NEWS FROM ALL QUARTERS.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 230, 28 September 1929, Page 3 (Supplement)

NEWS FROM ALL QUARTERS.

SHY VILLAGE LOVERS. Romance has so long seemed dead in the agricultural village of Willingham, Lincolnshir., so i':v.- w-eddingii having taken place recently, that the rector, the Rev. S. Malkinsen, began to despair. He now declares, however, in his parish magazine, which he types and prints himself, that he was greatly cheered on a recent outing to Cleethorpes at seeing so many young people in various attitudes of romantic bliss, ge remarks that it seemed very hopeful. He suggests that a wedding present should be given from his magazine fund to all couples putting up banns of marriage before the end of the year. A POET WRITES A LETTER. A number of younger Parisian poets have started the fashion of writing a bit of free verse when they wish to address a letter. The following is a sample:— It is not at Budapest or Billingsgate, Constantinople, Kimberley or Kokomo, Where Christian Dorcy lives, But at the charming suburb of Asnieres, (Just a step outside the city gate). Go. then, postman, in the Rue Lahot, No. 31, Ring, and, visitor opportune. To whom my gratitude is due. Hand him this letter long overdue. So far the much-harassed and unpoetical postman has not taken kindly to the innovation. And no wonder. CURL SLASHER. A man who has a mania for cutting off the hair of young girls riding on the tops of omnibuses, was being sought by officers of the Criminal Investigation Department as the result of an attack made on Miss Mabel Perry, 16, of Beaconsfield Road, Enfield. When Miss Perry was returning on an omnibus from • school at Hertford one of her curls, measuring eight inches, was cut off. The cutting was done so deftly that it was not discovered until the girl reached home. The wanted man, who is well known at Scotland Yard, is an expert at this class of crime. He evades arrest because he makes no attempt to sell the hair and because he assumes so many different disguises that the police have great difficulty in securing a satisfactory identification. TWICE-A-DAY BEST MAN. Speedy travelling enabled Mr, Randall Jennings, son of the chairman of the Skipton Urban District Council, to act as best man at the weddings of his two brothers in towns as far apart as Leeds and Lanark. He first officiated at the wedding of Mr. Owen Jennings, a member of the staff of the Leeds College of Art, to Miss May Cullinworth, of Leeds, at St. Clement's Church, Chapeltown, Leeds. The wedding took place at 8 a.m. and the best man then dashed from the church into a waiting taxicab. He reached the station just in time to catch the 8.55 a.m. train to Scotland. At Lanark he went by taxicab to the wedding of his elder brother, Mr. Herman Jennings, again as best man. KEEP A PRETTY FACE. A young wife just out of her 'teens summoned iher husband, at Tottenham, for desertion, and the woman court missionary said she had persuaded them both to make up their differences and return to live together again. The (Mr. Platten) said he was glad to hear that. They had many years of life before them, and they would find happiness if, when inclined to quarrel, they met each other •half way. Mr. Platten's words brought tears to the young wife's eyes. He soothingly said that tears spoilt a pretty face and'that she must not cry or her husband might change his mind. The tears at once ceased, and the wife turned a smiling face in her husband's direction. Mr. Platten advised the husband to "go and make a fuse of her, give her a second honeymoon, and then I am sure all will be well." Husband (resolutely): I will. "DON'T BLAME HIM." "Be quiet, dad. It was an accident. I ■was afraid someone was coming, so I put the gun behind me and it went off. Don't blame the other boy. It was not hie fault, as I asked him to come with me." This reply, it was stated at Iver (Bucks), was made by Ernest Harold Winterton (17), of Langley (Bucks), when found by his father after he had accidentally shot himself while rabbit shooting with another lad. A doctor said the lad'e leg was practically pulverised. Death was due to shock and hemorrhage. Neither of the youths, it was stated, had shot with the gun before, and Hicks had agreed to buy it from its previous owner. Returning a verdict of accidental death, the coroner ordered that the gun should be impounded, as it exploded with a very slight pressure and was not safe for anyone to use in its present state. JACKDAW OF DUNSTER. Gossip has it that he really belongs to a local butcher, but Dunster, the old-world town in Western Somerset, claims its pet jackdaw for its own. This bird is the delight of holiday-makers who visit the famous old castle and its grounds. Often he will hop on to the back of a char-a-banc and, sedately surveying its occupants, ride through the town with them. Every morning he flies to school, perches on a windowwatches the youngsters go in. They are all his playmates and friends. And he knows as well as they do when the holidays begin, for when the school is empty he ceases his visits there and only returns when the school reopens. Sometimes he goes to church. His conduct there is quite exemplaiw, but on one occasion he rather disconcerted the vicar by settling down on the top of the big Prayer Book near the pulpit and dropping off to sleep on one leg. "GATES OF HEAVEN." Some time ago, Mr. F. L. Scott, of Stottville, near Albany. New York State, landed in England. He reached London after a tour of England in a motor car, travelling less than 100 miles a day. Mr. Stott wanted a quiet holiday, and this is what he did. He said to a "Daily Mail" reporter: "I stepped off the boat at Plymouth into a motor car with an expert guide and started out to see the beauties of England. I cut out the hustle. The guide was a wonderful fellow, and I saw some of the moet beautiful country that it has been my privilege to_ see. I eaw the Gates of Heaven—one of the greatest sights I have seen. How many English people know where they are? The Gates of Heaven is a view from the Marquess of Bath's estate, Longleat, at Warminster, Wiltshire. It is a view to feast your eyes on. I went crazy over it. I am not eo keen about seeing London. This is just a city, and it doesn't mean much to me after' I have been thousands of miles through your countryside."

TWELVE YARDS FROM SHORE. Two women were drowned and two seriously injured when a market produce boat, the Schwadt, plying between Stettin and the town of Schwadt, capsized, and sank when within 12 yards of the Stettin landing stage. The boat, which was carrying 30 passengers, suddenly listed to port, capsized, and foundered in three or four minutes. RABBIT HOLDS UP TRAMS. Some 300 passengers were made late for dinner through a tame grey and white rabbit escaping from the arms of the owner a 12-year-old schoolboy, in King Edward Street. Hull, the most central thoroughfare. The rabbit ran beneath a tram. In spite of the efforts with a walkin" stick it refused to leave its hiding place for nearly ten minutes. Meanwhile five tramcars were stopped. FATAL FLY BITE. That the bite of a horse fly or some other insect had caused the death of Harry Howett (25), a Paisley visitor, was revealed at the inquest at Douglas, Isle of Man. Dr. Marshall and the house surgeon at the hospital gave evidence showing that a small wound caused by the insect between the eyes had set up septicaemia, producing inflammation of the brain and pneumonia. Howett complained of the bite, and three days later he became delirious and grew violent. He lapsed into_ semiconsciousness and died. A verdict in. accordance with the medical evidence was returned. NO SLEEVES BAN. Girls employed at the general offices of the L.M.S. Railway at Crewe are no longer to wear sleeveless dresses, no matter bowmany degrees the thermometer may register. An order has been issued htat all female employees must in future cover their arms while at work, or, if they persist in donning dresses without sleeves, must wear a blazer or overall as a top covering. The edict, which has aroused, some feeling among the 100 girls of _the staff, is said to be due to representations made by the welfare supervisor. Actually it is thought to have its origin in complaints from the girls' men colleagues. TRAPPED BY MUD. A nine-year-old boy, William Verge, of 58 The Grove, Lambeth, was Jtrowned at'Vauxhall Bridge, London. Falling off steps leading to the .water, he became embedded face downwards in the mud. The steps run straight to the water, which is normally 10ft deep, but owing to the lowcondition of the Thames due to the drought he fell into the thick mud covered by a thin sheet of water. By the time the police bad been called the boy had sunk deep into the mud and [the tide had risen, covering him. The body was recovered with a drag net. RISKED LIFE FOR PURSE. While a London visitor was fishing from Deal pier his wallet, containing £80, slipped from his breast pocket into tlie sea. With a cry of dismay the unfortunate angler instantly plunged fully clothed after it, dropping 30ft into the water. As he could not swim, however, he was unable to recover the wallet, which drifted rapidly away, and he was soon in difficulties. Fortunately the crew of the motor boat Britannic, which was returning from a pleasure trip, saw the man's danger and rescued him. They also succeeded in retrieving the wallet and were rewarded for saving the man's life and restoring his £80 to him with 2/6—to be divided among them. WOMEN INEBRIATES. The Keeley Institute, New York, established before prohibition as a curative resort for male inebriates, has found ifc necessary to enlarge its quarters to provide accommodation for women. Its report issued recently says that each year under the prohibition law has witnessed a steady increase in the number of female applicants for admission. It is therefore adding a new wing with 42 rooms for women patients. The institute reports that prohibition has changed the character of its patients. Before prohibition working men predominated; now the inmates are mainly drawn from the business and professional classes. CAVE WOMEN. "We are not so far removed from the cave period as many imagine—only instead of caves we have small rooms in which women are shut for the major portion of their lives." This statement was made by Mr. George Hicks in his presidential address at the annual meeting of the National Council of Labour Colleges,, which recently opened at Welwynn Garden City, Herts. Mr. Hicks said that hitherto working women had been more localised, in their outlook and social and political opportunities than men. Because of their conditions working women had been most ignorant and apathetic with regard to their economic and social position in society. They bad not bothered with matters external to their domestic economy. FAMOUS OLD CARS. Personal possessions of famous people are notoriously popular with collectors, but many old motor cars which once belonged to well known personalities are lying neglected and unwanted in London. Many can be bought for a mere song, and those which have survived the breakers' yards are doing various kinds ~oi duty, such as acting as lorries. Un<ler a railway arch in Camberwell is Marie Correlli's Daimler. The sum of £40 will buy it.' In a North London garage is the famous "Chitty-Bang-Banp," which may be had for £70. This racing car, with its great Zeppelin engine, was owned by Count Zborowsky, who, in 1924. was killed in a big race. Recently a car, which fifteen years ago cost 500 guineas and was specially built for an English countess, was sold for £15. CROWD RESCUE PIGEON. A pigeon's struggles and cries attracted a crowd of people in tlis Euston Road, London. The bird had been caught by the neck in some string and was hanging helpless from the top of oue of the 50ft high pillars of St. Pancras Church. As there k a fire station opposite the church the crowd expected to see an escape? run up against the church. But in this they were disappointed. Then someone spied a. ladder on an adjacent property in course of demolition aivd the watchman was urged to make the rescue. The ladder was brought by many willing hands and the watchman was able to release the bird. Before this a passing window-cleaner carrying a short ladder had a few unpleasant moments with an excited crowd which insisted that lie_ ought to attempt the rescue, although it was obvious that his ladder would not reach. ORIGIN OF "RAMONA." The Vienna composer Herr Oscar Strauss, who has written many popular operattas, is bringing an action for plagiarism against Mi's. Mabel Wayne and the French composer M. Lauderoin. The case will be heard before the arbitration court of the Austrian Society of Authors and Composers in Vienna. M. Lauderoin himself has brought an action for plagiarism in Paris acainst Mrs. Mabel Wayne, the authoress of the song "Ramona," alleging that she has taken the theme straight from a minuet in one of his symphonies. Herr Oscar Strauss declares that if this? is so, M. Lauderoin has nothing to complain of, since, he declares, both the minuet and "Ramona" embody the theme of the waltz song of an operetta, '"Die Schone Unbokannte." which he composed, and which was produced in Vienna and on many other European and American stages several years ago.