The Manawatu Herald. Tuesday, January 25, 1910. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXII, Issue 803, 25 January 1910, Page 2

The Manawatu Herald. Tuesday, January 25, 1910. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Ernest Barry starts for' the Zambesi river in June, in order to be able to have six weeks’ training on the championship course before meeting Dick Arnst.

A ,£2,500 motor car was the subject of an action brought in the Law Courts by the F.I.A.T. Motor Company against Sir George Abercrombie, a young officer of the Guards. “Sir George, who is a man of great wealth, desired to have a motor car that would beat anything in the world,” said Mr Shearman, who appeared for the company. “It was to have a speed of 116 miles an hour, and he paid a deposit of one-third the purchase money. Mr Edge issued a challenge to the world and the company suggested to Sir George that they should take the challenge up and use his car. The car was driven in the race by Nazarro, the most courageous ol all drivers, and won, attaining a speed of 121 miles an hour.” Mr Lush said Sir George refused to pay tor the car because it was used without his consent and delivery was delayed from April until June. ft was mentioned that another car made for a Japanese undergraduate at Cambridge was of only too hoise-power. “Just about ht for the Brighton road,” Mr Justice Darling remarked. The hearing was adjourned.

One of the parly of American boys now visiting Australia, when asked his opinion of the place by a Melbourne Argus representative, replied, “Its a ‘dandy’ country, aud Melbourne’s a ‘dandy’ city.” 'The boy, Charlie Norton byname, went on to express some refreshing opinions in contrasting Australian customs with those of his own country. He is, it appears, struck with the fact that an Australian boy does not address his father as “Sir” and his mother as “Ma’am.” This would be regarded as rude in “Amurka.” “Guess I’d have been cuffed if I didn’t say it,” he said ; “but the custom is different here, and its real good manners just to say‘Yes’ and ‘No.’ Australian folks have better appetites than we have. We eat three meals a day at home. Here the folks eat six sometimes. That’s because you drink such a heap of tea. We drink more coffee at home. You can make swell tea, but I calculate w.e cap show you how to make coffee. Your table manners are funny, sure. You put the knives aud forks in the wrong places on the table. You eat the pudding aud what you call pies' with a spoon and fork. We use only a spoon. But a fork’s very handy. I suppose we never thought of it at home. And every time you cut a piece of meat you eat itWe don’t. We cut up all the meat into little bits, and then put the knife awav and eat it with the fork. Still, I think the knife’s handy, too.”

The Rev. Messrs Aitken and Muirs will hold a combined

Presbyterian and Methodist service at the Beach on Sunday next.

The ordinary meeting of the local Masonic Lodge will be held this|eveuing at S o’clock. Business; Raising. Visiting brethren are cordially invited to be present.

A garden party will be tendered to Mr W. F. Massey, Leader of the Opposition, on February 19th at the Ostrich Farm Pukekohe, by his constituents. At Christchurch last week E. J. Heale pleaded guilty to having misappropriated ,£6B odd, the property of the Star of Litiwood Oddfellows’ Lodge, and was committed for trial. Ke had been treasurer and failed to pay sums to other lodges.

The adjourned meeting of all those interested in the formation of a bowling club at Foxton, will be held in the Council Chambers at 8 p.m. on Thursday next. A committee meeting will be held at 7.30 p.m. to present report. By advertisement elsewhere in this issue, Mr F'. E. Jeuks offers his valuable and centrally situated freehold properties and buildings in Clyde St. for sale. This should prove one of the best investments in Foxton.

Mr L. W. Wilson, whose illness we recorded last week and who has been an inmate of Dr O’Brien’s hospital (not the district hospital as previously stated) is, we are pleased to slate, now able to get about again, but it will be some time yet before he is able to resume work.

The Borough Council notifies that it proposes to raise a special loan of ,£20,000 for the purpose of supplying a water and drainage scheme, and to make an annually recurring special rate of 5 '}kd in the £ on the unimproved value of all rateable property in the nightsoil area.

The Council of the Geographical Society at Copenhagen who examined Dr. Cook’s original diaries now report that they found that the papers contained no evidence ot alterations due to Captain Boose nor proof that Dr. Cook reached the Pole. There is no decisive proof to the contrary, but the Council determined to take no present steps regarding the doctor’s honorary degree. The special race trains yesterday conveyed a large number of passengers who were not patrons of “the sport of kings,” but who proceeded to the Beach and enjoyed a dip in the briney. The weather at the seaside was perfect and the sands were thronged with people. A calm sea induced a number of amateur fishermen to negotiate the bar and indulge in deep sea fishing.

Dealers sometimes “fall in ’’when buying guaranteed dry or what is technically known as “ empty ” stock. These beasts are fattened for the butcher, An alleged dry cow was sold to a dealer, not a hundred miles from Foxton some time since, and in due course was passed on to a butcher in this district. During the killing operations the remarkable fact was ascertained that this “dry” beast was found to contain not less than five calves. We can vouch for this on the authority of a gentleman whom we know to be—like Caesar’s wife—above suspicion.

A Feildiug correspondent writes to a contemporary : —A practice by no means uncommon, and one showing the fidelity of the dog towards his master, is frequently evidenced on our roads and streets. I allude to the practice of the poor dog following a motor car for miles without a spark of human kindness or consideration from his master who sits comfortably in his car. Some time ago it was recorded as a testimony to the faithfulness of the dog, that on the streets of Wellington an animal lay down at the cud of the j nuney and died from exhaus; ion. The count r y is dotted over with philanthropic persons belonging to the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Where are they ?

St- Andrew’s, Palmerston, is soon to lose the services of its talented pastor, the Rev. Izaac Jolly M.A. who has accepted an unanimous call to Pousonby, Auckland. Palmerston Presbyterians regret at his departure will be shared by members and adherents of the Presbyterian Church in this district. The Rev. Mr Jolly has acted as Moderator of the Foxtou charge for some years and has taken a very keen interest in its welfare, while his periodical visitations have always been much appreciated.

The Rev. Izaac Jolly, M.A., Moderator of the Presbyterian Church of New Zealand, and incidentally Moderator of the Foxton charge, conducted the morning service in the local church on Sunday last. After the service, a meeting of the congregation was held to make a call to the Rev. Mr Aitkeu, which was unanimously sustained. Messrs Hornblow and Parkes, were appointed local commissioners to obtain signatures to the call, which is to be piesented to the next meeting of Presbytery. Presbytery will fix the date of Mr Aitkeu’s induction, In congratulating the congregation upon their choice, the Moderator referred in eulogistic terms to Mr Aitken, He said he doubted if the congregation could secure the services of a more suitable minister for the position. The Rev. Mr Jolly subsequently expressed a doubt as to whether he would lie able to induct Mr Aitken.

Messrs Millar and Giorgi advertise particulars of their alteration sale.

The Rutland Hotel, Wanganui, was destroyed by fire on Saturday last. Insurances totalled ,£I2OO. The cricket match, Himitangi v. Foxtou, set down for decision at Himitangi to-morrow afternoon, has been postponed until next week.

Mrs Ball, wife of Mr James Ball, carpenter and joiner, died on Friday last. The late Mrs Ball was 63 years of age, and leaves one daughter, the wife of Mr G. H. Hathaway, of the Rangitikei Hotel.

Frederick Dunn, arrested by Detective Quirke at the local racecourse last Saturday, on a charge of obtaining money by false pretences, was remanded to Pahiatua yesterday. He has also been “wanted” on a charge made in ipocS.

An elderly man named Anderson, working on the river boat Speedwell, had the misfortune to be struck by a bale of hemp while loading at Messrs Saunders' mill on Thursday. His injuries will incapacitate him for a few days.

A united service, to be conducted by the ministers of the Presbyterian and Methodist Churches— Revs- Aitken and Mairs—will be held at the Beach on Sunday afternoon next. The service will be conducted in the open air if the weather is suitable, in front of Mr J. Belt’s residence. A good choir will attend, and Sankey’s hymns will be used.

A man, with his wife and two children passed through this district (says the Otaki Mail) on foot last week. He was seeking work, and knew not where to fined it, and they were dependent upon strangers to give them a little food to carry them on. The man was asked how he provided for his wife and children. His reply was that when he got half a day’s work he saw that they got lodgings and food. For himself he did not care ; but he hoped to get a job as he travelled along, and he and his wife could then manage very well, as she was a good cook and needlewoman. Some little excitement seems to have been caused recently by the hanging of one of the public men of Ohakune in effigy. According to a Star correspondent, a milkman going his rounds in the early morning mistook the effigy for the “ real thing,” and gave the alarm. For a time the bustle and excitement of citizens hastening to the spot to “ cut down the body ” was considerable. The correspondent winds up a long account of the matter with the ominous statement: “ Proceedings are likely to follow.”

The abolition of the pigtail and its change of Chinese costume throughout the Empire has been strongly recommended to the Regent by his brother, Prince Tsai Tao, says the Shanghai National Review. The pigtail, it is complained, is not only a mark of humiliation, but “an unmitigated nuisance.” The proposal for its abolition coming from so high a quarter, it is believed that it will meet with “a consideration that may end in acceptance. Our Moutoa correspondent writes :—“I did not know until yesterday of the death of Mr James Norton, a very old and respected pioneer. He was a man of kindly disposition, a friend of all and an enemy of none. In the forties he was in the militia at the Lower Hutt and saw some fighting with the natives, but upwards of 40 years he has lived in his humble home near the Native Church at Moutoa. For a number of years he was roadman on the Foxton-Shanuou road. He died of paraletic stroke on Wednesday, and was buried in the native cemetery, Rev P. J. Mairs conducting the ceremony.” Says the Auckland Observer : “Captain F. de la Cour Cornwall, R.N.R., who commands the s.s. Kaipara, which recently struck in Rangitoto Channel, is a son of the late Captain Cornwall, a retired officer of the Imperial Army, who for many years, and up to the time of his death, farmed a considerable tract of land at Bell Block, Taranaki. This is not the first stroke of bad luck that has befallen the Cornwall family. Another sou was a member of the Torpedo Corps at Wellington, and was very seriously injured in the memorable explosion that took place there some sixteen years ago. Captain Cornwall is a brother-in-law of Colonel R. H. Davies, C. 8., Inspector-General of the New Zealand Forces, who married Miss Eileen Cornwall.