LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 3121, 23 February 1909, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The new Post Office at Featherston was opened for business yesterday morning. It is a handsome brick building, and as increased accommodation at the Post Office has been required for years past by the Featherston public, the new building is much appreciated. It is not yet known whether there will be any official opening.

A summons has been issued by the Official Assignee to Frederick Pearce, settler, of Featherston, a bankrupt, and others interested, to appear at the sitting of the Wairarapa District Court at Masterton on Thursday, to show cause why a settlement made by the aforesaid bankrupt in September, 1907, of property on his wife and children, should not be declared void, as against the Official Assignee. Mr A. R. Bunny is acting for the Official Assignee. Fair Faces Fairek.—Ladies troubled with growth of hair on, face, nook or arms can permanently remove it by using "Violet Snow Cream." It acts directly on the hair roots, and destroys their life. "Violet Snow Cream" is splendid for Blackheads, Wrinkles, Sunburn, etc., and is a guaranteed cure for superfluous hair. Obtainable from H. T. Wood, Chemist, Masterton, for 4/6, or send postal note direct to Hem4ey Burnet, Hair Specialist, 46 George Street, Dunedin, (All parcels sent in plain wrappers), Hemsley Burnet's Hair Restrror for Grey Hair, 4/9.

A special meeting of the Wairarapa Navvies and General Labourers Union will be held in the room at the rear of the Foresters' Hall, at 7.30 p.m. to-morrow.

Ladies wishing to nominate for the Masterton Ladies' Swimming Club's annual carnival, are reminded that the nominations close with the secretary (Miss Gillespie) to-iJ'ht (Tuesday).

The renowned boy violinist, Mischa Elman, who is coming to Australasia under the auspices of Mr Frank Musgrove, will open at the Wellington Town Hall on August sth. He will in all probability give a concert at Masterton.

A second offender for drunkenness —Alexander Ferguson—was brought before Mr W. H. Beetham, J.P., at the Masterton Police Court yesterday morning. He was locked up on Saturday, and in consideration of this fact was convicted only.

Mr Alfred Woods and Miss Maud Williamson, of the Woods-Williamson Dramatic Company, and well-known to Misterton theatregoers, are leav ing America shortly for Australia, and intend touring Australia and the Dominion with some new plays.

The Masterton Rifle Volunteers, in charge ot Captain Robinson and Lieut. Brighting, held a daylight parade in the Ruamahant;a Valley on Saturday afternoon. The company was put through various field movements. The class firing in the new range is proceeding satisfactorily.

Mr John Lingers, the clever 'cello player who visited Masterton with Miss Jessie Maclachlan and her concert party, has been appearing in Glasgow at concerts and playing "cello solos. The Glasgow papers state that he played on a Strad. 'cello presented to him by the late Right Hon. R. J. Seddon,

The following are the closing times for mails at the new Post Office at *eatberston: Hutt, Petone and Wellington, 7.30 a.m.; Masterton, Carterton, Greytown and Main Trunk, 8 a.m. ; Napier and intermediate stations, 10.25 a.n\; Wellington and South Island, 3.50 p.m.; Wellington, 6.15 p.m.; Masterton, Carterton and Gr6ytown, 6.50.p.m. The sale of the Manawatu Railway to the Government was confirmed at a meeting of shareholders of the Manawatu Company yesterdav. An intimation was given bv the chairman that the Government would ply over the purchase mone • on Saturday next, and tie d rector* could probably make a d stribution in a month's time.

The Maoris in the Gisborne district make great use of the telephone, and a great gather n* has just been held at Muriwai, natives from all parts of the distr ct beirg present for the purpose of collecting fund* to carry a private line through from Gisborne to Whiterata, a distance of some thirty miles. Over £IOO has so far been subscribed.

Five persons guessed the exact weight of the bullocK in the weight guessing competition at the M asterton Show. The bullock scaled 760 lbs, and the successful "guessers" were Miss Alice E. McKay, Messrs F. Holloway, W. Armstrong, W. H. Wybmirne, and A. lorns. As there is only one prize (a sewing machine) those who were successful with their guess will draw lots for it.

A Press Association telegram from Auckland states that the Premier, in an interview, said that the statements made at Hawera by Mr Massey, Leader of the Opposition, to the effect that the Government had been guilty of improper'tactics'in the sole interest of Party, were absolutely contrary to fact, and he challenged Mr Massey to name any specific case. In regard to the Hon" J. McGowan's retirement, there was not the slightest difference of opinion on the question of policy between Mr McGowan and himself.

The usual meeting of the 1.0. G.T. was held in the Dominion Hall last evening, Bro. Gilbert, C.T., being in the chair. Greetings were received from the Egmont Lodge, and were heartily reciprocated. Sis. N. Miller was appointed as assistant superintendent to the Juvenile Lodge. The programme for the evening was a '"sisters' meeting," with Sister Miller in the chair. During the evening Mrs Flanagan gave a reading, Miss Judd a song, and a mock initiation service was also held. Altogether an enjoyable evening evening was spent. The next meeting is an open meeting, and all interested are invited to be present.

A vocal and organ recital, to be given in Knox Church, on Tuesday, March 2nd, is announced elsewhere in this issue. A strong choir, numbering some forty voices, will render Mendelssohn's cantata "Lauda Sion," the solists being Mrs 1?' P. Wilson, of Wellington, who is so well and favourahly known in Masterton, and Mr W. S. Jago. Arrangements have been made whereby Mr Pur:ell Webb will preside at the organ. Mr Webb stands as one of the best organists in the Dominion, so that the recital upon the new organ will be a genuine treat m itself. Tickets are on sale at various shops in town, as advertised, and are only one shilling each.

The little boy Henry John Kavana<jh, who was so badly injured through a waggon passing over him in Lincoln Road, Masterton, ori Saturday, died at 5 o'clock yesterday morning. An inquest, held before Mr W. i J . James, S.M = , at the Courthouse, elicited facts regarding the accident on the lines set out in the report ot the occurrence. George Deadman, who was on the first of the waggons, said that the load of straw was too high for him or the driver to be able to see between the two vehicles. Dr A. Hoskiig said .that one leg was nearly severed from the body, while the other was split from the heel to the thigh. Other abdomenal injuries were also sustained. Death resulted from shock. William Candy, a lad of ten yearg old, 'said he got on the connecting bars between the waggons for a ride, the deceased also doing so. Witness then got off, and after getting clear of the vehicles he heard deceased fall and call out. The waggon then passed over him. The Coroner gave a verdict of accidental death, no blame being attachable to anyone. The funeral will take place this afternoon, leaving the Masteron Hospial at 2 o'clock.

Thfl guard Lecourt, of the Cote d'Azui* express, France, told an amazing story of a fight with an eagle on January sth, says the newspaper "Le Temps." The train, he says, was travelling at over sixtymiles an hour, when near Fontaines he saw through the look-out a great bird hovering over the train. A moment later an eagle dashed agaiust the train. It smashed the glass of the look-out and fell imo the van. It straightway attacked the guard savagely with neak and claws, and a fierce fight between the man and bird followed. The guard was badly scratched, but finally managed tu seize the eagle round the neck. He kept it prisoner till the train stopped at Dijon, where he left the express, taking the eagle with him. Its wings measure over six feet from tip to tip.

The important part that is being' played by the opening of the Main Trunk railway in bringing the various parts of the island into close touch with each other is strikinglydemonstrated by a trip made by a lady from Wairakei to Auckland at the beginning of last week. The lady left Wairakei at 6.30 on Monday morning, drove to Taupo (a distance of six miles), thenoe took the steamer across Lake Taupo to Tokomaru (28 miles), and then continued her journey by coach to Waiouru. a further distance of 44 miles. She arrived at Waiouru at 6 o'clock, had dinner and then caught the first north-bound Main Trunk express and reached Auckland at 7 o'clock on Tuesday morning. In the 24J hours she thus travelled 320 miles including 50 miles by coach, 28 by steamer, and 242 by rail. It is not so long ago that such a jourr ey would have occupied about four days.

Mrs Catherine Leonard died a few daya ago, says the London "Daily Express," of January 7th, near Cappamore, Co. Limerick, at the age of 118. She was born in 1790. She had a faint recollection of the Iri3h rebellion of 1798 in which some of her relatives lost their lives. Her father's h»use was burnt by the Yeomanry. Mrs Leonard married when she was seventeen years of age. and she had fourteen children, most of whom emigrated to Australia or America. It is stated that she had twenty-two grandchildren and forty-sevenjgreat-grand children. Two sons were killed in the American War, one righting on the side of the North and the other with the South. Mrs Leonard spent a laborious life, and she never was attended by a doctor until her last illness. One of her sons lived to be ninety-six, another was eighty years old when he died, and two daughters were seventy-eight and seventythree respectively. One of her daughters, who is still living, is ninety-five years old, and a grandson is sixty ye ars old.

On the uppermost terrace at Caroline Bay, Timaru, there'is, says the "Herald," to be seen a goou example of what can be done by' wbat is termed "dry" gardening—that Is, depending upon the growth and bloom of flowers by constantly stirring the soil rather than by constant moistening of it by rain or by artificial means. In the early spring the caretaker of the bay obtained a varied collection of flowers which had been taken out of a private garden to be thrown away as superfluous. These he planted along the hot, sunny edge of the top terrace, in a light clayey soil, which had previously refused to grow even grass properly. ' The bed has been very dry for weeks past, being exposed to the north-west winds and to the sun Irom early morning until night, but the caretaker kept the soil regularly loosened between the flowers, and there has been a good show of fresh bWms there all the summer. Even now the flowers there look brighttr and fresher than in a good many private gardens composed of deep rich, soil, and in which there has been no lack of moisture all the season.

Speaking generally, pecple in New Zealand are not cheese-eaters, and one reason of that, ivir D. Cuddie, Government Dairy Commissioner, remarked to a Dunedin "Timps" reporter, was that the proper class of "cheese to create a demand is not sold on the local market by a great many of those in the provision trade. If merchants there would adopt the principle of securing a quantity of firot-class cheese of clean flavour, and if they treated it with the paraffin wax process and then held it for a sufficient time to allow it to mature, it would have the effect of increasing the demand for this commodity. A great many of the cheeses sold locally were those that were rejected for export, although a few of the up-to-date firms had gone in for selecting the very best offering on the local market for years past, with the result that these firms to-day had a very large retail trade for this product. In connection with the sale of cheese locally, Mr Cuddie believes tnat it would be possible to increase the demand almost by 100 per cent, in a few years, provided a first-class article was placed on the retail market.

The romantic reunion of an aged couple was brought about in a singular|manner at Ballarat, Victoria, recently. Mr and Mrs Murphy are inmates of the Ballarat Benevolent Asylum. They had lost sigt of each other for seven years, and were reunited at a picnic of the inmates at the Botanical Gardens. They had been living for some time under the one roof withoui being aware of it. The re-union wss a pathetic one. Mrs Murphy, who is 82 years of age, was in the institution under another name for nearly seven years. Her husband is 76. Seven years ago they were living at Lancefield, and this separation was caused by Mrs Murphy taking offence at something her husband had done. She left him, and eventually found her way to the Ballarat Benevolent Asylum. Some time afterwards herjhusband, by one of those coincidences, became an inmate of the asylum, but remained in ignorance of his wife's vvherebouts until their chance meeting. She had: never been absent from his mind, and he had made inquiries about her in several places. At the picnic they recognised each other, and a touching reconciliation took place. The asylum authorities have given the old couple a cottage in the asylum grounds, and they hope for manyhappy days together.

and interesting clause ap"pears in the will of the late Mr •George Badharn, a London solicitor ;and director of several city companies. He left estate of the gross value of £65,745, and after making mnany bequssts to relations and servants, inserted a clause taking over \o his estate the burden of any losses which clients lor whom he has ;made investments may suffer. He directed that if within two years of iiis death any of his clients for whom he made investments should incur loss in respect of them, or if tfiieir security should be, in the opinion of his trustees, insufficient, the loss or deficiency of security should be made up out of his estate. Clients whose money was invested -according to their own instructions are not, of course, affected by the -clause. If the residue of estate left for the purpose should prove insufficient, preference is to be given to those clients who, in the opinion of the trustees, would suffer most .by their losses. Passengers who travelled from by the Mararoa on Wednesday night had reason to complain that a large number of live sheep were carried on the upper deck. On Friday morning, says the Christchurch correspondent of the "Otagu Daily Times," the Mararoi again brought down a consignment of live sheep, numbering 560. They occupied the greater part of the promenade deck as lar forward as the bridge, there being practically no room for rateerage passengers to move about. *Qn the after erd of the deck the saloon passengers were a little more fort mate. The deck space occupied by the sheep was in a filthy condition, and it is stated that the strong smell pervaded the social hall and saloon of the vessel, and even some of the cabins, adding to the discomforts of those who find sea travel under any circumstances quite sufficiently trying. The cleaning of the deck after the sheep bad been discharged occupied several hours. The practice of carrying sheep on the ferry steamer is roundly condemned by many passengers, and it is considered ,that the Union Company, with its* big fleet of steamers, could -easily employ a cargo steamer or col • lier to carry the sheep.

A good ploughman and all-round 'farm hand seeks employment.

Furnished-Xooms are wanted for a ..ilady with nurse and child.

Hosiery rand gloves in all the best makes are in full supply at the W.F.C.A.

Mr C. Y. Dally invites inspection of the Standard Rotary Shuttle Sewing Machine, for which he is sole agent in Masterton.

A team of eight bullocks with yokes and bullock dray is added to Messrs Dalgety and Co.'s Mastertou stock sale.

Mr F. P. Welch advertises a new Mist of properties which he has fir sale. Mr Welch has also on his books a number of houses to let.

Messrs Hare and Evans, land agents, Pahiatuj-, advertise particulars of several ffrm properties which have been placed in their hands for lase.

Mr R. 0 Jarrett, Oxford street, Lanadcw e, advertises for sale selected cockerels, hens and pullets from Imported strains. Early application shtfilo be *-mad3 by those de--1 sirous of pjrchasing. Mr J. R. Nicol, Bannister street, is advertising particulars of sheen and dairy farms that are to be offered fcr sale on very easy terms. Mr S. R. Edwarrs, representative in the • land department, will attend on those iu search of properties. Messrs Krahagen and Chapman announce the arrival of their sel tion of new aut imn and winter tings. The select ion comprises all ihe newest patterns, and is really a choice lot. Clients are invited to inspect the tew goods. Mr J. R. Nirol will sell, on account of Mrs H. H. Collins, at the residence No. 101 Lincoln Road, to-morrow, the whole of the household furniture and effects, comprising three 1 undred lots. As the vendor is leaving the district every line will be sold absolutely without re- . serve. The proprietors of the Nattrass churn claim that no matter what climate or however obs f inate the cream butter can be produced by the "Nattrass under five minutes. In addition the butter can be washed and salted in the churn. Full particulars will be supplied on application to th? firm, whose address will be found in another column.