GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVIV, Issue 20, 29 December 1915, Page 2

GENERAL.

An angler had a novel experience >hile fishing in the Ashburton river, (e was engaged in landing a small .rout, when the line received a vigor:is tug. It was soon apparent to tin* .scerman that soniethiug big had iken possession of the small fish, ami icor a few minutes’ care I'nl manipution, he succeeded in landing two

;li, the second one, a line trout eighiug about olb, having endeavourd to swallow its smaller relation.

A sad drowning fatality occurred at i town wharf on Christmas ,\\\ Ernest Taylor, i l.imestone, owner of the launch daori, hronght a party to Whangaret bout if.MU p.m. Taylor went down to put some parcels on riic launch, and C i.s .surmised missed bis footing. No me actually saw him fall, but a women on another launch heard a splash ml raised the alarm. Four voting eHows off the launch swam round, .ut saw no signs of the man. At 10. MO win. the rest of the party turned up, ad it was then discovered that Mayor was missing. Dragging operations esultcd in Constable Paine recoverng the hotly at midnight. An inquest as held on Christmas Day, and a 'erd’ct was returned of accidental Irowning. Deceased was a married man,, hut had no children. This makes the third drowning fatality at the Whangarei town wharf within a short period. What appears to have been an atempt to cause damage to a big overea steamer occurred in Sydney bailor on a recent Saturday niglit. On sumlay morning it was discovered diat the hawser connecting the steanor Clan Macarthur with the wharf ind been cut about half-way through, apparently with a knife. The attempt o cause the steamer to break away mist have liecn made between late m Saturday niglit and early on Sunliny morning. The cut in, the hawser was a clean one. and had apparently been made with a knife held by somemo standing on the edge of the wharf, is the hawser was partly severed at lie spot just clear of the pile. “Satirday night was very squally,” said Taptain Simpson, when referring to he incident, “and, with a hawser, Vbich had been cut through about udf-way, the least thing would have aiised the vessel to break away. If hiss had happened with a big steamer ike the Clan .Macarthur. it is difficult :o sav what the result would have

been.” In the course of mustering operitions on Mount Pisa station, in southern Otago, about 20 sheep found dieir way on to a small ledge of rock m the face of the precipitous cl ills bordering the Karawan Pivor. All efforts to dislodge tire animals with the assistance of dogs proved unavailing, and a party of Arrowtown residents, equipped with ropes and other tackle, went out to attempt a rescue. They safely reached a point about 40ft. above where the sheep were 1 lo•ated. but further progress appeared :o lie impossible. At length a man was lowered down to the ledge by means of a rope, and after some perilms work, be captured the shoe]). Mhe animal was att.. .led to a r po, and was soon hoisted to trrra lirnia. Fourteen sheep were saved in this wav, but the remainder found their way to naecessible places, and were ultiuiatc,y shot. The hazardous nature of the •escuer’s undertaking may he gauged from the fact that for upwards of two hours lie was working on a ledge ot I rock 'about 2ft. in width, above a [dicer drop of 100 ft. to the Knrawau I river.

The Following extract from an English letter will afford some idea of what our kindred in the Motherland are passing through; “Another acquaintance of oiii's was at the theatre when a bomb fell, and killed two men in the stalls in front of him. H.e says he never can forget the experience. To-day we heard a sad stoi\. A dressmaker was engaged in the preparation of an elaborate trousseau for a lady who was to be married to a soldier on active service, holding the rank of major, when notice came that he was killed. This was naturally a great grief to the lady, when, to her amazement, about a week after bo walked into the room, it was his brother who had fallen. Preparations l ol ' the wedding were resumed. The wedding dress was of some very beautiful Indian embroidery, with diamond brooches, and the major came one day and said he wanted very much to see his intended in the dress, hut he was not allowed to even think of anything so unlucky. On the night of the Zeppelin raid, the airships, alter passing over our suburb, and doing some considerable damage, returned again to the city .and dropped more bombs. The next morning the papers contained the following notice: “Three civilians and one sohlie' - killed on the

of the - theatre.’ 'Hu- one soldier was tho pro-poeti\> bridegroom, who hail escaped denth in the terrible lighting at the Dardanelles, to tirid it at home, within a week oi Ids wedding-day. This second shock was too much For the poor lady. She was struck down with hen in Fever, and a few days later passed away.”