LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 111, 18 August 1910, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The wife of a man recently admitted as an inmate of the Old People's Home is reported to be in a position to support her husband, and proceedings «rill be taken to have his maintenance in the public institution paid by her.

The Postal Department notify that the outward English mail, despatched from Wellington on July Ist (which missed the connection at Sydney), also the despatch of July Bth, via Naples, arrived at London on the morning of the 15th inst.

The weekly meeting of the Egmonfc Lodge, No 112, 1.0. G.T., was held in St. Mary's Hall last night, O.T. Bro. C. Pepperill presiding. Bro. B. W. HartnelFs and Bro. J. D. Roch's names will be engraved on the shield. The programme was in charge of Bros. A. White and C. Pepperill. A number ot amusing and interesting competitions were held. Captain Neckel, of the Viganella,( asked Captain-Newton yesterday, just before the pilot fcoat cast adrift, to express in New Plymouth his sense oi en-l joyment of his stay at .tlhis fort J "Thank them particularly," an i«»id, "for the advice they so freely g*vr. 1 have sailed to many countries and visit-! Ed many ports, but never have I been given so much advice before." Anony- 1 mous newspaper correspondents will doubtless appreciate 'the captain's-gentle! sarcasm.

Recently frequent reference has been made to the inebriate and improvident husband and father. The other day a little boy arrived at the local charitable: aid office with a message from his mother asking for relief. Provisions were supplied, and then the secretary j finding where the man was working, went round to his employer and drew ; the money coming to him—lis 6d for a day's work. This money he handed to the unfortunate woman whom the man had sworn to "love and cherish." , The secretary informed the board yes-' • terday that the man earned good money, ; but not much of it went into the family exchequer. : At last night's meeting of the New , Plymouth Horticultural Society it was i decided that there should be no com- 1 . petitions at the society's show for the : best classes in the cut flowers and | vegetable sections. The following very • excellent resolve .was, however, made: I "Thait a class be instituted for competi- ' tors who have never won a pruw, for an I I exhibition of cut flowers and vegetables, and tiliat it be a condition that such competitors do not occupy more than one quarter acre of land." This will have the effect of varying the monotony of handing out prizes, time after time, to chronic exhibitors.' A handsome prize will be given to the winner in the class. Piano playing records are now creating a good deal ot interest in other centres, and an attempt will shortly be made in New Plymouth to beat ine record. Mr. J. Stirton, who until recently claimed the world's record of 62y a hours, was in town yesterday with' lus manager, Mr. B. Campion, making' arrangements with the Biograpli Picture Company to attempt to break the reuord of 64 hours accomplished Iby Miss 1 Deveraux at Christchurch last week. The trial will take place at the Theatre Royal at a date to be fixed upon. Mr. i Stirton is being carefully trained for his effort of endurance. He and Mr. Campion are located at the Criterion Hotel. A pitiful case of a woman's delusion came before the Court in iSJydney recently, when a middle-aged woman pleaded guilty to a charge of bigamy. . It was alleged that the woman had married a second time merely.to make her husband jealous. Her counsel said that she had 'gone completely off her head," although she did not think so, and this state of affairs had' been brought about, counsel stated, "through her husband, who was a morose sort of individual, having said that he dsd not want her. Accused, some months ago," continued counsel, "thought that she was a great singer, and that she could outclass Calve. She dress*ed in peculiar clothes, and drew money from the bank in order to perfect that which she did not possess. After medical evidence supporting counsel's statement had been produced, his Honor consented to the woman withdrawing the plea of guilty and remanded her for medical examination.

AIRE YOU SORE? Does your back ache? Have you neurit Igia? Do you know that Dr. Sheldon's Magnetic Liniment will cure*you? It is the only external remedy that will take nut all the inflammation. It can't help lint do you good. Obtainable everywhere, i

"Xwiquai" writes; "Referring to your leader on the Jameson raid, it may be interesting to mention that Lionel Terry was at the time of the raid a trooper in 'the Beehuanaland .Mounted Police, volunteered for it, and took part in it. Other people of unhinged temperament also took part in an outrage that was nipped in the bud. As a citizen of Johannesburg at the time of the raid, I remember that the local Dutchmen, in referring to the raid, always laughed heartily. Their invariable comment was, 'Wacht een bitje' (wait a bit)." The Operatic Society is making really excellent progress. The conduetor, Mr. P. Cornwall, is very enthusiastic in his work, and the members muster well for the weekly practices. Last night, owins; to fifteen mejnbers being out of town, the attendance was smaller than usual, and even then there were forty-nine voices in the chorus. "Dorothy," the opera which is being rehearsed by the Society for production early in November next, is a splendid work, and contains many very fine choruses of varying shades. Mr. Cornwall seems to have "caught the hang" of the piece, to use a colloquialism, and the choruses are being splendidly. expressed. The Society is very fortunate in having as accompanist Miss Warren, and also possesses some sopranos who revel in operatic singing. The contraltos are strong, and the basses also. Two or three tenors would be welcomed, and any gentlemen who would like to assist our local amateurs to put on successfully a very popular and very pretty opera, have now an opportunity of encouraging the native talent. There should be no need to appeal •twice. A vocnl+iiM i'n

A peculiar accident, resulting in ser ous loss to Mr. W. Glenny, occurred, oi Saturday at iStoreyville (says the Patei Press). Mr. Glenny had taken a lorr] load of timber on to Mr. Derrett's sec tion, where a new house is being built and had removed part of the load at oiw stack, and was about to move on to another to discharge the remainder, when one of the two leaders bit the other, The result proved to be startling and serious in more ways than one. As the liitten one jumped to one side to escape the too familiar attentions of his mate, he suddenly crashed through the grassgrown covering of a long-forgotten well, dVaaging his mate with him. Mr. Glenny then had a lively five minutes in trying to unhook the leadchains from the shafts. The weight of the top horse kept the chains tight, arfd it was only by forcing the shatters up to the brink of the well, that ihe could get sufficient slack to unhook. When this was accomplished he summoned help, which was soon forthcoming, to get' the leaders out of the well. A tripodvwas erected and a block and tackle rigged, and after a hard and anxious three hours' work, the topmost horse was extricated from his untimely tomb. When taken out he was found to be badly bruised and strained, but will probably recover. It was then seen that the other animal was dead, so nothing was done till next day. It would have saved a lot of trouble if the well could have been filled up and thus used as a, burying place for the defunct horse. This, however, could not be done, so hej was removed. j