The Wairarapa Daily. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 22, 1891.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XII, Issue 3995, 22 December 1891, Page 2

The Wairarapa Daily. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 22, 1891.

We regret to hear that Mrs Hogu, wife of Mr A. W. Hog£>, M.H.R., is again seriously ill. Another Farmers' Co-Operative Association in the Wairarapa is mooted. Mr C. J. Freeth, who has for many years been a resident of Masterton, is, with hia family.removing to Wellington. The Masterton contingent of the Salvation Army are holdius< a picnic at Wiigley's Bush on Boxing Day, and a coffee supper in the evening. The members of the Presbyterian Mutual Improvement Society, of Masterton. ?re holding a private picnic at Te Whiti on Boxing Day. The price of laud at Pahiatua has, it is said, gone up twenty-five per cent, of kte.

No less than sixteen distinct reasons for the withdrawal of capital from the colony have been advanced by the various Ministers of the Crown. Needless ti> say, none of the explanations are satisfactory. Mr Mark Cohen, the clever Editor of the Dunedin Star, is lying very ill in the southern city, and fears are entertained that he will not recover. He recently contested the mayoralty. The squatters of Mudgee, New South Wales, will, it is expected, pay their shearers 25s per hunched next year instead of 20s as herett fore. We speak advisedly when we say thai nearly the whole of the Maßterton shearers who went to Australia last season intend revisiting that Continent. Mullet are literally swarming in the 'i'urakina river at present, but the efforss of local fishermen to capture them have been signally unsuccessful.

An old member of the New Zealand House of Representatives, Mr Charles Woolcock, died at Wollongong, New South Wales.early in *he present month, of influenza. A ferret which is at large in Bentley's estate, Masterton, is causing havoc amongst the poultry. Only yosterday morning a lady resident found a pullet with its head completely severed from its body.

A butcher of Awahuri was nearly gored to death the other day by a cow, Th« cow was supposed to be quiet, but was evidently the reverse. Mr J. O'Brien, until recently master of the Orcui bridge school, has been appointed to the charge of tbo Catholic school at Mastertun.

The effect of the thunderstorm experienced last week has been tc flatten ouV several prone of oats in and around Masterton. " The wheat, being stronger in the stem, has not been eS seriously affected.

As showing the severe and dangerous nature of the thunderstorm at Hampden on Sunday afternoon, a valuable baggy horse, name 4 Tom, belonging to Mr John J. Buchanan, &$} struck by lightmng and Killed within a disfcmpa of 140 yards from the house. The ground around the horse was considerably cut uj> by the electric fluid.—Waipawa Mail. X A correspondent informs us (Mount Ida Chronicle) that the r turnip fly is making great havoc with the yo\in« turnips in the Hamilton district, and it is probable many of the farmers will have to sow their fields again, in which case the crops will not be .juitc so good as was at one time Affected.

li J. Hooper and Co are now bhovncg the most fashionable arid largest assort* ment of new spring goods ever sh.wn in the district.. English and French Milh uery, Trimmed, and Untrimoied Hats and Bonnets, Flowers, and Feathers, &a. Stylish and Pretty Jackets. Dorothy Capes, Mantles, Dust Cloaks, Garaboldi Jackets, <&c. , We are showing a splouoid stock of Fashionable Delaines, Prints, Cambrics, Zephyrs, &<*, , , , We hold the best dtsortinont and largest stock of nev drese materials i.i the Wairarapa- All the leading shades, de> signs, satins and materials for the season, single and double widths. The Fancy Department is full of the \ novelties, pretty ajrons, nbbocs -a, ooUftre, cufis. and parasols etc

Tlic last parade of the year will be held this (Tuesday) evening by the Masterton Rifle Volunteers. It is estimated that fully £7OOO has been spent in Greytown in new buildings and improvements during the present year. A first offender appeared before the Justices in the R.M. Court this morning and was dealt with in the usual manner. Great interest is being centred throughout the Colony in the forthcoming election for the Wellington seat. Should Vlr Bell be returned the Government will receive a severe blow. The Masterton Hospital Trustees have accep;ed the following tenders for supplies for the current year:—Groceries, Messrs R. F. Temple and Co.; drugs, Mr T. G. Mason ; bread, Messrs Chamberlain Bros.; meat, Mr W. Perry. The tender for firing was not accepted. We (Mount Ida Chronicle) understand preliminary arrangements are being made with a view to establishing a rabbit factory in the centre cf the Maniototo Plains, and a public meeting will shortly bo called to consider the question The compliments of the season are tendered to the general public by Messrs C. Smith and Co., of the Queen sTeet Drapery and Clothing Establishment, who also notify that they have just opened up twenty cases of new goods for the Christinas and New Sear trade. We mignt elaborate at great length upon the character of the baigains offered, but are confident that in referring our readers to the new advertisement which appears in another column, we are doing the fullest justice to the firm and its many patrons. The Marlborough Express has apologised tor the statement which it made hi September last that the forwards of the team which represented Otago in the last annual football match against Canterbury had sold the game. The Express says that it has ascertained that the charge was without foundation. His Excellency the Governor intends making a tour of the South Island before leaving for England. Miss Webb, who mot with a serious buggy accident near Wellington on Sunday night, is well-known in Masterton, having been engaged for some time as barmaid in the Club Hotel. A new Licensing Bill has been passed by the South Australian Parliament. It provides for complete Sunday closing. Under the old Act hotels were allowed to remain open for two hours ou Sunday. Mr T. G. Mason, the well-known chemist and druggist, has aaain secured the tender for the supply ot drugs to the MaatertOiU Hospital. The business of Mr Mason has developed to such an extent of late that he has found it necessary to employ a second assistant, and Mr Raillie, of Wellington, arrived to-day to (ill that position.

The number of unemployed in this district at the present time is not very great. Mr Mackay, of the Bureau of Industries, informs us th*t he expected to secure fifty men in Mastoiton to start work on the Eketahuna railway extension, but was disappointed to find ihut hardly half of that number were available. Tha men who have been engaged left for Eketahuna to day, and will probably commence work to-morrow. The J17,000 granted for the work will probably not be expended in lesa tha f .six months.

A special meeting the Masterion Assembly of the Knights of Labour was held 1-iEt evening, when an address upon the objects and aims of the National Liberal Federation was delivered by Mr T. L. tfuick, M.H.R. The meeting was, wc understand, advertised by mistake as an open one, and sav«=ral persons, including our representative, who presented themselves, were refused admission. We are not, therefore, in a position to state what transpired, although we believe several persons signified their intention of joining the Liberal Federation.

The Sydney Referee says that a Melbourne man had a sitting of eggs which he was about to hand over to the charge of a brooding hen. He brand ed all the eg?a (13) with the names of what ho thought the most likely iiorses m the Melbourne Cup. He named the eggs Oorreze, Pugeontoo, Strathuiore, etc., and left the hen in possession. In due time most of the eggs were hatched, but only twelve live chickens came cut. The thirteenth was evidently no good, and the owner exclaimed, " Hallo ! here's a dead bird." Turning over the egg, he found it branded " Malvoho." This occurred on the Saturday before tha Cup. The wheat crop around Masterton, especially iu the Makora and Lower Manaia, is being destroyed in a wholesale manner by a Bmall black grub. The little peso, which is not unlike a maggot in its appearance, attacks the wheat at the root and works its way up the stem until it completes its work of demolition. The grub has, we understand, only recen f ly been discovered. One farmer at Makora assures us that his wheat, which a week or two ago was iujijUiUfMbihg condition, is now quite br.r»n and unfit for cutties;, wl'!-- c 'he fields of several others havo beau attacked in a like manner. Singularly enough the grub has not affected the oaten crops, A specimen of the pest is being sent to Sir James Hector, the result of whose analysis will be awaited with interest.

Thomas Windsor was charged in the Mastertou R,M. Court this morning with being drunk in a public place and with using obscene language. The accused pleaded guilty to both offences. On the first charge he was let off with a caution, but on the second he was sentenced to seven days' hard labour in the Wellington Terrace Gaol. ,

One seldom hears of a rat attacking a human being, but such a case hapoened in New Plymouth on Wednesday morning. It seems that a very large rat has fur some time " hung out " in theneiVhborhood cf lrishtowu, and after it" had caused a lot of mischief, one of the resident* determined to set a trap, which he did with the lcsult that the rodent lost one of it? ryes. Nothiue was seen of it (the rat, not the eye) for some days after thi;, when a young lady happening to gQ into a room containing potatoes, saw the animal, which immediately attacked h«r. She being a little more courageous than the general run of ladies, endeavored to frighten it off, but without avail, as it seeeraed to get wilder, and commenced to spit and show its tot»th, when the young lady, thinking V discretion the (tetter part of valor." made of, with the 'rat following. Two large " tommies ■'spied the animal and al»o gave chase, They, having a little more foot than the rat, soon interviewed him—place of meeting being under a house—when a severe and gory struggle took place. Presently the cats emerged, looking much knocked about, aud their owners came to the conclusion that the dreaded longtail had received his quietus. But it was not s>>, as a few <iays later one of the neighbor's children was attacked and bitten on the leg, the effect being that the limb was muoh swollen. The blood-thirsty vermin then attacked a gentleman, who frightened it of by throwing an axe at it. but he might as wellhava tejjen a cock-shot at the moon. The rat is still ali've/and at l.utpst advices was doing well. There is at present qu;te: a demand for rat traps. We shall be ever ready to welcome the .crowds who may take advantage of these desirable opportunities, and the more widely to distribute t.ur Christmas j>ifls the better shall tve be pleased at Te Aro Houue, \j'.cK lington. In addition to offering exceptional advantages to customers, such as an immense variety, a carefully selected and fashionable stock of good* ip every department of tho warebouse.'we (ritond, during tli£ remainder of the present month to present all cash customers to the extent of 20s and upwards with an attractive Christmas gift, at Tc Aro House Wciliiigtan. We have a regular, devked jcale for the things, and in proportion to the amount o purchases so will be the value of the present 'ihis scalp will be on the simc lines as on previous years, and no dsubt will give equal satisfaction, at Te Aro House, Wellington. 0:1e thing should be'noted especially, and that it it thftt' this gift distribution will extend during the present month up to the very last day of December, ISUI, neither more or less. Those that are wise will h erefore take care to be in time at Te Aro House Wellington.—ai>yt