NEWS IN BRIEF.

Otago Witness, Volume 1851, Issue 3809, 15 March 1927, Page 32

NEWS IN BRIEF.

An incident which occurred in Rotorua What is probably the record low score in Auckland cricket this season was achieved by the Parnell third grade team in its match on Saturday last against North Sllbre in the Cricket Association’s competition. The Parnell team was dismissed in the first innings for only five runs. This <icore naturally gave the North Shore bowlers flattering averages. Walters took five wickets for one run and performed the “hat trick.” In the second innings, when Parnell scored 24 runs, Walters took five wickets for three runs, an aggregate of 10 wickets for four runs. As the result of a police visit to the Excelsior Hotel on the evening of February 18 the licensee. George Fox Webster, and the barman, William White-Smith, were each fined by Air H. P. Lawry, S.M., in the Magistrate’s Court at Christchurch on Wednesday last. Webster was charged with selling liquor after hours, with exposing liquor for sale after hours, and with keeping the premises open after hours for the sale of liquor. White-Smith was charged with supplying liquor after hours, being a person other than the licensee. Webster was. fined £7 and costs on the first charge, the other two being dismissed. White-Smith was fined £5 and costs.

With the object of ascertaining the trend of currents and tides around the coast of New Zealand, bottles have been placed in the sea at various places containing messages requesting the finder to communicate with the Marine Department at Invercargill. One of these bottles, which was cast adrift in Foveaux Strait, was found on the Hakatere Beach b” Mis s E. Tutty (reports the Ashburton Guardian). The bottles are small, round ones, more or less spherical, similar to those used for fish paste containers. The corks are sealed on with pitch, thus making the bottles entirely wateitight. “If I could get all the river bank land between Pipiriki and Tauinarunui for nothing, I would not touch it as a farming proposition,” said a prominent grazier the other day (reports the New Zealand Herald). Referring to the difficulty faced by the settlers, he said much was because the land was so steep that it could never have been opened up. , The Alangapurua Valley was a case in point. He contended that it would never make good farming land. On the other hand, in occasional valleys the country was good enough for dairying but for the fact that fern and second growth were spreading over the countryside.

The news of the sudden and early end of the babj - hippo by the teeth of its father at the Auckland Zoo has reached tho missionary station at Rom, in the wilds of the Upper Nile province (states the Auckland Star). Air Keith Rimmer, an Aucklander, who is stationed there, refers to the savaging to death of the young hippo by its parent in the course of a letter home, and points vut that this possibility is well known to those acquainted with the habits of these animals. He writes: “Aucklanders will probably, be interested to kr-w that the killing of baby male hippos is quite the custom in those places where the hippo has his home, and the Auckland case is therefore not extraordinary. It is well known among the local river natives that when the young hippo is born, if it should be a male, and the father is anywhere in jtJie vicinity, the mother will immediately take the young oho away 15 or more miles and hide it there. She will then "eturn to feed it continually and will take care of it until it is big enough to be able to fight with its father and hold its own. The above-mentioned course is not necessary if the young is a female, as tho father will not have the same animosity towards it, nor desire to kill it. It would, therefore, be advisable if the Auckland Zoo authorities immediately remove the next, male baby from the vicinity of its father.” The malo hippo is not the only

animal which seeks to kill the young, since it is well known that polar bears and certain other large beasts have this instinct.

THE KENNEL. By Txnnoß. Pnneiers and breeder, of dog. are cordially iurlled to contribute to this column. '‘Terror" will tmdearour to make this department ne interesting .nd up-to-date as possible, but in order to do thi. be mu.t hare the co-operation of hi. reader!, bencu ho trusts thi. invitation will be cheerfully r.rpomlod to. jMr H. Oettli, of Dunedin, has four promising puppies from his black cocker bitch Braeval Bliss. The litter contains three dogs and a bitch, their sire’ being Felbrigg Joe (imp.). Mr J. R. Wilson’s (Dunedin) cocker spaniel Braeval Brenda has six puppies by the imported dog Felbrigg Joe. Anti-dog-cropping Crusade in America. —lhe American Humane Association, failing to persuade the American Kennel Club to follow the example of Britain and make the cropping of dogs illegal, has done the next best thing—vizZ singled out individuals offending and prosecuting them on the score of cruelty in cropping the ears of dogs—Great Danes, Boston and Manchester terriers, and Doberman Pinschers being the breeds still cropped in America. Some convictions have been secured, so, now. owners are aware that cropping is a crime against the law, if not against that of the American Kennel Club. The Rev. Rosslyn Bruce, writing under the heading “Fox Terrier Facts” in Our Dogs, says: “Presumably the owner of a good terrier has no remedy against a moderate-to-worse photographer ‘ snapping ’ his treasure at any show and sending the result to the daily press, whose open maw greedily devours a new socalled picture of a famous champion, and parades it with its name and accomplishments. This is the only explanation of a travesty of a caricature of a smooth fox terrier, with long hare feet both fore and aft, a thick Yule-log sort of head, a wasp-like middle, and a ‘ first-moments-of-the-execution ’ kind of pose of throat and neck, which recently appeared above the name of one of the best of all breeds living. Bad as it is, it is less libellous than a positive nightmare of v an emaciated scarecrow which appeared similarly of an almost equally famous wire bitch. Whatever the law of the realm is, surely the law of courtesj’ should protect our terriers from such calumny.” A Beautiful Terrier. —What an indescribable influence a really beautiful terrier has upon the human mind! A tired man forgets his weariness, a worried man his troubles, as he watches the

rhythmic grace or the symmetrical poise of a sound and well-balanced fox terrier. For the beauty of Helen, Troy was besieged for 10 years; for the hands of Iseult, Tristram changed the whole course of his life; for the 13-year-old face of Juliet, Romeo abandoned an age-long feud; for her dainty foot encased in a tiny shoe, Cinderella was promoted to the throne from the scullery; and but for some particular glance, your whole family history, good reader, would have never been. So, too, with . a perfect terrier. Next to a lovely lady, he shares with a horse the most potent influence of things created. Let’s breed some real beauties this spring!—Rosslyn Bruce. Speed and Endurance.—lt is admitted that greyhounds are the fastest of all animals, and they also possess a fair amount of stamina. Other breeds of dogs which have not so much pace last longer on a journey. It is stated that Esquimeaux dogs have hauled a sled 45 miles in five hours. Foxhounds possess great endurance, and in a trial with a thoroughbred horse the former won' over a distance of four miles, having done the journey in six and a-half minutes. The speed of the greyhound is set down at from 60ft to 75ft a second. A Siberian dog will draw 801 b on good .ice, and run about seven to eight miles an hour. Setters and pointers possess plenty of stamina, and will cover from 18 to 21 miles an hour. The best speed of a horse is said to be 63ft a second, which works out at 1260 yards a minute.

EULOGY ON THE DOG. Senator Vest’s Famous Classic. Years ago, in an old town of North Missouri, a man brought a suit for 200dol against *a neighbour who had killed his dog, and engaged Senator Vest to plead his case. The Senator made the following remarkable address —considered the finest classic gem of its kind iu the history of forensic oratory: — “Gentlemen of the Jury,—The best human friend a man has in the world may turn against him and become his enemy. His son or daughter that he has reared with loving care may prove ungrateful. Those who are nearest and dearest to us, those whom we trust with our happiness and our good name may become traitors to their faith. The money that a man has he may lose. It flies away from him perhaps when he needs it most. A man's reputation may be sacrificed in a moment of ill-considered action. The people who are prone to fall on their knees to do us honour when success is with us may be the first to throw the stone of malice when failure settles its cloud upon our heads. The one absolutely unselfish friend that a man can have in this selfish world, the one that never deceives him. the one that never proves ungrateful and treacherous, is his dog. “A man’s dog stands by him in prosperity and in poverty, in health and in sickness. He will sleep on the cold ground where the wintry winds blow and the snow drifts fiercely, if only he maybe near his master's side. He’ will kiss the hand that has no food to offer. He will lick the wounds and sores that come in encounter with the roughness of the world. He guards the sleep of his pauper master as if he were a prince. When all other friends desert he remains. When riches take wings and reputation falls to pieces, he is as constant in his love as the sun in its journeys through the heavens. If fortune drives the master forth an outcast in the world, friendless and homeless, the faithful dog ask. no higher privilege than that of accompanying, to guard against danger, to fight against enemies, and when the last scene of ail comes and when death takes the master in its embrace and his body is in tHe cold ground, no matter it all other friends pursue their way, taere by the graveside may the noble dog be found, his head between his paws, his eyes sad but open in alert watchfulness, taithtul and true even in death ” Then the Senator sat down.' He had spoken in a low voice, almost without gesture. He made no reference to the evidence or merits of the case. When he finished the judge and jury were wiping their eyes. The jury filed out. but soon returned with a verdict in favour of the £ or . 500 d- He had sued for zOOdol. It is said that some of the jurors wanted to hang the defendant.

SHEEP DOC TRIALS. KURIWAO. The seventeenth annual trials of the Js.uriwao Collie Club were held on Tuesday and Wednesday of last week on Mr George alter s Kuriwao Gorge property. The weather was all that could be desired, and the attendance excellent. Record’ entries were received, and "there were several competitors from far afield, including Southland, this testifying to the increasing popularity of the Kuriwao fixture. During the two days some splendid runs were seen, and the judge had a rathei difficult task at times to separate thc competitors, half-points being the difference more than once between the three placed dogs. The following are tlie. resuits of the various events: — OPEN MAIDEN.—About 400 yardstime, 10 minutes. Points: Heading 8 pulling 8. command 8, style at yards 4’ yarding 4. Tot.-il 32. W. R. Downic (Balclutha), Jock, 24 1 n’ m < Sti ‘ling), Gyp, 231 2 D. laylor (Clinton), Joe, 23 .. 3 Nineteen entries. HUNTAWAY AND SLEW.—Time, 10 minutes. Points: Huntaway 8, command and slew 6, noise 8, style 6. Total 28. A. I\ Miller (Clifden), Snub, 321 . 1 Carruthers (Clinton). Joe, 28 2 H Anderson (Waipahi), Taipo, 25 .. 3 Twenty-one entries. HUNTAWAY, PULL. AND YARD — lune 12 minutes. Points: Hunt 6, noise b, style 6, heading 4. pulling 6, holding in ring 4, yard 4, command 6. Total 4° Open event. 4- J- (Clifden), Snub, 39 .. 1 J. Harris (Clinton), Mac, 281 9 11. Anderson (Waipahi), Taipo, 25 ’' 3 PULL.—About 700 yards. Time, 12 minutes Points: Heading 8, pulling 8, command 8. holding in ring 4. style 4 yard 4. Total 36. ’

L. A. Charleson (Waikaka), Moss, 331 1 J. S. Waddell (Waikaka), Spot, 33 .. 2 A. T. Miller (Clifden), Snub, 321 .. 3 Thirty-five entries. —Special Prizes.—

A_cake (presented by Mr Burtenshaw) for weight-guessing.—Alex. Gibson. Cup, valued £lO 10s (presented by Mr A. J. Sheat), for competitor running any two dogs gaining most points in long pull and huntaway and slew; dogs not to have won two firsts previously, and to be owned and run by competitor. Cup to be won three times, not necessarily in succession. Won in 1921 by Mr ’W. Pringle; in 1922 by Mr J. Jones; in 1923 by Air H. Anderson; in 1924 by Air R. Tuffley; in 1925 by Air W. Taylor sen.; in 1926 by Air G. Perkins; in 1927 by Air H. Anderson (Waipahi). 101 b tin of tea (presented by Dalgety and Co., Ltd.), for dog making fastest time in heading in long pull.—L. A. Charleson (Waikaka). £1 Is (presented by Air C. North) for best all-round dog.—A. T. Aliller (Clifden). Trophy (presented by Air E. Al. Leggett) for dog gaining most points in style at yards.—A. T. Aliller. Two gallons of oil (presented by T. Beck and Son) for dog gaining most points in command.—A. T. Aliller. 10s (presented by Air Oliver) for competitor with most entries.—W. Taylor (Clinton) and H. Anderson (Waipahi), equal. Set of shoes (presented by Air A. Wilson) for the competitor coming greatest distance. —A. T. Aliller. Fat sheep (presented by Air W. Taylor, Annishill). for weight-guessing.—J. Smith, Airs W. Taylor, and Airs Callender. £1 Is (presented by the Dunedin Stock Agents’ Association) for youngest competitor (under 20 years), gaining not less than 16 points in the maiden event. —N. Morris. £1 Is (presented by Air Copeland) for competitor of 15 miles’ radius gaining most points in trials.—H. Anderson. tea (presented by National Mortgage and Agency Co., Ltd.) for competitor with best three mustering dogs. To be decided by the judge. S. Peterson (Balclutha). Box tea (presented by Wright, Stephenson and Co., Ltd.) for maiden dog gaining most points in long pull and maiden. — D. Taylor (Clinton). £1 Is (presented by Air T. Sime) for dog gaining most points for command in huntaway.—A. T. Aliller. Box tea (presented by the N.Z. Loan and Alercantile Agency Co.) for dog gaining most points for heading in maiden.— W. R. Downic (Balclutha).