LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Patea Mail, Volume I, Issue 1, 24 October 1887, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Interesting reading will be found on our fourth page. A Napier carter has fallen heir to an estate in Scotland worth £IOO,OOI per annum. The I’atea Rides will assemble for inspection parade and judging distance at half-past five to-morrow evening. Mr W, 11. Sheet notifies in to-day's issue his intention of visiting Patea on Monday nest, and may be consulted up to lire o’clock on Tuesday afternoon. We understand that Mr Moss has arranged witli the Alton schoolmaster to allow the Post Office to be in the Public School fora short time, pending arrangements for rebuilding the Post Office Store. Mr R. A. Adams has a business notice of great interest in this issue. In these times of depression, it is a great advantage to consumers to be placed directly in contact with the manufacturer, thus saving the Colonial middleman’s profit, and as this can only be done by direct importation, Mr Adams has assumed a very commanding position. One of the neatest votes of censure ”we have ever heard passed on the proceedings of a meeting, was given by a lady attending the intended, choral meeting on Friday. The question of adjournment was being mooted, when a gentleman made the remark that it was impossible to adjourn just then, as it was altogether too wet, when one of the ladies instantly remarked ; *• It was certainly dry enough inside, whatever it was out,” Charles MacGeachy,the editor of the Wild Wave, at Long Branch, is, according to an American contemporary, an enterprising journalist. He writes all the editorials, sets up all the type, prints the edition on a hand press, folds, wraps, and addresses tiu subscription list, and then trots round Long Branch and makes his own distribution. He canvasses for advertisements, collects his own bills, and, generally speaking, repre-ents the entire editorial and working force of the paper. A meeting convened by ' circular, was held in Mr Horner’s office on Friday evening, to consider the advisability of forming a Choral

Society. Capt. Edwiu was against the measure, and turned on a thunder storm just at the meeting time, which damped the ardour of musicants, and induced them to stay at home, with the result that only a few of the more determined were present. Mr Gower was voted to the chair, and briefly stated the reasons for calling the meeting. A conversational discussion then ensued, which almost instantly turned on the financial position of the present Harmonic Society, a subject,no doubt,of peculiar interest to the ladies who had attended in the interests of concerted music. After an hour or so spent in discussion, the meeting adjourned without coming to any conclusion or passing any resolution. One of the most remarkable wills ever made was drawn up in Pittsburg, l’a., on ; February 17, 1887. The testator, Ambrose Retharge, 52 years of age, after disposing of 10,000 dols,. in real estate, directs us follows -“I wish that ray body be taken to Bt. Michael’s Church, and after the proper religious services are preformed, that it be given in charge of my lamily, who will have it burned to ashes, the ashes to be put in a small bottle, and given in charge of the German Consul at Pittsburg. This gentleman will then forward my ashes to the consul iu New Yoik, who will give them in charge of the captain of an ocean steamer. When in mid-ocean 1 direct the captain to request one of the passengers to ascend with my ashes in hand to the top of the topmost mast, and after pronouncing a last benediction, to extract the cork from the bottle, and cas. i s contents to the four winds of heaven.’

Our readers are reminded that a general meeting of Church members takes place tomorrow evening in the Church School Building at 7.80, when the Rerd Mr Clarke particularly requests all who possibly can attend to do so. A well-known writer says:—“ Whereas it has long been, declared and admitted, that the poor have no right to the property of the rich, I wish it also to be known and declared that the rich have no right to the property of the poor.” The wind-up dance of the Egmont Assembly took place in the Town Hall on Wednesday evening last, when about 25 couples were present. The music was supplied by Miss Jacomb and Mr Power, and gave every satisfaction, whilst the Committee deserve credit for the general arrangements. At the meeting, re tinning works, on Saturday, a telegram was read from the Anchor Line Company, in reply to one sent by Mr Horner, asking for a donation of £IOO towards the guarantee fund. The reply stated that the Company would favourably consider the matter on receiving further particulars of the scheme.

One of the grandest musical treats yet had in Patea will be given in the Harmonic Ball on Wednesday evening next, when Mrs Greenwood and her talanted family, will give one of their popular concerts. The Greenwood family, though only just commencing a professional life, have already made for themselves a most enviable reputation, their music being of the Highest order and their stage presence most unexceptional. All lovers of real good music should not miss this opportunity of heaving what music really is. Another curious phenomenon in the shape of a plague of ants is reported from Nancy. The insects were immense in size, some having wings, but the majority wingless. They fell iu such huge numbers that the inhabitant- thought they were having a repetition of one of the plagues of Egypt. The thick black flake kept pouring from five until six o’clock in the evening, and every district in the city was soon covered with “living black t ail.” It is supposed that the rain of insects was tho forerunner of the violent storm which swept over Nancy the next day.

The Herd A; P. Clarke held his first service in |Ht George’s Church yesterday morning. The Revd Gentleman, has, evidently, very far from recovered from his late illness, and was not sufficeintly strong to conduct the two services ; he therefore notified that no service would be held in the church in the evening. It is a matter for congratulation, that our Episcopalian Church is once more under the charge of a resident minister, as the inter regnuin of over ten months can not have had a good effect on the congregation, and Mr Clarke has some very up hill work before him in gathering his flock together again ; being a young and energetic man, however, he will no doubt quickly accomplish that desirable end, and we doubt not, that St George's Church will soon again be well filled.