LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXIV, Issue 63, 7 November 1912, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The Canadian Cadets to the number of 69, who are en route for New Plymouth, will pass through Stratford by mail train on Saturday evening. A diamond of 1649 carats has been discovered in the Premier mine (Johannesburg), in the shape of an egg, with the top cut off. It is the largest in the world.

One of the men whom the Palmerston police arrested on Saturday on charges of drunkenness, was found to have £lll and a bank book in his pocket.

The Court list for Friday’s sitting of the Magistrate’s Court includes twen-ty-live civil cases, one defended, two judgment summonses, one information for riding a bicycle on tho_ footpath, and one for excessive drinking. On Tuesday afternoon next at 3 p.m, a meeting oL, ladies and other sympathisers will.be held in the Borough Council Chambers to make arrangements for a Christmas eve collection of money to meet the cost of furnishing the new Isolation Building, in connection with the Stratford Hospital. Business changes in Stratford have been numerous of late. The most recent sale is the afternoon tea and confectionery business of Kerr and McBain to'Mr. Beaumont, of Wanganui. The business is easily the oldest of its kind in Stratford, and is a deservedly popular one. Another fireworks mishap is reported in Stratford. On Guy Fawkes night a small boy on the Warwick Road was trying to display a refractory “Roman candle,” when it exploded in his hand. Three lingers and the palm of his right hand werewvery badly blistered, though luckily the injuries were not serious enought to contemplate permanent disfigurement. Recently, a well-known resident r.f a Taranaki town, in going through the effects of his mother (recently deceased) came across a Government cheque issued forty-two years ago by Major Xoakq, in connection with military payments for local defence. Before the cheque was presented, the man in whose favour it was drawn died rather suddenly, and, strangely, the claim was overlooked until the document fell into the son’s hands a few days ago, as indicated above. The matter has been referred to a member of Parliament with a request to obtan, if possible, an authorisation for payment. A certain working man had so many children that he used to call the roll before ho commenced to carve the Sunday dinner. His wife was bringing in the steaming joint when the process began:—’Erbert?—’Ere, pa. ’Grace P —’Ere, pa. Ezekiah ?—’Ere, pa. ’Emery P— ’Emery, who had just begun to study Latin at school, perkily replied “Adsnm!” For a few moments his father regarded him with baleful eyes; (hen he growled: “Oh, you’ve ’ad some, have yer; well, you just get away, then, and make room for them as ain’t.”

Among the presents received by a hr id ay party in'the Eketahuna district was a tnousand bricks and two sets of Hat irons.

“The young children of the Dominion are allowed by their parents to have too much liberty,” said the Rev. I!. 1). Burtoh, at a meeting of the Bi-blc-in-Schools League at Christchurch. “They are allowed to choose how often they go to the pictures, and how late they stay about the streets. They can choose whether they go to Sundayschool or not, and they can choose whether they go to church or not. Jhe child should not lie allowed to choose until it is old enough to choose.” According to an old superstition, all things that grow out of the ground, such as corn, peas, ,apd the like, must be planted in the increase of the moon, from new to full; all things that mature in the ground, like potatoes, must be planted in the decrease, or waste of the moon, from full to new. Business men from New York are, it is reported, to establish in Red Bank, New Jersey, the first butterfly farm in the world. They will raise butterflies of all varieties, specialising in specimens of brilliant colouring and highly decorative appearance. The product of the farm 1 is to be sold to society women, who thus will be enabled to satisfy their whim for having butterflies flying about their conservatories and parlours.

The nickel steel storage battery, on which Mr. Edison has been at work for ten years, is completed at last (says a New York cable). It is described as a perfect invention, and the general belief is that it is destined to revolutionise certain phases of transportation. The battery, in the production of which the famous inventor spent not less than £600,000, is now being operated successfully on special trains running between New York and Long Beach. In the trials as far as they have gone everything has worked most smoothly.

The Legion of Honour, with which the Prince of Wales was recently invested by President Fallieres, is one of the richest Orders. It is possessed of considerable revenues from various properties, which are paid out in pensions, principally to wounded and disabled members. The splendid Palace of the Legion of Honour was burnt down during the Commune. The general rule of the Order, which was instituted by the First Napoleon in 1802, is that no one should be admitted to it under the age of twenty-five, but exceptions can be made iu certain cases.

The ‘London Times,’ in a leading article, discusses the possibility of securing more intimate relations between Great Britain and the Oversea Dominions, and urges that annual defence conferences should be held. It is considered that this would be the best method for securing an 'interchange of ideas. The article says: “The Dominions’ members of the committee would have no power to commit their Government to action of any kind, but it would mean that the Dominions’ opinions would be consistently represented in the inner counsels of English Government, and that the knowledge of the British Government would circulate in the Dominions directly through their own Ministers.” \ A strange event in the life of a country woman, who has reached the ripe age of 87, is reported by the Masi lorello correspondent of the ‘Corriere della Sera.’ The old woman is still strong and healthy, but not even these physical qualities led her to expect a new molar tooth to make its appearance in her mouth last year. One ac-

tually did grow, however, and a few days ago a doctor was summoned to the old peasant’s house. She complained- of-toothaclHvmud; the doctor* was able to announce, after a rapid examination, that a second tooth was just beginning to grow.

To Have spent over £2OO in ten days and to have nothing to show for it is a feat that come men would find rather difficult, though John Randolph Bateman, who admitted doing so foolish an act, at the Wanganui Police Court on Monday did not seem to think so (says the ‘Herald’). He was charged with the theft of a bicycle, and pleaded not guilty. It was _ stated that the inan had been drinking for some time and was not in his right senses when he took the bicycle, as lie seemed not to have any recollection of the theft or the subsequent sale to Botina n. Under these circumstances he was convicted and ordered to come up for sentence when called upon.

The record or an aged housebreaker who appeared at the Wellington Supreme Court was a remarkable one. Though 75 years of age, he looked younger, and appeared to retain yet much of his youth, with reason to,, for his life had been rigorously regulated (says the ‘Post’). Since the age of 28 he had probably not had a year out of gaol; certainly’-, not a year at one time. He had been convicted on eighteen occasions, and sentenced to terms of imprisonment aggregating fift.v ymars and six months, this total being subject, of course, to deductions for good conduct. His principal sentences had been; One of fourteen years, two of seven years, three of five years, and one of three years. He was recaptured after a house-breaking attempt on Sunday, 27th October; and ho remarked to his captor: “If I’d been a younger man, you’d never have go't me.”

The record bag of 702 brace of grouse was the result of the King’s shooting at Abbeystead, near Lancaster, and/ of these the remarkable number of 112 brace fell to His Majesty’s own gun. In one drive he accounted for 90 birds. The district where this heavy bag was obtained is called Mallowdiile, a wild stretch of nioorland on the Yorkshire border, looking wilder than ever under the gloomy, cloudwreathed sky. The King’s own share in tlie day’s sport was striking evidence of his fitness of physical condition. The muscular exertion alone of firing the number of cartridges necessary to kill nearly’ 300 birds is considerable. But the trueness of eye, the steadiness of hand, and the co-ordina-tion of both required to bring down to one gun 142 brace of grouse, sailing down wind in drive after drive till they swish like bullets past the butt, are to be attained only by men in the fullest enjoyment of every faculty.

A man who was described as living iue on of the loneliest parts of England was given a parliamentary vote recently by the revising barrister at Brampton." Cumberland (says the ‘Daily Mail’). The Conservative agent said he had visited the place, a farm situate on a fell between Bewcastle and Haltwhistle, on the border of Northumberland. In an area of 30,000 acres there were only four cottages. The members of this farmer’s fami’y had lived in the cottage concerned for 600 years, and tradition said that the kitchen fire had never been extinguished for 200 years. The claimant would have to walk fifteen _ miles to vote. The Liberal agent said he endeavoured to reach this remote spot', and finding the route so difficult and dangerous,, turned back when he 1 ad still twelve miles to travel. He understood a child was at the place who had not seen another child for two years. The careful mother’s surest winter safeguard—Ton king’s Linseed Emulsion. S

The number of birts in the Dominion during 1911 wore 26,354. The percentage of children under one year cf qgo vaccinated was 1.6, and the number of exemptions granted was 6754. A Wanganui dairyman, who was charged with selling milk containing mofo than the statutory proportion of /water, pleaded that the water had oeen added by a youth in his employ who was. under threat of dismissal. A

fine of £2 and costs was inflicted

Taihape is stated to be in the fortunate position of possessing the highest pressure water supply in the Dominion. The maximum pressure varies from 1701 b to 1801 b per square inch, which was imgti higher than the pressure rc^.Acred in most towns.

A woman who has not infrequently received Staf7l' aid left Dannevirke on Friday decktWout in the latest style for the ShoAf at Palmerston. Her next application for relief avUI bo queried (says the ‘Dannqvirke News’), as, unfortunately for her, a member of the Charitable Aid Board saw her in all her glory. Edward Lansing Huston, alias Mill'jjt er, alias Lorenzo (the notorious prison escapee), who Avas tried at the Whangarei Court, conducted his own defence, and (states the ‘Mail’) displayed no little ability in cross-examining the various witnesses. The proceedings were watched by a large and interested audience throughout the day. There is stated to be a great deal of dissatisfaction among the fittest party of domestic helps brought from England by the Canterbury Sydmcate of Ladies, Avhich ivas established some time ago to try to solve the problem of meeting the requirements of domestic service. Some of the girls are in open revolt, declaring that they will not go to the situations that have been allotted to them. • Referring to the increase in the cost of living, Mr. McHugh (who at present making a brief tour of Noav Zealand giving addresses on “The Taxation of Land Values,” stated at Dun-

edin that during the 16th century eg >;s could be purchased in England at 20 ' for a penny. “To-day you could not buy 20 electioneering eggs for that sum,” ho added, amidst a chorus of laughter. The editor of the Oaraaru ‘Mail’ was charged on Monday with a breach of the Gaming and Lotteries Act, by publishing the investments on the totalisator in respect to the races of the Oamaru Trotting Club. The defendant pleaded that the figures were published by inadvertence, and without his seeing the copy, and in the hurry of getting an evening paper to press. A conviction was entered, but no penalty was imposed, states the correspondent ol the ‘Otago Daily Times.’ It is said that the original inventor of the aeroplane is at present an inmate of a London workhouse. This man lodged for the construction of flying machines many, years ago, and his specification still lies in the Government archives for want of monetary support, but experts to whom the inventor has .explained his patent have expressed the opinion that it embodies many of the ideas on which aeroplanes of to-day are constructed. A*, Wellington resident has just received a letter from Mr. Sedgwick, dated September 24th, in which he states that soon lifter the Hon. T. Mackenzie became Prime Minister he sent him this .cable: “Five hundred boys eager to greet you as their Premier.” Mr. Mackenzie, he says, did not send for the boys—and went out of office! However, he clearly does not bear the ex-Prim© Minister any ill-will on Ibis account, for on hearing of his appointment as High Commissioner, j he invited him to a reception of 500 boys in the Poplar Town Hall. , “If he comes,” the letter goes'^on; I ' “ho 1 will have the night of his life, with two bands, salvoes of cheers, grand organ, etc.” In all probability (states the ‘New Zealand Times’) .Mr. Mackenzie will be making the acquaintance of thcband of 500 very soon, when Mr. Sedgwick may be relied upon to- do all .possible to secure permission for at least some of them to come to New Zealand- ... ' ' How “hash” is made in at least one kitchenman employed by a restaurantkeeper named Miller in a Police Court Sydney cook shop was revealed by a case. Miller was charged with not conducting his restaurant in a satisfactory manner. The prosecuting officer stated that the kitchenman had informed hina that he had been in the habit of scraping the leavings from the plates into a bowl. The cook then took charge of the scraps, and passed them through a mincing machine, the result being served up to the public as “American hash,” or “mince and eggs.” Another objectionable feature was that the man who scraped the. plates also washed the dishes, and it was contended that his hands could not be in a fit state to handle food. A fine of £5 was imposed on defendant, whose plea was that the place “was only a sixpenny restaurand that, having a nnmbej. of eAting-houses ,to look after, die was not able to exorcise proper supervision over this particular one.