LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XLIX, Issue 12640, 30 October 1905, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The Salvation Army self-denial oollections in Palmerston North amounted to £224. ,' r -. Tho members of the Chamber of Commerce are reminded of the meeting which takes place ou Tuesday, c3lst instant, at 3.30 p.m., at the office, Wicksteed place. Tho Masterton "Times" states that .a..' Maori named Manieratawaro died at To Ore Ore on Monday morning, hay- x ing reached the extreme age of on-a hundred and twenty yeJ|rs. " ...;' Entries for the Canterbury Metropolitan Sbow^exceed those of last year, which were,a* record, by 175. Tho increaseis notably in- sheep,'which, -coin* pared with last year, havfi increased fr0m.683 to 758: cattle 217 to 241, and horses 494 to 522. Manyi of the old identities of the Coast Trill learn with deep regret of the death of, Joseph Antonio, of Antonio's Plat (named after him) in the Xiittle Grey Valley. The deceased, who was justly r&spected by all who knew him, passed away peacefully hi th« Beef ton Hospital at an advanced age.

A pitiful sight was witnessed one day last week. . A woman, helplessly drunk, was lying on the footpath near the Museum road.- She was observed by the police, who procured an express and conveyed the woman to the lockup. She was subsequently charged with drunkenness.

A challenge boat-pulling contest took placo in the open sea at Bulli, New South Wales, recently. The distance was about six miles. The crew of the Dolphin (18-footer) won easily from that of the Lilian (22-footer) in 1 hour 9 mins. The race is said to be the first ot the kind in Australia.

We would dall attention -to the announcement in our advertising columns that Johnston and Co., Limited, and Baddeley, Forlong, and Co/s wool, hide, skin, and tallow sale will be held on 22nd November. Entries are now being received at their offices, Taupo Quay and Ridgway street.

Shareholders are reminded that today is the usual pay day of the Wanganui People's Building Society. AH shares must be fully paid up to-day and pass books left at the secretary's office ior auditing purposes. No arrears of subscriptions will be received after 9 p!m. Office hour's, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., 7.30 to 9 p.m.

The Nelson "Colonist" has been shown by Mr. D. Merlin©, of Bridge street, Nelson, a curiosity in the shape or an egg with a smaller egg within. When collecting the hens' eggs an exceptionally largo one was observed, which it was decided to keep. On attempting to blow it, however, an obstruction was notioid, and on chipping the shell another egg of normal size with perfect shell, was discovered within.

Mr. T. D. Cummins, chairman of the River Trust, received a communication irom Mr. A. D. Willis, M.H.R., on Saturday night to the effect that he had been busying himself with a viewox getting something for the Trust on the Supplementaries, and with that end in view had presented a petition signed by eighteen members of the House urging that this be done. Mr. Willis says that Sir Joseph Ward was friendly disposed, and he quite expecto:l a reasonably substantial sum on the Supplementary" Estimates, due probably tho same evening.

A shield draughts match was played in the Cosmopolitan Club's rooms on Friday night between the T.Y.M.I. No. 2 team and the Cosmo.'s, and some very close games Exulted, the former team eventually winning by 25 games to their opponents', 20. Mr. Bridges made an impartial referee. The results of the various boards were as follows: F Ansley (T.Y.M.1.) 1 v. A. Hodren (Cosmo.) 3; A. Coneybeer 0 v. E. Scrivener 4; A. Fell 1 v. J. Doole 1, 2 drawn; A. Hicks 2 v. H. Lainpitt 2; C. Hayton 3 v. K. Stewart 1; A. Pyle 2 v. A. K. Harris 2; E. Liddle 1 v. H. Flinder 3; F. Lenzini 3 v. H. Rogerson 0, 1 drawn; F. Ansley 3v. W. Hilmer 1: H. Thayer 3 v. A. Emeny 1; R. Ansley 4 v. T. Hogg 0; A. Burnett 2v. E. Handley 2. Totals— T.Y.M.I. 25, Cosmo. 20; drawn 3.

The pretty litfre village of Water Newton, on the outskirts of North Huntingdonshire, possesses a pond which has the reputation of being haunted. In passing it in the early morning some time ago, a woman going gleaning.saw some booted feet aud stockinged legs protruding from the greon weedy water, and, suspecting a tragedy, sha aroused the vi'lagers. They trooped to the pool, and two of the wore valiant of the men waded into the water and grasped the legs to drag the "body" to the shore. But there was no body. The "corpse" finished at the knees. Then the truth began to dawn upon the awakened villagers. They had been hoaxed. From each leg projected a stick which had been cunningly bent so as to keep the feet above the water. The "legs" were dummies. A pair of stockings had been stuffed with day, and boots placed upon the "feet." It was the work of two schoolboys, who had thus occupied themselves during their holidays.

Mr. David Jess, the chief officer of the King Edward, now on her way from Lyttelton to Auckland, was at one time a resident of Chnstchurch, and was chief officer of the Rotomahana when.that vessel was one of the crack boats in the intercolonial trade. Leaving the Union Company's service, he- joined the barkue Lass of Leny, and when on a voyago from Hamburg,to San Francisco in that vessel (16 years, ago) was the hero of an exciting ad-, venture. When the vessel was off Cage v Horn an apprentice fell overboard,' and Mr. Jess promptly dived in after < him. There was a heavy sea running.^^o, heavy that one of the boats launched to pick up the two men was smashed— but Mr. Jess, with the help of a lifebuoy, kept the lad afloat for two- hoars and* forty minutes. They were then' picked up by the second boat.-, Mr; Jess fesls the effects of his terrible experience until this day. He was f0r.15 years a pilot at Bombay, and then went to the Old Country. Coming on to Melbourne to escape the English winter, he became chef officer of the King Edward for the sake of occupation. He returns to England when the winter is over.

The post card craze has taken such a hold of the Parisian public that the postal clerks have broksn ; down under the stress of the additional strain put on them, and been, ordered to the seaside en masse. Every Frenchman, when out for bis holidays, "makes it a practice to send" hundreds of post cards to his relations and friends,*to let them know how. he is enjoying himself. They choke the letter-l«>xes, and incite the clerks and postmen whom they remind of tho delights of the country, to .try to get away themselves., This they contrive to do by means of sick, leave from the Post Office doctors, who, resenting the increased consultations, write the sick leave orders off-hand. As a result, M. JBerard, the Under-Secret ary cf Stat^ for iPostl and Telegraphs, has sent a /Circular to'the doctors complaining of. this too ready benevolence, which'leaves the public without their letters.- -In one office of 300 employees no fewer than 80, he states, notified their chief on the same day that they wcro "ordered to the seaside." M. L'erard requires that when the post offioo doctors in future order clerks or messengers a country holiday on account of "fatigue, over-work, chlorosis, or anaemia," they must give the Lepartnient a fortn'ght or month's notice. This stem measure, he trusts, will remedy the abuse. As indicating the extent of the craze, it may be mentioned that on tho day that the English fleet visited Haarlem, near Amsterdam, tho local post office despatched 23,000 post cards to different places in England.

It is expected that Parliament will close its session this afternoon or evening.

Mi*. W. G. Bassott will address the electors of Aramoho this evening. He will speak in tho A.B.C. Shed at 8 o'clock.

Wo regret to hear that Mr. Haselden ha.s to lea^e for Auckland.at once to attend the funeral of his mother, who died after a feAV hours' illness on Sunday. On this account, his meeting at the Opera House to-morrow evening, 31st October, will be postponed.

On a, train on a Warwickshire branch line leaving Fenny Compton a, horse got on to the line, and deliberately trotted in front. Neither the driver nor the platelayers en route could frighten the horse off the metals, and it persisted in kading the train to the next stop, delaying the train 20 minutes. A gentleman who entered a first-class carriage with ihis wife discovered that, having left home hurriedly he had brought gloves of different colours. As a sort of consolation, the lady remarked, " Odd gloves may be fashionable before long." They then noticed that a man in the same carriage was wearing one brown glove and one grey one.

Isaac Halten, a restaurant-keeper, of Breslau, has been arrested on the Russian frontier for smuggling arms and tobacco. The Customs officers (says the " Express"), whto suspected him of carryinig on a systematic contraband trade, searched Herr Halten, even to unscrewing bis cork leg. Inside the limb were found two new revolvers, together with boxes of cartridges, besides large quantities of cigars and cigarettes.

The famous snail of Bucrgundy is so greatly reduced in numbers thajb the demand for it in the • restaurants cannot be adequately supplied. The General Council of the Department of the Cote dOr has, therefore, asked the prefect to authorise a close time for snail.3 between April 15 and July 15. On the prefect replying that he had no power to make such an order, as the snail is not game, the council expressed the hope that measures will be taken to carry out their proposal.

In Vienna, a tiiam driver named Prugel mad© the acquaintance of a girl in his tramcar, and ,although a, married man with two children, he made love to her. Some time afterwards she begged him to marry her, not knowing that he was already married. During the temporary absence of ihis wife, Prugel "took the girl to Msi flat, where he murdered her. Afterwards flic packed her body in a trunk, and in the dead of night made his wife assist him to carry the trunk into the park.

Mr A. L. Adams has brought in New York a piece of land upon which he will erect an hotel of forty-two stories. The nominal builder is a corporation with a capital of JEIjOO^OOO, but Mr Adams alone is the moving spirit. The building will be capable of receiving 2200 guests. It will have 500 rooms, with baths, innumerable suites for every purpose, dining and iball rooms, on the top floor, and on the bottom Turkish swimming baths, with attendants from the BLamman Baths in Paris and the Khedival Baths at Cairo.

An automobilist in 'Spain, travelling through Castille, cam©, out of an inn, to find his automobile su<nrounde7d by the population of the village, who were gazing at it with much interest, and examining tdie back wheels, out of which large lumps (had just been cut. On inquiring into the matter, the owner of the automobile found that the damage had been caused by the mother of a numerous family, who confessed that, seeing so inuoh rubber on the wheels, she: had cufcva few pieces out #b make tops for her. eHldren.

The," Daily News"; tells new story about Jowett,;. .thefamous { master of BaJiiol. ' A ' studehl>: at Oxford, more addicted "to rea^aig jErench novels than to works of .a serious character, had the privilege of •» walk with the master of Balliol.; Duriijg itflie Svalk the student expatiated on^rench. novels with the enthusiasm of a ooshoisseur. Jowett listened^ but said ifotihing. As they paa^ed Jowett said, " What sentence is written,, .above the entrance to hell?" The sttident, who was not a little surprised,'replied, -'Abandon hope, all ye that ■ eMfef here." "No," retorted Jowett,;" it is 'Ici on. parle Francais.'"

Speaking on the lad question at :Mqsst6wn on Friday night, Mr. Basket! pointed out the.fallacy of the contention that to sell the freehold to the holders'of tho 999 years leases would be to sacrifice a large national rentroll," as the State was not in the posi,tion -of an owner collecting his rent, bui.simply in the position of an agent, without commission, collecting interest foi* the British bondholder, and it was doubtful if after paying cost of administration the rent collected—four per cent,, less two per cent, allowance made to farmers who pay promptly— would clover the cost of interest and exchange on same.

A farmer of Zenta, Hungary, named Kindin, noticed a suspicious taste in the soup his wife had given turn, and as he had ireason to believe she wished him out of the wax* he forced her to eat it. Later in the day tlie woman was found drowned in the river, and in a letter written she confessed that she had really poisoned his soup. The polioa searched the liouse of an old woman named Sivacki, who had suspected of selling poison. They found a quantity of corrosive sublimate and arsenic, and papers and iaceoun<ts compromising twelve women of the place, who had lost tiheior husbands during recent years, and in most cases married again.

, Mr. E. B. Heywood, for nearly "?[-> years accountant of the Wanganui branch of the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company, Limited, has received well-deserved promotion t'.« an important position in the company's head office in New Zealand. By ins unfailing eoui+esy, genial manner, •And sterling qualities, Mr. Heywood has mads a host of friends during his long residence in Wanganui, and one Jtnd all, while sorry to lose him from their midst, will be delighted to hear of his substantial advancement in life. Upon the eve of his departure from Wanganui, a handsome presentation was made to him by the staff of the Wangariui. office, by whom he will be greatly missed. Mr. Hunt, from Christchurch, and formerly of Melbourne, succeeds Mr. Heywood at Wanganui ai accountant.