NEWS IN BRIEF.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 3646, 2 June 1927, Page 1

NEWS IN BRIEF.

A fa it'll ful labourer, 88 years old, still starts work every morning at seven o’clock at Ibstock, in Leicestershire. The United States Patent Office ba.s over 1200 employees. Every year over 80,000 applications for patents are received. The war memorial locomotive, Passchendaele, which was used for the Royal train in the South Island during the visit of the Duke of York, lias been taken to Addington workshops for repairs. This locomotive is practically the only one now generally referred to by a name instead of a number. Its actual number is ABGOB. Since the Royal visit Passchendaele has been engaged in express runs. After giving evidence at the Wanganui Magistrate’s Court this week a Chinese with a bland smile was asked if he knew what telling the truth meant. He looked blankly at Counsel and after hesitation replied* in the negative. His 'Worship passed the incident over remarking that the witness was probably more candid than most Englishmen in a similar jiosition would have been. A moderate amount of business is being done at the freezing works in Wanganui. Despite the fact that very few siieep are being killed just now there is still full-time work on cattle, up to 200 a day being disposed of. The season is expected io terminate about the middle of June. “My father and I know everything in the world,” said a small boy to his companion. “All right said the latter, ‘Where’s Asia?’” It was a stiff question, but the little fellow answered coolly, “That is one of the questions my father knows.” When a .Jugo-Slav was sentenced in the Police Court at Auckland the other day on a charge of being an idle and disorderly person, he stood in the dock with hands folded across his chest, and, with tears streaming down his face, commenced singing “The Prisoner’s Song.” Prisoners at the Waihi Police Station are not by any means a rarity, but at the present moment a novel visitor is under the care of the senior sergeant in the shape of a homing pigeon that found its way into the station a few days ago. Attached to one of its legs, was a letter addressed by a man to his wife. The letter is headed “No. 2 Camp,” and apparently it came from the husband, who had in the absence of a mail service conceived this method of keeping in touch with his helpmate. The letter is signed “Hugh,” and stated that this was the eighth pigeon liberated. The letter had caused the leg of the pigeon to swell, thus no doubt hampering it in its flight. On the other leg is a ring with the letteis H.11.C. and the figures 25—26 781. Sergeant McLean would be glad if the owner, or anyone knowing his whereabouts, would communicate with him.