NEWS AND NOTES.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 3730, 15 December 1927, Page 4

NEWS AND NOTES.

A youth named Charles Parfiti met with a painful isjury to his right hand at a concert in the Masonic Hall last evening. He was engaged in opening some -windows, when one he had just raised crashed down on his hand, badly crushing the fingers. Several large eels. have been caught in Wairarapa rivers since the institution of a competition by the Masterton sub-committee of the Acclimatisation Society for the heaviest eel secured during the present fishing season. The heaviest specimen so far is one of 25:j lbs., from the Kopuaranga River, while another of 20|lbs. has also come from that stream. The Waipoua River has yielded an eel weighing 22 Jlbs. “Don’t be surprised to see them return home with their colours lowered,” says Major A. Mosdsley, of South Africa, in a letter to Mr. Bert Fry, of Wtanganui, regarding the prospects of the All OBlack football team on its tour of South Africa next year. “We are looking forward to the visit,” says the writer. “We get news occasionally of the doings of your men. No doubt you will send your best, and they will have to be top-notchers, as they will have a hard time with our young Dutchmen. They wall not have the soft thing they had with the British. Don’t be surprised to see them return home with their colours lowered.;’ A resident of Timaru who had possessed, for a good many years, a picture of whirh the owner was not greatly enamoured was persuaded by a friend to sesd it to Christie’s (London) for sale. The owner did this and (says the Timaru Herald) he had the pleasure of receiving in return a cheque for £SOOO, the picture having proved to be a genuine Rembrandt. Another resident of Timaru, in the hope of meeting similar good fortune, also sent a picture of considerable age and merit to Christie’s for sale, but in this ease, instead of a cheque for a substantial amount being received, the owner received a debit note for costs incurred in connection with the sale. A celebrated Welsh basso profundo named Ap-Something-or-other had returned to give a charity concert in his native village in the wilds of Cardiganshire. The famous virtuoso was billed to sing “The Village Blacksmith” by special request. Just before the concert a local supporter came round to the artist’s dressing room. A mighty man was he, with broad and sinewy hands, and the muscles of his brawny arms were strong as iron bands. The visitor approached the great artist and said: “I understand that you are goin’ to sing a song called ‘The Village Blacksmith.’ Well, I’m telling you now that I am the village blacksmith, and I want to say that if, by any chance, you get an encore, will you shove in an extra verse to say that I also let out bikes on ’ire at sixpence an hour?” The question of the most fitting manner in which to acknowledge the resignations of two lady teachers who were leaving to get married exercised the ingenuity of the Auckland Grammar School Board. It was felt that the usual formula of “with regrets” was hardly appropriate and might he misunderstood. “With regrets and congratulations” was the next suggestion, but the board finally decided upon “with the best wishes of the board. Monday.—While watching the workmen engaged in Piccadilly, a Scotsman named Haggis McCohen, engaged in the steamroller trade, accidentally dropped a sixpenny piece in one of the trenches. Workmen were hurried to the scene with picks and shovels and up to a late hour the search was going on. Friday: All hope abandoned. Mr. Haggis McCohen passed a restless night. At a Taranaki school recently, reports the Opunake Times, the pupils “put one over” on their teacher. He had received a present from them as a mark of gratitude for his work in preparing them for an examination. He thanked them, and was leaving the room, when a bo> called out, “One minute, please,, and the boy immediately handed him a marking pencil. The other boys, one after the other, then did the same. The humour of the position will be seen when it is stated that the teacher frequently borrowed pencils and forgot to return them. No one appreciated the joke more than he.