The Oamaru Mail. MONDAY, DECEMBER 7, 1908.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXXV, Issue 10017, 7 December 1908, Page 2

The Oamaru Mail. MONDAY, DECEMBER 7, 1908.

We regret- to-day to have to ohronicle the painfully sudden death of Mr Jas. .Smith, of South Oamaru, the well-known carter, which took place this morning ■Mr Smith got up as usual this morning at an early hour to attend to -his.horses, and to all appearances he was in his usual good health and spirits, there being nothinir at allto indicate to his family that any untoward happening was likely to occur. After a hearty breakfast he left inhis spring van for town, and had not proceeded far when he was noticed by Mr J. Webb, a driver for the North Ota go Farmers' Co-operative Association, to fall into the body of the van off the side. Mr Webb at once went to deceased's assistance, and finding him in a state of collapse, laid him flat on his back in the dray, when he uttered a groan and expired. Mr Smith was immediately taken back to his home, .and medical assistance was summoned. Dr Whitton was quickly in attendance, but could only pronounce life to be extinct. The matter was reported to the coroner, who held an inquiry into the circumstances attending tho death, and after hearing the medical and other, evidence found that deceased came by has death by a sudden failure of the heart. Mr Smith had been, a resident of Oamaru fi.r the past 33 years. He was a native of Aberdeen, afterwards making his home in Bradford and Edinburgh. From Edinburgh lie made his way to New Zealand by .tne ship William Davey in 1875, settling at Oamaru, where he has lived ever since, following the occupation of a .carter. He leaves -\ widow, a son, and a daughter to mourn their loss. The s.s. Cbrinna arrived at Oamaru at 10 o'clock -last night from Dunedin, landing 29 ton; general cargo, shipped 100 tons of produce for Wellington and New Zealand, and sailed at 4 o'clock this morning via Timaru. A young man whilst, riding a pony at Waiareka to-day was thrown, and sustained a fracture of the left arm. He was attended by Dr Whitton. The Vancouver mail wheih left Oamaru on Monday. 2Gth October, arrived .in London on \.:'.- morning of December 3rd, one day late. ■ Our Waimate correspondent writes: — On Saturday afternoon Messrs Price Brother? had the whole of the hood and decking of their drag destroyed by fire. The drag was being fumigated at the time, and it appears that the lamp used for the purpose ignited some of the 'light material of which the hood was constructed. '• The loss to the proprietors will be close on £4o.—The weather to-day (Monday) is boisterous and showery, but it is doubtful whether a sufficient quantity of rain will fall to retrieve the harm done by the long spell of dry weather.—Mr and Mrs Smedley and Miss Bonhani left Waimate by first express to-day on their return journey to the Homeland. The following Phoenix Rinks will play against Meadowbank to-morrow (Tuesday), at 5.30 p.m. :—Murdoch, Dey, Meek. Swindley (s), Grant, Monson, 'Gibson, Newton (s), T. Herron, Concher. W H. Paterson, MacG'bbon (s), W. Bee, Young, D. Brown, W'addell (s). Junior: Langlev, Moss, M'Ghie. L. King (s). Cullender, W. J. Beswick, T. Meek, Hurst (s), J. Booth, E. Glass, Ferens, Westphal (s). At the Auckland Show the championship in the Ayrshire bull classes was appropriated by Balmoral (5 years old), an exhibit by the Mental Hospital, and bred bv Mr R. Baird, of Oamaru.

The. potato blight has made its appearance in several Stratford gardens, according to the Stratford Post. Messrs Gresham, Watson, and Co. report having sold to a client, at a satisfactory price, on account' of • Mr Peebles, section 35, block 13, Trent street, Oamaru, together with dwelling house of six rooms and a!i! improvements. The children's anniversary services at the Salvation- Army Barracks passed off very successfully yesterday. These were conducted by Major Ross to the evident pleasure of young and old. The. gatherings were large, as might reasonably be expected for such an occasion, the children filling the spacious platform for afternoon and night, services. The distribution of prizes took place in the afternoon, when 126 books were disposed of to the respective scholars. A special prize was given to Winnie Austin for 936 marks (the highest possible number for the year), Louie Gray - following closely with 934. Eva Austin 933, and Clifford Austin 928 : all receiving special books for their' conduct, diligence, and attendance, while Har- • riet.Millen was rewarded for Scriptural knowledge. The report presented by the young, people's manager, Sergeant-Major

Anderson, was particularly encouraging, being the best the Salvation Army has presented to Oatnaru. Mr Blair Mason, ■engineer to the Uun> ediu Harbor Board, who was retained by the local Board to give an expert- opinion oji the scheme suggested by Mr Paterson, spent Saturday and Sunday in Oamaru and returned to Dunedin by this morning's .early train. Speaking to a Mail reporter Mr Mason said he was convinced as to the feasibility of the scheme, but: regarding tho more minute details of cost, the time to be -expended in the work, etc.. he could not give an opinion until he had gone into the matter more thoroughly. His report will .be submitted within a few days' time, and, from, the tenor of Mr Mason's remarks, one would gather that the final report will be very optimistic. Miss Mary Constance Lemon has been appointed postmistress at New'borough. The postal note otiiee at Tokarahi lias been closed. Telephone bureaux have been opened at Kowhatu, Tnngatamonioiiu. Wharua, and: Maungatiro, all in the Oamaru district. The Moeraki School children played their annual rounder match against the Middle and South Schools on Saturday last, and were beaten by the former by 75 games, and by the latter by 16 games. Everything possible was done by tho local children to make the outing of their visiting comrades a pleasant one. The name of the locality hitherto known as Wainono, in the County of Wanuiie, has been changed to Norton. Sittings of the District Court at Oamaru for civil business only have been iixed for 12th March, 11th June, 9th September, ami 10th December. Mr Andrew Fraser, has been gazetted a trustee of the Oamaru Cemetery, in place of the late Mr Joseph Moss. The attention of members of the Oamaru Amateur Swimming Club is directed to an advertisement, in this issue intimating that a special general meeting will be held in Hurst's tea-room on Friday next, 11th inst., at 8 p.m. The meeting is an important one and demands a full attendance.

"His Sercnce Highness the Prince of Mongrelia" tailed the other day at a hotel near the Opera, Paris, and selected the finest apartment which happened to be vacant. He explained that his suite and the luggage would come with "Her Serene Highness the Princess of Mongrelia," whose immediate arrival (the 'telegraph says) wa6 expected. The hotelkeeper searched the maps and dictionaries to find in what part of the earth "Mongrelia" was situated, but in vain. This made him suspicious. Meanwhile, the "prince" 6trolled into a jewellery shop and selected about £20,000 worth of jewels to ,be delivered at the hotel lor the "princess." The jeweller, luckily for himself, first inquired at the hotel before he left the valuables, with the result th:it the bogus prince: was summoned to the police station to explain. A short investigation by the police revealed the fact that he had already occupied sumptuous apartments in Paris hotels under fanciful names, such as "Marquis De: Masuvage" and "Cornte Be Ohatenay," and had left without paying his bills. He is said to be a doctor.

Dr Coulter, the Canadian Deputy Post-master-General, now on a visit to Australasia in connection with the proposed establishment of an All-Red route, told a Dunedin interviewer that New Zealand was quite big enough, and would continue to be quite big enough for some years. The people would come all right. They had come .to Canada, but then Canada stood on the world's main thoroughfare, whereas New Zealand was a little bit out Of the. track. What New Zealand shoulddo was to get on to one of the tracks, or, lather, to bring one of such to her, and this could be done by means of a certain line. "The All-Red route, of course," said the reporter. "Is it coming, and when'/" "Oh, it's coming, I think," said the doetor "so are quite a number of things; but' as to 'when,' I think I'd prefer lioito answer'that question just now." Dr .Coulter went on to say that on his recent visit to Sydney nothing had been effected owing to the resignation of the Australian Prime Minister, ■ but he was going back ai'ain when the threads had been picked up. . Land settlement is going ahead at a good rate just now, no fewer than 46,000 acres of Crown land being in ilu market for close settlement this mini';. The areas are distributed througuout New Zealand, but the bulk lie in Auckland, Wellington, and Hawke's Bay districts. There will be a lull in the Lands Department's activity during January, but the following month will see the valuable work going on with unabated speed. The whole of the recent Maori land purchases in Auckland, Taranaki, and Hawke's Bay are being surveyed. Operations will be pushed forward" so that they can be speedily opened for settlement on the optional system. The areas aggregate nearly 300,000 acres.

Several interesting animals at the Zoological Gardens are now passing through the process of being taught to "show themselves"' to visitors. The amiable hippopotamus, who yawns benevolently for buns, is a finished, educated product—a credit to his keeper and the gardens; but he would not do this to a casual explorer on the banks of the Zambesi, for example—he has to be taught. Some of the most troublesome pupils are the nocturnal animals, but in a wonderful way even night-loving beasts learn to wake, move, and feed before visitors. The tiger is a notable example, and the lemurs, porcupines, and beavers are others. This education takes time, however. Two promising young devils arrived some months ago, and were included in the Australian collection ; but so far they might just as well be still in Tasmania, as all that visitors ever see are a label, a cage, and a heap of hay. They cannot be tamed', and they cannot be handled (it would be equivalent to handling a vindictive man-trap), but time, patience, dayfeeding, and day cleaning of their cage will persuade them to show themselves ultimately. The rare wingless New Zealand bird, the kiwi, which is ridiculously like a small Dutch boy with his hands in his pockets, is one of the- "Zoo's" failures, for it can never be induced to face the daylight. The t round-eyed "Aye-Aye." a scarce species of lemur an example of. which recently arrived, is learning to show himself, but "the tarantula and the elowworm are almost invariably invisible.

The British Army Council is arranging for a series of practical experiments to be carried out with field guns and howitzers on the artillery ranges, Salisbury plain. A series of farm buildings, known as Rushall Down Farm, the property of the War Office, are to be wholly destroyed by artillery fire. Batteries of field artillery will fire percussion shrap-, nel at the buildings at ranges from 3000 to 4000 yards, and then howitzers will drop live'shell with high trajectory. The new 4.5 howitzer will be used' in the experiments, and in order to test the results of firing dummies arc to be placed in the buildings, representing a. force likely to be used in their defence. Evidently in the minds of some people (remarks the Taranaki News) anything- is fair in politics, as it is said to be in love and war. In regard to the suggested dairy regulations, Mr Jennings found out that something was wrong when, he got back to Waitara from his tour in other portions of the Taumarunui electorate. Some of the actions attributed to the dairy inspectors were so extraordinary that he (Mr Jennings) communicated with the chief inspector (Mr Deem). An inquiry was immediately ordered, and it was proved . that the inspector did not visit several of the farms mentioned at all, where he was supposed to have given extraordinary instructions. The natural inference to" be drawn is that someone impersonated the inspectors in various portions of the district. A movement is on Foot by a number of Wairarapa farmers to go in extensively for vegetable growing, and, if possible, oust the Chinese out of the business. It is proposed to cultivate tracts of land between Carterton and Masterton, and also at Dalefield, and to supply 'the whole of •Wairarapa with European-grown vegetables. There is nlentv of capital at the back of the scheme, and if the land secured is only of the proper quality, and the requisite attention is given to delivery, the idea should have a chance of success. But in order to beat, me Chinese at vesetable m-owing Europeans will have to adopt the business tactics of the Celestials,, particularly in regard to politeness and solicitation. It 'is said that the project of starting the vegetable husi-n-css against the Chinese was conceived by a wairarapa farmer, who. figured it out that an acre of cabbages at ?,d each means at net gain of £l9 per airs. Puny boys and girls need careful attention. Xotiing quite so good for them. as Steam's Wine, which makes new blood, sharpens their appetite, and restores childhood's happy vigor. 11

Chilblains (broken or unbroken), Sores of all kinds relieved immediately by "Red Cross" Ointment. ' ' ••erywhere. During the repairing of an old tower of the Little Sampford Church near Saffron Wald.-n, in the south of Knglaml, the workmen were surprised to find a small piece of black felt in the masonry. \\ hen unfolded it proved to be a little boys hat of the kind worn in the fifteenth century —a very smart little hat of glossy black felt and gold corded and laced,; J.he..! tower was built in 1450 and has only been repaired on the outside since that time. This is the first occasion when it has really been torn down and rebuilt, so the lit'tle hat remained securely hidden, all these years. Local antiquarians think that sume snrlv stonemason goaded by the pleasantries of a fifteenth century small "boy, snatched up the young humorist's liat and walled it up in the tower as a punishment for his naughtiness. Ihe hat will be placed in the local museum and' labelled "Tho Keho of a Forgotten Joke." Klvsian.—A Guaranteed Cure for Influenza. Obtainable from Milligan and Bond and Adam Jlackay. o- s '' ilr J. SWLNDDKY, Surgeon Dentist, will visit KUHOW on TIIURSD.W NEXT, 10th inst., and may be consulted at Spiers' Hotel. Mr GEORGE ROBINSON, Dental Surgeon may be consulted at his residence, EDEN STREET (opposite Wesley Church). The old saying, "The best is always cheapest," is true in regard to most things, but particularly regarding cream separators. Inferior machines get out of repair, are difficult to keep clean and skim imperfectly, causing loss of time, temper, and money. Mr E. Benefield, of Kent road, Taranaki, states:—"l have used other machines, but find the Baltic the best 1 ever used; in fact, I cannot speak too highly of it." Dairymen contemplating the purchase of a separator cannot do better than invest in a Baltic. Full particulars and information sent post free on application to J. B. MacEwan and' Co., Ltd. sole agents, Duncdin. '*