LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXII, Issue 22, 9 January 1912, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

A pure white sparrow was recently cVscovored in the Temuka district. Mr. Newton King has received the following cable from his Sydney agents re iiidcs :—Eighth lower. A record fine of £250 was imposed upon Manchester United in 1909 for not playing their full strength in League football matches. The City of Glasgow does not appear to be in a very prosperous state just now. The valuation of buildings sanctioned duidng the year just closed allowed a reduction of £140,000, and was the lowest for twenty years. There arc 19,000 unlet houses, and -1600 empty shops within the city boundary.

To what extent a family may multiply within the period of a single lifetime is shown by the case.of an oldtime Lady Temple of Stow, who nurs'd her seven hundredth descendant before she died ; and even more striking is the famous Kentucky family of Webb, of whom three brothers, and as many sisters, all living a few years ago, counted their descendants to the amazing number of ! 1650. Tonga is experiencing a severe drought. The is scorqhed up, the whole place wearing a brown,and dusty 1 appearance, arid the nutsj are bcginriiirg 1 to. wither ,and drop off the coedariut trees, being unable to, get the irc’cbsjpiry moisture to fill out and mature*.' This means that the copra output for the early part of next year will be seriously curtailed, and the yams and “kumela” crops arc also feeling the effects cf the continued try, scorching days.

Superstition ran riot for one hour on Saturday morning, November 11, in Berlin, when big crowds, representing almost every class of. society, pushed. and struggled through the; narrow fame ' behind the Anihalt station to reach the dark and usually deserted branch, post office No. 11. About a token extra officials were requisitioned to meet the rush, and six huge letterboxes were erected, each surmounted by .a printed notice to the effect that all letters and postcards put into boxes would be stamped “11 o’clock.” Between 10 arid 11 the lane was tightly packed, and the office itself was dangerously overcrowded by a surging mob, all anxious to post to themselves a letter or card which would bear the lucky official stamp, “11 o’clock, nostamt 11,” and the date 11-11-11. '

The American Dreadnought Utah now possesses a complete set of silverware, given by the Mormons and their enemies. Recently, 129 pieces of silver that had been subscribed by the school children of the State were presented to tiio battleship, • and on Tie largest piece was a bas-relief of Brigham Young, founder of the Mormon Church. The United States Admiralty was approached in an effort to secure the refusal cf the Mormon presentation, but declined to interfere. Next, a delegation from the National Anti-Mormon Association went on board the Utah and asked her officers’ acceptance of a large silver tray, to be used “in place of the awful Brigham Young souvenir.” The delegation, on their return, reported that the officers had promised always to take their glasses of .punch from the “anti-tray,” but Senator Smoots, head of the Mormon subscribers, declared with equal vehemence that the officers made a totally opposit promise to him. Meanwhdc, other naval ships iu want of mess room services of plate have intimated that gifts of silver plate will be welcomed without question as to origin. The first-men-tioned gift to the battleship Utah was the outcome of a taunt that “Mormons are not loyal to the customs of the United States.”

Admiral Robley Evans, whose death was recently I'eported, had a particularly brilliant career. Horn in Eloyd County, Virginia, in 1846, he was educated at public schools and graduated from the United ■ States Naval Academy in 1863. He received an ensign’s commission in October of that year, and subsequently earned rapid promotion, gaining the rank of lieutenant in 1866, lieutenant-commander in 1868, and commander ten years later. Ho was appointed captain in 1893 and rear-admiral in 1901. He took part in both attacks on Eort Fisher m January, 1866, and received four severe wounds from rifle-shots. While lie was in. command of the Yorktown at Valparaiso in 1891, a period of strained relations betwen Chili and the United States, his actions in connection with various incidents earned him the popular name of “Fighting Hob.” In the war with Spain he commanded the lowa, in Admiral Sampson’s fleet, and played a prominent part in the battle with Admiral Cervera’s fleet on July 3, 1898. He served for some time as president of the Hoard of Inspection and Survey, and after his promotion to the rank of rear-admiral he was appointed com-mander-in-chief on the Asiatic Station. From 1905 till 1907 lie was in command of the Atlantic Fleet, and he was specially appointed commander-in-chief of the Atlantic - Fleet for the tour of the world, though the state of his health did not permit him to visit j Now Zealand and Australia. Ho re- j tired on August 18, 1908. I

A Swiss aviator flow to the wedding cf a girl friend on his aeroplane, and as the newly-married couple came out of church dropped a bouquet from an altitude of 6U feet in front of the bride.

A surgeon of a great London hospital says: “All infants at birth have blue eyes, in some babies immediately after birth pigment granules begin to develop in the iris. Thus they become brown or black eyes. In others, however, no such pigment formation takes place, and the eyes remain blue or grey throughout life.” Ho also states that it is possible for a man’s eyes to change colour as the result of mental shock or physical ill-treatment. At Saturday’s meeting of the Hawera County Council (says the “Star”) it was suggested by one councillor that the dog-tax should be paid at the County Office in the same manner as the rates were. Then, at the end of a reasonable time, he said, the Council could put on a man to go round, with instructions to issue a summons, “without any more ado,” against any person found in possession of an unregistered dog. Other councillors, however, appeared to think the plan suggested might not work satisfactorily. A farmer in this district, says the Palmerston “Standard,” has succeeded in baiting a large number of black birds by means of small books. The birds are particularly fond of black currants, and the expedient adopted is to hang a small hook with a berry on the end of it from one of the lower tranches of the bush. The temptation is too great for the greedy blackbird, and it finds itself unexpectedly trapped. Hooks can be hung in this manner all round the tree. The proceeding, the farmer admits, is certainly cruel, but he contends that the work :f extermination must be carried out. If it is not there will be no fruit. Progress reports wlilcii have been received through the High Commissioner (Sir George Reid) indicate that die building of the Commonwealth battleship cruiser Australia and the protected cruisers (second class) Melbourne and Sydney in British yards is proceeding satisfactorily, and it is expected that delivery will be made ,v it bin the soatvsict dates. When the vessels are completed and the local construction of the third second class jvuiser (to be called the Brisbane) tnd.tfiree more destroyers (to be call:d Derwent, Torrens and Swan) has >ccn carried out, the first Commonwealth naval unit will be an accompli sued thing. It is so designed as to form the foundations for a navy on i much larger scale. Under Sir Reginald Henderson’s proposals the Royal Australian Navy in its first stage will consist of eighteen vessels. “It goes against my grain to see counsel and witness within handshaking distance,” remarked his Honor, Mr Justice Denniston, at the Compenjation Court, at Dunedin, as Mr S. Salomon, K.C., and M. C. E. Brcmaor, engineer to the Wairnate County M until, face to face on the floor of :hc Courthouse, counsel demonstrating ,is views by means of ; gesticulation, vud the witness standing a foot away, consistently refuting MrSolomon’s opinions, and expressing his own with equal decisiveness., Mr Solomon.said :fiat something like a dozep witnesses Tad been similarly dealt with and no objection taken.; ~ His Honor,; said •dMt Mr Bfemner .was ( a “hostile; wit-: ' less’' uikT told-a, .story of ,a little boy who' crept into the iwitness-box. because ;a thought the counsel was) “going to >at him.” “But I won’t cry,” said Mr Bremner, “and I won’t oat him,” said counsel, as the witness bowed to Tic will of l the Court, and stepped into the witness box. A simple contrivance, which, it is claimed, will overcome the difficulty ,n regard to the break of gauge question, has recently been brought under ; die notice of the' .Federal authorities. ,n- the inventor, Mr. Bolton, in view ,f The proposed construction of the ■xalgoorlie to Port Augusta railway;instead of involving a heavy expenditure in laying a third rail, Mr. Bolton is anxious that a trial should. be given to his invention, which provides Far the addition of a third wheel to Tie vehicles. While running on the smaller, or 4ft Bsin gauge, the outer wheel on one side would be idle, but as the difference, compared with sft 3in, s not vonsideraole, the inventor halms that it could be attached to •arriages with perfect safety. A model of the invention has been constructed, and it negotiates the lines laid down for it without the slightest difficulty. Slots are made in the crossings and curves for the passage of die flange of the idle or non-weight-•ari ving wheel. The inventor states that several qualified engineers have inspected the model, and regard it as i cheap and practicable way of surmounting the break of gauge difficulties until the time arrives for the adoption of a uniform gauge throughout the Commonwealth. What is known in Yorkshire as the Srdington mystery lias had a somewhat sensational clearing up. Against the wishes of her husband, the wife of Captain Coventry, a district magnate, was in the habit of making drinking bouts with Charles Gilks, a dependent of the family. During one cf her husband’s absences Mrs. Coventry sent for Gilks, and between them tlier consumed a bottle of whisky. Next morning Gilks’s body was found in the street, where there was reason to believe that she had removed it, after the man had tumbled down the stairs. Death was due to a fractured skull. There were protracted Court proceedings ancl unpleasant disclosures, ending in the commital of Airs. Coventry on a charge of manslaughter. But at the Warwick Assizes Mr. Justice Ridley told the grand jury of the county that “Gilks may . have staggered downstairs in his drunkenness, and the removal of the body does not prove guilt. I can find !'0 evidence to justify you in putting Mrs. Coventry on her trial.” On that direction there was nothing for the grand jury but to throw out the bill, which they did. The following remarkable i story is told by the Rev. H. T. Kerr, in his book of “Story Sermons,” concerning a tree on a 'chimney top in the town of Stowarton, Ayrshire:—“By the side of a little stream there is a mill, and on the mill there is a great tall chimney, and on the chimney, at the very top, there is a little tree about as high as a man and as slender as a broomstick. It has been "rowing there for I don’t know how long. It was there When my mother was a girl, and after she had been away for nearly years she returned to visit her native town, and it was still there, and seemed no bigger and no taller, and was just as healthy as it ever had been. There it has grown, high in the air, 50ft or more from the ground, and has stood against wind and weather, summer end winter, during all those many years. How docs it live? Why does it not die? You can see, the reason if von look carefully, for you ivill find that it has a Tttie root running from tli? chimney-top right down the side of flic wall, which at last buries itself in the rich soil beside the little stream. That root feeds the tree, and in vis wav if lias lived for nearly one hundred voars.” <

Mr Barry, of the N.Z. Land M. A. Co.’s staff, returned yesterday morning from a holiday trip in the North. Miss Orbed left by the ma'l train this morning on a tnree weeks’ holiday trip in the Wellington district. The funeral of the late Mr. Harry W. Huggctt takes place to-morrow afternoon. Members of the Foresters’ Lodge are asked to attend. A story of a handsome girl who, after masquerading as a boy for four years, was betrayed by the smallness of her feet, has just been made public. She is eighteen years of age, and be--1 longs to Chicago. As “Clyde” Dixon managed somehow to travel about -f 10,000 miles on the ra’lway. When at last she was arrested for trespassing sAI taken before the Court, the Judge sight of “Clyde’s” dainty feet, and the secret was out. She was wearing a very neat pair of woman’s shoes! Walter Burton, an employee of Mr. Knuckcy, of Rawhitiroa Road, was taken to Nurse Stronach’s private hospital on Sunday suffering from the effects of a kick on the head by a young horse. The skull was found to he fractured, and the delicate rperation of trephining was carried out by Dr. Menzies with satisfactory results. Burton, who is quite a young man and a new arrival from Home, is, according to advices received this morning, progressing very favourably. A dastardly trick was played .upon a local resident recently, resembling in feature the notorious Los Angeles affair, says the Eltham “Argus. ” Underneath the copper boiler in the washhouse a quantity of explosives was placed, and when the fire was lighted the employee received the force of the explosion to such an extent as to turn him twice backwards, V besides he'ng severely burned oil one arm, eyebrows, and whiskers singed, ’■ and bis clothing sot on .fire. The scattered firebrands twice set the building aflame, but prompt assistance prevented further damage. Should the police be successful in sheeting home the crime, which is a consummation to be hoped, a severe punishment should he inflicted.