HALCOMBE.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXIII, Issue 9149, 19 May 1908, Page 7

HALCOMBE.

When Messrs Lyuam and Olapham, builders, were driving home from work on Thursday evening, one of the shafts of the gig broke and the horse bolted. An attempt to turn him into lbe ti-tree scrub at the road side resulted in pitching Mr Lynam out. The animal proceeded on its mad gallop and violently deposited Mr Glapham ' chains nearer home. Relieved of its would-be guides the panic stricken gee-gee continued on his <5Wn and eventually succeeded in reducing the vehicle to match wood and freeing itself from the wreck. Both Mr Lynam and Olapham received a severe shaking, the former’s injuries, I regret to say, extend to his lungs. Apart from the nervous shock inseparable from such scares the horse was unhurt. Mrs W. ‘Williams, who had a log broken in a trap accident here some time ago, has had the stiffening (plaster of Paris) removed from the limb and the doctors "pronounce the welding satisfactory. It was with regret I learnt that Miss Eva Staite, grand-daughter of Mr Purkiss, who is a nurse in the Wellington Hospital, is suffering from a nasal affection, which necessitates an operation. Miss Staite has gone to Wellington to see that her sister receivesjproper attention, which. lam informed, is not always the lot of the “Nightingales” of onr institutions when their turn comes to he nursed.

My special South African correspondent has sent me a photo of Dinizulu who is about to be tried for treason, murder, inciting to murder, and a few other things, and whom our Jellicoe was retained to defend, bnt who ran against the authorities over there, and finally “chucked” the job and wiped the S.A. dust from his dancing pumps. A Natal paper publisher has, however, had to pay £SOO for publishing some of the gentle Jellicoe’s libellous letters containing his appreciation of law officers and people he met in that distressful ‘ country. Denny, the Darkie, is not at all a dangerous, murderous or cruel looking man, and the only fear I should feel in his company would be that he might ■accidently sit on me which would mean a pancake for Paradise. All lovers of the grand old game of cricket'will hope that the n. oposed triangular match between 1' -gland, Australia and South' Afrie», will come off. If the latter country can yoke up a few Voglers in its team it will be a big go for supremacy, for I notice that this knight of the willow recently scored 217. runs in two and a half hours. This is electric cricket and the sort upon which big gates are hinged. Nearly every morning for the past two months I have been delighted to hear the musical notes of the Australian magpie. They are inseparable from my youthful bush experiences, when “all life’s prospects pleased” and closely associated with kangaroos and opossums, our selection, the bark-covered cottage, its inmates and many other memories of the long past. These birds I am told, are steadily increasing, and the owner of one homestead I know claims to have six such dignified “dodgers” daily at his kitchen door. These bird pictures in black and white make admirable whistlers and .talkers and they are the very incarnation of mischief. Its not, however, safe to let pet maggies hop around with very small children for the bright eyas of the latter attract their attention and arouse their inherent cariosity and investigation by the aid of their pin-pointed beaks is usually damaging to infant optics. These birds have also a penchant for sampling the “pinks” showing between sox and frocks. A typical sou of this soil. Local parson meets little Johnnie. “Well Johnnie, off to school? How are you getting on?” “Pine, Sir. ’ ‘‘Do you know the seasons yet, Johnnie?” “I think so ; they are—are_are.” “Johnnie, Johnnie, I’m surprised. There’s spring, summer, autumn and winter. Now what season is this?” Johnnie’s face was lit up by a light flashing fifty candle power intelligence as be quickly answered, “The football season. Sir.” After this came the earthquake that is at 7.40 p.m. Sunday. Though not heavy the wait for more to follow was oppressive.