Local and General.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 24 February 1913, Page 2

Local and General.

A report from one of the English linns to which the Levin Co-opera-tive Dairy Company, Ltd., is consigning its butter. conveys information which should be very gratifying to those who are engaged in its manufacture. Rriofl.v it describes the first shipment by s.s. Arawa as "clean and delicate flavour, good close and even texture, condition •x----cellent. and altogether a very fin; l shipment." The meeting convened by Mr .1. R. .Stansell to consider the question of forming a borough or Town Board at Shannon will he held to-night, ,'r. the Druids' Hall. Shannon. Sensatiojud rumours from Shannon on Saturday stated that a farmer in that district had .shot his wife dead and then committed .suicide. This, however, was a highly exaggerated account of a domestic infelicity which might have ended seriously, hut didn't. Mrs A. Murray, ;i resident 0i Canvas!own. -Marlborough, although close on 70 years of age. hat* been milking ton or eleven cows night .".ml morning nil this summer. A few flays ago Mrs Murray was several;. injurc:l by a kick from n cow. A public meeting Inst week at DaniK'virke appointed a committee to report on the loss sustained by settlers in the district owing to bu-'h fires, with a view to alleviating any existing distress. Over CIOO was subscribed in the room towards the relief fund. Mr .V kirkealdio has forwarded v donation of to towaids the funds ol the Horowlienua Agricultural and Pastoral Association. Needless to say. .Mr Kirkcaldic's generosity ;s ranch appreciated by the committee and members. iiatlli'sliips detailed from the United States navy recently were .sent to the .North Atlantic for gunpractice on icebergs as they drifted southwards. Jt was hoped this would remove all cause of Titanic disasters. The first iceberg the fleet of floating ironmongery trained their guns on refused to blow up. the maximum amount of damage done being to knock off ,a few chips of ice. A big earthquake at Westport on Saturday afternoon caused considerable damage to the stock of various biisiiuvs places and but few private houses escaped some damage The newly-erected Post ami Telegraph Office was cracked in all direction-- and the .southern wing shifted from its base. After the main shock there- were about a dozen minor shocks experienced. The damage (lone lo stock, etc.. is set down ■it between C'3oo and CoOO. According to a message from Enid, 'Oklahoma, to the Sydney Sun, a kick on the head by a mule was worth l'7ti() to a farmer named John Allen. Immediately after the accident. Allen was operated on for fracture of the skull, and when he came to lie remembered where he had buried that sum of money during the financial panic of 1.907. He put the cash underground then, and had since- been unable to locate it. From America comes the story of a Scotsman, who, while viewing a statue of George 'Washington, was approached by an interested Amoncan. "I think you'll agree with me, sir," said the American, "that lie was a great and good man- -a lie never pas.»,cd his lips." "Weel." .said the Scot, "I suppose he talked through bis nose like the rest o' ye."'

Mr If. li. Gardener, in declining nomination for the chairmanship uj tlu l Lake Domain Hoard at the meetinjj; held on .Saturday, stated that his 1s :t lit Is ucre very [nil at tlie present li 1110. iiis independent of his municipal duties, the tjuc.slions of land for settlement, the Eoxton harbour affairs. together'with the large (|iicstion of the proposed severance of tliis end of the district from tlie Wellington Hospital Hoard, needed n 'it'cat- deal of attention. At tho same time, be would give the incomi)iti; eliMirman .nil the assistance possible. and he thought they could not do bet-tor than to elect, Major Burlinson again to the position. Amidst the chaos caused through '!k> shifting and setting up of the printing plant of the Otaki Mall, there were not a few amusing incidents. One morning. while tho head joiner was adjusting some windows, in order to roach his work comfortably. he used the office ink barrel as a. stool. Tfis weight, however, wa.s too much for the lid of the barrel. which collapsed, and the man of wood found himself up to his ankles in printer's ink. to his deep disgust, and to the infallible amusement of the "comps." That carpenter's footprints are now more firmly established on the workroom floor th.nn the "devil's" fingermarks on our oflico towel. - -Mail. There is a good story going the ronndis just at present about Mr E V. Eraser, the .Stipendiary Magistrate who dealt out the penalties ol the law to the Waihi strikers. At the time of the Waihi .strike trouble, the Magistrate hind occasion, as visiting justice, to pay a visit to tho Mount Eden gaol. During the morning of his visit a prisoner had been released, and about an hour later tho magistrate left the prison. Before he had gone far he noticed a man who. from liis appearance, showed unmistakable signs of having once been an inmate of the prison. The man was evidently waiting for someone whom he expected out that day. To the worthv magistrate's surprise the ex-convict lurched up to him. and said in a confidential whisper, "Say! any more coming out to-to-dav ?"