LOCAL & GENERAL NEWS.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLIV, Issue 26, 2 February 1910, Page 4

LOCAL & GENERAL NEWS.

The Marlborough Mounted Rifles are notified to turn up at the Vernon range on Saturday for marksmen's badge shooting.

The attendance at the Borough School yesterday reached 222 boys and 187 girls, or a total of 409. About forty new scholars have been enrolled.

A Napier telegram states that the Hon. Mr Millar, speaking in reference to the time-table question, said that the alteration would probably come into force on March Ist.

W. Wenand, the bantam boxing champion of Australasia, has decided to settle in Blenheim for a time, and intends opening a school here for those desiring to learn the "noble art.

Chnstchurch will attempt no novelty" entertainment of Lord Kitchener. The Field Marshal will be welcomed by the citizens, and will subsequently be entertained at a banquet.

t £t, especial degree meeting of the 1.0.G.f., held in the Orange Hall last night, the District Degree was conferred on eio;ht members by Bro. \\. Jellyman. District Deputy. A lengthy discussion took place W the possibilities of re-opening the Juvenile Temple again in this district, and members were asked specially to interest themselves in this matter before the next meeting, so as to have a fall report and bring this important branch of the work to a successful issue.

The W.C.T.U. met yesterday afternoon m Wesley Hall for the first time alter the Christmas vacation. The principal business was to elect a delegate to attend the annual convention, winch commences on the 9th February at Invercargill. Miss Davies was appointed to represent the Union, and in the event of her being unable to go, it was decided that Miss Powell, organising secretary for New Zealand, be asked to act as proxy. After the usual routine work was disposed of the meeting adjourned until the Ist March.

Rheumatism, Gout, Sciatica, and Lumbago are due to the presence of excess uric acid in your system. How can you hope to cure them by liniments and embrocations? You must get the poison out of the blood, and RHEUMO will do it. All chemists and stores, 2s 6d and 4s 6d. ' 4

Some unknown and consciencestricken user of the railways has forwarded £10 to the Department as reparation apparently for a wrong done. Receipt is acknowledged in the last Gazette.

A Press Association telegram states that 62 false alarms of fire were given in Christchurch last year. Thirtyfour were accidental, due to line faults, and the remainder were malicious. There were two last night, as well as one genuine call.

Information has been received that Messrs Quibell Bros.' Kerol, the noted disinfectant, for which Messrs Dalgety and Co., Ltd., are agents, has been awarded a gold medal at the Imperial and International Exhibition, London.

Something of a sensation was caused at Ohakune last week by the reported discovery of gold. Excitement ran high until it was discovered that the whole thing was a hoax, some practical jokers having gilded a piece of scoria, which passed for the "yellow metal."

An unusual incident in boxing matches was witnessed at the conclusion of the big contest in Hastings on Thursday evening, when Devitt, the winner, kissed and embraced Leckie, the defeated man. The explanation was that both men were pals, and Devitt was touched by the severe punishment Leckie had received.

Where's all the fun to-night, Mick? Why, at the Swimming Baths Social and Dance in the Town Hall. *

The passengers on the evening train from Wanganui on Thursday had a most unusual sight (says the Taihape Daily Times). When the train was negotiating the Fordell rise it ran into a long mass of caterpillars which were making for a paddock of oats. Two or three times the train was stopped in order to sand the rails for the engine wheels to grip.

The proposal of the Wellington povmcial Industrial Association to hold a New Zealand Industrial Exhibition in Wellington assumed concrete torm at a meeting last night (says a Iress Association telegram) The date was fixed at from Tuesday, May #' w° S edne^ay, June 29. The Harbor Board granted the use of the •board s large new woolshed.

Sale! Sale! Great Drapery Salt commences on Thursday, at F W Smith and Co.'s. Bargains for all! and all millinery must be cleared at prices unheard of. •

They take their pleasure in a peculiar way at the Thames. M lurm-the other day John Ruzick threw Ins jack down a gully and then went down after it. His mate did the same, with the result that the jack rebounded off a stump and hit Kuzick on' the leg, inflicting several nasty cuts. He was taken to the local hospital to receive attention.

A dastardly outrage was committed recently near Charters Towers, Queensland. Mr Isaac Jansen, manager ot Burdekni Downs, received by post a letter containing the brands of his jumping, mare Keepsake, and wishing him a merry Christmas and a Happy New 1 ear. The police found' the mare dead between the station and Charters Towers, with three bullets in her head, and her foal dead beside her, with its throat cut.

\ ictor, writing in the Wanganui Herald says:—The experiences of this week should put an end to the talk ot making Picton the permanent course for the championship regatta. Ihe course is admittedly a very fine one in calm weather, but it has surely been proved an impossible one now by the frequency with which it becomes too rough to race on. The Association should seriously consider the claim of the Wanganui-River championship course as the finest in New Zealand.

F. W. Smith and Co.'s great drapery sale commences on Thursday, bargains m all departments. The wnole of the expensive stock substantially reduced. •

. A very large deputation, representing all classes of business interests, waited 011 the Hon. Mr Millar, Minis^ ter tor Railways, in Napier yesterday to discuss the timetable. The deputation strongly urged that the old service be reverted to, with such acceleration as was possible. Mr Millar m reply, admitted that the timetable was unsuitable to Napier. As the people at this end were willing to torego the connection with New Plymouth there would be no trouble in readjusting the service on lines similar to the old timetable.

At the Magistrate's Court this morning before Mr T. Scott-Smith, b.M., Charles Emmanuel pleaded guilty to a charge of obtaining £1 irom G T Cheesman, proprietor of the Royal Hotel, by means of a valueless cheque, but pointed out that he had no idea of committing a crime when he did so. Evidence was given by the licensee and Miss Cheesman as to the cashing of the cheque, and by Mr Brock as to the closing of accused s account at the Union Bank of Australia. The accused was convicted, and sentenced to two months' imprisonment with hard labor.

A Christchurch telegram, states d 2K ayA mT flll cart-hone met its death yesterday afternoon by falling inKS ai parge Pla>ei*»" *& in Bedford Row, and in its struggles receiving terrible injuries. The forse was attached to an ordinary spring wL men in, Bedford Row tSS iiorse commenced to plunge inri gradually raised itself to a hfgll pSh or excitement. The occunkiit* tumbled out of the clrt, ai T S£ horse made full tilt at a large plate* glass window in the premises of Reyi'li \ he horse ' Partly in and struggle 01 ' COmmenced a terrible

"A Visitor" writes to the Wairarapa to ill r visitor to the Carterton bowling green would be inclined on occasion? to think £ was visiting a mental hospital play! ly, when suddenly one or two of the bowlers will commence capering round the green waving their hats and making inarticulate sounds. I noticed this on several ocoasions-quite staid i rU8 T hing ab«ut ~and inquired whaflFor. 5 I was told that this littS black and white butterfly was the originator of the grass grub, and the &A °nl °f, ts eSe P^ creature! \Z It \l ab°u*the green aroused the lie of the bowlers, and hats were requisitioned to knock the savage thing out. By the time the bowlers have slaughtered a million or two of these, they might then say they have done some good." y

Kirkcaldie and Stains wish to notify their customers that their great halfyearly sale is now on, and will continue until February 14th Their local agent is now taking orders for sale goods, which will bo delivered in Blenheim at Wellington counter prices. •

At last night's meeting of-the Blen*heim Methodist Biblical-and Literary Society the subject for discussion, was Conscience as Man's Guiding Star."' Mr E. Paine opened the subject wittt an excellent paper. He contended^ that all men were born with a conscience and - a sense of right and wrong. Man might-defy his conscience until at last'lie became but little better than a beast. The subject was also discussed by several of the members present, and some excellent speeches were made. Mir: Ai. A very occupied the chair, and therewas a very large attendance of members, including the Rev. Mr Richards and the Rev. Mr Letcher, who also ■ spoke. A most profitable evening was brought to a close by the Rev. Mr Letcher pronouncing the .Benediction;All young men wishing to join the society will receive a hearty welcome.

That tired feeling and run-down,* nervous condition is a warning of more deep-seated troubles. Build yourself up with Steams' Wine of' Cod Liver Extract, the peerless tonic and tissue-builder.

The Committee set up by the> Frozen Meat Conference to consider ways and means of improving the sale' of meat in England was composed asfollows:—North Island.—Messrs J. G. ; Wilson, R. D. D. M'Lean, E. A.. Campbell, A. Borthwick, J. Barugbi* and W. G. Lysnar. South Island.—^ Messrs D. D. Macfarlane, J. D. Hall, J. C. N. Grigg, F. Waymouth, G. Jameson and Sir G. Clifford. The>special duty of the Committee is to deal with a motion proposed by Mr A. Chamberlain (Canterbury Agricultural and Pastoral Association) — "That a committee be appointed withl* a view of inquiring into. the. advisableness of*-forming an organisations for the purpose of protecting the in-r terests of the producers."

There has just been landed in Blenheim the very latest idea in motorcycles The machine, a 1910 models' h.p. Humber, was imported by; Messrs Wintringham and Deugarde, of Blenheim Garage, to order of & local medico. In addition to all usual' modern equipment, this machine is fitted with a free engine and 2-speed gear. The engine is started with a handle, the same as a motor-car, and the machine is then put into motion* by means of a foot operated lever, thus doing away absolutely with the one big objection to motor-cycles, viz., the difficulty and trouble of starting up. Everything about this motorcycle is designed so that the rider need never remove his hands from the handle-bars. The supply of gas i» controlled by a lever fixed to the handle-bars, and the oil lubrication: system is worked by a foot-operated pump. . •

An amusing incident happened oie the wharf at Wellington the other day to a Blenheim party who had just! returned from the South. It appears that among their luggage was a large line of home-made jam which bor© a: big red mark. The shipping authorities at Lyttelton, when the tin wa» placed on board the steamer by whicK' the party were travelling, believing it to contain dynamite or some other explosive, gave instructions that it should be handled with care and bef left on deck. Upon arrival at Wellington the tin was handed over t<> the harbor authorities, who consigned it to the powder magazine, where itt certainly would have been sent had not the owner come along and convinced the authorities that the con-* tents of the tin were harmless'jam.

Two melf were, once. out. shootings One was a very good shot and ther other but an indifferent marksman. The good shot, with a first-class gun, saw plenty of game, but his shootingwas unsuccessful. He missed almost, every other shot. The I.M. had a* very good day, getting quite an average bag, and only using a common; cheap weapon. In the evening they; both met and exchanged views on the* day's shooting. ('How is it," inquired the unsuccessful shootist, "that you , who are much the worse shooter of the two, have obtained such a bigbag, and I have not?" "Easily explained," said his friend. "I get myr ammunition from the * Best' shop, and its good, whilst you get it somewhere else, and its's bad. I also make* good shooting at the butts because U get my ammunition, oil, and cleaning rod from E. H. Best, Levin* new Buildings." •