THE Hauraki Plains Gazette With which is incorporated THE OHINEMURI GAZETTE. Motto: Public Service. MONDAY. WEDNESDAY. & FRIDAY. WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 23. 1922. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIII, Issue 4457, 23 August 1922, Page 2

THE Hauraki Plains Gazette With which is incorporated THE OHINEMURI GAZETTE. Motto: Public Service. MONDAY. WEDNESDAY. & FRIDAY. WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 23. 1922. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

- There was quite an animated scene at the local post office this morning, proving effectively how much too small the present counter arrangements are to deal with the public requirements, such, as paying old age and war pensions.

Quite a number of suppliers from the Plains and Paeroa district left for Hami’ton this morning to attend the annual meeting of the New Zealand Co-operative Dairy Co., Ltd., whicn is being held at Hamilton to-day.

A work that will interest cartage contractors is the delivering of 100 cubic yards of filling near the railway station. Tenders for this close on Saturday at noon with Mr E. ® Gillman.

Two cans of cream were noticed on the Paeroa railway station during the last week, consigned from Waihi to the Waikato Valley Dairy Co-, Ltd., Frankton Junction.

Mr John Crombie (late manager of the Talisman mine), of Auckland, arrived in Paeroa this morning.

Tenders are invited by Mr E. E. Gillman, architect, returnable up to noon on Saturday, for a quantity of fencing posts, rails, and palings.

A pole was erected on the Ngatea bridge last week by the Thames Valley Electric Power Board tp allow the transmission wires to cross the river. Speculation was rife ampng the residents as to whether the pole was high enough to pl low boats with high mast- to pass underneath. Those who had their doubts had their opinions conflimed on Saturday, when a scow passed through the bridge. .It was found that the masts were exactly level with the top of the pole, and that the tide was by no means at its highest. In face of .that fact it will be essential for a larger pole to pc erected.

The oldest man in the world, “ Uncle Johnny ” Shell, of Greasy Creek, Kentucky, died on July 10 at the age of 133 years.f He was followed to the grave by many of his descendants, including, two of his sons, William (aged ninety) and Albert (aged seven). Old Mr Shell is said iO have lived on the same farm in Leslie County ever since -he was 33, that is, for the past hundred years. He desired to serve for the United States in the war against Mexico in 1845, but was rejected as over military age. According tp the New York “Sun” and other journals, Mr Shell possessed records showing his birth in Tennessee in 1788, and the local doctors said they believed he was correct in the estimate of his age. The lad Albert Shell, born when his father was 126 years old, is the son of "Uncle Johnny’s” second wife, who was 45 when she married her veteran, but still vigorous, spouse. By his first wife, who died twelve years ago at the age of 122, Mr Shell had fpur sons and a daughter, who all survived him. Up to the last he retained full possession of his faculties.

To flash a bundle of notes right under the eyes of a solicitor when you owe him an account, and sail away without leaving any change behind, is rather hazardous. From the evidence adduced in a case at the S.M. Court, Temuka, it appears that a.defendant had placed himself in that unenviable position ; and this drew a remark from the presiding magistrate that “it was 'too much for the legal fraternity”—evidently meaning that it was something like adding insult to injury. Despite the able plea put forward by the defence, the defendant was ordered to toe the line within a month.