NEAR AND FAR

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 1, Issue 45, 15 October 1931, Page 2

NEAR AND FAR

An incident of early day cricket on the West Coast was reealled at the : annual meeting of the West Coast Association, when Bro. Egbert related, a story of a team travelling to play a Ross combination in 1888 (says the Crey River Argus). He stated that on arrival at Ross a farmer there was asked by the cricketers if they could play in his paddock, and this privilege was granted, on .condition that he would he allowed to play. They put him in first, and put on a fast bowl- • er, and he went out first ball. There was a cry "Yo.u're out." The faijmer asked "Why out. Because I made one miss?" He received an affirmative reply. Then he said "Yes!" You'pe^ out, too! Out of the paddock!" ; « "No Team Spirit. * "We always look with suspicion'on the boy who takes no part in sport. The hoy who stands about the cornejrs of the field by himself ?an have opjy one of two reasons. Either he isi ill or he is unsociable. The unsociahle boy is no good anywhere. He hajs; no team spirit, no school spirit." ' So said Mr. P. G. Jackson, headmaster- . of the Victoria Avenue School, Wanganui, at the presentation of school soecer trophies this week. Very Rare Skin. A man who has been in Southland trapping opossums for some months came in the Christchurch Sun offiee last week with a skin of a white stoat that he had caught. These sxfiall animals are known as the New Zealand ermine, are extremely rare, and are found only in snowy regions. The skin, which had just been eured, Was beautifully soft, an,d measured abbut 15 incjxes by four. The trapper ,set the value of the skin at about £2>

Not a Good Driver. "The average driver is not a good driver," said the Mayor of Wellington, Mr. T. C. A. Hislop, during the City Council's diseqssion on traffic regulations for the new Mount Victoria tunnel. "I have been a, motorist for 25 years, and have driven, on most of the fast tracks in England, so I know what I am talking about." Mr. Hislop went on to say that the average driver just looked out ahead and kept going, but he had little of that ! anticipating sense of what the other fellow might do. Thrift of Hindus. The thrift of the Hindu was illustrated at the Wanganui Police Court recently when an Indian plaintiff stated that he had walked the 20 miles from Kakatahi to Wanganui to save the bus fare. He was allowed his bus fare hy the. magistrate, who commented that he deserved some con- . sideration. It was mentioned laterthat one young Hindu of 19 years of : age who had been working in the district gorse grubbing had saved £200 out of his earnings.

A Deadlocfe. The Dominion Astronomer says that when anything happens to the sun we know nothing about it until it is All over, The Meteorological Department says he should study the weather forecast. — Dominion. - Flexible Glass. Flexible glass that can be rolled up , without damaging it has been invented by two young American scientists. It is predicted that within a few years mirrors for dressing tables, handbags and commereial and seientific uses will be made of this substance, which Can be applied to almost any baeking material.

Jazz Captivates Pekin. Pekin is just beglnning to discover the attractions of jazz. Modern dancing, which long ago ceased to be a novelty in Shanghai, is still a comparatively new thing among the more conservative Northern Chinese, but there is no questioning its popular-ity now that the craze has caught on, says the Daily Express. A year ago the former capitai could hoast hot more than two or three dance halls, and the best of these could offer nothing more ambitious than a phonograph in the way of music. To-day there are nearly a score of Chinese hotels and restanrants which provide dancing facilities for their patrons. So keen is the demand for partners that several dance halls have fouind it expedient to give a few warning taps on the drum before the orchestra strikes up. At this signal those who aspire to dance race across the floor to secure a partner, unsuccessful competitors retiring gracefully from the scene before the music commences.

A White Dog. The biographers have been a little too anxious to prove that the great are also the good, with the result that the subjects all have that unnatural look that a white dog has for the first hour after it has been washed.- — Miss Rebecca West. Deceitful September. That the month of September is a false pretence is the first conviction of Mr. Ken Alexander, writing in the "New Zealand Railways Magazine." Far from being spring, September is "an imposter of the first water — or the early rains. . . It seldom has the spring goods in stock when the customer calls its bluff. . . It is winter in a straw hat. A month that can associate with influenza should be called Fluetember, Septuenza or Influember."

Wrestlers Perturbed. A well known wrestler who is proud to claim Wanganui as his home town had an unusual experience near Wellington last week during his training operations, Accompanied by his adviser-manager, he was crossing a paddock while doing some hill-climb-ihg. Attracted by the red sweater worn by the Wanganui man, a Jersey hull chased the pair, who took refuge in a tree, There they remained perehed for two hours, unable to leave heeause the bull refused to leave. Finally the farmer drove the animal off, thus releasing the perturbed wrestlers from their uncomfortable perch.