LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXI, Issue 61, 26 October 1911, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Mr C. Massey, of the local staff of the Bank of Australasia, left by this morning’s mail train for Waverley, where he is to do relieving duty. A debtor in the New Plymouth Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday stated that on his farm of 54 acres he was now milking five cows, and sending forty pounds of milk daily to tlie factory. There’s evidently need for cow-testing, top-dressing, or some other business-like farming method on this property, remarks the “News.” Messrs Black and Fletcher, who wpro appointed to value the Electrical Supply Co.’s plant in connection with the proposed acquisition of the business by the Borough Council, finished their work yesterday, and proceeded south by this morning’s mail train. Their report is expected to arrive in a few days, and on its receipt a meeting of the Borough Council will be called to consider it. The New Plymouth Amateur Operatic Society had intended putting on “The Pirates of Penzance” Stratford on show nights, and had pencilled the date for the Town Hall, says the “News,” but he Sraford Borough Council .lias itself engaged the hall for those nights. “Pirates” will probably stage the ~.opepa ,a,t Elthfiqi,, from which place they have received several requests and good promises of support. Watchmaking (says the Paris correspondent of the “Daily Telegraph”) was evidently the salt of life for an old Parisian watchmaker, who recently died near the Bourse, where he had lived all his life. He gave instructions in his will that the following inscription should bo cut on his tombstone: “Flore lies horizontally So-and-So, in his lifetime a watchmaker. Honcuf was the mainspring of his existence, and work ever regulated his time. His works were good. The fear of God and the love of his neighbour were always'the key that wound him up. He lived happy until the Great Clockmaker of the Universe thought fit to sever the chain of his days at the ago of .” His heirs filled in the blank, and were able to write down eighty-seven years. The worthy watchmaker’s works were indeed excellent.

A remarkable steaming feat.performed five years ago by the steamer Cape .Corso is recalled to mind by the arrival of the vessel at Auckland on Sunday from Montreal and Australian ports. A perusal of the vessel’s leg dating back to Juno, 1906 shows that the Cape Corso sailed from London on June 2, of that year for Port Chalmers direct and arrived at the southern port on the morning of July 27, after a iron-stop run of 53 days 21 hours. The long voyage of 12, 965 miles was made without a stop for coal supplies the engines working continuously from the time she cleared London till anchor was dropped at Port Chalmers. Throughout this steaming feat the average speed maintained was 10.2 knots an hour. The Cape Corso last visited Auckland about four years ago. Mr B. J. Newton, wireless operator on the new Aberdeen liner Demosthenes, achieved some splendid long-dis-tance work on the way out to Australia, and over the whole voyage was only out of communication with London for two days. On September 23th, on the longitude of Kerguelen Island, communication was established with Tliomisbccles, a sister ship tc the Demosthenes, which was in 30deg. south, homeward bound. The two vessels exchanged messages for four consecutive days, and were 1770 miles ipart when their maximum distance was covered. Communication was also made with Australian shipping it a great distance through the Karenin, and thus, on October Ist, the ship was indirectly in touch with South Africa and Australia. Communication established between the two ■ontinonts with the Demosthenes as she bridge ycssol was maintained when H.M.S Cambrian, lying at Fremantle, 1250 miles distant, was picked up. A dramatic story was recently told from the dock at London Sessions, vhen two men admitted having broken into a warehouse and stolen a moi/n ■ycle and side-car. One of them tide, die Judge that some years ago lie do mrmmed *o sta A life afresh, ait! jailed for South Africa where he benine a member of the Natal Police force. Fortune - smiled on him until t became his duty to apprehend a rang of horse theives, one of whom vas a criminal in whose company he ind been convicted in England several cars previously. The man for revenge it being arrested, “gave him away,” bus bringing about liis dismissal from lie force. Failure to obtain employment led him to drift back into his old ways. Ho was given the opportunity if lining remanded for enquiries to be nade in Africa, but lie said ho did not desire it, as the suspence was maddening He was sent to prison for 15 months, and the other man for 21 months.

The Taranaki Education Board yesterday acceded to the request of the Stratford A. and P. Association that ’ll schools in the education district be allowed to close if the committee desire it, on one day of the Show. •dr. V\. L. Kennedy at yesterday’s meeting of the Education Board remarked that a few years ago hush land could be felled, grassed, and fenced for £2 an aero. But, owing i. ) the increased cost of labour, it maw costs from £3 10s to £4 to is good a'mb of it. The October meeting of the Education Board savoured very much of a conversazione, says the “News.” If larger boards in transacting their business wasted their time proportionately, the meetings would be a matter of weeks. her the first time in the history of cue Inglewood Record” it appears tais evening with out Mr. Peach’s advertisement, says Wednesday’s ‘Record. The late A.{-. Peach maced his advertisement in the first nsno ol the paper, and has, without intermission, continued a consistent and persistent advertiser, and was me of the few who was not afraid to admit that his advertising was the most profitable expenditure he made in the whole course of his business. Mr. I Jiomas Luxton, of Waitara, nas sold a purebred- yearling Jersey bull, by Campanile’s Sultan—Grannie s Girl, to the Government for 100 guineas, says the “News.” This bull’ aas offered at the auction sale of Mr Luxton’s the other day, and was passed in, but he was sold shortly afterwards. This is a remarkable testimony to the estimation in which the voungster’s sire and dam are held. t is worthy of note that there were eight Jersey men anxious to secur t ic hull, but the representative of tho Government “got in first.” All of these gentlemen were from outside J aranaki. “Whjlo 1 was in Paris a few weeks ago, remarked a Christchurch resident recently returned from travels abroad, to a “Press” representative, 1 ascended the Eiffel Tower. It is certainly a marvellous structure, but * . wasn’t too favourably impressed with its stability. It swayed very badly— something like two feet six, 1, think the movement is—and the authorities have had trouble with tho joundations. The pressure of the imr, menso mass of steel and iron must' he enormous, and I understand that there is a movement on foot for the demolition of the tower.” llS daughter of a well-connected family in England, whoso income recently underwent a severe slump, sought, so, rumour has it/ to add to her sadly depleted pin-money by acting before a kincmatograph camera. She is pretty and clever, and was regarded as an acquisition. Naturally, she did not confide her secret to anyone, but, unfortunately for her,. "it came out of its own accord. Her 'father happeried to be present at a {cinematograph show, and his astonishment may bo faintly imagined when he saw his daughter playing the part of a prairie belle and other characters of a romantic type. It is said that he has offered to pay for the films if they are destroyed, but the price the proprietors ask for them is altogether beyond his means. A Calcutta correspondent reports “a truly horrible incident,” which befcl an English lady. Her “butler” was in the habit of calling loudly beneath her window every evening about seven. His cry suggested that bo was calling either the cattle or the chickens koine; but, though she had neither, the lady for some time took no notice. Until one evening, having,the curiosity tp' look, she was horrified to. see the butler, like a dusky pied piper, surrounded by a troop of rats! There -were quite fifty of them, from the big bandicotes to v small musk rats, all being fed on the remains'of her soup, meat, and other ‘ bits. In a plague country this was an amusement that was speedily ended. The members of the Sheffield Choir which recently visited New Zealand have been contributing to the English papers their impressions on their experiences. One of them states that “there are only two sleeping cars in the whole of New Zealand.” In all ’’ sincerity tiie same writer says, “It is very strange to see all the" cattle in the fields wearing coats, but, as they are outside all tho year round, the covering is an absolute necessity.” In another portion of the article, the writer says: “In Auckland we saw a specimen of a very horrid native bird called a ■ rea” (presumably a kea), “for every dead body of which the Government offers’ a" reward of £4.” The death of Mr. Charles Westal Lloyd one of the first selectors of farm lands on Oxley Plains, took place at his residence, Bobinawarrah, last week (says the Melbourne “Argus”). He was 77 years of age. In his younger days he was noted as a ploughman, winning 15 championships, and for years acted as engineer of Oxley Shire. Of late years he devoted his interocsts to farming and grazing and lived an unassuming life. The deceased had a very distinguished lineage. Being the oldest surviving son of William Lloyd, of Parleus Manor, Kilgraim, County Clare, Ireland, he was the holder of an estate in England as descendant of the line of Lloyd, of Leighton, Nauteribba, etc., County vi.ontgomeryshire, Stockton, and Salop (a family of 20 centuries), and was sixty-eight in descent in an unbroken male line from Belinus tho Great, King of Britain, as shown by c'-orcls at the College of Arms. The paternal cqat-of-arms and crest of the i.loyd family contain the record number of 360 quarterings. . The deceased leaves five sons and one daughter. With a vocabulary limited to two words of the Chinese language,’ it is somewhat difficult for a reporter to got at the true inwardness of the present situation in China from natives of that country who have taken up their residence in this city, howeverwilling they may be to discuss the question (says tho Auckland “Star”). I’neir interest in tho war varied from that of a keen gentleman who appeared to bo well posted upon the subject, if one could only have understood him, to a confrere who came straight from the wash-tub and seenied more concerned about tho fact that tho coloured braiding on a garment ho had just picked out of the soap-suds had run, and made an awful mess of the linen. “What for people near di-q I can’t say. Velly foolis’! Ino take him oven for not give any money'” Opinions as to the probable duration of the war varied Loin weeks to tho length of the siege of Troy, but •ill were agreed that it was a most important event in the history of China. One intelligent Chinaman likened it to the French Revolution led by one “Xangpnlv,” under which guise it was at first somewhat difficult, to recognise our friend Napoleon, and lie prophesised great things for China should the rebels be .victorious. It seemed from what lie said that the aid fashioned order of things was doomed, and young and enlightened China would 1 ring about a state of things envrently desirable. Tonking’s Linseed Emulsion—the only cerain cure. From all chemists and stores—ls Gd, 2s Gd, 4s Gd,*

Mr. J. Terry, clerk of the court at New Plymouth, has left for Westport to attend the funeral of his father, who died there early on Tuesday morning. Yesterday a Stratford resident motored through to Tarata. The weather on leaving was wet, but on reaching Tarata the roads were in an excellent dry condition, and inquiries elicited the fact that the township had had no. rain since Sunday last. This seems somewhat extraordinary in view of the recent' weather experienced here, but the fact is vouched for by a Stratford resident.