SCOTLAND. BIBLE-THROWING IN CHURCH. (From Our Own Correspondent.) EDINBRUCGH, November 10.

Otago Witness, Issue 2651, 4 January 1905, Page 16

SCOTLAND. BIBLE-THROWING IN CHURCH. (From Our Own Correspondent.) EDINBRUCGH, November 10.

The parish church, of Ihverurie, Aberdeenthire, was the scene of a somewhat startling' occurrence on Sunday,, October 25. The minister, the Rev. James . Black, had just concluded his sermon at- the forenoon vice, and had given out a paraphrase to be sung, when an elderly l*dy rose from her seat and hurried out, slamming the door" behind her. . The congregation had just begun to sing- when she re-entered the church, rushed back<to J Jier pew, and; forced her way past its. occupants to the seat r she - had vacated. There she seized^ two goodi lized Bibles and a hymn book, got into the lisle, and. then- proceeded to the .front, where ihe flung both the Bibles at jth'e" minister, -it -the same time exclaiming-, "Jft's a Be, yix Black; it's a lie." Being a-'.'womaii, ier tiini "was bad,' and- she missed 'thejninisteiy'but*"the -first Bible struck "an old 'lady, while the second l - hit the side of the -pulpit. Of course the, affair, caused a commotion, especially, v among\~the- lady -members Df the choir, beside the -modern. Jenny GecTdea was-staftding, and who "seemed to "be^ afraid that she would bombard' them next. The poor lady was- evidently suffering from mental derangement. 'Nothing has transSired as to the meaning of her. exclamation, t was well that* the minister had finished his sermon^, for his bearers would hardly have been able to -give- their .minds to it after such an episode. UTILISATION OF CITY, REFUSE. The annual report of Mr G. P. D. MacJcay, inspector of lighting and r ;cleaning for Edinburgh, has just been published. It states tEat 120,017 tons of refuse were dealt with, of -which 184-84- tons we're'^disposed of by- the destructor, 27,512 tonff were sold to farmers, and 74,312 .tons were used in land reclamation. In addition, 190,150 tons of mud and sand were disposed or. . It seems that after refuse has been deposited in. any place, .in a layer- varying from 3ft- to 20ft an depth, the land becomes" suitable for agricultural purposes: Since ' 1900 about 15 acres have thus been utilised, and now form excellent pasture^ TTTF. NORTH OF. SOOTBA?*D BANK (LIMITED)/- - The annual meeting of- the" shareholders of this. Bank has -justr'been held' it Aberdeen. The net profits "on the year's, transactions amounted to £52,599, and a dividend was declared "at. the rate., oi 10" per cent., as compared^with B?~pef ceritt ~a%year ago. The sum 1af ..£12,500 was added ., to the- reserve fund, bringing it up to £192,500, "and a balance of £1404- yraa carried forward,- The bank's liabilities -included' these two items : Deposit- and currerit accounts; £4-,009>-235; writes in circulation, £477,909. ALARMING OCCURRENCE AT GREENOCK. "An extraordinary accident happened on October 20 in the James Watt Dock, fireenock. The newly-built Belgian training ' sh;D Point© do Smat de Nagyer, pf 50QQ

• tons, was being* ballasted in the dock when-she-heeled .over towards tbe'quay until .hermaatg struck it." In this" position she remained' fast,, and. no water. entered the ship. In order to- right her, however, it was necessary* to remove her masts and take other action of a laborious and- costly description, which, occupied, some -days; It is believed' that the accident; was caused by her two great tanks" for water ballast filling at . unequal rates. The- ship" is built on finelines, has three 'masts, and is intended to accommodate 80 cadets. She is owned by a society at Antwerp. Though the accident caused great- alarm, no one- was injured." Many years ago the ship Helen Brewer, 1 when ready for sea, .was capsized at Port Glasgow daring- a furious gale ; ' and. a barque, which was leaving Greenook in ballast, was overturned "near the Custoxn. House. , ; ■ OBITTTAItir RECORD. The Rev. William Scott, who was for 40 years minister of the U.-3T. congregation of-Balerno, Midlothian) died on October 15,. .. aged 77. Be' began life, like many minis-" > tersy as a teacher, and waa a scholarly man, who might have filled a much more pror^ mineat-aphere- had he. enjoyed more robust , Health. On this account he* refused many* calls to leave -Baderno, where he was much j'belpyed. He retired from the ministry four i\years ago. ' ' ; ' I Dr James : B>- Rus-^ell, who was Medical" Officer of Health for Glasgow from 1872 to .' IS9B, "and in'thafr capacity did work which won for him a widespread reputation, died in Edinburgh on October 22, aged 67. He began life in another line, being connected with the laying' of the first Atlantic telegraph, cable. It was he -who first made the housing of the poor a great public question, in Glasgow, and he did much to improve the" sanitation of that city, where many honours were heaped. upon him by medical and other scientific bodies and institutions. Six years ago he retired, and took up hia -residence in Edinburgh,- where he held the appointment of medical member of the I/ocal Government Board for Scotland up ' to his "death. - Mr John Forbes White, a prominent man first in Aberdeen and afterwards in Dundee, where he erected large flour mills, died on October 14-, aged 73. He was very widely known as an art' connoisseur, critic, and lecturer, and his opinion on art matters invariably commanded, great respect. Mrs William Stott, an Edinburgh lady who has "passed away in her eighty-seventh year," was one of the few remaining living links with Sir Walter Scott: Her father and uncle- were connected withthe firm by whom Sir Walter's works were published, and in this way she was brought much in contact with him when she was about 11 years of age. He used to take her on his kne& and tell her improvised fairy stories, parts of which she still remembered in later years. A still older lady has just ended her course" in the person of Mies Kirsty Turner, who died at Stronmaghari| Glenaray, on October 23; aged 97. She was the last of a faimly which- for centuries owned the estate of Drimlee, Glenshira, Argyllshire. Several of her nearest relatives distinguished themselves in the army. She remembered wit- ' neesing the rejoicings which took place at Inverary on account of the victory at Waterloo. Notwithstanding her gi'gat age* §he

* « T took an active' -part in providing' comforts | for the British" soldiers in the Boer war, and in, aiding -iheir widows ,and , orphans: • " The Rev. ' Dr Andrew: "Henderson, senior minister of Abbey Close U.F. Church, Pais- ■ leyi. died on October 29 in his eightieth year. He was ordained to a charge at Coldingnam, Berwickshire, m June, 184-7, soon j after the union of -the Secession ' and Relief j Churches, and" was thus the first ordained minister of the United Presbjrterian Church.. In 1855 he was called to Paisley, and celebraiied his jubilee there in 1897",", amid many congratulations'.^ He was distinguished also as a musician and, astronomer, and did good service on the Paisley Board. He built up a large-and attache.d congregatioji, and repeatedly represented the U.FJ Church as its delegate to teligious bodies in other lands. He received the. honour of a public funeral, which, waa very largely attended. Viscount Melville^ of Melville Castle, Midlothian, the fifth holder of the title, died on November 3 at., his English seat, Cotter-stook-Hall. Northamptonshire, in. rhis seven- , tieth year._ He took no prominent part in politics, but- as a landlord he was much beloved, "and •in a variety of quiet .ways . ,was a useful ,man"in, Midlothian.. /He was > mar riedL no farther baclo tthan 1891, and if • survived hy Lady Melville and two daughters, but in default of male issue the title now passes to> the- Hon. C. S. Dundas, who , is British-Consul-general for Norway, , - GENERA-L NEWS. It is announced that' the Rev. Dr Milne, of Fyvie, Aberdeenshire, is to be next year's Moderator of the Established Church General Assembly. For the corresponding office in the U.F. Church the names of Principal Hutton, of Paisley, and the Rev. Dr Archibald Henderson, of Crieff, are mentioned. After, several y&ars of exasperating delay, the erection of the Usher Hall, Edinburgh, . seems to be at last within sight, plans being now prepared' and tenders invited for the first portions of the work. The Rev. Dr James Black, of Wellington ' U.F. Church, Glasgow, celebrated his ministerial Jubilee on October 24, when the congregation, to which he has ministered for 37 years, latterly with the assistance of a colleague, presented him with a cheque for £1000. , TJbe ©state of Grongar, near Kilmarnock, with an area of over 3000 acres, has been sold to the Duke of Portland for £70,000. | The maiL steamer St. Giles, which runs between Leith, Orkney, and Shetland, went ashore on the Bard of Mouaa, Shetland, in a dense fog. She was floated off, and, j though damaged, was able to steam to Lerwiok', end thence to Leith. An ex-cavalry soldier who had eerv&cl in South Africa, was arrested while appropriating articles in a villa in Pollokshields, Glasgow. He pleaded that he was at the time under the hallucination that he was looting a Boer farm, and the sheriff gave him the benefit of lenient treatment under the First Offenders Act. The Perth Town Council has re-solved to adopt electric traction in the place of horse haulage on the city tramways. The cost involved in the change is about £70,000. The Saracen Head Inn. of the Gallowgate, Glasgow, which had historic associations with "Bonnie Prince Charlie A " is about to '

Mr James T. Bell, ar . bankrupt* Glasgow tobacco manufacturer, has returned hie liabilities as amounting to_ £55,568, while ' his assets total only £1106. The Newton Esplanade, Ayr, has-,, been, seriously damaged by the' sea. ~ Owinjt to~ the caving-ni' of old coal-pits, the coast line has been subsiding for.. years, and the sea, has made serious encroachments. The esplanade was constructed by the- Glasgow, and South-Western railway, but /was taken over by the Town- Council' of Ayr. The first sod of -the light railway between Strathord and Bankfoot, Perthshire, was cuton October 29. It- will be three miles long, and cost £21,000; ' An extension of Paisley waterworks, carried out at a cost of £90,000, was inaugurated oh October 29. It will increase the water supply to 20 million gallons daily. The present daily consumption amounts tcfS eight million gallons. ' ' The services of Lord Lovat and his corps of scouts during the Boer" war are, to be commemorated by- » - monument whek is about' to-be erected in the r square' at Beauljr. The Volunteer ' annual returns show that ,ther& is a deficiency' of no less than' 2500' officers". In Scotland' the- deficiency, ir. 326, independent of the' figures for the. Imperial yeomanry regiments. • ~ Mr Andrew Carnegie was last week elected' rector of- St. Andrew's" University. The name of Sir Henry Craik had also been put forward, but Tier declined .to stand" for the office in opposition to Mr Carnegie. A large new dock constructed at 1 L eith, and called the Imperial Dock, was formally opened on November 8. With the quays it covers 80 acres, and has cost £750,000. It will accommodate ships much larger than any which have as yet come to Leith. The following personal estates have been recorded: — Mr Alexander Hutchison, exProvost of Kirkoaldy. £98,260; Mr R. F. Watson, manufacturer, Hassendean, Hawiek, £75,316; Mr Frank Ronalds, Edinburgh. £55,421; Mr John Galloway, formerly of Patrick Henderson and Co., Glasgow, and a director o-f the Shaw, Savill. and Albion Company, £53,930; Mr C. T. Combe, Edinburgh, £39,368.* The King's Birthday honours include the following distinctions bestowed upon wellknown Scotsmen: — Baronets: Sir Charles Cayzer, of the shipping firm of Cayzer, j Irvine, and Co., Limited (the Claa line), \ and who was knighed in 1897; Mr "VTinhael ] B. Nairn, a leading linoleum manf-facfrurer i at Kirkoaldy. Knights: Mr Henr^r Oook, I W.S., Edinburgh, secretary of the Royal j Company of Archers, the King's bodyguard ] for Scotland; Mr G. W. Baxter, a leading Dundee manufacturer who has done much for the higher education in that city; Mr Malcolm M'Neill. late vice-president and chairman of the Board of Supervision for the Relief of the Poor and for Public Health in Scotland. About 150 designs and models for the Hector Macdonald memorial^ have been sent in, and are now on exhibition in Glasgow, j The sum in hand is £2000. j

The Imperial Brass Sprat Pump:" With Stream and Fine SpTay Nozzle— Made fc-j American noted manufacturers. Are obtainable from Nimmo and Blair, Dunedin. FruifSrojrere $n& P.JchajAi9tj should use them,

GORE RKCITIN& COMPETITIONS. The. annual musical, and elocutionary con* j tests were - commenced in. the G-ore Town Hall on Boxing Day. There axe 119 entries for the various classes. The " reciting was judged ' yesterday- by Mr 1 A. H. -Burton, whose awards were as follow: — Recttin& (Boys and Girls). » ... Division vl, under 10 'years of age'.^-Kate Willis (Gore) 1, Martha Peterson (Croydon) 2,- : ' Millie Wright (Croydon. Siding) . 3. - Twelvaer.triea. - , I Division H, 10 to 13 years. — Wm. Campion (Cioydon) 1, Cora .M'Donjdd (Croydon Siding) - 2,~-~Martha Haggart (Croydon "SidingX 3.> Eighteen entries. - " . v. Division HI, 13 to 16 years.— Robert "M'Bride(Charlton) 1, Eva Latham (Gore) 2, ■ Amiie" Bennett -(Gore) 3. Nine entries. . _ - Division- IV, 16 to 19" years. Test piece,. "Address to_ the Ocean."— Annie M'Leod (Waikaka) 1. Two entries. . . - ~ « -v ' Division V, over 19 years. Test piece, " The Eve of Waterloo."— Gertie' -Wright, (Croydon . Siding) i, C. R. Ingrain (Gore) 2, Marion.' . Peterson. (Waikaka) 3. Five entries. Prepared Reading, " The Death of Little^ NeiL"— pMisa Biggar (Croydon.) l r C, R. Ingram' ■ (Gore) 2,; Annie Bennett (Gore) 3. ~ Recitation,, open ■ to" ' -all-comers. — Victoria Cdojc (Gore), " The Workhouse," and John" Paterson (Waikaka), " The= Road to Heaven," -1; C. R. Ingram (Gore), " Qur Folks," 2; ' Five- entries. t