NEWS AND NOTES.

Manawatu Times, Volume IV, Issue 83, 27 October 1880, Page 2

NEWS AND NOTES.

Explanation.— Mr 'Jorgenson's letter bad been received too late for insertion m this issue, but will appear m our next. C^rQlilclQS Qf the Times.— There ai'e.no surer indices of the passing of time than the advent of almanacs and diaries, which, ar« upmistakeable reminders th"t Cb,ristms>s is coming, and the New Year is close at hand. The Annual, however, which is fi-st m the field this year is Lett's I}iary —copies of which, m all sizes, bindings, varieties, and prices have boen already rece'.vpcl by Mr. Leavy, an inspectisn of whicG that gentleman respectfully solicits. The Bo.'ough Engiaeei?.— A spe" cial mooting of tlie Borough Council was held yesterday afternoon for the purpose of receiving and dealing with the tenders for the appointment of Engineer to the Council. There weve five applications : — C. E. Armstro-ig, £100 a year; a. Hill, £140; J. Jillet, £200; J. W. Beaufort, £200; and Percy Frasi, £250. The tender of Mv Armstrong was accepted, and be will be instructed to commence his duties at once by taking the levels for Church and Terrace streets. The Masonic B^ 1 !.— The Masonci Ball which was g'ren by the members of the Crait on Friday m honor of the opening of the new He 1 !, came off the same night, and proved a most brilliant affair. Qn account of the very large number of invitations issued and accepted, it was found necessn'-y to hold the celebration m the Town Hall, and we have never seen it loolf to such advanUge before, the decorat ; ons aiu Masonic emblems having a most imposing effect, w.hile the handsome regalia, of ■ c brefhren, with the graceful dreises of » p ladies, gave a most pleasing aspect to the £-.at'jermg. Notwithstanding tknt the stage liad been taken away to give mo I**1 ** room, there was not an inch of space to spare ; nevertheless although there we.<;e visitors .'i-otn eyecy township fcom Wellington to Wanganui it was qofc inconveniently crowded. Mr. Batchelar was the cateror foj tin occasion, and we must say he fairly exce^ed b'mself m the variety and excellence of the viands provided. The Melancholy Occu n :3\ici lieUl 1 IJ l eild.lo.£f i -*-We have seldom heard Qf a sudden death under more hesvrt-renc ling circumstances than the drowning of poor Weatherl»y, * report of whose melancholy end appear* m another column. That a brave fellow., w.hq had nobly fought the battles of his country, wearing the Crimean and wiming the Turkish meclals for distinguished conduct, should be so boreft of reason as to be party to his own death is sad indeed, but that regret is intensified by the fact that by the occurrence a widow and eight children hars boen deprived of thair bread winner. In the year 1854, Weatherley, who was then eighteen years of age, enlisted m the Colistream Quar-ds and shortly afterwards sailed for the East, being present at the Siege of Sebastopol and serving with distinction throughout ihe campaign. ' While m th« Crimea he received a blow on the bead, which m afterlife showed its vssult, and tb,e effects of which it may be said led \a, bis death, inasmuch as at certain periods he was ?iot quite right m his head. The deceased was a model husband and, father, and Constable Price informed our reporter that m a life-long experience be never we,nt through such an ordeal as when he had to remove the hody from the desolated horn». Th« widow an,d crowd of ophaned children, gathered r.qu'nd, and it would melt the 'hardest heart to listen to their lamentation!.