GENERAL NEWS.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXV, Issue 83, 12 April 1915, Page 3

GENERAL NEWS.

Sheep-worrying is understood to ho prevalent in the Manaia district. A night or two ago (states the Witness) eight sheep were destroyed on a farm on the Plains.

It is an old superstition that in times of war more males are horn than females. This is confirmed by the statistics recorded in Masterton for the month of March, when fifteen hoys were horn, as against six girls.

The Hawera Chin Club has decided to hold a £SO clay pigeon match on May 11th. Last year some 30 shooters nominated for this match, held on the same date, when £ls was divided between the first five contestants.

After 21 years!—David John Wilson (60), married, living apart from his wife, was arrested at Carlton, Melbourne, a few days ago, charged with having sent a letter to his wife, in August, ISO I, 21 years ago } threatening to murder her.

Some amusement was caused at the last meeting of the Waimate West County Council (states the iMauaia Witness) by the statement of a member that a ratepayer wanted to know why culverts could not be constructed that would meet Hood emergencies by rising with the rising waters, instead of remaining stationary under such conditions.

“Made in U.5.A.,” a quarterly international trade magazine edited at Chicago, has the following interesting paragraph relating to New Zealand butter:—“A Chicago importer who brought in a large consignment of New Zealand butter a year ago says it was the best butter ever seen in this market. Some of it which arrived late for the season here was put in storage, and came out after a year from date of shipment in perfect condition.”

A gentleman called at the area group office in Wellington on I‘riday (states the Times), and asked the sergeant-major kindly to supply him with a registration form as he desired to enlist for service. The officer became interested, and elicited from the applicant that ho was desirous of going to the seat of war as he had a score to wipe off with the enemy. Since the commencement of the war he had lost .several of his family through acts of the Germans, including two of his sisters, and he considered it his duty to uphold the honor of the family. 'The gentleman was enrolled.

During tlie racing at Kiccarton, t.lio detectives confiscated a small machine, which appeared to lu> a pocket variant of a roulette wheel. No money had been lost to the owner of it ; and therefore no prosecution was made, although the police took the machine. The apparatus is in the shape of a coJlar-hox. Spinning round inside it is a flat top, with sixteen sectors, eight of thorn coloured blue, four red, and four white. There is a lid to the hex, with a central hole to lot the spindle of the top through, and another hole to drop a marble through, '•'ho speculator backs his coloured fancy at varying odds, the lid is put on the box, the top is given a whirl, the marble is dropped through, and when the top comes to rest the speculator in nine cases out of ton finds he has lost his money.