Second Edition. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXX, Issue 51, 27 October 1914, Page 6

Second Edition. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Gisborne has a versatile hairdresser He advertises that he does water divin jug and horse-training as side lines.

A freak of nature is to he seen at Eastern Bush (says the Western Star). A three-legged lamb, one from; leg.and two hind ones, may be seen playing about with its mother, and appears to be doing well.

Obituary: George Sinclair Robert srtn, one of the best known and most respected settlers in the Wanganui district. The Press Association reports that deceased was one of the first associated with the frozen meat industry in that district, and for many years was director of the Wanganui Meat Freezing Co., and represented Nelson Bros’, interests in the trade there.

When the naval fight in the Bight of Heligoland- was virtually won the British set about saving their 1 enemies. A German officer was seen swimming, and a’line was thrown to him. When he was pulled on hoard Ids first a'ctiou of gratitude was to spit in the face of the officer in charge. A British sailor who was standing by picked up the German and threw him overboard, and another German among the many within the boat’s reach was pulled on board and put in the vacant place.

The following is an extract from a letter received by a Dunedin lady from a publicist at Home, who wrote under date the. 11th September;—“Lord Kitchener’s army is being drilled in the parks every day. If Lord • Roberts’s advice had been listened to, and thisarmy formed long ago, there would have been no war, Germany has taken advantage of our political squabbles at Home, but is surprised to find we can sink all differences to fight a common foe. Yesterday I was at Charing Cross looking at the Belgian refugees flocking to London—most of them women and children; some had nothing left but brown paper in which to wrap up the babies.”

The hoy of fifteen who was arrested last week at Horse Shoe Bush, behind Dairy Flat, on a charge/ of having maimed five young bulls, came before Mr E. C. Cutten, S.M., at Auckland on Friday. The evidence showed that Messrs Foster and Colin Kelly ran a number of cattle on some land at Horse Shoe Bush owned by Mrs Kelly. In July they had about 177 head of cattle of mixed ages on the land, and when visiting the place later to round up the stock, with a view to selling them, they found quite a number of the steers and young hulls dead and dying. Altogether the loss represented about £2OO. It was stated that some of the cattle appeared to have been struck on the spine at»the back of the head; others seemed to have been speared, while the bulls had been castrated in an unusual imanner; and suspicion fell on the boy because he used to 'held his father’s dairy cows oi( the land, and at the sain© time carry spear and spade to party occupy his tiriie in gum-dig-ging. The boy admitted the offence, and was committed to the Supreme Court for Sentence.

The monitors which did such effective work against the German land forces during the last week-end are a new feature of the British Navy. The original monitor was an extraordinary vessel, built for use in the American Civil War. It was shaped like nothing so much as a gigantic straw hat, with a very high, small crown. The latter contained two powerful guns, and that was all there was to the vessel. The brim of the hat, so to speak, floated flush with the water, and we fancy that there was a ram underneath. The vessel presented the minimum of vulnerable surface, but it was not a great success. Some time ago, it will be remembered, there was talk of a new Gernnln warship, designed like a monitor, which was to knock out every other warship afloat. There was a great deal of mystery about it, and probably many of the reports, if not all of them, were much exaggerated. The German naval authorities professed to know nothing about it, but then one would hardly go to them for accurate information on such a matter.

On Monday, September 7th, the death occurred at Ryde (England) of Captain John H. Jellicoe, father of the gallant Admiral who is in supreme command of the British naval forces now keeping watch and ward in, the North Sea. Captain Jellicoe, in the course of a long life of 89 years, has constantly been associated with those who “go down to the sea in ships,” .and in this respect the mantle of'the father seems to have descended upon the shoulders of the son. He entered the service of that vast shipping en-

terprise, the Royal Mail Steam Packet Company, as a midshipman at the age -» of IG, and held positions on the active list, and on the directorate of that company right up to the day of his death. Captain. Jellicoe passed rapidly those in the various grades of the service, and for, many years held the proud position of Commodore of the Royal Mail fleet. During his long association with the company he witnessed the' growth in dimensions of the units of the fleet and the ever-in-creasing horse-power which accompanied the constant yearly diminution in the reliance upon sails. Captain Jellicoe was a scion of an old Southampton family, and possessed a breezy personality, combined with a vigorous activity, which made him a picturesque figure in the streets of his native town. Captain Jellicoe left a widow, two sons, anil two daughters^

At the British Medical Association meeting at Aberdeen Dr. J. M. Walter said smokers were by no means so susceptible to tuberculosis as others, while those who ate onions and garlic were also less susceptible. Dr. Devereux Marshall discredited the idea that electric light was bad for the eyes.

A despicable trick was played upon Mr Dicken, baker, of Cambridge, recently (.says the Auckland Star), when someone broke into his bakery and poured about a gallon of oil into a trough of dough made ready for next day’s bread. The whole hatch, fortunately, was not destroyed, and Mr Dickon’s customers were not deprived of their daily bread.

A Sydney backer who benefited materially through the success of St. Spasa in the Metropolitan, got on at the satisfactory price of 500 to 1. That was the imported horse’s price on a list issued by a welhdcnown firm on August 6, and not only (lid the hacker take 2000 to 4 for a win, but 500 to 4 for a place. What tempted him to support St. Spasa, who up to the time of the wagers mentioned had not even started in Australia, I cannot say (says a Sydney writer), hut I can vouch for the correctness of the odds quoted.

A letter received by a well-known Christchurch resident from an engineer officer in Cork throws some light on the German spy question. The officer, who had been engaged for some weeks on the defences of Cork Harbor, says: “We fe have caught several German spies. Two men dressed, up as nuns came on to the works collecting for the Prince of Wales’ fund.. They got back to Queenstown, where someone, suspecting them, had them arrested. Drawings of the works were found upon them. Another spy caught was dressed as a priest, and he was very nearly lynched by the troops. Two other spies disguised as friars were also arrested.”

Among the thousands of toulists who yearly visit Now Zel and’s Rhine there are very many Americans on whom the natural beauties of the Wanganui River seem to have a great effect (says the Chronicle). They usually express themselves in characteristic manner. An American lady tourist, on arriving at Pipiriki House after the fine run of 90 miles from Taumarunui to that place, was asked what she thought of the river. The lady replied in the accent of her country, “Well, I guess if I were making for Heaven I would like to take it there.” In the meantime the lady is making for her homeland—America—and is taking with her pleasant memories of her trip on this beautiful river. • A Mohammedan was being sworn at the Auckland Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday morning on the Koran. He veiled bis eyes (says the Star) as lie pressed his head ‘on the sacred volume, and kept it there whilst the oath was administered, nodding his assent that he would speak the truth. He then frankly admitted he owed a debt, and produced £lO in notes, and the case was promptly settled by the Magistrate handing over the cash and getting receipts for the money. Mr Kettle remarked that the man could have been saved about £5 had the solicitors met and settled it out of court, instead of bringing ‘people long distances at great expense. “Half the sases which occupy the court,” added the Magistrate, “could easily be settled by the .solicitors if they chose.”

Writing editorially, a Home paper just to hand says: “One is continually meeting men who would be willing (or so they profess) to join the colours could they be sure of mixing with others of their own class. Such utter piffle is beyond contempt; the army is not a young ladies’ seminary, and the men who to-day are fighting for their country are good enough for anybody to live with, aye, and to die with too "for that matter. When we have won through this war (and may it be soon) there will be an end to many of the foolish little suburban social barriers at present in existence; and we sincerely trust that when John Bull once more settles down to enjoy the friendly rivalry of the cricket field, taken as a sort of soothing antidote after the stirring events which have lately ruffled his wonted calm, that abomination offered up on the altar of snobbishness, and known as the Gentlemen v. Players match will be wiped off the card, never to return to reproach us with its blatant incongruity.”

The sight of a young girl mounted on a well-bred racehorse and leading another on the usual training walks around Randwick and Coogee, has set the racing fraternity wondering and the question as to who she is and what horses she has charge of, is being freely asked. The girl is Marie Davies, a 17-year-old daughter of Mr William Davies, a well-known New Zealand trainer, who has now taken up his residence in Sydney. The horses under her care are Sonite, War Queen, and Defend, each of which is soon to make an appearance on the metropolitan courses. Miss Davies does not yet hold ai trainer’s license, but intends to make application to the A.J.C. for the necessary authority to permit her taking up the calling. She is assured of good support, if she can get a license; and there is every chance of her taking over the whole of her father’s horses. The ladytrainer has not had a gallop on Sydney courses, but has ridden some good performers on the training tracks at Wellington (New Zealand). She is confident of being able to hold her own with the best of the Sydney jockeys, and is looking forward to the time when she will meet some of them in a trial spin.