LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taihape Daily Times, 9 January 1918, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

A cable message from New York states that the American steamer Harry Luckenbach (a vessel of 2798 tons) has been torpedoed, eight persons perishing.

Several parts of Southland are at present simply swarming with rabbits (says the Southland Times). On several portions of the road from Invercargill to Dacre rabbits were to be seen a few days ago in hundreds, and the same state of affairs is reported from other parts of the province.

A man named Francis Archibald McMinnn attempted to commit suicide b . 7 cutting his throat in Broadway, Stratford about 12 o'clock on Wednesday evening (says the Stratford Post) McMinn, who is a married man, and a resident of Palmerston, is a wellknown footballer. He is now in the Stratford Hospital.

To correct acidity and flatulency take SHARLAND'S FLUID MAGNESIA. Being freshly prepared and always full strength SHAELAND’S is the best you can buy. 4

The funeral of the late Mrs W. A. Pine will leave Winiata for Moawhango on Sunday next at 1 o’clock p.m. A heavy bay cob hack, lost from Kaweka Road some time ago, and last seen in Kaka Road, is advertised for and a reward offered. The Taihape Bowling Club is holding a rink competition to-morrow (Thursday) afternoon, starting at 2 o’clock. Drawings may be seen at Mr D. Neagle’s shop or on the green at 9 a.m. The Municipal Swimming Baths are attracting a large number of people lately. The Baths present an animated appearance at every session, quite a number of ladies indulging in the sport. The term for the Wanganui Girls' College begins on Tuesday, February 12th. Parents who desire boarding accommadtion are requested to apply without delay, as there is only a limited number of vacancies at this popular educational establishment. An advertisement appears elsewhere. As indicating the advancing cost of cotton goods, a brand of calico selling at 4Jd before the war was quoted at Is 2d three weeks ago. A fortnight later a cable was sent to get this quotation confirmed, but the reply was that the price had advanced meanwhile to Is 4d. Thus ,it is that cotton goods continue to rise in price, and the end is not in sight.

A cable from Sydney states that considerable interest is being manifested in sporting circles over the New Zealand report of the possibility that Desert Gold and Biplane will be measuring strides at the Australian autumn meetings. While New Zealand sportsmen regard Desert Gold as being superior to Biplane, Australian experts think that Biplane is the better of the two.

A man who had been wanted by the police had been photographed previously in six different positions, and the pictures were duly circulated among the police. The chief of police in a country town wrote to headquarters a few days after the pictures had been distributed. "I duly received the pictures of the six miscreants whoso capture is desired. I have arrested five of them, and the sixth is under observation, and will be secured shortly.”

A punter at the Sratford races purchased several tickets on different horses starting in the hurdles, and in the rush he left one ticket just on the inside of the tote window. This happened to be on the winning horse, which paid a dividend of over half a century. Imagine the man's disgust after the race, therefore, when he discovered he had lost his ticket. Fortunately for him the young man who had sold the tickets noticed that the one had been overlooked, and a little while later he found its rightful owner who, as practical proof of his appreciation in recovering it, presented a tenner to the man on the tote immediately ho had cashed the ticket.

Captain Smith, well known in Australian shipping circles, claims to have assisted in bagging a submarine in the Mediterranean, Writing to Mrs Smith, of Cremornc, Sydney, he tells of an exciting voyage to Marseilles under convoy. "The submarine broke surface of my starboard quarter. The captain spotted her first, and opened fire, obtaining a'hit with the third or fourth shot. We immediately followed, and obtained a hit with our second shot. Immediately afterwards an explosion occurred, and a dense volume of thick black smoke arose from the spot for some minutes, leaving no doubt as to the fate of the submarine. Escorts afterwards picked us up again during the afternoon, and wo proceeded safely on the voyage In the hurry of going to boat stations to stand by, two of the Chinese sailors fell overboard. One was afterwards picked up by a destroyer and returned to his ship at Mraseilles; but the head of the other was blown off j by gunfire from the destroyer. ”