LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXIX, Issue 83, 29 July 1914, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

A most unusual mishap (says the Times) hefel a man named Robert Thompson at the Lower Hutt railway station on Saturday night. He caught his foot in a pair of points, and in his efforts to extricate it, broke his ankle. As it appeared, he freed the limb, and crawled to a brake van, in which he remained all night. His plight was discovered on Sunday, and he was brought in to the Wellington Hospital.

A prominent resident of the Hat wera district who purchased a motor car some four or five months ago for £350, sold it again for £SO (states the Manaia Witness). It was apparently one of the had bargains that, even very shrewd men are sometimes let into, and there is probably no shrewder or more keen-witted man the province than the gentleman in question.

The “marches” selected by the following regiments have been approved, as under: Queen Alexandra’s 2nd (Wellington West Coast) Mounted Rifles, “The Colonial March”; 6th (Manawatu) Mounted Rifles, “The Harp that Once”; sth (Wellington) Regiment, “Marmion”; 7th (Wellington West Coast) Regiment, “Winna” ; 9th (Hawke’s Bay) Regiment, regimental march of Ist Battalion South Lancashire Regiment; 11th Regiment (Taranaki Rifles), “March at Ease” ; 17th (Ruahine) Regiment, “Bonnie Dundee.” All the regiments mentioned are in the Wellington military district.

At a “backblock” wedding recently solemnised in Australia, the bride presented the groom with a cherry-wood pipe and a tin of tobacco. The groom’s present to the bride was a bottle of scent and a tin of insectibane. The presents were described as numerous, and included two dozen rabbit traps, two dozen yards of cretonne, a gridiron, a Plum axe, several copies of Hansard, packet of boxthorn seeds, copy of Local Government Act, a pair of bluchers, an automatic gun, a hurricane lamp, two flat irons, a j green hide whip, etc. Prior to the (wedding, a football match between the | farmers of the adjoining counties was held in honor of the occasion.

Twelve hundred dozen bottle of beer perished as the result of destruction by fire of Messrs Simpson and Hart’s brewery bottling house at Wetherstones on Wednesday. The bursting of the bottles could be heard two miles away at Lawrence. The building, which was new, is to be re-erected.

The value and benefits of pasteurisation of milk as a preventative to the spread of disease in stock is shown by a return available from Rongotea (writes a correspondent of the Standard). Of 413 pigs sold to the Feilding agent during the past two months, only one was condemned.

Reefton is the latest place to be visited by a mysterious airship, writes the local correspondent of the Greymouth Star. Several people report having seen an aeroplane soaring over Reefton at about 8.30 on Sunday evening, the outline being plainly visible for some time. The direction, was north and south, the machine finally disappearing over the hills over the Buller road.

An amusing incident occurred while the British footballers were practising in Napier the other day. One of the British “dreadnoughts,” who turns the scale at 13.5, noticed a young enthusiast watching proceedings from the side line, and pleasantly inquired, “Well, sonny, what team do you belong to?” “Sonny” answered that he belonged to the Hawke’s Bay team, and was going to play the 1 Britishers on the following Saturday.

A remarkable series of coincidences regarding the number 13, which is regarded by superstitious people as unlucky, has been brought under notice in connection with the Cornish United mine, Bendigo. After having been closed down for several months the company was reconstructed, and operations were resumed on August 13, 1913. Work was commenced with 13 men at the No. 13 level. The first crushing was treated at the No. 13 battery of'the Koch’s Pioneer mine, and the milling yielded 13oz. Further, the first dividend was declared on June 13, 1914.’ ,

A Chinaman who has resided in Miller’s B’lat district for many years entertained his European friends at a birthday party recently (says the Tapanui Courier). There was a large attendance, and it is said that an'excellent menu was presented, the wines and spirits being ,of the best brands. The host welcomed his guests in conventional European style, and in addition to proposing and responding to various toasts he sang several of Harry Lauder’s songs at intervals during the evening. A local countryman on being asked why he had not been invited to the gathering replied: “No fear; him too muchee ‘toff’; him no time for other Chinamen.”

“It is a wonderful thing in this country that when teachers are crying out for better salaries that there should be one professional man w T ho returns his full salary of £SOO and by that his board gains the advantage of £IOOO per annum, 1 ” announced Mr J. R. Kirk at the School Committees’ Association (says the Poverty Bay Herald)., This man, he said, was M,r Frank Milner, rector of the Waitaki Boys’ High School, who was making a tremendous sacrifice, bus was practically making Oamaru, and was building up characters and turning out manly men. The speaker subsequently explained that Mr Milner was able to run it on the profits ot the tioarding establishment. He was. however, spending money in many directions, such as splendid pictures for decorating the school walls, and he was doing good work in Empire building.

A case of an unusual nature cropped up in the Wellington Magistrate’s Court on Friday, when Panos Boolieris, a Greek, pleaded not guilty to selling unsound apples. Inspector Hendrey said that the information was laid under the Sale of Food and Drugs Act, 1908, section 12, subsection 6. This provided for a penalty not exceeding £SO for a first offence and £2OO if the offence was wilful. The facts were that a lady had gone to accused’s shop and purchased 21b of apples. When she got home, she discovered that the apples were rotten. She returned to the shop, taking the apples with her, and demanded her money back. This was refused. While she was discussing the matter with defendant a public health inspector came in and under the powers vested in him seized the fruit. These had been placed in a refrigerator and were produced in court. Annie Soon, who purchased the fruit, gave evidence as to the transaction; the apples appeared to be perfectly fresh when she purchased them, there not being a speck on them, but they turned out to be rotten inside and not fit to eat. The defence, represented by A. H. Hindmarsh, contended that the word “damaged” was upon the case from which the apples were chosen. The fact that they were sold at lid a pound should have put any purchaser on his guard as to what he was getting. Everybody should know that eating apples could not be bought at lid a pound. His Worship held the offence nroved, and imposed a fine of £5, which he considered a small penalty in view of the fact that the defendant was liable to a fine of £2OO. Costs amounting to 23s were allowed, and default was fixed at one month’s imprisonment. A fortnight was allowed in which to find the money.

The following cases are entered for the Court on Friday: Twelve civil (one defended), and one judgment summons, and nine criminal cases, eight of which are for breaches of the bylaws for riding without lights. There is one Territorial case for failing to attend drill. The Eltham correspondent of the Hawera Star writes: —Mr C. A. Wilkinson, M.P., states that the plans and specifications for the Opunake railway are practically ready and that tenders ought to bo called for in a few days. The first contract, which includes fencing, earth work and culverts, will he for the third mile of the railway at Matapu station. The probable sections will be Te lloti, Matapu, Palmer Road, Kapupi, Mangawhero Road, Auroa, Oeo, Waikieka, Road, Patik’i, and Opunake. A special meeting of the' Stratford Racing Club was held.last evening, Mr A. W. Budge (the president) being in' the chair. Other members present were Messrs W. G, Malone, J.‘ R. L. Stanford, W. J. Morrison, S. Spence, S. M. Porritt, J. Fredric, J. B. Richards, Dr. T. L. Paget, Messrs W. H.vH. Young, A. Stewart, D. J. Malone, the secretary (Mr A. Cole|)kman). The meeting was called to ' confirm the new rule giving the Club power to borrow and mortgage its properties (as adopted, on the 30th June last), and further to rescind all its existing rules and adopt a new set of rules as drafted, by the Club’s solicitor (Mr W. G. Malone), and approved of by the sub-committee to Consider the question. Mr W. G. Malone read the draft of the proposed new rules, which, subject to a few minor alteraitons and amendments, were adopted "by the meeting. The rules will be submitted for confirmation at a meeting to he held on the 12th.' August.