LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXII, Issue 17, 3 January 1912, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Air J. W. Simmons, who for five and a half years Inis successfully carried on a dining room and catering ousiuoss in Broadway, lias denied to •elire from the same, owing to health •n a sons, and closed down on January

Embedded in the heart of a plank of wood taken from a railway station platform at Oakley, Eifeshire, there has been found a sword measuring, over two feet long. '1 lie plank had been in use for at least hi teen years. 1 he weapon, which was of .an old-1 asliioned type, a short cross-piece forming the handle, was in good preservation, and, it is believed, had been picked up by the tree at an early period of its existence, and encircled with the growth. In a remarkable book, recently published in London, Dr. Nansen, the great Arctic explorer, tells a romantic story of exploration in the North in the early ages of mankind. Astonishing conclusions arc quietly recorded on these pages. He establishes the discovery of America by Norwegian rovers 6UU years before the voyage of Columbus. He tells thrilling tales of Pioneer wanderings to Greenland, Newfoundland, and Labrador. The most varied customs confirm his researches.

The friends of Mr Henry Dickinson, of Fenton Street, Stratford, will lasorry to learn that he lias just received from the Acting Divisional Superintendent of the South African railways, news of the death of Ins son, which occurred during shunting operations at Ladysmith on November 21th. This official, in conveying ihe sad intelligence speaks very highly of Mr Dickinson’s son who was only in his twenty-first year, and had been about twelve months in the Smith African railway service. One of deceased’s brothers is in the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile’s local branch, and his sister is in Mr W. G. Malone’s office.

“Carrie,” aged 100, the hostknown elephant in America, who has outlived most of her proprietors, died yesterday (says the New York correspondent of the “Daily r Jcle-' graph” on November 9th), from acute gastritis. She achieved international Fame as Jumbo’s consort, and since the death .of the famous English exile, has never completely recovered he' cheerfulness. Carrie was almost as gigantic as Jumbo, and .while in Barnum’s caravan they Doth travelled together, dividing the spoils given to them, and day and night wore almost inseparable. In death Jumbo and Carrie will again be united, because the latter’s remains have been acquired by the American Museum cf Natural history, and within a few weeks will be mounted on a platform beside those of her old partner. Carrie performed last night at the New York Hippodrome as usual, then rolled over on her side and died.

An “old timer” oil the Otago goldfields relates the following incident illustrative of the risk of relying on circumstantial evidence. Many years ago, at Tuapeka, Otago, a storekeeper known as “Yorky” was murdered, and a man named Job Johnson was arrested by the Dunedin police and charged with the crime. He was identified by several witnesses, and the man’s chance of being sentenced seemed to be a certainty. Some of the accused’s acquaintances were in a position to prove that Johnson was 70 miles away on the night the murder was committed, lint the accused man was unaware of their whereabouts nor did he know their surnames, and it-was only' at the last moment that the'police discovered them; They ht once 'proceeded to Dunedin, and in consequence of 'their evidence Johnson: was acquitted. - hi the meantime the murderer who had secured a considerable quantity of gold, got clear away, and was never discovered.

.The enterprising proprietors of the Wanganui Diver service have laid, their plans for this tourist season to cater for both classes of sightseers, those that are in a hurry (sort of aeroplaning. through , the country) and those that prefer to take their outing iii a reasonable, leisutely. and rational manner. The aeropfaners leave* Taumarunui on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays at 6.45 a.in., running right through to Bipiriki; next morning'starting at 6 o’clock, connecting with the midday express at Wanganui for Wellington or for junetioning the same day with the Auckland-bound express at Marton Junction. The take-it-casy non-aeroplaners leave Taumarunui on Wednesdays and Fridays at 9 a.in., proceed to houseboat, stay and rest overnight, and then on to Wanganui to connect with express trains the following day. Many have already taken advantage of the new innovation, which is a more delightful trip than that of the hitherto over-hurried one, entailing early rising.

A Dunedin invention of groat promise lias apparently solved the problem which has exercised many intelligences—namely, the automatic annunciation of the stopping places of passenger conveyances (says the Dunedin “Star”). "An indicator is placed inside and above the door of a tramcar. When the car starts the motorman presses an electric button, and this simple action sets the machinery of the invention working, so that without any further action on the motorman’s part the indicator reveals to the passengers the names of the successive streets the car is approaching. It is easy to understand what a boon this instrument would lie on any car. Upon a dark night people are commonly unable to keep abreast of the. exact location of the car they are travelling upon, and may easily lie carried past their destination. No person could suffer that annoying experience with an indicator of this pattern in the car, for he it marked that the invention not only shows the name of the street being approached, but it also draws the attention of passengers by the sound of a hell as each change appears. The instrument can bo adapted for use on the railways, for use as a, telephone list indicator, and for use as a railwav time-table indicator.

Some months ago it was decided hv tho McGowen Ministry to .dispossess the Governor-General of Government Mouse, and turn the budding and ground into a National Museum of Arts and park respectively. The running of Government House was said, cost £7500 annuaOy, while tho Gov-ernor-General only resided in it for a short time each year 'the matter was discussed in the State Parliament early in Juno last, when Mr. Wade, Leader of the Opposjton, made a vigorous protest against tho proposal. Ho contended that there had been a definite arrangement that when the federal Parliament was not sitting the Governor-General should reside in Sydney, and that only the strongest reasons could justify tho Government in breaking the agreement. The step proposed. would not only he abroach of faith with tho Commonwealth, but also with the Imperial authorities. Subsequently Mr." Hughes, Federal Attorney-General, declared that unless it was possible that a house suitable for the Governor-General could be got in Sydney, he (the Governor-Gen-eral) could not go there. Meetings of protest against the proposal were* held in Sydney. An official return prepared in Melbourne showed that (luring Lord Dudley’s term of office up to July, 1911, the Governor-General‘had been in residence in Sydney for 'll .veeks and in Melbourne for JO weeks.

On Monday afternoon Miss Maude McKeown, third daughter of Mr. T. Melveown, of Stratford, was married to Mr. Edmond Ansell Drake. The

ceremony was performed in the Primitive. Methodist Church, the Rev. 13. Metson being the officiating clergyman. .Miss Drake, sister of the bridegroom, was bridesmaid, and Mr. Allied Drake was best man. Mr. and Mrs. Drake left for New Plymouth by the evening train, cn route for Auckland, where the honeymoon is to bo spent.

The up-to-date hairdresser in Now Zealand will presently be trying the effect f covering up her cars with a coiled plait, according to our latest London letter. To ach.'cv'- this there is no need to part the hair in a straight lino from the forehead to the nape of the neck, as is so often done. It has been found possible, when hair is in considerable quantity, to arrange it in a big bun coil at the back of the neck and to leave enough at the sides to arrange in pretty waves before the ends are plaited to cover tip the cars. There -corns to he a determination to hide the eats, for, should plaited coils lie' objected to there is an arrangement that can le managed with clusters of very natur-al-looking pendant curls, which play about the sides of the head and droop rvet the ears. These •nodes of hairdressing are chosen -n association with the evening cap, for if Lie hair is all gathered up underneath this cap it might as well be back in the barber’s shop; the remedy is to arrange the hair somehow outside the confines of the cap, and this can only be done low on the neck and at each side of the face.