LOCAL & GENERAL

Horowhenua Chronicle, 27 April 1916, Page 2

LOCAL & GENERAL

4 The Her. H. T. Stealey returned home a lew days ago. He is steadily n covering his normal state of hea'tn and in a s'-ort while should be quito well again. The '20th of the month slipped b,v so unobtrusively with the Easter Holidays that quite a number of Levin tradespeople forgot it. in recognition of the special circumstances, The Chronicle will allow 2J per c;nt discount on all current (not overdue) accounts paid on or before Saturday next. Ah Wong, a prominent Chinaman is at present in Otaki, with the object of establishing an undenominational Sunday school for the local Chinese. Mr Wong states that in other centres these classes, which are conducted by representatives of the various churches, in unison, are most successful, .and are d.oing much good work. There are "between fifty and sixty Chinamen m Otiald, who at present are receiving no religious training whatever, and it is hoped that Ah Wong s efforts may be crowned with success.—Otaki Mail. An unusual accident occured near the entrance of Kenepnru, Pelonis Sounds, last Thursday, says the I'elorus Guardian. About 150 pigs were being towed in a punt by Mr Taylor's launch for delivery to Mr Vitkers at Jiavelock, when the punt ' became practically immersed through the pigs congregating on one side. The result was that about half were precipitated into the water. The porkers struck out for terra firma in opposite directions and many reached the shore on either sid«. About thirty, however, went under and were lost, but the arduous work of collecting the remainder from both shores and reshipping them was successfully accomplished. Surgeon-Major John O'Leary, 1.M.5., of Ctirryhevern, Timoleague, Co Cork, who died at Ismailia, Egypt, on September U last, has left personal property of the value of £2,912. The testator gives £100 tlo his godison, "Bleet if I can remember his Christian name but I think it is James-fitz-patrick, legacies to other relatives, and the residue, "after Lloyd George's death duties and the lawyers' death diuties have taken their little bit," to his sister Marga'ei desiring her to give some to the poor "(some deserving and some not) who lived near us." "

A minister went- to visit a poor Torn an in Scotland: who had just lost her husband. He tried to speak consolingly to her by pointing oiTt that tho ceased ivas iff a much happier state. "Just think my good woman," said the worthy divine; "your dear husband is perhaps at this moment playing on a harp." "Xa, na." intemipted the sobbing widow ; "mickle guid that'll dee his rheumatisms, sittin, on a cauld cloud blawin' a. truiApet." The Foreign Office at Tokio has recently published tablets showing the number of Japanese residents abroad. The total amounts to 359;716, of whom 210,123 are males. The list is headed by China. witlf 121,959. Then follow Hawaii 90,808, Unitdc States with 79,642, Brazil with 15.462, and Canada with .11,959. The Europe in figures are very small. They include Englnad. 178 ; Germany, 435; France, 129; Russia, 89; Austria, 37; Italy, 17; Belgium, 15; Switzerland 31; Spain, 8; Sweden 6; Holland, 5; and Portugal, 2. As against these even Peru* has 5,482, and Mexico 2.381. The numbers were computed at the end of last June. At Napier on Saturday evening a returned soldier named Martin O'Brien who, while fighting at Gallipoli, lost his right eye and was badly weunded in his leg shrapnel, imagined iie heardi a manksay "They are always like that." O'Brien, who ivas allegedi to be under the influence ot liquor, punched the man effectively closing one iyp. The punch cost O'Br'en St. Mary's Church. Levin, ivas prettily decorated for the festival ot ue Resurrection by Mesdflines Duckuortn, Gapper, Stealey, and Misses Easthor Eyes, N. Eyes, M. Mak'olm, Readng and E. Reading. Tho wrs a record number of communicants and at lie eleven o'clock service extra seflts nad to be provided. The hev. C. (rainier, vicar of Shannon, officiated at both Ale morning services and preached at tho eleven o'clock service. Evensong was conducted by Mr Tain Brown. The church of St. J "ha the Baptist, Ohau, was also nicely decollated lor Easter and evensong was taken by the Rev. C. Palmer in the afternoon. The decorators at Ohau were Mm TCirkcaldie and Misses Kebbell, OTsen and J. Olsen.

Three of the finest-grown cobs 01 maize ever produced in Levin are to be seen at the depot ol Mr D. Smart, in Queen-street. They were grown at the homestead of Mr VV. Ingram, senior, Levin. The maize is of the variety known as "horsetooth," and nothing to approach it in symmetry and. size has come under our notice in the three years since Mr G. ij. Adkin brought his sample cob to The Chronicle Offioe. At the Spiritualists' Convention, held at Christchurch on Friday, '<ho folio-wing resolution was passed: — "That we honour t'lie bravery of the soldiers who fought for their country and i'ell in this war; of those who have been maimed for life; and of the devoted nurses who have eared for the sick and wounded; and we also eipressc our sympathy with the widows and families bereaved with the loss or their loved oneis in t!i:>'present Avar." Mr Hudson Maxim, the well-known inventor, in an arCMe in the Now i ork Times predicts that the war will last trom three to live years yet, and that it,is more likely to last seven years than three. The fertility •of Heatherlea eoil is attested this year by the product in Mr Harwood's. kitchen garden. On one vine of ironbark pumpkins ho has produced four monster pumpkins which turn the scale at an aggregate of over 17ft lbs. The smallest pumpkin of the quartette weighs over 401bs. This season has been a prolific one for onions and in Levin to-diay they may be bought at lSTbs tor Is <3d. "1 see you describe this man as a spiritualist," said Mr H. W. Bishop, in a civil case at Christchurch the other day. "Surely tliis is not a definition of employment. 1 take it that a Spiritualist is man who has lads and fancies either of a religious or other nature. It is no a description of a calling." "But that is what he calls himself," said Mr Thomas. "He is walking around teaching Spiritualism." 11 But a man may be a Spiritualist without teaching it," persisted the Magistrate. "I have not heard of Spiritualistic teaching aB a man's calling, but it is something I have not lieardi much about, and don't want to. But it struck me that 'spiritualist' is not a description recognised in law.'' "You might as well call any man's religion his description," suggested Mr Cunningham. "I don't call Spiritualism a religion," said the Magistrate. * Attention is called to the annual general meeting ot parishioners in St. Mary's schoolroom on Friday evening next for the consideration of the balance sheet and) the election of churchwardens and vestry for the ensuing year. The meeting as usual •will be followed by a social to which all parishioners are invited.