The Daily News TUESDAY, DECEMBER 28. ON FIRST AND FOURTH PAGES. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 274, 28 December 1909, Page 2

The Daily News TUESDAY, DECEMBER 28. ON FIRST AND FOURTH PAGES.

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

District Xcws. Nuitaru Regatta. Axemen's Carnival. Polities and Spooks. Taranaki J.C. Races. Stratford Acceptances. Cables, Telegrams, etc.

The gale on Sunday was very sevee in the lnglewood district, One' or two chimneys and some fencing were blown down, and the balcony of the old Inglewuod Hotel building was -insahed. Eight hundred "Christmas greeting" telegrams were handed in al the local Telegraph Office on Christmas Eve. About the same number were received from other stations.

The local police hud well-behaved crowds to deal with during the holidays. Only one inebriate found his way lo the police cells on Linistnms Eve, and anciihcr was accommodated thee last night. Boring has disclosed the existence of a valuable and extensive new deposit ol hard coal at u depth of 110 ft. in the vicinity of the Seddonvillc State Colliery. The find promises to be a most important one.

flight down the coast on Sunday tlr weather was very severe. Torrential rain was experienced, being bitterly cold. Orchards at all exposed sudoral considerably. Doughs of tree* were broken down and hedges were blackened by the salt spray. Mr. 11. \V. Climic, consulting engineer, accompanied by a eoiumittee [ from the New Plymouth Borough Council, made an inspection of the tunnel at the powerhouse yesterday in connection with the proposed increase of water-power for driving the electric lighting plant. Owing to the lack of vigilance on the part of the ranger the stray horse and cow are becoming an intolerable nuisance in the Moturoa district. Of course, impounding is not the only penalty uf using the "long acre." ruder the Public Works Act allowing i>. :.• o

stray on the public, road ie an offence, for which lines mav he inflicted up to

The Tarata Dairy Company is now turning out nine boxes of butter daily. There are seventeen suppliers, whose tests range from 3.5 to 4.3. The manager, Mr. 0. Cameron, is keeping the factory well to the fore by turning out a first-class' line of butter, his grading notes for the past two months langhg from 03 to 05.

Fitzroy bowlers spent a very enjoy able day on the Stratford Club's green yesterday, when two matches weir played against five rinks of the home club. In the morning the Fitzroy penile went down, by six points, and in (!)<• afternoon bv 24. The abounding Impitality of the Stratford folk, Ihe fine green, and the very pleasant associations, however, quite dispelled any fc •!• ings of regret at the defeat.

Picnickers at Moturoa on New Year's Day should not miss the opportunity afforded them of having a most enjoyable sea trip. The Union Steamship Company's s.s. Kotuku, of 1050 tons register, will run excursions during the day at the small charge of Is for adults and Od for children. This fine boat is beautifully adapted for excursions of tills description, being a good sea boal, free from top hamper, and with plenty of deck space, which, when covered iii •with awning, will give excursionists plenty of room to move about without getting in the hot sun. To make the trips more enjoyable the band will be on board.

A very pleasant and successful picnic was held yesterday at Carrington road in connection with the Wcslcvan Sunday School. The event, which is an annual one, took place on the farm of Mr. K. Smith, and the grounds which he kindly placed at the disposal of the echool were most suit able, having the indispensable requisites of shade, shelter and grassy spaces. The provisions, which were supplied by the ladies of the congregation, were ample and varied, and were discussed with heartv goodwill. Prizes were competed for % juveniles and adults ,and some of tile performances caused a good deal of amusement. After tea the young people indulged in the usual games, rounders, twos-and-threes, etc., and evidently had an enjoyable time.

YOOMJ NEW PLYMOTJTH-Now's your chance to secure a smart lookhi". tailor-finished, boxed euil for yours'i{f' Most of the well-dressed youths •. mi see in New Plymouth get" their riest suits from The Kasli. We've just finisV ed a lot of youths' suits in plain kniclters, buckle and strap knickers, and b'lt-ton-kneed knickers, made from the most fashionable cloths and finished in tlitop style, with well-fitting padded shon'l-1 ders and good-fitting suits. We lenel them from 29e to 49s Od—THE KASH

St. Mary's Chui|li was beautifully decorated for the Christmas services. The cliancel was a mass oi llowers, and conspicuous among the decoration., wis a lloral arch over the chancel steps, in the evening a carol service was held. The choir sang the carols ''Good Christian .Men, Rejoice," "In Terra Pax," and "We liiicc Kings ol Orient," the solos in the last being taken by .Messrs. Crawford, Woodard, and Bannister. An anthem selected from "llie .Messiah" wits' also sung, the recitative aid aria "There were Shepherds Abiding in the -Field" being rendered by .Miss Rosalie llandley, and the chorus "tllory to <iod" I ly the choir. Mr. Nixon sang (lounod's exquisite song "Nazareth.''

Mr. 11. Spencer Salt played a beautiful violin solo. The organist (.Mr. R. Neville Kenaud) played (iuilmant's arrangement of Christinas hymns and a

special setting of the march from! "Tannhuuser" as organ solos. The vicar (the Rev. F. «. Evans) conducted the services, being assisted by the Rev. E. Allanson, 8.D., at the 11 o'clock celebration of Holy Communion. The attendances at the four services during the day were very good.

During a visit to Denmark recmny, ' Mr. 11. 13. Soixwh, of Chrislcliiirch,! ', had an opportunity of inspecting Ihe Copenhagen Milk .Market, and was much | impressed with what he saw there. 'J lie i institution, which practically controls I the milk supply lor the city, and ah- i sorbs the milk-product of o(),000 cows. ■ was originally started by Mr. Busk, of; Copenhagen, as a philanthropic concern, its principal object being to supply milk suitable for the use of invalids', in mis it has been entirely success! ill, the rate of infant mortality being greatly decreased since it started operations. All cows in Denmark are inspected once a fortnight, and the cows which supply milk to the market for consumption by infants are inspected weekly. The most absolute purity and cleanliness' are insisted upon both in the dairies which supply milk and in the market itself, and the milk is sent out in speciallysealed bottles of various sizes, packed in ice. An improved milking bucket, designed by Mr. Rusk, which contains a;i ice chamber in the bottom, has done much to lessen the risk of the milk being infected with disease bacilli. All milk is tested upon entering the market, and the girls who do this work are encouraged by small prizes to detect the slightest variation from the normal quality.

Christmas Day in Jjew Plymouth was ushered in by a bright and busy Christmas Eve. All day long on Friday tlio business streets were crowded with gaily dressed and gaily behaving folk, and "a merry Christmas" and "the same to you" could be heard on all sides. Old friends of many years' standing renewed their friendship as they went the round of the shops, with the kindly intent of gift-making. All of the retail shops were busy the dav through, and at night the trade was congested 'till n very late hour. The refreshment rooms and the hotel bars did a merry trade. But there was no rowdyism "and no himkmism, just merry-making, frolicsome and lighl-hearted.' The late arrival of the express had the effect of !<! me people about till a late hour, and at midnight there were still . Christmas wishes being exchanged. In the early hours of Christmas morning lie Garrison Band, in two detachments, started out on its round, playing thy old-world Christmas carol airs in nearly every street in town and suburbs. Carol-singing was conspicuous by its absence. There was glorious weather for Christmas' Day, Sunday was unseasonable. There wns a fall'of snow on Ml. Egmont, and a cold southerly gale blew throughout the whole dav and "evoniii". Yesterday the weather had resumed ifs holiday form. William Sidis, au eleven-year-old pro digy, has just been admitted as an undergraduate at Harvard University. He is described as a miracle ol precocity. He is the sou of Dr. Sidis, of Boston, ivhu believes in the seientilie forcing process almost from birth, and that the brain becomes less and less sensitive to training as age increases. In this respect the doctor finds himself in opposition to the majority of people. Young Sidis hays the New York correspondent of tlie Daily Telegraph) could read fairly well at two years old, was' a good typewriter at four, and at five composed a textbook on anatomy 101 beginners, lie entered the gramma school at six, studied German, French, and Russian successfully between seven and ten, ami for "recreation" took courses in Latin and Greek. He was qualilied for Harvard three years ago, but was refused admission on account of age, and was 1 so well known to the Faculty there that when he applied again for admission this year, the vice president said: "What, Sidis, you here again y" To which the youngster proudly replied, "Yes, sir, and this time to stay." And stay he did. The child's training was begun with a set of alphabetic! blocks when'he was a little over a u'.ir old. When hi s young son, sitting o.i the nursery iloor, said "Ba! bill !ir. Sidis took two of these blocks, denning A and it respectively, held th in jefore lis eyes, and showed him first the B block and then the A block, Later Dr. Sidis reversed this order, and showed him the other sound that was represented by these letters'. In a little while, on being shown lirst the A block and (hen the B block, the child would say "Ab." Thus when not two years old he learned to talk, read, and spell all at once. The boy never squandered time in playing as it is understood, but be found recreation in mathematics. Timetables, calendars, and railway maps were cherished objects in his nursery. One day he startled his parents by announcing that he was able to tell on what clay of the week any given date would fall, it was at lirst thought that in his play with the calendars he had memorised some dates. Upon iuvesti- : gallon, however, it was found that he bad worked il all out by a method of counting, enabling him mentally to calculate any date demanded.