Local News: Mr. G.E. Reid’s palatial stone residence at Portage du Fort is nearing completion, the painters putting on the finishing touches.

Among the large receipts of farm machinery of all kinds that have been made at the railway station during the past two or three months, we notice several new threshing outfits.

The academy opened on Monday with an attendance of about one hundred pupils and the prospects are bright for a successful and prosperous year.

Mr. M. Grace merchant and postmaster at Vinton, has been awarded the contract for carrying the mail from the station to his office.

On Friday evening the attention of our citizens was attracted to a ruddy glare in the south-eastern sky, indicating that a conflagration of considerable magnitude was in progress somewhere. Some thought it was at Braeside while others opined it was at Arnprior, or perhaps at Fitzroy Harbour. The next day, however, it transpired that the reflection came from a burning stump heap at Mr. Wm. Caldwell’s.

The barns and outbuildings of Mr. James Armstrong, Green Lake, including most of the season’s crop were destroyed by fire on Sunday afternoon last. It seems the buildings were ignited by a spark from a stump in which fire had been smouldering for some weeks previously, having been started from the burning of a hornet’s nest. Mr. Armstrong, who has been engaged at the slides on Dumoine all summer, was still away from home when the misfortune occurred. A fine harvest which was taken, along with many items and with the buildings represents a loss of about $2,000. The loss is a heavy one; Mr. Armstrong carried $500 insurance, so that his net loss amounts to at least $1,500.

Mr. and Mrs. J.W. Eades mourn the death of their infant son, aged about three months, as the result of an acute attack of cholera infantum.

Leaving the station here on Tuesday morning, the train comprised five coachloads of excursionists en route for Ottawa. Over 100 people of Shawville and vicinity were of the number. Rain began to fall about half past eight in the morning, at first very gently, but gradually increasing, with every prospect of spoiling the contemplated enjoyment of the day.