General News.

Thames Star, Volume XXX, Issue 8382, 27 June 1899, Page 2

General News.

At the last conference of the Pruni tive Methodist Church in New Zealand a resolution was carried making total abstinence a test of membership. This (matter in due course has conic before the English conference, which is the Supreme Court for the body re ferred to, and they have deteitmiped to refer the Imatter back for discussion to the quarterly meeting of each in dividual church, and upon the discus sion and vote by them the question will be determined.

A somewhat unpleasant experience befell a Gore fanner the other day (says the Ensign) during the threshing operations. He was taking an nl fresoo lunch near one of the stacks, and ljhe top sheaves, be\ng disturbed by one of the hands, a rat leapt to the ground near where the faifcner wa« sitting with bis legs extended before him, and escaped into a hole at the base of the stack. Shortly after another rat came down and got away by similar (means to those employed by the first rodent. Bye and bye rat number three descended to mother earth with a' bump, and, becoming flurried, as soon as he alighted he made a rush up the leg of the farmer's trousers, the owner of the garments being not a little surprised r-\ the turn of events. The rat scram bled up just above the fanner's knee, when that individual aroused himself to action. Grabbing trouser leg and rat he squeezed and tugged for all he was worth, but before the enterprising rodent was finally drawn and quartered he succeeded in biting the f armer*a thumb to the bone.