LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 2449, 4 July 1922, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Palmerston North hopes to have its local electric power station and plant installed and in working order in 12 months. There were 111 patients in the Palmerston North Public Hospital at the Ist of June last, while 141 patients were admitted during the month, which makes a total of 252 patients. But of this number, 126 were discharged and 14 died. There were at the end of June 112 persons inmates of the institution. ..

‘Mrs G. McEwan was fined £1 and costs £2 13s at Palmerston yesterday for causing a disturbance at the Terrace End school and threatening a female teacher. Up in Taupo during the tremour period a man was sinking a post hole on level ground. When putting in the post, he let it go down with a good thud. The post disappeared!

It is not often that creditors in a bankrupt estate are gladdened by receiving 20. sin the £. But it is announced (says an exchange) that such has been the’ease in the estate of a Nelson bankrupt. A dance under the auspices of the Tennis Club will be held in the Masonic. Hall to-morrow night. The music and the supper will be everything that is to be desired, so intending patrons may be assured of an enjoyable time. Albany Otto, a single man, aged 32 years, shot himself at his parents’ residence, Musselburgh, Dunedin, yesterday. He was a returned soldier, and had a good war record, lie was seriously wounded and lately had not been in good health. John Joseph Baker, a bankrupt, of Rona Bay, Wellington, told his creditors recently that he had been fairly successful in business, but had been handicapped through his pockets being gone through by his wife and £IOO stolen. The first catc-h of whitebait for the season was made at Waitara ibis week, about three-quarters of a pint being caught (stales au exchange). According to the natives, so early a catch denotes an early -pring. Whitebait has already made its appearance locally and boon netted. <

At Wellington yesterday George Emerson, able seaman, was getting on hoard a vessel by means of a rope ladder, when he slipped off the 'adder. Ii is believed he struck his bead on one of the wooden fenders and fell into the water. Two m ites jumped in. ami rescued him, hut vvhcii medical assistance arrived the man was dead. '

At Palmerston S.M. Court yes’erdnv after hearing evidence for the prosecution in the case in which David Edmund Porter, of Shannon, .vas charged with being drunk while in possession of a motor car, an adjournment was allowed until July 10th, on the application of Mir M. H. Oram, who appeared on behalf of tiie defendant.

The following nominations have been received for seats on the Wanganui Education Board:—Wanganui Urban Area : Messrs J. Aitken and W. A. Grace. Palmerston North Urban Area: Mr IV. R. Bum nio (elected). West Ward: Messrs E. F. Hemingway (sitting member), W. Oldfield. North Ward: Mrs Nellie Dunne, B.A. (elected). South Ward: no nominations received. In connection with the South Ward, it was decided to take a legal opinion a.-i to whether Mr Alf. Fraser could be appointed without calling for fresh nominations. This story from Boston, U.S.A., is hard to believe: William Warner, a bachelor and an American Civil War veteran, who has not slept a wink !'■>!• f>4 years, has died at Pittsburg at ihe age of 82. He rested a I night in a rocking-chair, but never lost consciousness. Doctors and medical scientists have for years carefully watched the case. They came to the conclusion that the man's brain was deranged in an accident in 1878. Warner remained in fair health up to two years ago, when lie lost his sight.

At a certain country town in New Zealand a football match was in progress and it was very keen, while on the side line, holding the coat of one of the players, was a reverend gentleman anxiously watching the ebb and flow of the fortunes of his .side. Looking round he spied a funeral makipg its way along the road, and throwing the coat into the hand of a friend he exclaimed, “Oh goodness, I’ve got to bury that man..’ Racing over the paddock and jumping on his hike the clergyman hurried down a back street and arrived at the cemetery just in time to perform his task. Arriving back at (he football ground later he remarked, “that was a close shave."

The parrot of the Ronn, which remarked, “What do you know about that?” when the vessel struck Flat Rock, is a much-travelled bird of wide experience and linguistic attainments of a superior order (says the Auckland “Herald). ” It. was given to Captain Wallis at San Francisco, eighteen months ago, having been brought from Mexico where, possibly, it had gained an experience which makes the stranding of a steamer a tame affair. Whatever lie the cause, it sometimes soils in a most piteous manner and often calls for “Lorita,” doubtless a charming senorita, who, one hopes, was not as unhappy as the bird would have one believe. Since sailing under the British flag the parrot’s Spanish has become a little rusty, but often it turns out a senfenee in that tongue, and maybe, thinks of revolutions—and Lorita. '