Reporter’s diary

Press, 18 April 1985, Page 2

Reporter’s diary

Ned and Bill

“THE KELLY HUNTERS,” by Frank Clune,—first published in 1954, carries information about a blood relationship between the Australian bushranger, Ned Kelly, and the American folklore hero, Buffalo Bill Cody. A reader came forward this week with a copy of the book which could not be found at the public library. Clune’s preliminary chapter confirms the claim of an Australian-born reader last week that the findings in a story from Dublin about a retired Irish farmer, Daniel Kearney, having just discovered the relationship, were at least 30 years out of date. Buffalo Bill and Ned Kelly both

stemmed from the Cody clan of Tipperary, Kelly’s paternal grandmother haying been Mary Cody. Clune did not establish the exat relationship between Ned and Bill. Kearney believes they were second cousins. One man’s bread AN OLD AGE pensioner could be forgiven for getting excited when he received notice that his annual pension entitlement had increased by 100 per cent. The fine print soon dashed his pleasure. One hundred per cent of very little comes to very little: his new pension, fortunately not the one that he relies upon for his daily bread, is $7.74 a week. He started paying ninepence into the fund in 1939 and kept it up for 44 years. At the age of 60 he was to have received ten shillings a week. Inflation in the meantime has rendered the pay-out ridiculous, and the little he receives is whipped back by the Government in taxes. Good deeds EVERYONE was surprised when a usually very reliable senior student at Rangiora High School failed to turn up at a pre-arranged job on the school’s community work fund-raising day yesterday. A telephone call to his mother discovered that he had left for the job early yesterday morning. She was most surprised that he had not arrived. The prospective employer had no way of knowing that, a mere two doors away from her, a great pile of firewood was being chopped and neatly stacked. No doubt the owners of that household got a nice surprise when they arrived home. he

learned of the mistake in addresses, the good student chopped the right person’s wood as well.

Squadron camp

NO. 17 (Christchurch) Air Training Corps Squadron will hold its annual squadron camp in the Mount Thomas State Forest this week-end. Sixty cadets, N.C.O.S and officers, including two regular officers of the Royal New Zealand Air Force, will combine in a search-and-rescue exercise, instruction in first aid, bush familiarisation, and leadership. No good

THIS PLEA, in the form of a terse letter, has been received by the local welfare department in Delaware: “I want money as quick as I can get it. I have been in bed with the doctor for two weeks and he doesn’t do me any good. If things do not improve, I will have to send for another doctor.” Hungry monks THE LATEST odd sight among the many odd sights in London is down-at-heel Japanese monks scavenging for food in garbage skips round Covent Garden. The monks, who are living rough round the London markets while saving to build a new pagoda, have taken to climbing into the huge rubbish bins to find food, a practice which a market official, Peter Geest, describes as “extremely dangerous.” “If a monk were inside one of these bins, we could end up dumping rubbish on him,” said Mr Geest. “He could be rendered helpless and be loaded into a

waste compressor and crushed.” All for a new pagoda...

Hi Ho, Silver...!

A HORSE that galloped up just in time to gobble up some marijuana plants saved the day for his owner, who was facing drug possession charges until his animal ate the evidence. United States authorities found the marijuana growing in a flower pot at the home of one James D. Briggs, and set the plant beside a police patrol car while they resumed their search, said Sheriff Roy Keifer. “This horse came round the house, ran up to the flower pot and grabbed the marijuana plant. Then he turned round and galloped away, eating the plant,” said Sheriff Keifer. Outgunned

THE NEWSLETTER of the Small Boat Safety Committee carries the tale of a ship’s captain who saw, one foggy night at sea, what appeared to be the lights of another ship heading towards him. He ordered his signalman to send a message to the other vessel: “Change your course 10 degrees to the south.” The reply came back: “Change your course 10 degrees to the north.” The captain answered: “I am a captain. Change your course 10 degrees to the south.” The reply: “I am a seaman first class. Change your course to the north.” Such insubordination infuriated the captain. He signalled back: “I am a battleship. Change your course to the south.” The reply was equally terse: “I am a lighthouse. Change your course to the north...” — Comer