Manawatu Herald TUESDAY, JANUARY 11, 1927. LOCAL AND GENERAL

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 3585, 11 January 1927, Page 2

Manawatu Herald TUESDAY, JANUARY 11, 1927. LOCAL AND GENERAL

The building industry in Christ - church made steady progress during the past year. At no - time was there a rush of work, but first-class tradesmen were kept regularly employed. Compared with 1025 there was an increase of .€1(15,210 in the value of building construction authorised, and this increase was distributed fairly evenly over all elasses of buildings. Increases were recorded in every subdivision ot the city. The greatest improvement being in the inner area, where several important structures were put in hand. A satisfactory feature was the large number of dwellings erected. Of 1305 permits issued by the council 725 were for new buildings. There is a romantic story of the first Bible (dated 1003) printed on American soil. It is not in English, although it was the work of an Englishman, John Eliot, a graduate of Cambridge. Eliot went to America in 1031, and devoted bis life to work among the Massachusetts Indians. To meet them on their own ground, he not only learnt their language, but, with immense labour—many of the words contain 30 or more letters—reduced it to writing, and translated the Bible for them. He achieved the success his zeal deserved, but with the coming of the white men in ever greater numbers, the tribe decayed and finally died about 1860, leaving not even a tradition of their language. The only memorial of this vanished race is Eliot’s Bible in a tongue which to-day no living soul can understand.

Il is probable that prosecutions for alleged Sunday trading at the seaside will be heard at the next sitting of the local S.M. Court. The funeral of the late Mrs D. McEwen, took place yesterday afternoon at Palmerston North, the interment taking plate at Terrace End. Messrs H. Hornblow, (stationmaster), and Brooks (maintenance staff) represented the local railway sendee. The casket was covered with floral tributes. The ceremony at the graveside was conducted by the minister of the Pres.by tori an Church of which deceased was a devoted member. A lively ten minutes was spent by Constable J. O’Donohuc last Tuesday evening when lie surprised a midnight visitor to the premises of Mi. C. S. Knight, a draper, of Eltham Road, Kapongn, (states an exchange). The constable had reason to suspect that a burglarous attempt on one of the shops would be made some time during the holiday season, and had kept a careful watch each evening. On the night in question his attention was attracted by a noise at the rear of Mr. Knight’s shop. It was only 11.45 p.m., and the constable did not: think a serious attempt would be made so early. He was therefore hardly prepared for the. shadowy ilash made beneath the building by the would-be burglar, but joined in the hunt with a vigour that surprised the escapee. In the gloom of the house piles and amid the strategic advantages of the water drains, (lie person managed to effeet anescape after twice being nearly caught. Numerous public bequests are included in the will of the late Sir John Ross, various institutions connected with the Presbyterian Church 'll ene ti ting considerably 1 . The beneficiaries under the will are as follows, ea'ch being an annual bequest for the tenure of twelve years. —Foreign Missions Fund (Presbyterian Church), £100; Widows and Orphans’ Fund (Presbyterian Church), £100; Aged and Infirm Ministers’ Fund (Presbyterian Church), £100; Home Mission Fund (Presbyterian Church), £100; Presbyterian Social Service Association, £100; Salvation Army (Dunedin), £100; University of

Otago (for commercial educationa purposes), £100; Patients and Prisoners’ Aid Society, £100; Y.M.C.A. £25; Dunedin City Mission, £25. Ii

addition to these £SOO annually has been bequeathed to Knox College under a certain specified condition for a period of twelve years. The public bequests total a sum of £16,000 spread over twelve years.