Lake County Press. PUBLISHED EVERY THURSDAY. The trust that's given thee guard, and to thyself be just. Arrowtown August 22, 1901. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Lake County Press, Issue 976, 22 August 1901, Page 4

Lake County Press. PUBLISHED EVERY THURSDAY. The trust that's given thee guard, and to thyself be just. Arrowtown August 22, 1901. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Bandmaster Rattigan lias the members of the Arrow Rand in steady practice. It will gladden the hearts of farmers to hear the grain market is still improving. A wedding took place at Alexandra South on Saturday of local interest, the contracting parties being Mr D. Cameron, and Miss Keating. Good luck to them. The Ounard steamer Lucania, which is equipped with Marconi’s apparatus for wireless telegraphy, has sent messages through Nantucket lightship, a distance of 21'7 miles to New York. The Yukon liner Islander struck on an iceburg near Juneau, Alaska, within a mile of the shore and in a perfect calm. She sank in 111 minutes, t»5 being drowned and 107 saved. A million dollars’ worth of gold went down with the vessel. A lantern entertainment showing 70 pictures illustrative of the Boer War, with vocal and instrumental items will be given in the Atheneum Hall on Saturday evening next in aid of the local Wesleyan Church funds. We anticipate a bumper house. A parade of the Wakatipu. Mounted Rilles was held on Saturday afternoon last. The company formed up in front of the local Post < >llice at 3.20, and was afterwards marched to Mr M’Entyre’s paddock whore some useful drill was gone through. The examination for ofiieers takes place at Cromwell on the 4lh prox. The funerals of t he late Mr John Brown on Thursday last, and the late Mrs Hicks and Mr O’Meara's infant child on Saturday were largely attended, many people coming from afar to pay the last tribute of respect. The Rev. Mr Brooke conducted the burial service at the former, and the Rev. Father O'Donnell at the latter two. The late Mrs Hicks was universally esteemed. The proceeds of tho social xecently given to our returned troupers were sullicient to purchase for each handsome presents. To Trouper Shanahan a silver English lover watch has been presented, and to Sergt. Paterson a case containing a silver cigarette case, matchbox ai d cigarette holder. The inscriptions on each wore:—“To Trooper T. Shanahan, from Arrow friends, July 1901. South African War.” “To Sergt. J. U. Paterson, from Arrow friends, July 1901. South African War.” A pleasing ceremony was performed after the service at St Paul’s Church on Sunday evening last. Mr Fail, on behalf of the choir, took occasion to thank Miss. Aston, the organist, prior to her departure from the district, for her many kindnesses shown to the members and the keen interest displayed by that lady during her brief term as organist. Mr Fail said the choir much regretted Miss Aston’s departure, and tho loss of her valuable services to the choir. On Monday morning the choir presented Miss Aston with two nice nuggets as a small token of esteem and regard. The trial of Robert. Douglas for the murder of Mrs Pain at Mikimiki took place at Wellington on Monday. The evidence was similar to that in the Magistrate’s Court. It was said that the spot where the deceased’s slipper was [licked up is now identified as different from that formerly stated. From the new spot the burly could have rolled into the creek, but to where Mrs Pain's body was found. No evidence was offered by the defence. In his address to the jury, the Crown Prosecutor said there would have been a very grave failure of justice if, after the prisoner had made his confession, the case liad not been placed before a jury. He contended that there wore many grave circumstances connecting Douglas with the death of Mrs Pain, apart from his own testimony to the gaoler at Lyttelton. Counsel for prisoner described the latter’s confession as the hysterical accusation of of one in whom hope was dead and who desired any change, even though it might lie from a prison to a lunatic asylum. He combatted the accusation of murder and [minted to various possibilities in the way of accidental death. The Chief Justice, in summing up, said there was no evidence that the prisoner was iuseae on tho day Mrs Pain met her death. His Honor specially mentioned the following statement made by prisoner at the inquest : “The last 1 saw of deceased she was going to Ashby’s fence,” ami pointed out that such a course was directly opposite to the one which would have taken her to the place where her body was found. The jury returned a verdict of “ Not guilty,” and the prisoner was remanded to his former custody.

The ('orinvalls had a magnificent welcome at Capetown and 2WO attended a levee in Parliament Buildings. A melroi HN’E wharf-lumper, brought before tlie court for biting a chunk oil' a man’s ear during a quarrel,, was bound over to keep the piece. Sittino in Chambers in Dunedin on Friday last Mr.Justice Williams granted probate of the will of llonora Bell, hotelkeeper, Skippers, to Cyril E. Gudgeon, Queenstown. A cheat hurricane in the Gulf States of America destroyed two of the levees in New Orleans and did much damage otherwise, the city being inundated and Id persons drowned. Mobile was isolated. Dll Gatling, of the gatling gun fame, has invented a motor plough, which, he claims, will enable one man to plough thirty acres daily. A company has been formed in St, Louis to exploit the invention. Scottish patriots are invited to make a pilgrimage to Bannockburn one of these days in order to cheer a protest against the King choosing to be called Edward VII. “Scots wha liae’’ will probably be more or less melodiously sung on the occasion. District Judge Kettle has held the Sports Committee liable for the death of a boy by a pellet from a pea-rifle in a shooting gallery. The Judge said the committee should have satisfied themselves of the capability of the man in charge, and should also have exercised supervision. Spe.vkino of age, the story is just out about an old lady of eighty-two, living in the suburbs of Melbourne, who was apprised by a friend of hers of the death of her daughter, aged sixty-one. The old lady took the information very philosophically, and only shook her head, saying, “Oh, I knew I should never rear poor Annie I” A well-known stock inspector was trying to buy a horse from a Maori, who did not want to sell as the horse “not lookee well.” But the buyer insisted, and finally purchased the animal for £lB. When he took it home he found it was stone blind, and then he knew what the artless Maori meant by “ not lookee well.” Some young men were in a Wellington hotel one night last week talking to the barmaid and another girl after the witching hour of .11. Word came that the police were watching the house, the lights were suddenly dowsed, and the young men smuggled into the back yard. But the police sniffed them out in proximity to some cases of beer, and to get even with them promptly charged them with being illegally on the premises. One excited girl made rather a hash of things on the arrival of the returned troopers at Dunedin. Bushing forward with outstretched arms, she threw them around the nock of one of the men and passionately kissed him again and again. Then, drawing back to gaze at the loved face, she recoiled, abashed, and exclaiming “ Oh you’re not my brother !” retreated, covered with blushes, and was lost in the crowd. Yet another good story is told of the war. It appears that two members of the Imperial Yeomanry were preparing for rest, when one said in a sleepy tone to fhe other. “ Jock, why did yon volunteer for this confounded business !” “ Why replied the other, “ because I have no wife or kiddies to care a brass farthing about me ; besides. I like war. “ Well, rejoined the first speaker, “ that is certainly curious ; fori came out just because j have a wife, and I like peace I” The conversation stopped right there. The question of when, a miner starts work has lately been the subject of an English legal decision. The plaintiff, a coalminer, whilst waiting on the pit brow for the cage, fell into the shaft and was injured. The defendant contended that the accident did not arise from, or in the course of the man’s employment ; but the Judge held that the plaintiff had received his lamp and tallies and was on defendant’s premises, established the relationship of master and servant, and therefore awarded the compensation sought. The troopers just returned seem to have learned a good deal in more ways chan one during their career at the front. Only the other night one of the.a was telling his best girl all about his hairbreadth escapes. “So you said you were chased by the Boers ?” she queried. “Yes,” he replied, “three of ns wore chased an entire day by a whole commando.” “And you received no injury?” “No. Wo got away from them, but it was a pretty tight squeeze.” “A what?” A tight squeeze.” “ What’s that ?” “ Von don’t know what a tight squeeze is ? Wei!, 11l give you an illustration.” And he did. The friends of a certain pious lady arc making very merry over a capital parrot story that they are telling at her expense. Her favorite clergyman was moving to a new district, and with the desire to possess herself of a memento of the good man, she bought the domestic parrot at tlie sale of domestic effects It was brought home that evening when she was entertaining some of her friends, and, of course, was the object of general attention. The guests were seating themselves at the dinner table when the parrot shrilly exclaimed, to the horror of everyone, “ D— —-n it, woman, is that all you’ve got for dinner ?" True story. A well-known minister, who spreads the light in a suburb not a thousand miles from Auckland, is telling how nicely he was “ had” quite recently by the softest looking pair ho ever saw. It seems he had just married them, and the bridegroom, with an innocent look, asked him “ how much it was ?” The minister says he glanced at (lie groom and answered : “ Whatever yon think it’s worth.” “ I reckon it’s worth about live shillings,” said the groom, holding out two halfcrowns. The clergyman looked blankly at the coins, then, turning to the fair one, “ I’ll leave it to yon, ma<lam,” he said, ; “ what do you think it’s worth?” The blushing bride reached out, took the coins, handed one half-crown to the minister, and put the other into her pocket. Truly, said that a thrifty wife is her husband’s (half) crown. At Auckland James Andrew Gome, charged with false pretences (two indictments), pleaded guilty. Mr Reed, for accused, asked that Gorrie be admitted to probation. Mr Justice Coin illy said that no matter how serious a crime might be committed by a person, if he could afford to retain counsel to make an eloquent speech on his behalf, and if he had not previously been before the court, he appeared to think he should get probation. The very fact that this man was respectably brought up and belonged to respectable people was against him, and not in his favor. is Honor said that a more j deliberate swindle had never come before I him. He presumed the persons defrauded | would never see mie shilling of their I money again. About £143 had gone, and there was nothing to show where it had | gone. The sentence was that on each <>f the charges accused be imprisoned and kept to hard labor for three years, the | sentences to be concurrent.

The advance of cremation in England recalls the interesting history of Japan in the matter. Cremation followed Buddhism into Japan about 1200 years ago, but it only partially superseded the Shinto custom of disposing of the dead by interment. In 1873 cremation was totallyprohibited by the Japanese Government. Having discovered that, far from being un-Enropeau, cremation was.the goal of European, reformers in such matters,, they rescinded their prohibition before two years had elapsed. Cremation in Japan is c irried out in a somewhat rough and ready manner. The cheapest process only costs about 4s (id. This is scarcely adapted to European requirements, andis sufficiently described by the title which the foreign residents of a certain settlement in Japan gave to the native crcnijtion ground among (he hills, ‘ Roast Valley.’