LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXV, Issue 35, 10 February 1913, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

To-day, February 10th, is the anniversary of the declaration of war by Russia against Japan in 1904.

The order given by the late Government for the purchase at Home of a. number of Guernsey cattle for the State experimental farms has been cancelled.

“The Stratford Railway Station; Its Unsightliness, its Inconvenience, its danger to the Public,” is likely to be the text of an address which will be poured into the ears of the Minister for Railways (Hon. W. H. Heines) to-morrow evening.

From Wellington comes the news that the slaughtermen’s strike is regarded as over. The managers do not expect any trouble with the men in other departments as the result of the utilisation of free labour, of which plenty is offering. Reports from other centres show that work is being resumed, and gradually normal conditions' are being assumed.

Half a century has passed since the most deplorable wreck recorded in the annals of New Zealand shipping the Orpheus tragedy—occurred. It was on February 7, 1863, that the Orpheus reached the Manukau bar from Sydney. The vessel took the wrong channel, and with the terrific sea running at the time the ship rapidly broke up. The small coasting steamer Wonga Wonga (Captain Renner) was just leaving Onehunga, and Recognising the gravity ot the position, rendered all the help in her newer. Taking two of the warships coats, which had landed at the pilot statin, in tow, and with the pilot on board, she steamed as near as safety would permit, and saved a good number ci lives, but 187 out of the tot d on boaid of 254 were drowned, ineluding Commodore Barnett. It is said that a deserter, who was a prisoner on boaid, told those around him that a fatal mistake was being made iu the navigation of tlio ship, but the warning was unheeded.

Joseph Kerlean, a sailor, who was arrested for drunkenness and obstruction at Ecouen, France, had 412 pictures tattooed all over his body.

Of the issue, for Sunday, October 27, the Petit Parisien, of Paris, printed 1,935,000 copies, perhaps the largest one day’s output ever reached by any daily in the world.

Underwear (even hosiery), especially for sportsmen, aeronauts , automobilists, etc., is now being made of paper—of a thin, tough, Japanese variety (states the Tigaro, Paris). Vests of various ornate designs are also made of paper.

The manufacture of tobacco, says the Waikato Argus, is attaining the dimensions of an important industry in Hamilton, The industry has been carried on successfully for some time, and the demand for the tobacco has grown to such an extent, that a new company is being floated to extent the business.

“I never knew lightning had such tremendous powers,” remarked a farmer residing on the Beaconsfield road to a reporter this morning. “A large rimu on my place was shattered during the recent storm, limbs were wrenched off, the trunk splintered in hundreds of places, and large pieces of wood hurled as far as two hundred yards away.”

The Timaru Post states that a large trout with an ugly spear gash'hear the tail was found dead at the grass bank near.the mouth of the’Opihi on Tuesday morning. The flesh around the gash had mortified, thus showing that the wound was not recent. The paper adds: Rumours of poaching in the pools are being circulated, and it is said that parties of harvesters from farms near by are on the river almost every night.

According to the London Times, a strain of bees harmless to handle has been successfully hived by Mr Burrows, of Loughton, Essex. The bees, which have been obtained by mating a Cyprian drone with an Italian queen, are very active workers, and Mr Burrows claims that they are less liable to disease than the ordinary English bees. The new bees are not ystingless, but the sting is innocuous. One hive this year yielded over 2001 b of honey.

The temperance reformer was justly proud of having converted the biggest drunkard in a little Scotch towh, and induced him—he was the local gravedigger—to get on the platform and spout his experiences. “E’if friends,” he said, ’“I never, never thocht to stand upon this platform with the provost on one side of me and the toon clerk on th’ ither side of me. I never thocht to tell ye that for a whole mpnth I haven’t touched a drap of anything. I’ve saved enough to buy me a braw oak coffin wi’ brass handles and brass nails—and if I’m a teetotaler for anither month I shall be wantin’ it!”

There is a pathetic interest attached to a solitary “Oriental Plane” tree, sickly and stunted, which is endeavouring to beautify Juliet street, near its junction with Regan street. The tree, according to a prominent Stratford citizen, is practically the last remnant of a tree-planting scheme, which was to have gone a long way towards the accomplishment of the “city beautiful” in Stratford. The trees were duly planted, much money was spent, but “Oriental Planes” are apparently not suited to our somewhat rigorous climate, and nearly all the trees are now but a memory, with the exception of one or two, which, while not “things of beauty,” are at least reminiscent of a scheme which might have provided “a joy for ever.”

A resident of Oamaru, who, with his wife and family, had been enjoying a somewhat prolonged holiday away from the town,' returned the other day (says the Mail) to find that during Jus absence he had unwittingly played the role of mine host. His visitors had Surreptitiously gained admission to his residence and partaken of a hospitality that to them must have been quite refreshing, the disarrangement of the furniture and the litter in the shape of “dead” matches and cigarette butts that were scattered over the carpets, together with the used-up appearance of the beds, suggesting that the carousals had extended over several nights. The household silver was used with a freedom that suggested ownership, but nothing was removed from the residence.

Mr E. Jackson, who has just returned from a trip to Auckland, had something interesting to say to a reporter this morning, with reference to land values in the Waikato district. Laud four miles out of Hamilton, bought by the late Mr f ‘Peter” Wil- • son six years ago at £l2 an acre, had recently changed hands at. £4O an acre. Mr Topp, another Stratford farmer, had bought 100 acres in the same district at £25 an acre, purchase being a recent one, yet it few weeks ago lie was chasnig a man off the place when a suggestion of a sale at £35 an acre was made. Questioned as to whether the land could be made to pay at this figure, Mr Jackson replied in the affirmative, and said that the longer season —they gob their coavs in in July in the Waikato —and high state of cultivation, made profitable farming at these figures quite possible. At the same time, Mr Jackson remarked that the land was not ns good in quality as the Stratford land, and he gave it as his opinion that there were farms in the vicinity of Stratford worth as much as £SU an acre, if they wore only as well grassed and as clean as some of the farms ho had seen in tup Waikato.

Local fishermen did not have a very good day’s sport yesterday, the day being a trifle too bright. Small bags, or nothing at all, were the order of the * day..

Among the trophies donated for competition amongst members of the Stratford Fire Brigade is a handsome pocket book presented by Mr T. Mercer.,

The general committee of the Stratford A. and P. Association met again on Saturday afternoon, when the revised rules were passed for the acceptation of members at the annual meeting, which is to be held in the Borough Council Chambers on Saturday next.

The hot , weather has had a serious effect on the 30,000 Loch Leven fry in the Stratford Acclimatisation Society’s fisheries, and this morning the president, Mr W. P. Kirkwood, was engaged in making an effort to save the youngsters.

Word has been received by the secretary of the Stratford Bowling Club that Inglewood is sending down six rinks on Thursday. All Stratford players wishing to participate are requested to forward their names to the secretary, and, states “Kitty,” be on the green every evening.

Several slaughtermen at the Awatoto Abattoirs noticed a large shark in the breakers on Monday, and a

number of the men went down to the water’s edge with a bullock spear to try ahd capture the fish. They were successful in spearing it, and op getting it ashore found it measured nearly XQ feet from head to tail.

Jose Vargas, of Oviedo, Spain, won a wager by consuming, at one meal, half a lamb washed down with' a gallon of sherry. After smoking the last of 20 cigars which formed the prize, he died the same evening.

A new slaughtering agreement, to continue for two years, has just been adopted between the Queensland meat companies and the Meat Industry Employees’ Union. It is interesting to note that the rate of payment is for freezing sheep and lambs 28s 6d per 100, and freezing cattle 2s OJd per head.

A guild of godparents to save chil-

dren from incongruous names is being suggested (says the London Chronicle). The late Canon Bardsley, author of a book on English names, told the story of what was probably the, most idiotic name ever bestowed upon an unfortunate infant. A woman, had her son baptized What, for up other reason than to cause amusement ip future years, when, being asked his name he should reply, “What.’’ The Katipo, the official organ of the. Post and Telegraph Association, has the following in the January number: “The usual annual protest. All clear was not signalled until 9.30 Christmas morning. It Is aptly named the annual epdurance test, and the sponer some solution of this nerveracking, heart-breaking, Christmas Eve task is found the more pleased we all will be.”' i ~;l i. ■ The thirty-second anniversary of the Christian Endeavour movement has just been celebrated. C. E. was founded by Rev. Francis Clark in 1881, and has now over 100,000 societies and 4,000,000 members throughout the world. It operates in 87 different denominations, and in 60 countries. There are nearly 60,000 societies in America, and others are established even in China, Ceylon, India, Persia, Turkey, Bulgaria and Egypt. A horse belonging to Wirth’s Circus strayed from the camp at Woodville one Saturday evening. On Sunday two of the hands were sent out on horseback to look for it—one going through the Gorge and the other in the direction of Pahiatua. Both riders met with accidents. One horse got its leg broken in the Gorge and had to be destroyed, and the other fell on the Ngawapurua bridge and injured itself. Both riders were slightly hurt. The straying animal was not recovered. Whilst in Hastings recently the question of making an early start with the Opunake railway was brought under the notice of the Premier by Mr G. V. Pearce, M.P. In reply, Mr Massey stated that he bad not . forgotten his promise to visit the district and that he hoped to be able to keep his appointment towards the latter* part of April after his visit to the South Island. He would in all prohajjjlity be'accompanied by the Minister of Public Works, the Hen. James Fraser. It is hoped, tbo Pa tea Press says, that as a result of the Premier’s visit a start will be made with the line at an early date. Another theory of the non-church- . goer has been dangerously .assailed. Cameron, discussing at Dundee j (Scotland) Presbytery a report on non- 1 churchgoing, questioned the theory | that many who absent tnemselves . from church worship God in the soliI tude of nature. It seemed to him that a very large section of the community were engaged in careering through the country on bicycles and in motor cars. Rev. W. L. Milroy said nou-churchgoing was certainly increasing .among church 'members, and he had more respect for the out-and-out opponent of Christianity than for those who, while enjoying its privileges, shirked its duties. All chemists keep Tonking’s Linseed Emulsion, because people demand a safe and certain cure for colds. Is fid, 2s 6d, 4s 6d. x