LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Pelorus Guardian and Miners' Advocate., Volume 25, Issue 1, 6 January 1914, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Races for Church Funds.— Though some churchmen are against racing, others are not. Those in Rowena (New Sonth Wales) are of the latter class, hs recently a race meeting was held there' to raise funds to build a church. The meeting brought in about £IBO.

The Strike.—Mr McCallum, M.P. for Wairau, interviewed said: “He was of the opinion that the strike was tactlessly and weakly handled ; that delay and expense and great inconvenience would have been avoided if the Government had joined forces with the Opposition and acted for the-good of the people regardless of clds's interests and party politics.

Development of Side-Car.— After the cycle-car the cycle-cab- This is a new development of the side-car as affixed to motor-cycles, the vehicle having the form of a miniature taxi-cab, which will hold three people in addition to the driver of the bicycle. Its cost is only half that of the ordinary taxi-cab, and the inventor holds out the alluring vision of being able to “ taxi ” in London at a cost of no more than 4d or 5d a mile. To Cork Cancer.— Radium, valued at £20,000 has been temporarily embedded in the left shoulder of Mr Robert Bremmer, a New Jersey Congressman as an attempted cure of extensive cancerous growth. Dr Howard Atwood Kelly operated, inserting the radium in eleven rubber-coated tubes inside twelve incisions, aided by cocaine. It is expected the treatment will result in the degeneration of the cancer cells solely by the action of gamma rays, alpha and beta rays being filtered out. Shower op Fish. —During a storm at Quirindi (N.S.W.), last week, large numbers of small live fish fell in that town. This is not the first occasion upon which fish have fallen during a rainstorm, and there are instances also where myriads of small green frogs have been precipitated. As an explanation of this phenomenon, it is contended that the fish have been taken up into the air in a waterspout, when tons of water are transported skywards. Still in the water, they float about in the upper atmosphere until a cloudburst or heavy storm carries them to earth.

Colonial l Girl’s Grit. —A noteworthy performance, and one that displays the grit possessed by some colonial girls, was that of a resident of the Mataura district, the daughter of a well-known dairy farmer Her two brothers were absent at the Gore Show (says the “ Mataura Ensign.”) and had not arrived home at milking time, so their sister commenced alone the task of milking the herd of forty-four cows. On the farm milking machines are used, and the happening should prove a point in their favour. The cows, however, had to be bailed up, the machines attached, the cows stripped, the milk placed incans, the utensils washed and the dairy shed cleaned, which was all accomplished single-handed.

I Impobted Timber. —During 1 the past * year or two the quantity of Oregon pine imported into New Zealand has increased considerably, and the arrival of an American four-masted schooner in one of the dominion’s principal ports is quite a common occurrence nowadays. A few weeks ago the schooner Bain bridge arrived in Lyttelton with *>oo,ooo feet of timber, and the other day another vessel, the Salem, anchored in the stream with a load of 960,000 feet of Oregon pine. Previously the freight was generally consigned to one particular firm, but 1 it is now stated that the competition has become keen, and opposition has entered the field, and for the future. the cargoes will be more frequent. It is understood that the Salem’s freight is the first load in the interests of the opposition. Every plug smoker should try GOLDEN EAGLE PLUG. It outs easily, has a delightful fragrance and aroma, is cool and sweet, and it won’t burn the tongue. It’s just as well to use the best polish lor your floor. So get a tin of TAN-OL and give your linoleum- a treat, TAN-OL is a preservative as well as a polish. Liquid Is ; paste 6d,

Red-Letter Day for Canvastown.— Canvastown presented quite a busy spectacle on New Year’s day and excellent business, was done at the Hotel in addition to the “ roaring trade of the race booths.”

Easter Sports.— Now that Christmas holidays are over it behoves the snorts of Havelock to look ahead. ’Easter holidays will be here soon and nothing doing. How ‘about it secretary Pope? A sports meeting should do welK^ow.

Pelobus Races. —The owners of the visiting horses to the race meeting at Canvastown on New Year’s day were high in their praise of Mr J. Lovell the Club secretary for the treatment they received at his hands in providing every possible facility for the welfare of their horses.

Progress in Havelock.— Mr A. J. Brown, the local carrier, recently visited Wellington and was greatly impressed by the various types of motor vans. As a result Mr Brown has definitely placed an order for a motor vehicle and so another step has been taken towards progress in Havelock. Who fill be next ? Wake up you procrastinators I

New Year’s Eve.— Havelock presented quite a lively appearance on New Year’s eve, the main street being thronged with people. Singing and speech making went on with scarcely a break until about 3 a.m. The crowd was most orderly and full of fun of a harmless character. There were individual membra among them of exceptional talent in the musical line some of the songs having been extremely well rendered and the oratorical efforts exceptionally good. , On* artist with a benzine tin was the snrprise of the evening, the way in which he gave different selections was a revelation. The local constable handled the gathering well and the night was got through without a hitch or disturbance of any kind.

The Latest Fashion. —A fashionably dressed woman, accompanied by a man and a pet pig, to which was attached a pink ribbon used as a chain, caused amusement, disgust and indignation in Castlereagh street, /Sydney, last week. Of the three the pig was the only oneto look ashamed. He appeared to feel his position keenly. He is a well-bred pig. When the woman was not addressing baby language to her pet, she was leading it through a crowd which increased in numbers. To it, she said, “come along, Fido.” “Am i blithered, Bill ; it’s a pig, fair dinkum, ain’t it ? asked an onlooker' anxiously of his companion. “ You’re all right, was the reassuring response. ", Strike me fat, it’s a pig sure enough. If my annie was to take one of ’em out with her I’d get work.” The woman, the pig, and her other companion .were now receiving embarassing attention. They disappeared in a cab.

A Daring Climb. —A daring exhibition of cliff scaling, that nearly ended tragically, was performed by a Christchurch oarsman who was attending the Otago Begatta on Boxing Day, states the Christchurch “ Evening News.” This oarsman noticed the names of various oversea liners painted in bold lettering on the face of the old quarry overlooking the port wharves. The sailors had evidently vied with each other in painting the vessel’s names in hver more prominent, andlipaccesible positions, and the oarsman was stirred to emulation. He bad helped to make the name of' the Avon Bowing Club prominent in regatta events and he determined to leave that , name equally prominent in the way of achievement among the names of well-known liners, as recorded on the quarry cliff by venturesome sailors. Though hampered by a paint pot and brush, he patiently climbed up until he eventually reached the point of desired prominence. He did the painting, adding nis own initials, but when the lettering wa? completed he could neither get up any further nor retrace the course of bis arduous climb. He. was standing on a pinnicle that was only large enough for one foot, and the cliff was so perpendicular that be could not bend to seek a lower foothold; to bend meant to topple „ backwards with a drop of 100 feet to the scattered spawls below. Seeing his predicament from an hotel window, a sailor hurriedly commandereed all the chest lashing available and in a brief space of time had dragged the oarsman to a place of safety above the quarry.

Coasting in Motor Launch. —The perils of coasting in motor launches were startingly ' v exemplified the other day (says the "Dunedin ‘‘ Star,” when the cruise of a Dunedin pleasure boat resulted in a disastrous conclusion. On Christmas morning Messrs Arthur Buchan and Leo Wynn set off from Dunedin for Gatlins in a 20ft launch driven by a five horsepower Standard engine, When off St. Clair, a heavy wind made things somewhat unpleasant. A sail was set at the time, and when off Green Island rock an extra heavy gust snapped the "mast. A very exciting night was i spent off the Nugets light, which was reached about 8 o’clock m the evening. Vain 1 attempts were made, to attract the attention of the keeper, and the occupants spent a troublous night at anchor. Although a heavy sea was running in the morning it was decided to make the mouth of the Gatlins River, which was reached at 8 a.m. Choosing the. lesser of two evils, an attempt was made to cross the bar. This being found impossible, the little vessel was brought partly round, with the intention of putting out to sea. A - succession of large waves submerged the boat, which the occupants left when about 80 yards from the land. Both were fortunate in safely reaching shore, A rescue party who had come down to render assistance took the two adventurers back to Poun'awea, where they were provided with dry clothing. The launch sank, part of the deckhouse only being recovered.