LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXIV, Issue 95, 17 December 1912, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Appendicitis is prevalent in the district, it is understood, the local hospital having at least three cases undo) treatment just now. “My husband is a mental division,’' said a woman witness at the Westminister Court. The clerk presumes that she intended to say “mentall? deficient.”

The mystery of the sausage is to be increased. An enterprising Swede hat taken out a patent for an artificial sausage skin. Large quantities of clogs are (says a London correspondent) being sent from Walkdcn, Lancashire, to New Zealand and Australia for the use ol north country colliers who have settlec there.

At a wedding that took place recently at Colombo, Ceylon, the bridegroom dressed up as a bride, and the Jattei as the former, and the ceremony was .gone through without the two people concerned being identified. Then friends are now questioning the valid ity of such a marriage. The Gazette notifies that the diseaseknown as “filariasis of dogs” (a skin disease), to which dogs are subject, has been brought under the regulations of the Stock Act. This meant that all dogs having skin diseases must be brought to the Government veterinarian for inspection.

The Hawke’s Lay Tribune state that in a long list of achievements o Old Boys of the Napier High Selim read out at a meeting by the heat, master, there was no mention of tlu lad Allan Berry, who, with only i few pounds in ins pocket, fought hi; way Home in the stokehole of a lino, to study medicine. Not only did lu work his passage Home, but he worker when he got there, passed his preliminary, and is now admitted to Guy’t Hospital.

To have driven a motor car -‘lff miles in a trifle over three hours and ; half is an achievement that stanch to the credit of one man in the world That man is Mr C. M. Smith, who i: now in Auckland. His name stands ii official files as having in 1909 broken a series of records on the BrooklaucL racing track for distances of SQ, ,JQO’ ; 150, 200, and .‘IOO miles, and for the time of one, two, and three hours. On ly one of the records has since beei broken, the time having been reducer from 32min ulsec to 30min. There n no opening for high-speed racing ii New Zealand, but Mr Smith is contem plating an attempt to set up a stan dard fast run from Auckland to Wei lington shortly. A Belvedere settler had an experi once with bees which he is likely to remember for some time (says the Age) On Sunday morning last he was lyin' in bed, arid heard a continuous buzz ing, and went out to investigate. Hi found a swarm of bees had cnterec his house under the eaves, and wen busily engaged in building comb ant establishing a home between the wal and the lining. To get them out i was necessary to remove sever a, boards from the side of the house Although the bees had only been ii the house for a few days at most, i was surprising (says the News) tin amount of honey and comb that hat accumulated.

With a view to encouraging skim milk pasteurisation, the Agricultura Department purchased at the begin iiing of this season, a regenerate heater, which had been put on Hu market, and, with the permission ol the directors of the Ballanco Dain Company, installed it at their Scarborough creamery, where it has been under direct control until the 31st March last. While this heater was found to have a good deal of mcr I (States the Wairarapa Age), the experience with it proved that ccrtau changes in its construction are necessary before it can be expected to di the' best work, and these are now receiving the attention of the make)B.

Don’t Avorry about the 1913 avoo! (says tlio American Sheep Breeder). .Australia wil l>o short from 200,00 C to 300,000 bales. Just think of it gentlemen, Avhat a decrease that mean: —anywhere around 100 million pounds! Millions of grown sheep and lambs perished in the great drought, and o necessity much of the next wool clip will be short and of poor quality. Besides this, don’t expect any materia! increase in the South American clip Sum up the situation any way you like we are bound *to have a big shortage in the world’s clip next year, and evei if avo do have a Democratic President and they commence to tinker ivitlj the tariff, it can’t materially affect the spring clip in America.

The memorial to Captain Cook, at Ship Cove, Queen Charlotte Sound, consists of a concrete pyramid, with four marble tablets suitably insci i ied. One of the tablets w II bear an inscription in Maori, the translation being as folloAvs: “Welcome, O visitor from beyond the horizon. My child brought you from the very border o' the sky. and drew you hither. Melcome, Welcome!” Another tablet will bear the date on Avhich the memorial was completed, and the inscription (in English, of course) on the two remaining tablets Avill read as folloiys; “To this cove Captain Cook made five visits while navigating the globe. On ibis beach be erected tents lor his invalided sailors, and from this stream he Avatered his vessels.” “Cook s visits. On board the Endeavour, loth January to 6th February, 1//0. On board the Resolution, 18th May Tib June, 1773; 3rd November to 25th Xovember, 1773; 18th October to 10th Xovember, 177-1; 12th February to 25th February, 1777,”

The excuse given by a Territorial who came up before the Balclutha Court last we ek was that he had “sore feet” and consequently he objected to being “bustled out”! The following notice appears in the window of a little shop in a hy-street of one of the London suburbs: Notice. Owing to an Act passed by a brigade of lunatics at Westminster we are compelled to close tins little skoQMit 1 p.m. on Wednesdays. Among the list of passengers for New Zealand by the Mahva cabled from Melbourne was the name of Colonel Robin. The officer in question is not Colonel A- W. Bohn, C. 8., of the New Zealand Defence Force, who is still attached to the Colonial Department of the War Office, London. A man named Chatty, who was charged at Westminster Police Court with being drunk and disorderly, wap 'ound to be deaf and dumb, unable to read or write, and to have no knowledge of the mute alphabet. The wonder is how this “Chatty” individual managed to become disorderly.

Of the 31 applicants for the. position of headmaster of the Napier Boys’ High School, no fewer than twenty were M.A.’s, and in all cases the degrees were of a high standard. With one exception, those seeking the position were under 50 years, and in 17 instances they were either in their thirties or below. The youngest was 26, and the eldest 58.

They have some hard cases up Eltham way, if local reports go for anything (says the Hawera Star). Some contractors’ hands went into town the other evening and “celebrated” in royal fashion. They were returning home over the bridge, and noticing some tar barrels at the Eltham County Council’s yard, promptly “tapped” one of them. We have heard of deadheats taking on methylated spirits, and even kerosene, but tar is about the limit.

“It .seems very hard if a man has orders to fulfil, and his employees are willing to work longer hours for extra pay, that they cannot do so, but the lav must be maintained,” said Mr C. C. Kettle, S.M., during the hearing of an alleged breach of an industrial award at the Auckland Magistrate’s Court. “If the law is bad,” added the Magistrate, “it should be amended, but a man must not defy it.”

The proprietors of a moving picture (concern in Chicago, according to a cable message in a Sydney paper, agreed to pay Jack Johnson £IO9O for the right to make a film depicting the ceremony with the girl Lucille ((whom he had been charged with abducting), but the police authorities prohibited the biograph showmen from taking any pictures of the wedding. Johnson’s home was surrounded by police determined to take all possible precautions against anything in the way of a hostile demonstration against the champion.

A peculiar instance of cargo-broach-ing was brought under the notice of a Wanganui press representative recently, when a hotelkeeper showed him a bottle which had had a hole skilfully made in it, and the contents (lager beer) extracted. This bottle was one of thirteen in a case similarly dealt with. Another local publican found on opening a case recently that a number of bottles had been emptied in the same manner while in transit from the port of exportation.

It is perhaps not generally known that a large firm of Vancouver merchants dealing in hides, skins, butter, etc., has buying operations in various parts of the North Island in view to opening up business with New Zealand. It is understood that the- firm has purchased the outputs of at least ■one butter factory in Taranaki, and with a view to opening up a new market for vealers 100 calves were slaughtered at the Municipal Abattoirs at New Plymouth and subsequently frozen at Moturoa with the hides still on. They were then dispatched to Auckland, where they will be re-frozen and shipped to Vancouver. While examining the cargo of the steamer Anglo-Mexican recently, says a Sydney journal, a Customs official was somewhat startled by coming across a consignment of “anarchist bombs.” Ho found it difficult to belive that missiles which had worked such havoc in other parts of the world would be be so openly described, but he was not taking any chances. Ho rushed with one to the analyst of the Customs Department, who found that it contained about one ounce of a slightly red-coloured dilute of ammonium sulphide solution, which possesses the very objectionable combined odors of liquid ammonia and rotten eggs. “The bombs,” says the analyst,“themselves are perfectly harmless, but their free use by a minority party at indoor public meetings or on similar occasions might easily lead to serious disturbances. They are obviously intended for gross jokes or for creating a public- nuisance.” Mr Tudor has given instructions to prohibit their importation.

For the convenience of country children attending the new Higher Standaid School at Carnarvon the managers inaugurated some time ago A twopenny dinner to be served on the school premises (says the London Standard). The scheme has worked admirably, and already inquiries have readied the headmaster from various parts of the country. The menu for one week included the following: Monday, Irish stew and rice pudding; Tuesday, pea soup anJd raspberry rolypoly; Wednesday, boiled beef, beetroot, and baked jam pudding; Thursday, lentil soup and suet pudding ;Friday, roast beef, baked potatoes and biscuits and jam. On an average 60 children partake of the meal. The dinner is prepared under the supervision of the cookery mistress attached to the school, who is assisted by girls from the upper standards and a woman attendant. To the latter a nominal sum is paid weekly, but otherwise the scheme is entirely selfsupporting.

Mrs Masters, of Medford, Oregon, believes in the expression, “spare the rod and spoil the husband.” Mr Alt\ exander Masters (according to a San Francisco cable in the Sydney Sun), ■ is noAv recovering from shock and injury consequent on the vigorous treatment he has had at the hands of his wife. Several ladies had secret, and -1 not altogether hopeless, admirations for Mr Masters, and they used to write him affectionate letters, Mrs Masters happened to find one of those letters, and sarv at once that it avus a case for the rod. Unfortunately for Mr Masters, he Avas asleep in his armchair, so, Avithout disturbing him, Mrs Masters brought in a clothes line and tied him very -securely by the legs and arms. Then she cut a tAvo-fpot-ion gth out of iho garden hose, and proceeded to spoil the beauty Avbmb other ladies found so charming. Ibe vigorous Mrs Masters hammered her husband on the face and body till be was nearlv unconscious, and she was exhausted! Then she dragged him on i.o the side walk, where lie war rescued by a puzzled policeman, avlio teak him to the police station for repairs.

The 11th Regiment Taranaki Rifles is sending five teams to compete in the military tournament at Christchurch. The teams leave on Tuesday next. The secretary to the Taranaki Education Board invites applications for! the appointment of pupil-teachers and' probationers in the schools in the Edu-| cation District up to Saturday, Janu-i ary 4th. j On Christmas Eve a special matinee picture performance will be given by Madame Bernard in aid of the Stratford Hospital. As this : s for a worthy object His Majesty’s Theatre shield be well patronised on this occa4'iotu

A court-martial was to have been JieW at Waverley last night by the officers of C Company (according to the Patea Press). The offender is a member of the infantry and his offence was “cheeking the S.M. and clearing off the parade ground.” furniture in this house. He got the money in small amounts from his wife before he bought a typewriter for £lO and a desk for £ls. This was all the money he had paid towards the purchase of furniture for the Princes Street house. Private advice from Huntly states that things are very quiet there, and the police are wondering when something is going to happen to give them something to do. So far their entertainment has been the burial of Mahuta, the crowning of the new King, and rowing on the river—which is a fairly good mixture. The uniformed men* are frothing to return to their respective homes. Mr W. T. Jennings informs the Wai..tara Mail that he has known of the existence of . the waterfall talked of as being recently discovered in the Tangarakau, for many years. It is up Matiere way, and can be reached by taking the Aria-Kaeaea road passing Messsrs Hunter and MeFadder.’<? homestead. Mr Jennings stated tlxat undoubtedly there is a big volume of water there. The presentation to Mr F. W. Webster takes place in the Foresters’ Hall on Saturday evening next. 'The Mayor, Mr W*. P. Kirkwood, will preside and the catering (which will be in banquet style) will be carried out by Mrs Brooking. The secretary (Mr Joseph McCluggage) requests that it he notified that if by oversight ant old friends of Mr Webster’s should not have received an invitation will let Mr McCluggage know at once and in any case they will be heartily welcome at the function. There was a large attendance of members at the fortnightly meeting of the, local Oddfellows in the Forest ers’ Hall last night, when the panel system of medical benefits was discussed. The system, it may be explained, allows a member to go on the list of any one of the doctors associated with the lodges, and even to changing his doctor at the end of the quarter if dissatisfied. The motion for the adoption of the system was carried last night, but will come up for confirmation at next meeting. Delegates from the Oddfellows, Druids and Foresters had previously met the doctors in conference on the matter. The peculiar coloured water which Palmerston people have been asked to drink last week seems to have killed 30,000 young trout in the concrete pond in the Square (says the local Times). It is explained that a break in the pipes at Tritea caused the borough water supply (which replenishes this pond) to become air charged, and it is suggested that the fish were consequently suffocated. The alternative suggestion of wilful poisoning is not entertained. The trout had been obtained from Masterton, and were intended for stocking the rivers in the Manawatu district. They were valued at about £3O. A sample of the water will be analysed. ! / ’• > The diamond jubilee of the Turakina Presbyterian Church was celebrated on Sunday under unique and roanantic circumstances. Sixty years ago the Eev. James Duncan conducted the first service in the house of Mr John Cameron. A dozen years later an oak tree was planted to mark the spot, and beneath this oak tree on Sunday, in perfect weather, a vast concourse of people assembled to hold a true Presbyterian conenticle worthy of the Covenanting days. Old identity were present in force, amongst them being many of the descendants of sturdy pioneers, and in robust health and vigor Mrs Cumberland McDonell, who prepared and set the luncheon for those who attended the first service in 1852. Messages were received from friends far and wide. The Rev. D. Gordon represented the presbytery of Wanganui, and suitably addressed the assembly. The minister, the Rev. McCully, had collected items of past history, and the audience was thrilled as they listened to the story of the past and the brave deeds of "their ancestry. The psalms and hymns were all appropriate and the whole occasion was deeply impressive. The first number of the New Zealand Scot is to hand from Mr Alec Henderson, of Stratford, and we notice with pleasure a particularly striking eulogistic reference to that gentleman in its pages. The Scot cons'sts of 28 pages, including the cover, and is well printed. The miscellaneous matter therein bears* evidence of careful selection, and the whole of the subjects will he found specially interesting to Scotsmen. Evidently the promoters knew the field they had to work in in. this respect, and that they were justified in their idea is clearly shown in the infant’s appearance. To quote: “The New Zealand Scot is a monthly devoted to produce and stimulate in the Dominion the same manly independence, robustness of character, untiring industry, and unswerving adherence to truth which have made Scotland one of the mightiest factors in building the Empire arid in promoting the civilisation and humanitarian wel-| fare of the world. It is, above all. conscientious, courageous, and loyal to all that Is best in the Irstory, traditions and spirit of the Scottish people. It undertakes the noblest mis--sion to all New Zealand horn, which is highly ideal and educational. The greatness of Scotland is the character of her people and the greatness of New Zealand will be the character of her jjebple.” If The Scot lives up to the noble and inspiriting influence bathed in the foregoing it will have, proved worthy of existence. The eomn'-rcial side of the busmess, however, take the liberty to observe, will iwed to make a brighter showing in the near future. Advertisements are the lifeblood of a paper, and the pulse-beats of The Scot appear none too strong. It is pleasing to hear that The Scot commences this life with the host wishes of many friends as expressed in a subscription list. Only when tea is. absolutely pure do you get the highest stimulating power and the least waste. Purity in tea is secured by the utmost care in every branch of the industry, from the picking of the leaves to the marketing of the finished product. Crescent Tea fulfils every condition of a. high grade pure tea. It is rich and strong and uniform in flavour. Sold in three grades at 2?, Is lOd, and Is 8d per lb