Untitled

Shannon News, 28 September 1923, Page 2

Memories of the exploits of the famous Middlesex Regiment during the Maori war are revived by the distribution in New Zealand of. eight Old Comrades’ badges, which were forwarded from England recently to Sergeant E. Bezar, of Wellington. One of the eight surviving “Dic-llards” in New Zealand is Mr. John Fitzgerald, of Palmerston North, who has received his badge. Sergeant Bezar, who is 86 years of age, has undertaken the task of locating" the little band of survivors. The names of those he recollected in addition to Mr. Fitzgerald were: W. B. Hinton, P. Loftus,- and James Rhodes. The Middlesex Regiment, known as the “Dio-llards,” achieved a remarkable record during the late war. - It lost 12,694 men killed and wounded, and in one day one man killed toil Germans and wounded forty. So impressed were the’' Germans with the achievement that they erected a monument to him on the site of his exploit. Among the numerous alleged “systems” of backing horses, mat of being guided by omens or coincidences is quite a common one. Sometimes these come off; sometimes they do not. good deal of laughter was caused at the Wanganui Fire Brigade’s smoke concert, last week (says the “Herald”) by one speaker who related a recent experience of this kind. When at the races recently, he was spoken to by Superintendent Williams, who asked him to propose the toast of the Fire Brigade. On opening his race book for the purpose of picking the winner of the next race his attention was at once rive (ted by the fact that one or the horses in it was named “Fire Brigade,” and that the owner's name was Williams. “It- was not the superintendent’s horse,” he added, amid laughter, “but I was so struck by the coincidence that I thought it. good enough to put a pound on. I did so, and Fire Brigade —ran last all the_ Way.” f A Southern syndicate, which has secured the rights over 32 miles of the Upper Glutha River (the Kawarau branch) in Otago, has formulated a hig engineering scheme whereby it hopes to protect the lands contiguous to the rivet’ from flooding, and at the same time to recoup itself by securing the gold-laden deposits of the river bed. An engineer of repute in Wellington who has recently visited Otago and gone, into the question is convinced that the scheme is possible. Archdeacon York and Mr F. E. Fairweather, who have just returned to Blenheim from a trip to the- South Sea Islands, were privileged to take part in the consecration ceremony at the opening of o. new Masonic TemDie at Apia, Samoa. The ceremony of consecration ! arul the installation of the first. AVorshipful Master of Lodge Calliope No. 252 of the New Zealand Constitution, was performed by Most Worshipful, Acting-Grand . Master Don gal I, of Christchurch, assisted by members of Grand Lodge and brethren.