GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVIV, Issue 8, 13 December 1915, Page 7

GENERAL.

A billiard saloon containing over 40 tables was recently opened in Wellington.' Tho saloon, which is luxuriously appointed, is undoubtedly the largest in tho Dominion.

Huckleberry Finn, the famous character of Mark Twain's stories of Mississippi river travels, has just celebrated his 90th birthday on his turpentine farm, near Eugene, Oregon.

The proceeds of four bales of stud; Corriedale wool sold last Monday (says the Christchurch Press) at the top price of the day, 19 Jd per lb, were presented by £h e owner, Mr C. H. Elisor, of White Rock, to the Patriotic Fund.

At the Auckland Magistrate's] Court recently, A. F. Williamson, licensee of the Wade Hotel, wa s fined £5 in two instances of selling liquor, on Sunday, and £5 for supplying liq- ; uor to be consumed off the premises, and his liecense was endorsed. The endorsement of the license meant the loss of practically £IOOO to the licensee. '

A motoring party had a rather sensational experience at J ohnsonville on Sunday the sth. While negotiating a railway crossing the car somehowjammed just as a train was approaching. There were live occupants in the car, and they were fortunately able to get clear before the engine of the train struck the automobile, reducing it to scrapiron.

Tho Miners' Phthisis Act of last session provided a scale of State allowances for persons suffering from the dreaded miners' complaint. Since the Act came into operation eighty claims for pensions have been received, including two from widows. Of these, sixty-nine have been granted and ten are on hand awaiting the completion of the necessary inquiries. One of the applicants has died. The total annual value of the pensions is £3215 10s.

There are plenty of dairymen who are against testing. The following information can be verified by anyone interested (says the Otautau Standard), and is proof of the need of a cow-testing' association. A local dairyman culled his herd; but one of the culls, a Jersey cross, failed to find a buyer in the local saleyards. . Later on this cow was bought by an Aparima farmer for £7. She is now giving 251 b of butter-fat per week, and her owner recently refused £22 for her.

The Auckland Chamber of Commerce: carried unanimously a resolution re-| questing the Government to issue registration cards to all who registered as willing to serve their country, the cards to show the name, age, and whether the recipient had volunteered for active service, civil work, or both, with a view to enabling employers when engaging men to discriminate in favour of those willing to do their share in serving their Country and Empire.

The Patriotic Society at Palmerston North made an important move by appointing the Y.M.C.A. as distributing agency in Egypt for comforts for the sick and wounded, and also for tho men in tho firing line. It was decided (states the Press Association) to make regular contributions, and the first instalment of £250 was passed. The meeting on Friday considered it was better to help the men at tho front than lock up all the money for future needs.

The Hon. Mr Myers states that a| quantity of steel has been ordered from Australia, and on arrival, probably this week, will be converted into to shells at the Addington Workshops, Christchurch. Arrangements have been made by the Government withj various woollen companies to pur-j chase the necessary wool at the sales to enable them, working at the fullest capacity, to turn out a large quantity of khaki cloth and other woollen goods, required' for the equipment of th© soldiers to the end of 191(5. Tenders for boots arc also being called to cover a similar period.

A fire occurred on Friday night at Normauby, at about 5.30, when Mr F. C. Baines' bee shed and its contents, viz., benzine engine, honey extractor, beeswax, and a lot of bee appliances, were totally destroyed. Mr Baines was working in the shed from 4 to 6 o'clock in the afternoon, and when leaving there was no sign of fire. Th© only explanation of the origin of the fire is that it must have been started by a heated bee smoker. Mr Baines estimates his los s at considerable over £IOO. There was no insurance.

The French Government lias allowed a party of journalists to view in the cathedral town of Bourges some of thebig cannon which the French Ordinance Department have constructed ! since the war broke oat as a reply to jthe monster Krupps. The new Gallic 'monsters, which are to reduce Metz 'and the Rhine strongholds, are, according to the description given of 'them in the French press, not howitzers or mortars, but long guns of 'about 15-inch calibre— "375'5" as ourj 'Allies classify them. The visitors to J Bourges were delighted with these ("powerful, yet elegant," pieces. Hitherto tho heaviest piece a had been naval "340" (13.4-inch), mounted on ■ ,the latest French Dreadnoughts, and ' the "270" (10.8-incb) siege mortars, i 'somewhat obsolete pattern, dating hack to the nineties. j

A fire which occured at Waverley at throe o'clock on Saturday morning destroyed the- premises occupied b> Bedford (butcher), Turner (cabinetmake.), Patten (tailor), and Pepper Slumber). Tbe origin l 8 unknown (reports the Press Association). Insurances total £I2BO.

An inquest was held at Wmton (states the Press Assocmtion), rewarding tbe death of an old an nam S Peter Leichman. Tbe evidence showed that deceased called Dan o. Casey a German. Casey, struck bin on the bead, the blow causing unIsciousness, and be d!ed two week after. Tbe Coroner found that deatt resulted directly or »**«Ujr.t«» a blow. Casey has been arrested and will bo charged with manslaughter.

Trooper Hughes Roberts, a British cr who aceompauiedßotha's notorious army in German South-West Africa, with the Natal Light Horse relate; a yarn told by one ot the German I officers taken prisoner. The stoiy goes that an aeroplane came down near a Hottentot, who was watching the cattle graaing. When *o . m* it be seemed too stupefied to knov what to do. When tbe avxator step ped out of the car the nigger fell ot , his knees, and, according to the Garman version be exdaimed Morra Gott!"-i.e., "Good day God th , Deity being the only one he thoUgM capable of coming through the clouds.

At Otira the rainfall per annum u given in yards (remarks an exchange) At any time the passing clouds nia. drop a foot or two of rain into that rocky valley, and, in fact, in Octobei 20.61 in of rain fell there. There wer, only sis line days in tbe month. But Otira's proud position has been assail ed by a weather station in the Nortt Island. It goes by tbe name of Mantotara, T e Araroa,' and for 21 days ci moisture it reported 19.66xn. of ram For sheer downright bad weather a valley called Upper Mangorei, at th< foot of Mount Egmont, bad most cause for complaint. In October the dwellers in that valley had only twe fine days, and the rainfall on the re maining 29 exceeded lft. Practically all tbe North Island stations reported excellent rains, but the Canterbury stations, with the exception of those along the hills, could seldom report more than 2in of rain for the month.

A letter has been received in Wanganui giving an account of a Rugby football match played at Lemnos Island, between Australian and New Zealand teams. The New Zealanders won by 33 points to nil, after what is described as a fast and willing game. The match was played on the beach when the tide was out, and with a "Soccer" ball. Goal-kicking was found to be an impossibility, not one try being converted. The New Zealand team had quite an All-Black flavor, the rear division being: lullhack, George Murray (Auckland and North Island); three-quarters, Marks (Otago), Cuthill (Otago and New Zealand); Bertrand (Taranaki ; fiveeighths, S. Cameron (Taranaki), bRoberts (Wellington and New Zealand) ; half, Wood (Taranaki). Some well known players figured among tne forwards, two being McNab (Auckland), and Taylor (Taranaki and New Zealand).

Prior to commencing his address at His Majesty's Theatre, Dunedm, on Wednesday night Mr Alpers thanked Mr Sidey, who presided, for having indicated to the audience which was Mr Isitt and which -was.himself. IJie reason, he explained, was that while dining that evening he had been a subject of a discussion between two gentlemen, which resulted an one making a wager of £1 with the other that he (Mr Alpers) was Mr Isitt. Having made the bet they approached him when he informed them that ho was not Mr Isitt. Both gentlemen handed the sovereigns to Mr Alpers. The latter, drawing the money referred to from his pocket, handed it to Mr Sidey with instructions that it be devoted to the Red Cross Fund. '-So you see," said Mr Alpers, "If I do no further good on my visit I have secured two sovereigns for a very worthy tause." The statement was received with applause and laughter.

States the New Zealand Observer: There are some strange and curious things in New Zealand—the kiwi, for instance, and the Auckland railway station and the tua tara. To the hst must be added the average New Zealand censor. He is beyond undertanding—though in that respect no more remarkable than censors elsewhere. The latest censor story, in addition to being true, is the best yet. The .Union Company's manager at Suva, a smart business man with a thousand friends, has the unusual surname of Eva. Quite recently a merchant in a New Zealand city wirelessed to the captain of a steamer en route to Fiji to give one of his passengers, a business man, an introduction to Eva at Suva. The message was never delivered. The indignant merchant wanted to know He was informed that the censor did not consider the message of sufficient importance to be allowed to pass; and "in any case, he did not see why the wireless service should he used, in these serious times, as a means of effecting introductions to ladies."