unkind ! SeU f — T^at jade, Dama Rumo.r, playadr a .nice trick upom seyeral of tht townspeople yesterday morning. As is well known, the town is on the tiptoe of expectation, hourly hoping |;o got a despatch from ; the ; gold prospectors, arid r«pqr|i had it yesterday morning that a moit cheering account had been received from the ranges. This idea was the more readily believed when a. trajr containing j the Borough Engineer, the . Town Clerk, and two enterprising Borough Councillors, was seen tearing down the Fitzherber,t road m the dinectian o.f the gold-field. The' news flew round the. town, and ft was stated that the trap had been taken out to receive the auriferous quartz, of which ra-. mor had it there was .any .quantity^.' Aftor an atjiioui interval of two hours, the conveyance was. s.een return,ing, and a rush was tnadej ayqne < b 1 uvly:Oo.unoilUir^as teen, \yith some splendid specimens of -clematU in.h^s hand. ( It then turned out that the party consistedof'tneßeiervet Committee qf the Biorough Council, who h,ad bfen Sgwn to the ' Racecourae R^e/ex^a ugo^ Council business. ' ' . ' ' r The Masonio. ECa^l. — "PM**. fch ?> ! skilful manipulatiQn.'of Mr. 'Maekiritosh, tha' internal portion of. the. prissy tittle building erected by t'he.Mas6naQf' Manawatu; at Palmersipn, is, ias^'ftssiKning. an, artistic appearancfi m cpn^sonanoa with the object for which' it has bjpin erected/ J< ThV walls 1 »r»? wainicot'ted for a height of about five feat, with highlj.itained- and polished wood, and _ ■then: papered m marble to tfye .ctiljng, " the bare'neVs, howoyer, ' Vill -ht ,;relievad -with ' artistically designed pUlaVs. The ceiling i». painted tha orthodox tkj blue, -itid a^t tha h»ad of- the. room .the sun will shine down upon the august official who, wall ocoupy tha^ placa of prominence oh the platform. Old Sol it- ,em"i{lematic of •uhshina, but: as a contrast pale liian takes possession of tha. other and of tha building and forma a tn>-ai« ••^«to^ iqkifn orh^ #o^^^.

batween b»spangl«d with stars. The decoration* ar» not yet complete, but when th«j are, the Masons of the district will be able to boast of possssiiug the finest hall outside Wellington— And m fact the onljr building on the West Coast specially erected for mjstariai of the craft The Prosperity of Palmerston. — W« i)«re received the following letter from Atr. Thomas Sutlon, carpenter, of thi* town: — "Sir, — A» you hare kindly informed the public of the vroncUrful prosperity of Palm«rston m the building trade during the present depression, will you oblige me by informing thos<» m the trade at other towns that Palmerston contains at leatß fifty carpentors, forty of vfhotn do not knoir one weak where the work of the next will come from, and that the wagss does not I aTtrage eight shillings per day on scarce any I contract. I will further guarantee to find within one hour at least one dozen carpenters who will take seyon shilling! per day." We are not m a position to either endorse or disprove Mr. Sutton's statement ; all we oan say is, that we deeply regret to hear the assertion from such a good authority, holding that the T«ry low rate quoted is by no meant adequate pay for skilled artisans. We are surprised, to learn, however, that there are fifty carpenters m Balrnerston, and if suoh be the case it may aocount for the keen competition. Mr. Sution did not wish to question the accuracy of our statement as to the number of homes m course of erection, but merely to caution tradesmen at a distance as to the overcrowded state of the labor market, and we willingly publish his letter with that object. Worth Noting. — We would wish to draw the attention of our readers to the fact that to-day week the 25th insfc. is th 6 first pay day for the new isiue of inrestment shares of the Manawatu Per jaanant Equitable, Building, and Inveitment Society. I«suei of new chares take place halfyearly, and tbougli shares can be taken up at any time yet m all cases they date from the first of the current half-year, consequently, it is as well for intending investors to commence with the half-year and avoid the inconvenionce of an accumulation of arrears of monthly, payments. The t access that this Society has achieved m the past, realising a profit equal to at least 18 per cent., should place it m the front rank of local investments for those who look only for a profitable and safe return of their outlay, whilst to those who have the good of the district at heart combined with a just acme of benefiting themselves, an add'tionil inducement is held out by the amount of good effected by a judicious circulation of what may m a seme be looked upon as foreign capital. We would rocommend everyone to take up a share or shares according to their means, at the monthly payments would not be felt, whilst a man would be accumulating a fund which would, without doubt, b« found sufficiently serviceable on a rainy day. Presentation to Mr. Mitford.— A number of the townspeople met together at Batchelar's Hotel last evening to pre; :mt Air. Mitford, the late ageut of the Bank of New Zealand, < with a token of their esteem and reipect, prior to his removal from the district, Mr. Keeling occupied the chair, and after paying a high compliment to Mr. Mitford, read the following testimonial ; — "To Cuthbert Henry Mitford, E*q. — Dear Sir, — We the undersigned residents of the town of Palraarston North, and settlers of Manawatv., have heard with extreme regret that you are about to saver your connection with thia district. During the thrao Tears you have been amongst us, you have won the esteem and raspect of all who have had the pleasure of your acquaintance, both as an official of the bank of wbich you were agent, and your gentlemanly, lionoraable, and straightforward conduct as a member of-the community. We could not think of allowing you to depart from amongst us without presenting you some tokan of our regard and esteem, and we would, therefore, ask you to accept this address, and accompanying* souvenir, at an index of our f«alings towards you, trusting that m after years it may recall to your mind alike pleasureable reeolleotions as those we shall always ratain of your stay amongst us. Wa would ask you to oonvey to Mrs. Mitford the deep sense of obligation whicTi we entertain towards her- for her many efforts m the cause of charity, or where matters required her sympathetic assistance, and we hope that you niay be both .long spared to enjoy that happinness which you have striven to convey to others." Mr. Keeling then handed Mr. Mitford a handsome watch and ring, the farmer having engraved thereon the object and oncasion upon which it was presented. It la intended bo have the addr-es* artistically illuminated and framed, and then forwarded onto Aucklandi whither the reoaipient proceeds this morning. Mr. Mitford, who appeared visibly affected, made a suitahle reply, thanking the contributors for. their substantial evjdance of esteem and good wishes for tha future.