HERE AND THERE.

Clutha Leader, Volume XL, Issue 40, 18 November 1913, Page 7

HERE AND THERE.

!■ f„• '• ' I ; P6.%toims obme irts* ? lie folloi'iag has «S«J*'ect, 'Felegrapji'-in with tih« ,<Bjifort\wiaie *"cc?idefflt tbat took pkwtf at the show a few days ago. ' 4wiusgeTp&*3 had" been made deceased and a, Mead-about tiding the horse, and the friend'was proceeding tothe'tiow, and woultt h<rve ride the horses hut was in'ct by his fiancee, who persuaded him not to do so, as s;b.e had teamed there would be an accident. - Mr W."W. PilKngtbn, of Wellington," who has just returned, from a visit to England, brings news of the development at Home of a new motor spirit, which, it is stated, is likely to become a rival to petrol. This is benzol, a sp'rit extracted from coal, which is now being manufactured at several of the English collieries and gasworks. '/The coming of benzol," said Mr Pilkingtor., "has been a check on the rise in the price of petrol. It is selling at Is 4d a gallon, as against Is 8d and Is 10J that is being paid for petrol. 1 was informed that it wa>> even more effective than petrol, and that the amount of petrol that would drive a car 20 miles would take the same car 25 miles. Another fuel that is being tested is alcohol, which is also proving successful. In this case the supply would be inexhaustible, as it is derived from potatoes and other vegetable matter, which can be easily grown in the Dominion.'' Rumors are current regarding a fracas which occurred the other dav in the Kawhia district, when the popular ideaof a musical .entertainment to denote the finale of a honevmoon was brought somewhat into disrepute. It appears that the happy couple had just returned, when the evening's silence was broken by an energetic,' if discordant, flourish of the usual instrument—a benzine can, or several of them. It is alleged that the bridegroom proceeded to show his appreciation of musical honors 'by distributing—rather fereiblv, maybe—articles of furniture among tit, crowd. A flying candlestick, it is sail, hit one of the leaders on the nose, and medical assistance had to be sought. There is something of the old Viking spirit in a man who can calmly go about the ordering of his own funeral. Yet such was actually done a few weeks ago by the late Mr" Peckover", of Gisborne (says the 'Gisborne Times'). !.'ome' three weeks before his death, Mr Perkover called upon a local firm of undertakers and gave an order for a complete funeral, specifying the class of coffin to be used and the particular j)!ot of ground in the eemoteiy. So quiet and matter of fact was the demeanour of the octogenarian that the / undertaker had not the slightest idea that he was ordering his own funeral. It was or.lv after his death that the Spartan spirit was made manifest. To show the methodical manner in -.which the deceased prepared for his end, it may be mentioned that he recently made his will, which provided for the disposition of his affairs, even down to the inscription which was to appear on hie own tombstone.

A unique instance of mother instinct oa.me under the notice of an Oainani : resident the other day (states the s 'Mail'). His cat. had caught a young 1' blackbird, and the mother, noticing the ■hapless plight of its offspring., attacked ■ the oat frith some ferooity. Surprised at the suddenness of the attack, the cat / :.-,.t00k refuge in an, outhouse without losing grip of its prey. Undaunted, the mother bird followed, and it was not until the young bird had been rescued - that the mother bird desisted in it; attack. The young blackbird some tune after was again captured by the cat. from which its mother once more essayed to rescue it, renewing the attack with much vehemence, but without success The next mormmg, atrange'y enough, the cat was still being followed by tie blackbird, who had been joined in her attacks by her mate. Roth birds, the moment the cat issued from the house, would swoop down over its back, the result of the strange on- ;. slaught being apparent by the di?ap- , pearaneo of patches of fur from th>feline. A little homily on commercial moralality was delivered from the Bench at the Auckland Magistrate's Court the other day by Mr C. C, Kettle, S.M. A witness, a painting contractor, iii.giving evidence, alleged that in order to secure contracts to paint fore'gn vessels he had in some eases to pay a fee of £lO to the masters and very often pay a fee to the agents also. The magistrate expressed surprise at the existence of a system which he characterised H'fcs blackmail. The witness further sta'tHedthat he put the commission paid to B the masters and agents on to the price B& extras. Mr Kettle, alter referring B to the immorality, commercially, of such ■ proceedings, said it was no wonder the Brest of living was rising. B .At the conclusion of Barton Bros.' Borcus at Eavelpek on Saturday night, BU.man managed to come in contact Btfith one of the buckiumping horses Bjjhile making its exit from the ring. Blue spectators were horrified to see the ■Morse trample upon the man's leg, ■ *&M snapped like a carrot. Strangely Bpough the man picked himself up. and Brabbied away on-a leg and a-half; ■ wckily, the broken leg vvaa'a wotfden ■ ; i strange fish was washed ashore BtJ&Sf tho rocks near Opotlki, and aeBfjllred by a Maori. -The length was Bt«nd to be 9ft 4in, aud *he depth 7in Bfttthe deepest part, ta>peiring away ioBBWfds the tail. The fish seemed exBKemely fragile, and did mot exceed Hia BjMiieknoss, the greater portion of the Hw being only about an inch thick. HRJi Aape it could be likened to a large |BW eel flattened out. A red fin ran the full length, of tihe backbone BM-%the top, andi in color the fish was BBwer. It-was scaleless, the lower part body being delicately roughened BB™ appearance similar to the under part \ "feh-pgg" Two attenuated bme BJPwei.\ projecting fram. the lower yiart BJP! th« head, gave the fish a f-triking ■MJi'Pwi'ance. The-je were fully three long, red in color, and thinner an ordinary lead pencil. They BBjJiinated in a patch of membrane not a round v°d leaf. The fish was i BMjNhless, the mouth being perrmnontlike the mouth of a picklo-bot-BBft and nutriment was obviously abby suction Dannevirke the other day an apBBpfttion for exemption from military on the ground of religious beHHr>. bv a youth who said he was a was .refused by the M> McCarthy, on the BKiWd that the CforistftfJslphians (lid BBJl'iu terms condemn military training BHg* service as part of their religious are a plug smoker try GOLDEN BHpiE PLUG. AroMtftic, Tcool, sweet H wtisfactoiy.. It can't be beaten. Mpprag-you'U like/it, ' 8