Manawatu Herald TUESDAY, DECEMBER 16, 1924. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 2824, 16 December 1924, Page 2

Manawatu Herald TUESDAY, DECEMBER 16, 1924. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

A skeleton was found on the sandhills near the VYaitohu river, Otaki, on Wednesday, by Mr R. Penman, and the find reported to Constable Sathefley, who collected the bones and brought them to the police station. They appear to be those of a small-sized Maori, and, no doubt: have been buried for years past. An orphan girl, Miss Gwendoline Bailey, who had recently been engaged as a waitress at one of the large seaside boarding stabiislunents at St. Kilda, Melbourne, lias unexpectedly come into possession of a fortune of £15,700. No rfiie was more surprised than she to hear of such a legacy from a grand uncle who had carried on business as a wholesale draper in Liverpool, England, and whom she liqd never met. ’

It is reported from Blenheim that a party fishing off the mouth of the Awalere. on Sunday, booked a large groper, and on opening it up discovered in its interior a yellow 5/- ticket entitling the holder to admission to a dance at Hamilton. The date on which the dance was held had been obliterated. The groper is a deep-water fish, and it seems probable that it had swallowed some surface-swimming list which had previously snapped up the ticket.

A peculiar coincidence that, perhaps, may tend to make us think that there really is something' in dreams after all, is related by a local resident. Last Wednesday night his wife dreamt that a well-known local man, and by no. means a fisherman, presented to her a basket of live flounders and so real was the dream that she fancied she saw the fish jumping out of the basket. She related the dream to her husband the following morning. That night she was somewhat surprised when .the dtutor referred to in Ihe dream brought round a basket of flounders,, freshly caught and Happing about in the basket.

Messrs Goldingham and Beckett Ltd. will celebrate the opening ol their new concrete benzine store at. Enxton with a dinner, which will take place in the Town Hall supper loom at 1 pun. to-morrow.

Parents and the public arc invited to be present at the local State School to-nnA'row afternoon at 2.30 o’clock when the distribution of prizes will take place and Father Christmas will distribute toys to the little ones from a well laden Christmas tree. ;

Speaking at the Eire Brigade social on Friday evening last, Mr F.. C. Cray, chairman of the Fire Board complimented Mr Perreau upon the well-appointed roymis in which the function was held. He said he did not expect to find such up-to-date premises in a town the size of Foxton.

The auction sale of the stock and plant purchased from the Fox ton Motor and Engineering Co. in liquidation, took place yesterday afternoon at the garage. Nearly the whole outfit went under the hammer. Most of the plant and fittings were purchased on behalf of Messrs Pearson and Head, who are commencing business on the premises forthwith.

It is the intention of the local volunteer Eire Brigade to hold a carnival at an early date to provide funds for a piano in the social hall at the fire station and to pay the expenses of a team to compete at the annual Eire Brigade competitions. The chairman of the Fire Board said provision would be, made in next year’s estimates to make the social hall more comfortable and he hoped the brigade would then be able to entertain their lady friends at social or card parties.

The champion mean man will have to look to his laurels again, says a Napier paper, for some person in Waipukurau is after the crown. Owing to the recent hot weather the men engaged on the sewerage construction work at Waipukurau have had frequent occasion to take a drink of water, a kerosene tin full being kept handy. Going into, one place to replenish the tin they were astounded to meet with a refusal. the reason being given that the water went through a meter and cost money! The price of water is 1/3 per 1.000 gallons. Thieves are again active in the Ponsonby district. One household had an unwelcome surprise awaiting them one morning recently. All arrangements had been made for a party, one of the 'family having come of age, and the “fatted calf” had been killed regardless of cost. The pantry cupboard which bad a Imizc net for a back, was tilled with good things—an iced cake, jam tarts, cakes, pickles, ham, and other comestibles usually associated with a “spread” of regal proportions —and this fact apparently became known to someone whose conscience was outweighed by his appetite. At all events, the family awoke in the morning to find that the cupboard was hare. The baize back had been deftly removed hv means of a pair of snippers and nothing was left save the white paper coverings on the shelf.

The Rev. G. K. and Mrs Aitken spent the week-end at Eoxton prior lo leaving for Kaiapoi. to which charge of the Presbyterian Church Mr Aitken has been called. On Sunday the rev. gentleman occupied the pulpit in his (ild charge and preached to good congregations. Prior to the sermon at the evening service, the Rev. Frank McDonald accorded a warm welcome to Mr and Mrs •Aitken and expressed the pleasure of the congregation at once again meeting and hearing their beloved ex-pastor. Mr McDonald referred to the good work done by Mr Aitken in the Foxlon charge during his pastorship and conveyed to him the congregation's best wishes and pravers for useful service in the charge to which he had been called. Mr Aitken preached a most eloquent sermon on Paul’s address to the Athenians and to their erection of an altar to the “Unknown God.”

An example of the manner in which money circulates was seen outside the Municipal Theatre during the progress of the wool sales, says the “Hawke’s Bay Herald.” Motor agents with various brands of cars mingled with the farmers and endeavoured to attract their attention towards some vehicle as the fortunate vendors of the golden fleece came out of the building. Needless to say, those interested in motor cars at once consented to view them, and many were persuaded into buying a new one or giving the old model in part exchange. The; car agents reported quite good business after the sale and many expressed the hope that further sales would eventuate during the next few weeks, when sheep owners knew exactly how they stood in finance after the receipt of the wool cheques. After the motor car agents, the insurance companie-S&were well represented. agents doing their best to obtain insurances on the new cars or the old ones which were unins lived. Thus it is seen that the profits derived from the wool pass into other hands in a very short time, and in the case of motor-ears most of it reaches the United States.