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Grey River Argus, 30 May 1914, Page 4

The Curragh, a level' stretch of open country in Kildare with an area or 4,800" acres, now a camping 1 ground for soldiers similar to .that of Aldei shot in England, is a place with «i' history, of which perhaps the most notable point is that, although known to have been in /use "tor • some" put -* pose, either or warfare or 6f sport, from time immemorial', it has never been broken by a plough. The hero-, age is of a peculiar kind, soft and close ; in -consequence the district has earned the sobriquet of "the short grass," the inhabitants being called, in that land of nicknames, "the boys' of the short grass." The first mention of the Curragh occurs in the Liber Hymnorum, which dates froan the tenth century, where it is connected with a transaction between St. Bridget and the King of Leinster, from whom she obtained ground whereon to pasture her sheep. The saint is -credited with having- turned the land into a common for ever and, as a very ancient * writer" says, • "No plough is ever suffered here to turn a furrow." However it may be, it is certain that the Saint made no restrictions regarding a racecourse for the Curragh became the famous place of assembly for the people of the Sou x h to indulge themselves in their favourite sport of horse racing. Fairs were held there also and battles fought. The Aenach Colmain, or Cur ragh fair, is mentioned in early Irish annals" and the Kings of Meath, Lein ster and Offaby appear to have met upon the plain in battle array timeswithout number. In 1234 .the Earl of Pembroke was defeated there by the Viceroy of Ireland, in 1406 the Irish, under Connel were driven' out by the English, -and^ in 1804 ' the Curragh witnessed the great rendezvous of 30,000 United Irishmen. " Not until after the Crimean' War was the pre ent camp which accommodates 10.000 men established.

'.At a meeting of the Committee of" the Greymouth Boxing . Association, held last night it was decided to put on an additional amateur .bout of six rounds for the tournament on .the •2'6th-: : - : ahd--27th'- inst. ■- '■■■■ Nominations, for all events close on the igth inst. / The falls -of Niagara, were frozen v in March /tighter •than they have b£en at any time' since igog. Over "' the rapids there was. a" complete ice bridge from shore to sihore. On the Amerir can side there was. not a drop of water going over the ledge, while on the Canadian side the horse-shoe section was frozen almost as tightly. In 1900. the freezing over of the falls was complete. The brilliant beauty of the picturesque mass of ice attracted many visitors to the falls'. 1

The chance discovery seven or eight years ago by a boy of a piece of cojdper bearing ore has led to the opening up of a very promising copper mine on the estate of Otter, in Argyllshire, and expensive operations are now in 1 progress for the commercial working of the mine. Struck b y the appearance of the ore the boy kept it" until * bout two years aero, wh'en he show "d it to a Glasgow mininer expert, who -pt about pro-sperting in the d'sfrict. Three rich lodes have been opened up -\t Inveryne, Tighanraed, and Kilfihan. The Wataroa Dairy Company's factory, has closed down for the season. The output has been about i00.8421bs of cheese. Practically the whole 'of the output was graded first quality, and reflected the greatest credit 'on Mr. Harris, the factory -manager. It is expected that the next season wjll witness a considerable increase in tne turnover. " • ' Mr. W- Platt, coal diviner, accompanied by Messrs Greenwood. Scanloh, and Gillen (members of the Westpprt Harbor Board) 'Mr. A. Leaver, (Mayor) and representatives of tihe press, proceeded by v motor car to the Ninemile, Buller road, last evening", and .-♦bout 100 yaTds on the Westport side Mr. Platt located ,a seam of ccal'3^ feet wide The nartv was impressed V W r . Platt's demonstration, fuflv .-ts importance to 'the Buller iistnct. „ .

The Minister of Internal Affairs in reply to recommendations by the -Bui ler Acclimatisation Society writes: — "Referring to the desire of your Society to have an open season for, opos sums in your district this year, I am directed by the Minister of -^lnternal Affairs to inform you that at ( present opossums are \protected except in districts where there are numerous orchards, and that it is considered advisable to continue that position until + he proposed ' consolidating Animals Protection Bill has been considered by Parliament." The theory that insomnia may be caused by., sleeping on the tap of a subterranean water channel is firmly held by Mr. W. Platt the water diviner. He is firmly convinced that his sensitiveness to water is unconsciousy shared by a number of -people. 'He could not sleep in a bed that was placed directly above a flow of water, and he had found that this was the- cause of a number of people suffering from insomnia. He had told these people to remove their beds to a different i '-»lyp > fl-nA they had immediately slept qu'<te well. - Recently, it will be remembered* Greymouth was visited by a Greek representing himself as John Zayitchancs, the official representative and accredited agent of the National Greek Society "Hellenismos." -His mission was to collect subscriptions in aid of the society. The collecter recently ?.nt into trouble up the East ,Goast. The Poverty Bay Herald says :*—^-It 'is reported, as the outcome of the'^s\isnicions aroused in tihe mind of -the Mayor of OpotrkL that Mr. Zavitchan- -^ was arrested there hv the police, who ascertained that his credentials bep*i excelled. When before the Court the Greek plepdM that drink tiad been tb*» cau<=e of Tvs froulj!« = \ and S<» v-->s -prokihit^d '^T>d sentenced, to a month's hard labour. The annual examinations of the City and Guilds of London, which in this Dominion . are conducted by tih-e Education Department, commence this morning at the Technical School build ins:, under the^ chief supeTvisorship of Mr P. F. Daniel. The subjectsito 1 be taken by this year's candidates include cookery (practical and theoretical), woodwork (practical and theoretical), and plumbing- (theoretical only). The examiner in practical cookery, is Mts Annie Webb. The practical- woodwork and all written"" papers" are dealt with by the examiners J?n England. A sensational story of the discovery of diamonds comes from Opotiki. According to a local newspaper, Mr. Milne Pott/., of Opotiki, discovered a. number of stone some time ago. These he sent tor examination to Auckland .and Christchurch, and a reply has been received from the south crn city indicating that the<" stones are" genuine diamonds. Mr. Milne Pott, when seen by an "East Coast Guardian reporter, produced a number of small uncut diamonds for inspection, and while declining to divulge ' the locality of his find expressed his-wil-lingness to show hJs samples to anyone ,who come along. Colonel Roosevelt, who -is, visiting Washington, is now the central ' figure on the political stage. Hecalled on President Wilson and 1 held a' .series of conferences with him. It "is presumed^ that the discussion concerned the next Presidental campaign. The Demc crats are anxious, realising that the adminstration is not so strong politically as it was. They think the country will continue to demand ? progress ive government and if Dr. Wilson fails wifl turn to Colonel Roosevelt. *•

Under the Temperance Act the Scot tish public houses cannot be opened before ten o'clock in the .morning precluding pre-breakfast drinking. A sre-proof train, constructed almost entirely of steel, is being run on the North Eastern Company service between London and Edinburgh. Anxiety is felt respecting "the ravages by . the" plague in Java. There wereVno less than 1500 fatal cases in 'Vice Admiral Jerram, of the China station,- in conjunction with the Chinese authorites has formulated a cooperative scheme for the suppression of piracy in Canton waters. President Yuanshihkai has issued a mandate restoring the old system of provincial adminstration which gives him control of the civil and, military the whole of ; • the fi^pife, and^renders him Practically dictator \ of: China.