LOCAL AND GENERAL

Horowhenua Chronicle, 10 August 1911, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL

We have been readino; with great interest an essay 'by Mr G. L.~ Adkin, on "The Post Tertiary History of the Ohau River," which is to be printed in this year's transactions of The New Zealand Institute. The essay is of a peculiar interest to residents of this county, and it is our intention to review it at some length in to-morrow's issue of The Chronicle.

An unusual event is thus reported by the Waipukur.au Press: When a. few friends gathered, at the invitation of. Mr Frank Saunderson, in the latter's home, Mr A. Blodi. on behalf of Mr Saunderson, presented Messrs A. Saunders, E. Fisher, G. Middleton, E. Jones, and P. Jemisem each with a very handsome gold band ring, suitably inscribed. Mr Bloc-h explained that although the gentlemen mentioned had performed many kindly deeds for Mr Sannder•snn while he lay on his sickbed, they must clearly understand that the gifts were not intended as payment for their kindness, but rather as tokens of friendship and goodwill.

The. NW Zealand pioneers of the paper-bag principle, as applied to cooking, were undoubtedly the Maoris. For instance, their" method of cooking pigeons was as follows: The birds were dressed in the usual manner and encased in clay. The mass was t ! hen placed in a fire, where the clay n a tin-ally became .hard. After the required' time for cooking had elapsed, the "brick" was removed from the fire and broken, when the .birds wore found to bo cooked in a manner whiclu even an epicure would be delighted with. General Sir Reginald Pole-Carew relates the following story showing the energy of the British soldier. A German attache in the South African W ? nmef ! at the spectacle ot the British.soldiers after a fight staggering into camp, fcnt rusfoncr instantly after a football which was thrown on fhe veldt! Tho German attach© said to the General: "Well, you are the most extraordimiiry people in the whole civilised world I have been with your men all day. I know w,hiat.they have done, I know that they havo had nothing to eat or dnnk, and I know of no other th,at not neen lying down asleep. • If

"Vegetarianism is spreading ever England like some loathsome disease," says tho ■Butchers' Trade Journal.

The Row G. Y. Woodward, Vicar of Foxton, will preach at St. Ma.ry's, Levin, morning and evening on thn 20th inst. T-fc will preach nt St. John's, Ohau, in tlio afternoon.

it is understood (says the Wellington Post), that an enquiry is proceeding hy the Railway Doparment, in connection with the financial affairs of tho railway dining cars. Certain disclosures have becn_ made, it is said, and tho investigations go hack some considerable, time. .A Large nunvher are implicated, and it is likely that there will bo further developments.

This is the way a northern contemporary concluded its report of a. banquet given recently to the Trish Envoys. "Mr D. ' Hughes sa.ng "'Hie'wearing of the green," accompanied hy Mr Higiham on tho piano. Tho singing of Auld Lang Syno terminated'tho evening and everyone wont home full of the best spirits."

At the inquest on Thomas Burgess, aged l>2 years at Dunedin on Saturday, who was found leaning over a fence dead, a verdict was returned that death was duo to .strangulation, deceased's neck having been caught in the top of the fence whilst ho wm seized w'ih n fit of cramp. There wore absolutely no signs of alcohol. The e:i?e is a most unusual one. Deceased had come from the country on a holiday visit.

■ The Bishop of Wellington (the Rt, Rev. Dr. Sprotf). is to visit Levin next month. This announcement was mado by the Vicar (the Rev. S. G. Compton, M.A.). at yesterday's opening proceedings in connection with the sole of work. His lordship will preach at St. Mary's both mornino: ind erening. and at St. John's. Ohau, in the nfternoon, on September 17th, and wil 1 'be present in th-> schoolroom on the evening of the 10th. when the annual church social will bo held. On that occasion, no doubt, church people will be present in large numbers to welcome, for the first time to the district, the Bishop of the Diocese.

Speaking in reference to cowtesting at the Dairymen's Conference at Dunedin. Mr D. R. Hunter, of Kilcmlalo, stated that there were about ;")00n or f>ooo cows in the 15(1 end ale district, and probably 1000 of these would bo found to be deficient .according to the tests. There would ab the same rate be 4000 or 5000 deficient cows probably in Otago. He advocated getting tho Minister of .Agriculture to import, say, 100 high grade bulls every year, HO for the Xorth Tsland and 50 for the South, for sale to farmers who could not afford to import these animals for themselves. They would then, in time, improve their stock. Farmers would be willing; to give good prices for these bulls at auction.

Surprisingly good results have (says an Australian paper), been received during the past couple of years by Mr A. Crisp, of Springdale. in growing potatoes under straw. Last year t!:-e tubers were planted an inch under the ground, and covered with straw to a depth of about ten inches. The result was a heavy crop, seme weighing as much as -lib each. The straw protects the plants when young from late frosts in September, and. they do with far less water than when "grown in open land, besides Ik , ing less trouble. The straw keeps the ground very moist. Mr Crisp has had experience growing potatoes in the Monaro eou.ntry by this method, and claims that farmers can make tho venture, profitable if cultivated' the. right way.

Tt is always interesting to see Punch's humour reproduced closely or remotely in renl life. Some years ago tho famous weekly had a picture of a nervous and inexperienced motor cvHisi's dilemma. He had been overtaken by a fox followed by a

pnclc of hounds: the fox had taken refuse on his machino, and the hounds weiv jumning about the who'"ls -is it rushed along. Australian papers report that a West Australian kangaroo lias been distinguishing it>-elf by jumping into a motor enr and trving lo drive. On the w.iv fro mi York to Perth -wo men "nut w^ ,, a mob of kanoarc/os. One of them jumped into the car, and clung to tho steering whipo]. with the rrs'ilt Ihnt the C ir. after running some distance, collided with a tro?. Oim of the men had an ankle livnkoii. 'vnd ihe other is not exported in be about for some weeks. Why a kanQ-nroo should be so drjM.vn towards motoring is one of the nv>«t puzzling problems in nnturnl h'stnrv we bnve seen for a loner time. With cables nt tar-k----in? aviator:: and kan.p-arons interfnrinn- irifii it looks as if the animnl world was breominy; jealous of th"> of man.

A. correspondent oi' Tho Cliroiiiclc wishes to know how he may get rid •of the grass grubs which have spoilt tho verdure of lii.s lawn. The question is one to which tho biological experts have been unable to give any satisfactory answer, and this paper shrinks from treading whore those angels have trodden without 'benefit. One. member of our staff, however, recommends digging up tho lawn and allowing the fowls to scratch out tho grubs; but he has omitted to say how the grass is to be re-placed.

A .Rugby football match is played annually between tho Wellington Referees' Association and tho Manawatu Referees' Association. His to be played this year as a "curtain raiser" to the Auckland-Wellington match on 9th September. Tho secretary of tho Horowhemia. Referees' Association (.Mr W. 11. Burgo) is in receipt of a letter from Mr C. D. Eraser, secretary to the Manawatu Referees' Association, wherein a combined team of M.anawatu-Horo-whenua referees is suggested. Tom Parata, Kingi Takiwi. J. Desmond, A. Musgrove and W. 11. Burgo aro suggested by Mr Eraser as possible representatives of the Horowhenua referees. The selection of Horowheniia's live, however is to be left to the local association.

On a recent Sunday, a Huntley resident observed a kingfisher make a sudden swoop from tlio spouting of his house to the ground, where fowls were feeding, and a quick return to its original position, where it started to bang some objects which it held in its mouth against the corrugated iron roof. Determined to ascertain the reason of such peculiar notions, the resident got his gun and shot the bird,. which fell to the ground with a largo and half-dead mouse still in its bonk. This is the second occasion on which the resident has witnessed-a similar occurrence., and 'he wonders if the attacks of kingfishers on rodents are common or rare.

A story of unsuccessful ventures Wfls told by a well-dressed timberworker in the Auckland Magistrate's Court on Friday. Ho was being proceeded against for accepting less than the award wages and lie had to explain why he did so. "T came to Auckland ten years ago with £10,000 and lost it in three ventures," ho said, "and out of the last venture the citizens of this town benefited to the extent of £2000. T wias hard up and I could not maintain my family. After working in the country, I accepted this position, and would have taken it for os per day, 'because the firm said 'they would'allow me advances to keep my Ivouse going.' " Booking orders for Corelli's "Life IWlastine" and Ralph ' Connor's "Corporal Cameron." at Tlionrpsfliu's Aroade, -Levip.—Advt.__

Mr Field has been informed by the Acting Postmaster-General that it is proposed to call for tenders for a rural delivery from the Tokomaru post office along the Shannon road to Ryman's, and along Albert road to Kelly's, twice weekly.

This morning about seven o'clock a truck of a goods train was derailed at Koputartoa. A nuniibcr of gangers were at once despatched from Levin .and after several .hours' work succeeded in getting it on the line. There was no damage done, •and the train reached Levin shortly after ten o'clock.

What is known as the. Duncdin graft case.'has resulted in the , , resignation of iSIr Kearst, the representative in question, from all scats occupied by him on public bodies. Ho writes/ says a Duncdin correspondent, that lie had no intention of doing wrong, but admits, on reflection, that it was improper. Ho was a member of the City Council and Harbour Board. the trouble arose out of t'ho seat he occupied on the Hospital Board.

Writing to a girl friend in Feikling about the recent floods over there, a Blenheim lady snys : "The. water flo'odcd all through our place, and the awful mess we had to clean up would havo made you cry for a week! The first day we had to stay on our beds, paddling through to t,!:<o kitchen to make a cup of tea. Fortunately, my undo came down and took us up to grand in other's farm, where we were high and dry. But next day I had to go back homo and scrub out. There have been ivo trains to Pioton for the past week, and goodness knows when they will start, again."—Star.

Nip-a-Cold tablets for colds and influenza act nuickly and aro tasteless. No need to carry a bottle of medicine round with you ; a tablet every hour will en re your cold in a. day. Price one shilling a bottle from C. S. Kcedwell's Pharmacy. -Advt.