LOCAL AND GENERAL

Evening Star, Issue 18543, 28 January 1924, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Inspector Hutton, who returned to Gisborne from a trip to the stranded Port Elliot, told a ‘Herald’ reporter a rather good story of the wreck. On a point not far from whore the vessel was stranded lived a Maori family, and between their house and the point at which the vessel struck was a little creek which, said the inspector, would hardly float a matchbox. A young Maori girl heard the distress signals and the grinding sound of the vessel on the rocks, and, seeing the lights, ran into her mother calling out, “ Mother como quick, there’s a great big Homo boat coming up our creek.” A Wanganui returned soldier, in searching for a shilling in his pocket among the other change, threw a halfpenny on the counter and hurriedly drew it back, remarking that he could not part with that coin (relates an exchange). He then stated to a friend that ho was ono of the original members of the Hirst Expeditionary Force to Samoa, and when marching along in Wellington a girl rushed up to him and handed him tlio halfpenny, with a piece of ribbon attached. Ho returned from Samoa and left with tho Fourth Reinforcements, and eventually found himself on Gallipoli with tho halfpenny still in his pocket. Then ho got wounded, and lost the run of his tunio, pay-book, and halfpenny. Many months later the paybook and coin were returned to him, and that was the reason ho attached so much value to the halfpenny. He had not seen or heard since of tho girl who gave it to him in Wellington. Perhaps one of tho most impressive sights in the early morning is tho view of Ngauruhoe from Waimarino. Tho Main Trunk train, after plunging along through the darkness, with many a “kick” on tho corners—" square corners,” a much-travelled person termed them—climbs the spiral and comes to a halt just at daybreak at this time of the year (states an exchange). To the cast lies Ngauruhoe, silhouetted against the dawn, lazily emitting black smoke. Further clown tho lino lies the massive Ruapehu, the cause of tho heavy frost which covers the ground for miles, and makes travellers wrap themselves more carefully in their coats and rugs. As the train continues on its journey new views of the mountains are unfolded, until at Waiouru the three—Ruapehu, Ngauruhoe, and Tongariro—may all bo seen. These views are magnificent, yet ono found that but few people in tho carriage seemed to take much interest in the scenery. It is a pity that the expresses pass over the best scenic parts of the journey during the hours of darkness.

An attempt to ride a bicycle which he had “ borrowed ” from outside a shop in Cuba street, whilst in a state of drunkenness on Wednesday, was responsible for the appearance before Mr E. Page, S.M., in the Wellington Magistrate’s Court, of Vincent Mason Pike, a member of the crew of the steamer Ruapehu (reports the ‘ Dominion ’). Pike pleaded guilty to drunkenness, and its consequences, the theft of a bicycle valued at £5, belonging to James Meale, Sub-inspector Lander drew a rather droll picture of Pike, fresh from a long sea voyage, drunk, helping himself to a hicyclo, and then zigzagging all over Cuba street until he fell off, a helpless bundle of happy humanity, with the bicycle on top of him. The vigilant eye of the constable on duty gave him good reasons for suspecting that Pike was not accnstorc d to cycling, and his deductions led to a straight-out question, when tho man was alleged to have admitted that ho ‘‘pinched” the bike. Mr W. E. Leicester, for the accused, stressed the fact that Pike had made no fewer than six voyages to Now Zealand, and this was tho first time ho had appeared .In court. Unfortunately, his “half-holiday” fell on a dull dav in Wellington. Pike spent his money and also the best part of the afternoon in a bar, 'Hie bicycle-riding idea then took hold of him, and he set off. Tho man bore an excellent character. The bicycle was ordered to bo returned, and Pike to pay £2, in default seven days’ imprisonment, for borrowing it. For being drunk ho was fined ss.