LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 205, 8 December 1910, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Did King Manuel, when lie fled from Lisbon, carry away with him the great Brasanza diamond, the most valuable heirloom of his family? Tf so, he will, be a rich man, for at the lowest computation its value is in excess of .C3.0nn.000. while some experts have put, it as hitrb as £0.000,000. The gem is the size of a hen's egg, and weighs over a pound. Some strong remarks \vpve passed among farmers at Leviin lately on the approaching visit of Peter Bowling to Xew Zealand. They said that he was coming -with the intention of stirring up bad blood between employer and employee, and the opinion was expressed, says the Chronicle, that the presence of such persons is "highly undesirable in this country. One Levin farmer remarked, that he would like to "have five minutes wrth 'Sim." __ ......

The High School cadets go into camp on Friday morning, not on Tuesday next as was stated in Tuesday's paper. A poll was taken yesterday at Wanganui on the proposal to raise a loan of £29,000 for borough improvement, and the proposal was carried. Bis Excellency the Governor has signified his intention of presiding over the annual prize-giving at the Wanganui Girls' College this evening. A Feilding telegram states that the Feilding Choral Society rendered the oratorio "-"Elijah" to a crowded house last night, with Mr. John Prouse as "Elijah." Mrs. Dr. Walker has donated a special consolation prize of a guinea for the sweet pea classes at to-day's horticultural show. The conditions under which the prize is to be awarded will be sealed. The Horticultural Society's display takes place to-day and there are some remarkable features, the chief being the splendour of the blooms benched. This is largely due to the magnificent season which is being experienced, horticulturists being of opinion that there has not been so favorable season for many years. The entries for the cookery classes constitute a record, and more than ordinary enthusiasm has been shown in the table and mantel pisplays. There is no doubt that the display generally will be the best ever held by the society. The first polo match of the season between East End and Beach-combers teams was played at the municipal baths last evening. It was a splendid game, and must be classed as the best polo ever seen in New Plymouth, being playey as it should be, a passing, and not a ducking game. Mr. A. L. Dixon was elected captain of the Beach-combers, artd Mr. F. Turnbull captain of the East End. The game ended in a draw, two goals being scored by each side. Pfankuch and Laing for the East End, and Brown and Hawkins for the Beach-comb-ers registering goals. Mr. W. Lints refereed very satisfactorily. Messrs. Eric Bayly and A. Bewley acted as goal stewards.

The Wairarapa Daily Times says:—A young man enquired his way into this office the other morning, leaned confidentially over the sub-editor, and said: "How much will you take to keep my name out? I've been had up on a debt ease in court." It is not easy to more directly insult a New Zealand journalist,' and one or two members of this staff explained the position with such emphasis to the person in question that he was probably glad to escape through a widely-opened door. We note this incident because on other occasions persons with a most extraordinary conception of what is involved in the proper conduct of a newspaper have made similar applications, and because we want it understood that the next time any person comes to this office on such an errand the physical strength of the largest printer on the premises will be immediately requisitioned. The passengers by the first express north from Duuedin one day last week included a little girl about twelve years old, who boarded the train at Port Chalmers, says the Gtago Daily Times. Apparently the care and worries of home life had become too much, for the little maidj so she determined to, try a change ■of air and visit her grandmother, at Hjllgrove. She did not trouble to take; oer hat with'her, nor to, enquire whether the, train stopped at Hillgrove, nor did she pause to buy a railway ticket, but she grasped firmly under her arm a large directory—presumably a peace offering to her grandmother—and took her seat. The omission to get a ticket, however, proved a fatal mistake in her plans, for even the most kindly guard cannot take passengers free. So when Waikouaiti, the first stop, was reached, a sorrowful ,little girl, still clasping her directory, was ; handed over to the care of the local policeman, with directions to return her to Port Chalmers by the next train.