HALCOMBE.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXII, Issue 8795, 24 April 1907, Page 3

HALCOMBE.

From Our Own Correspondent.

The Rev. Walker, successor to .Rev. McOleau, has arrived and taken charge of our Presbyterian pastorate, and I hope the former's sojourn with us will prove mutually pleasant and profitable. Owing to the prevalence of measles and rash it has been deemed advisable to close our school for a week land it is to he hoped that by this action, the progress of these infectious diseases will be stayed, though one joker declares this closure to be a measly and rash proceeding. I was pleased to learn that Mr, Mrs and Miss Heappy have returned from |their visit to the Mother Country in excellent health and with pleasant memories of the tilings they have seen and the people they have I met.

Mrs Dowling, who recently left us to reside in New Plymouth, and whose health has evidently benefited by the change, is here on business connected with her Halcombe property. Mr and Mrs Dotchin are also visitlag Halcombe. The former has been motor manipulator since the iuaugn- ■ ration of "Wellington's electric tram service, and it appears that the continuous vibration of the cars, together with the strain, have produced partial nervous prostration and genial Jim has been granted leave to rccupHaving disposed of his storckoeping business to Mr J. Flenmiing, Mr R Thompson contemplates a combined business' and pleasure trip to the Old Country. While with us ho lias done good work and his departure will leave a hole in the wall of our public and social compound. As promoter of our tennis club, secreary of our flower end produce show, ; as a shooting star of our rifle club and in other capacities "Dick" Ims proved himself to be ono of those young workers we can ill afford to lose and with his many Halcombe friends I hope the "fresh fields" will yield him a prolific crop of the good things of this life, JJ In our station yard on Saturday some Maoris when backing a team of horses attached to a dray loaded witli oafs overshot tlio mark and the lot went over a steep bank and got very much mixed, when sorted out it was found that this time luck had favoured the backers and that the loss sustained was considerably less than when they backed three horses through the "tote" and found two | of 'em "stiff uns." I

f I have to acknowledge parcels of Stamps from Wairarapa Daily Times aud from a friend, in the Sandon Block on behalf of the Halcombe invalid. I sincerely thank the donors. B I am informed that a Sunday parade of the Manchester Rifles, attended by the Feilding Brass Band, will take place at "Burnside." The officers and men will be entertained at luncheon by Mr and Mrs Pleasants. Divine servico will be conducted by the chaplain, Rev. Mr Stent. Our quartette of cheap trippers to the exhibition returned last week. That they had a gay old time will be' understood when I tell you that the-aggregate ages of three of them is close' upon 205 years, this and the fact that they have travelled a lot in their time will be an assurance that'their judgment, if not expert, fs at least "We had heard tWi read much that was not complimentary of the show aud there was a lurking suspicion that it was being advertised and boomed to cover its defects and lessen the inevitable cash deficit, and wo found an exposition which for extent, quality and variety of exhibits far exceeding our expectations and we felt patriotically exhilarated and disposed to toss "our hats aud shout fi Advance New Zealand." Its interest to me would "require months to exhaust and I know comparatively little about the vast number of natural and manufactured things and'products on view. The more one Ijnows about the history of a place or person or thing the more interested is he in -the exhibit, and this apart from the artistic sense which rouders a '' thing of beauty a joy for ever." When ono hears such comments as these upon the late exhibition, "Oh, its just like a big shop," "I got very tired of it," '' The side shows were all right but the exhibition wasn't much', he is apt to wonder where the trouble lies.