LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 307, 22 May 1911, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

In tho rich alluvial lands down south crops of turnips are realising as high as £lO per acre. The Maheno arrived in Auckland yesterday morning with 308 bags of English mail for the south.

There is said to be an ascetic in India who claims not to have spoken for 23 years. What an example for some of our public .men. On the 15th inst. the Hon. Mr. Justice Edwards, on the motion of Mr. T. S. Weston (Weston and Weston), granteo probate of the will of the late Mr. W. B. Stride to the executrix named therein.

Mr. J. H. Parker has purchased the site between Miss Jones' elore and Mr. Bransgrovc's garage, belonging to Messrs Burgess, Eraser and Co., and having a frontage of 84ft. Mr. Parker is shortly erecting an up-to-date shop and factory for the Red Post Furnishing Co.

How old is Pelorus Jack? According to an account given by Kcpa Henri Whiro, of Pelorus Sound, ho i.t credited with 275 years. He has been escorting steamers near the French Pass for over 20 years, but he has probably been known to the pakeha for half a century. That sterilised- air is an effective remedy for milk fever was demonstrated in Eketahuna on Monday morning, when a valuable cow, the property of Mr. F. C. Turner, which ha,d been down for nineteen houTs, was up and about within an hour after being operated on by Mr. E. J. Burt, veterinary t-liemist.—Epreas. Much interest was taken is the movements of a cow in Devon street on Saturday evening. The animal sauntered down the centre of the road about 7 p.m. from Liar.det. Street to Brougham street, quite undisturbed by the traffic and brilliant illuminations, and evidently oblivious of the fact that there is such a personage as a borough inspector. '

Messrs. F. W. Court and R. G. Cottier have purchased Messrs. McCluggage Bros.' old established business at Whangamomona. Both are well and favorably known in the district, having been in Mr. Newton King's employ for some years, the former as traveller for the grocery department, and the latter as auctioneer. ■ They take over on June 1.

.South Taranaki motorists have discovered a new pastime. They put up hares on the main roads and course them for miles. .One' man, so the Manaia paper affirms, put up no less than eight the other night on the road between lla- ; \vera and Manaia, whilst another motorist coursed one for miles, and then, in the words of the paper, "the ear called up its reserve -peed and gave the hare its quietus!" A disgraceful affair is reported to have occurred at Morriiuville, where the ladies gave a hall recently. Larrikins placed a large quantity of Epsom salts in a copper in which water was being boiled to make tea. The strong flavor of the "tea" averted serious consequences. Subsequently the larrikins stole soup which was being heated, and replaced it with water. Much, indignation has been caused in the district by these acts. The Garrison Band rendered a tine programme of'music'oil Saturday evening from the balcony of the Criterion Hotel. Several members of 'the East End Bathing Committee/ nieandered amongst the crowd collected by the alluring strains of the music, and obtained donations to the Hardgraves' presentation fund. It is intended to ;isk his Worship the Mayor to make the presentation in the rantcebnicon at 0.30 this evening.

A young lady, who attended a local church yesterday mo/ning was evidently very attentive to the sermon, and intended to profit by any lesson contained therein. The minister, at the conclusion of his exhortation, requested his hearers to look up the passage (meaning the text) when, they got Jiome. "That reminds nie," whispered the young lady, sotto voce, to--her, neighbor, "I forgot to look along our passage and rub down the linoleum this,morning." There is one man at any rate whose •services as arbitrator- would be in great demand if he were to advertise his methods, although possibly he might not make a fortune out of it. At a recent local body meeting, it was notified that a dispute between a contractor and a settler over .stone royalty had been settled. "Yes," remarked a member, "they called in an arbitrator, Mr. (mentioning an old Tarata resident), and as after considerable argument there was still £2 in dispute, the arbitrator settled the matter by giving his own personal cheque for the amount." A characteristic arid delightful story of his Majesty's generosity was related recently at Yarmouth by Alderman C. S. Orde. There was an old couple, Mr. and Mrs. Folkes, whom he knew personally, residing upon the Royal estate at Dersingham, who had for a long time been tenants of the late King, and had since been tenants of King George. His Majesty called upon them some time ago in a friendly, unceremonious way, and chatted with them. On leaving, the King lit a cigar and offered one to Mr. Folkes, who thanked his Majesty most heartily, adding that he did not often get a chance to smoke cigars, as his income did not permit him. The King laughed, and bade the old eoupk farewell, but a day or two Inter a letter in the King's handwriting came to Mr. Folkes. saying that, as he had occupied his house on (lie Royal estate for so many years, it would be a great pleasure to his Majesty to give him the house rent free for the rest of his life. The King ended his letter by expressing the hope that this little relief to his income would enable him to afford and enjoy a cigar as long as he lived. "I want to know if I am to Jtake crushed metal, as I think one yard of pit metal is worth two yards of crushed metal," pathetically asked a foreman in his report to the Moa Road Board on Saturday. His opinion was endorsed by most of the members, one of whom remarked "that the sooner the crusher is chucked in the sea the better." Later on, an irate settler waited on the board and wanted to know why the metalling contract was not proceeded with. The contract had been let some time, and nothing had.been done. Specifications should cither be done away with or else kept up. He also asked if crushed metal was going to be used on the road in question. "The settlers don't want it. It's no blarmcy good." he protested, "especially when there are good pits on the road." The chairman pointed out that he had given the contractor permission to u.sc, crushed metal, because he thought the metal would be put on the road at. once. He now found that the man was waiting for the county crusher, which would not be available for a few weeks. He admitted that he bad made a bad bargain. During the discussion one member emphatically remarked that the county council had found out its mistake in using a crusher, and was doing awny with it after (his year. Tt was resolved to request the contractor to proceed with the contract without any delay. Members of the Equitable Building Socielv of New Plymouth (Fiist and Second Crowns) are notified tint subscriptions will be due and payable to'dav (Monday), at the Sciivta-'vV Office. Currie-street, from I) a.m. lo 12.H0 n.m.. from 1 n.m. to 5 p.m.. and 7 p.m. to S p.m.—Advf.

Thirty-seven employees of one Auckland firm have sent in their applications for a term of physical training at the V.M.O.A. physical department, the firm paying all expenses. The estate of the late Mr. James C&etrell, of Tc Awauiutu, has yielded by a sale of some property the handsome sum of £3OOO to the Auckland Diocesan Pension Fund for clergymen.

In order to avoid'increasing the price of meat, the butchers of Feilding have decided to charge Id per ib extra on all meats hot charged for on delivery. The theory is that by raising the price all round those who pay their accounts are making up for bad debts.

"During all the years in which 1 have been reported, I can safely say that 1 have never been misrepresented by any reporter, never."—Dr. McArthur, S.M., in the course of some remarks made at an inquest ut [Vtone on Monday.—Dr. McArthur is not it politician. Some exceptional yields of potatoes are being recorded in North Canterbury this season, says the Chrislehurch Press. A farmer at Kaiapoi and another at Lincoln are digging Northern Stars at the rate of 25 tons per acre, which must be a local record for a crop grown on a farm. Another fanner at Prebbleton has over twenty toils per acre of His Majesty, a new variety. Mr. W. E. Goodwill, of Prebbleton. has a splendid crop of Dakota Reds, a variety imported from America. They are very like Derwents in color and shape. One root yielded 28 table and seed potatoes. Ordinarily we do not sleep by -accident or haphazard. We simply, resolve to sleep, and self-suggestion plays a. great part in the production of sleep. We go through a variety of actions, all suggestive of a change from our normal waking condition. We mulre-s, We place ourselves in a comfortable position, we close our eyes. We believe and expect we are going to sleep, and the result is —sleep. One of the great preventives of sleep is the fear of not sleeping, but an authority says that once this fear is broken down we sleep anyhow. The insomniac worries about his insomnia, and this very worry deepens the mischief.

A very curious ease which has occurred at the Charity Hospital at Valencia is considerably puzzling the doctors there. A patient 21 years of age was seized with violent cardiac spasms and apparently died in a few hours. While examining the corpse the house physician who attended the -case observed a total absence of all the usual symptoms of organic change, anil consequently ordered the body to be kept underdose observation. The body has remained in the same condition, without exhibiting any of the changes which ordinarily accompany death. The case is still being watched with the utmost vigilance, but it is still impossible to say whether the man is alive or dead. An extraordinary occurrence caused a fire alarm on a recent occasion in Gisborne. At a street junction part of d 3-inch gas main had been left exposed through a sewerage excavation. A sub- f sidenec of the earth en used the main to crack, and consequently leak profusely. Through some cause which has not been ascertained the escaping' fumes became ignited. The flames made a terrific roar as they mounted skywards from the trench to a considerable height, and the glare, but for the absence of smoke, gave the appearance that the town was on fire. The brigade turned out, but their usual appliances were of no use to cope with the outbreak. A quantity of sand was thrown on top of the Annies, which proved effective after the pressure had been lessened.