Manawatu Herald. TUESDAY, JANUARY 6, 1925. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVII, Issue 2830, 6 January 1925, Page 2

Manawatu Herald. TUESDAY, JANUARY 6, 1925. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

There was a large influx of visi tors at the seaside on Sunday.

Mr P. Coleman’s living machine, which met with a mishap during a (light at the local seaside on New Year’s Day was lowed to Palmerston N. on Sunday.

The Sudan Government is signing an agreement, with a. British group to build a nine-span steel bridge 1,150 yards long, over the White Nile, connecting Khartoum with' Omdurman, and costing between £250,000 and £300,000. Rat week in England, which took place last; month, was I lie biggest and most successful effort yet made. It is calculated that 35 million baits were laid, and that 70 per cent of them proved effective. The bait generally employed was red squill, which lias the peculiar property of being very toxic lo rats, but harmless to domestic animals.

Newspapers in the Dutch East Indies report that strange creatures, half man and half animal, are being seen by the natives of the Poulou Islands. Some authorities believe that they may be the “missing link” as they consider them |o be Ihe lowest form of human life, while others declare that they are not men, but a speeies of rare monkeys. Ail expedition has been sent to investigate.

A local correspondent writes : “Three years ago my wife had three losses on the one day. broke her false teeth and lost a brooch and ring. She attributed (lie ill luck to coining home on a Friday. The brooch was subsequently found and the plate mended, but. alas, the ring laid gone. On New Year’s Day, how ever, we met a while horse. and wishing good luck, crossed our boots. On digging potatoes subsequently, I turned up I lie long lost ring!” A resident of Te Aroha, Mr H. L. Murray, has invented a novel kind of conveyance—a yacht that will travel on -bicycle wheels and carry 120 feet of sail. The yacht is exceptionally light in build, and is constructed with full regard to strength. The steering gear is similar to (hat of a motor car. The vessel is well sprung, assuring comfort. She is rigged like an ordinary yacht. There is seating accommodation for four adults or six children. Successful trials have been held. The ‘yacht’ will be used on Wailii beach.

A meeting of Moutoa settlers was held last night and a resolution was carried urging the postal department to maintain a daily mail service.

Emir hundred and eighty motor cars were registered in Palmerston N. for last year. Three hundred and eighty seven were for private use, 1-1 for public conveyan/e, and 82 for trade purposes, the figures for 1923. being 244 for private use and 57 for commercial purposes.

Mr R. Summers, fhe milkman who disappeared from liis residence m Palmerston N. on Thursday afternoon and who was found in Wanganui on Saturday, was motored through lo his home by his brother-in-law on Saturday evening. Mr Summers is suffering from*the effects of a war injury, and will enter hospital for treatment at an early date.

As the result of a raid by Detectives Nutlal, Hunt, and Paddington on the tobacconist's shop of Edgar Prior, in Main Road, Lower TTi’tt, the. owner of the premises appeared before Mr. C. R. Orr Walker, SAL, in the Magistrate’s Court Wellington yesterday on a charge of' having used the shop as a common gaming house. Accused was remanded on hail of £1(10.

At a recent auction sale in London there was sold for seven guineas an "absolutely unique Elizabethan drunkard’s cloak, in which drunkards were placed and paraded through the streets. The drunkard’s cloak was essentially a North-Co-untry punishment for drunkenness, and was indicted by magistrates during the Commonwealth. The article is thus described in the History of Intemperance: “The barrel had one head out.and a hole through one other, through which the offender was made to put his head; while his hands were drawn through two small holes, one on each side. With this lie was compelled lo inarch along I lie public s| reels. ’’

A Waitaki resident on the rural delivery postal route was advised by the mail carrier last week to attend his jlost box to sign for a “value letter.” With anticipatory visions of something seasonable in store, the addressee duly trudged through a glorious Monday morning’s shower and in overcoat and umbrella did sentry duly at his post box. After half an hour’s fruitless watch he returned lo headquarters, and was relieved by sentry No. 2, who arrived at the box on his push bike just in time to sign for a formidable looking registered P.O. missive, which, on being opened, was found to contain an official document, together with a whole silver sixpence honourably refunded by the money department of the Post, Office, which laid at some previous period inadvertently made an overcharge to that amount. The sentries have duly celebrated

An Auckland resident, Mr E. Ashby. at present in Vancouver, was amazed to read in a newspaper last mouth that “recently, in New Zealand, it was the custom for a wife to strangle herself when her husband died.” The article, which appeared in the editorial column of the Vancouver Sun, was entitled “Suicide in Selfishness.” It referred to the case of a woman who hanged her two children and then herself, and proceeding, mentioned that in a certain period in Egypt it was customary to bury a child alive with a dead parent. Similar barbaric customs of various peoples were touched upon, the reference to New Zealand preceding one to the Hindoo custom of suttee. Among the Maoris before civilisation, if was the custom for the wife or wives of a dead warrior to sacrifice their lives, but the 1 use of the word “recently” would appear to indicate that'even in Vancouver a very hazy idea exists about the modern Maori.

A hiccough epidemic was lately reported from Australia, where some distressing symptoms were the resell. It was hoped that the complaint would not reach these shores but during the Christmas season a very had case developed ill Auckland, the unfortunate sufferer having to take to his hod, and having {<■ endure an amount of inconvenience which is almost inconceivable. The cause of the ailment seems to be in the nerves and in the case under mil ice it is thought that spinal treatment may lead to a cure. .Perfect quietness seems to be essential because any effort to carry on a ini versa (ion causes a recurrence of the trouble. Hiccoughing goes on incessantly and there is no chance of sleep and no chance of real rest. Drinking hot water causes temporary relief, and it is hoped that in due course the distressing complain* may run its course.

Sherlock Holmes, (lie famous tleleclive of' fief ion, smoked strong - , block shag tobacco, and derived inspiration tVoin it. when puzzling oversome problem of more than ordinary complexify. Shag is too full-flav-oured for many smokers. It contains a 10l of nicotine, and excess of nicotine is a had thing. The habitual use of such tobacco is bound sooner or later to affect the consumer injuriously. Unfortunately practically all imported tobaccos are heavily charged with nicotine. And in that respect they dffer essentally from our Mew Zealand grown tobaccos, the eomparatvely small amount of nicotine which constitutes one of their chief recommendations. Also—and .this is important—they are all toasted, and toasting brings out the flavour of the leaf in a most remarkable way. There are several brands of this popular tobacco. Riveiihead Gold mild, Navy Cut (Bulldog label) medium and Cut Plug No. 10 (Bull’s Head) full strength. Each of them has its merits. That seasoned smoker, Hherloqjt Holmes, would doubtlessly prefer the last named. 18

Mr and Mrs Guy Tliynne, of Taumarunui, have been spending the holidays with Mrs Tliynne senr., and at the' seaside. Mr and Mrs Tliynne return by motor on Thursday. A local bee fanner, who makes a study of fhe moon’s phases as concerning weather conditions, informs us fhal during the next three weeks wo will experience changeable and overcast weather conditions.

During (he month of December there were five petitions in bankinpey filed with the Deputy Official Assignee (Mr C. E. Dernpsy) as compared with four for the corresponding month of last year. The year’s figures were not available mi Saturday.

Robert Shutfleworth, aged 73, a retired farmer, of Ngaere, and a resident, of . the Eltliam district for -!0 years, died suddenly at his homo on Saturday. He had intended going into town, hut, feeling unwell, decided to l'est before motoring in. His wife found him dead in bed. Ho had not been in good health for many years.