LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXI, Issue 29, 19 September 1911, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The School Committee will meet this evening. Tho usual meeting of the Stratford County Council takes place tomorrow morning. The Chamber of Commerce will hold its monthly meeting this evening. The annual meeting of tho Bowling Club will be held at 8 o’clock this evening in ‘ tho Borough Council Chambers. All those taking part in “Trial Injury” are requested to lie at the Town Hall to-night not later than 7.80 for final rehearsal. Owing to having contracted a . sore throat, Sir John Findlay lias indefinitely postponed the address he was to have delivered in Eltliam last night. Tim annual meeting of the Stratford Bowling Club will be held in the Borough Chambers this evening. On/Saturday last a few personal friends of Mrs. E. B. Stohr met her at the residence of Mrs. T. H. Penn and presented her with a handsome dressing case. Mrs. Stohr leaves tomorrow morning on a six months’ visit to Australia.

A workman who was unloading grain in Millwall Dock a few weeks sago, found an old straw hat among the cargo. Having no use for it down below, he pitched it up through the hatchway. One of the workmen on deck throw the hat to a lighterman on a barge alongside, who in return refused it, its appearance being by no means prepossessing. This time it was thrown to a boatman, who saved it from tho water, saying that it would do for one of his'children. On reaching home ho noticed the bulkiness of the lining, and tore it out, when he was astonished to find a bundle of “greenbacks,” which realised £2O 16s Bd.

The consumption cf wine at some of the loading West End clubs is stated to have fallen off by 75 par cent, in thirty years, and champagne has given place to, barley. water. So popular is this beverage—as to the merits and, vices of which doctors differ—that whereas it,used always, to bo ,issued free, a charge has -now .to be made for it in order to make good in some-slight degree the deficit 1 on wine. Sitting after dinner is now a thing of the past; and in many houses men leave the table with the women, a custom which formerly only obtained at Holland House and Dudley House. As smoking is allowed everywhere, there is no adjournment to a smoking-room, and more barley water, or the special mineral or still water affected by the individual, takes the place of the whisky and soda of our fathers. There will be a mammoth cheese on exhibition at tho National Dairy Show to be held in Chicago at the International Live Stock Amphitheatre, October 26th-November 4th. The big cheese exhibited at tho last dairy show weighed over 40001b5., and was the largest cheddar cheese ever made. This year’s cheese will weigh over 10,000 pounds, and will take 65 tons of milk and cream from 6500 cows milked by 1350 men. Eighteen expert cheesemakers and 25 assistants will he employed in the construction of tho cheese, which will be transported to Chicago in a specially' constructed refrigerator occupying an entire flat car. The entry comes from N. Simon of Wisconsin, who also made tho big cheese last year. It is not built alone for exhibition purposes, I.at-will be of the finest commercial quality.

In the course of .an arti.de on : War Office Reminiscences” in the August “Blackwood,” Colonel Coll veil says certain War >' Office ] a pars wander about within the office, growing in bulk on the snowball principle, and they sometimes disappear in the course of their peregrinations. If they are not then discovered in the Finance Branch, or if they cannot be traced to the Secretary of State, they are put on “the search list,” and the “searcher” is brought into requisition. The methods and the identity of this mysterious individual are alike wrapped in obscurity. It is currently reported on the military side of the War Office that he is in receipt of £SOO a year. He leaves no trace of Ins visitations. But, just as the rat-catcher secures the rats concealed in the most inaccessible penetralia of the ship, so also, by some occult means does the searcher discover documents for which nobody can account. There is not perhaps in the service of the State a more efficient or a more useful official.

A cablegram published in Australian newspapers a few days ago states that President Taft has ordered preparations to be . made for what is described as the most startling game if war ever attempted by the United •States Navy. The entire Pacific fleet, from the heaviest InttlesVi;- to th° fleetest destroyer, will take part in the manoeuvre's, which will represent in effort to duplicate the conditions that would exist in actual war. Con■entrating at San Francisco, the ships ,vill make a dash for Honolulu, carynig the full .'.umber of Marines ind five additional regiments with vhich to bring the Hawaiian garrison up to its war strength. It is said that the President wishes to demonstrate how quickly the three units—die Navy, coast defence and the marine service—can co-operate for the lefonce of a Pacific outpost. Orders have been received by the naval authorities in San Francisco for the immediate installation of the fire control system on the flagship California. Of the ships at that port, three .■misers are ready to sail at anytime, but all the others have their engines torn up for repairs.

The Kapuni left to-day, says Monday’s Patea “Press,”: with the first shipment of this season’s butter from this; port. 5 The shipment comprised some 1200: boxes.

The committee in charge of the Tailor Memorial Fund met last right, but did not transact any business, as all the lists have not yes come to hand. Tho lists are to'be called in and a further meetiig 1 will lie held, when a complete statement can lie presented.

Apparently, by a typographical error, the Auckland “Star” the'other day stated“ The rainfall at Waihi yesterday, between noon and Bpm was .298 inches.” Though the paral graph is palpably wrong, it is interesting to speculate as to the effect which would be produced by rain falling at the rate of about' 37' inches per hour. Would the farmers still say “\Vo want more rain?”

The Horticultural Society’s daffodil snow is attracting much' attention among flower growers at present. The committee have gone to considerable trouble tins year to make the show attractive. A good musical. t programme is promised in the evening Entries are coming in freely, and proST t 0 'v rocord ' f °>- W&d. Patrons will note that -the show is held this year in the' new Parish Hall. > ' "V ■.

Ivef onng to tno recent death of Mr. Oliver Spurdle the Waitara “Mail” nays:—Mr. Spurdle -landed in New Piymoutn m 1842,■ being than. eleven years of age. Twelve years s later he was married in the Congregational yhurch by the llov. Mr. Iron be, and in 186) the couple removed to IVaitara, where Mr Spurdle carried on his business for many years. He, with his wife, removed to Inglewood in 1896 and had since lived there. They celebrated their golden wedding in Inglewood nine years ago, when they wore surrounded by children, grand cliiidren, and great-grandchildren, besides other relatives and many friends. There are seven children living, and they, with their mother, will have the sympathy of a wide circle of friends.

The importation of roofing tiles into New Zealand is steadily on the increase. Regular shipments of the familiar Marseilles tiles arrive at Dunedin, Lyttelton,,Wellington, wand Auckland, these cargoes being. carried in sailing ships. On an average two sailing ships come from Marseilles to New Zealand every year, one discharging at Dunedin and 'Lyttelton, and the other at Wellington and Auckland. The Italian barque VErminia brought 800,000 tiles to Dunedin and Lyttelton, and has just conipleted unloading at the latter port. Tho Italian ship Australia is at present in Wellington and will shortly go to A mkland. In- addition to the supplies from Marseilles, regular shipments arrive by steamer from England. HlO Surrey is at present discharging 30,000 Bridgwater ■ tiles at Lyttelton. The work of discharging tiles is necessarily a slow process. In the case of sailing ships, the tiles arc passed up from the hold to the shore by hand,’and the Ermihia was three or four weeks putting out 400,000. Steamers generally discharge them in crates, from which they are taken by hand and packed in the railway trucks.

Ihcre has been recently added to the Sydney Zooligicai Gardens a singularly hue red kangaroo of the true ‘old man” or boomer type so seldom mot with, and which is now fast disappearing. Apart from its value as a specimen (says the Herald), the animal is interesting from tho point of view that it is a born lighter in tho prize-ring sense. So adapt has he become in the gentle art, and so willing 1a honto exhibituliis'! skill that the keeper, who cannot side-step with’ agility, is soon glad to crawl through the ropes, or the wires. The “old man,” has a delightfully unconventional style of fighting, and' though he includes jabs, jolts, and' the rest of the stock-in-trade of the ordinary uugi'ist, he is fftr more versatile With bewildering Vapidity he .will reach for his adversary’s" face with his left fore-paw, following up with a staggering delivery with his i:gnt hind loot, that would rouse the most expert opponent of savate to envy. Probably he will diversify his bis attack by applying crude though effective jitsu methods, that are distinctly demoralising. The director of ' the gardens is inclined to think that the long-sought for ‘hope” has at last been discovered. At any rate, ho is possessed of great muscular energy wonderful activity,and an adherent love for the fame.