FIRE AT TIMARU.

Colonist, Volume XLIX, Issue 11969, 24 June 1907, Page 4

FIRE AT TIMARU.

Timaru, June 23. A fire was discovered at 6.30 a.m. to-day in the dressmaker's workroom, the paoking room, and a spare store room of Mr W. Penrose's drapery establishment. These rooms -were gutted before the fire was got under. Some damage was also done by water getting into the shop and runniDg over the floor.

Historical Document. — Among 1 •other records now in the keeping' of :j the Rev. T, G. Brooke, of New Plymouth, is a valuable baptismal register, valuable inasmuch as it contains the record of the first Methodist baptisms there, their ministration preceding general settlement. The first entry is that giving March 1811, as the date of the first baptism in the Taranaki Methodist churches, the subjects of the service being the children of Richard Barrett (generally remem- ; bered as "Dicky" Barrett), whaler. Scotch Humor. — The following are told of Lord Young, a Scotch jndge: — When a clerioal deputation waited upon him he asked them, "To what religious body do you belong? The Free Church?" "Well, no, not exactly', they replied hesitatingly. "Oh, U.P.s, then?" "That," they answered, 3fcill hesitating, "is nearer the mark; but there are some points on which we diverge from the U.P.b." "Ob, well," cried Lord Young impatiently, "I shall write you down as split peas!" When dining one day at Lord Young'a table there was a delay in handing round the squp, and the host remarked that "O Lord, make haste to help us" would be an appropi-iate grace. Huge irrigation Schemes in America. — The American Government is doing reclamation work of great importance in the arid West. According to the New York correspondent of the "Age," there are twenty-five great irrigation projects under construction and when these have been completed and developed to their fullest extent it is estimated that 3,198,000 acres of desert will have been reclaimed. Plans have been completed for thirteen other enterprises which will reclaim 3,270,000 acres more, so that an unproductive area of 6,469,000 acres will be rendered productive. By an admirable arrangement the profits of one project go towards carrying out another The twenty-five projects now under .construction will cost about £12,---200,000.

Sly grog selling is reported to be going on veiy extensively in the Mokau district, Taranaki. Finding a canal bridge too low to allow the passage of his barge, a German skipper induced 300 of the Guards to step aboard and act as ballast., thus lowering the vessel in the water and passing the bridge in safety. S A clergyman in Newcastle (Eng» land) is reported to have "created a Sensation" by reading a poem of his own composition from the pulpit, instead of a sermon, It was unfair to the congregation, says a contemporary, in its comment, for^there was no escape. A Kaffir woman, Cecilia Wakiwane, has been appointed nurse at Buterwort Hospital, Cape Colony, after a three years I course of training at the Lovedale Natives' Instiute. She is the iirst colored woman in South Africa to hold-such an appointment. A small dramatic company travelled to a certain town, where they were billed to play for two nights. On the lirst night there was only one small boy in the gallery, the other parts of the house being empty. The villain entered "Ha, ha! Am I alone?" "No, guvnor," called out the boy from the gallery, "but you will be to-morrow night" While Enoch Walkerdon and his son were playing draughts at Ganmain (N,S.W.), his in fant child, aged 11 months, picked up one of the draughtsmen and placed it in his mouth. The piece became embedded in the throat. The child was brought to Coolinan for medical aid, and the pieco was extracted, but the child died. A dog clothed in a paper suit upon which were the words in large type : "Vote for Kirk,," was sent about the streets of St. Auetell, Cornwall, in support of his masters' candidature at the urban council election. Persia is the first Mohammedan country in the world to be granted a constitution. The Bank of England has 24 directors, who are elected by stockholders. A director must hold £2000 worth of stock. For Bronchial Coughs take Woods Gret Peppermint Cure, Is 6d and 2s 6d.