LOCAL ANO GENERAL

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXX, Issue 12001, 19 October 1906, Page 4

LOCAL ANO GENERAL

The typewriting championship of America has been won by a young man who typed 4,627 words in 30 minutes — an average of 154 words a minute. Upwards of seven thousand calfskins were cent in to Stratford for sale last week. Farmers in Taranaki are not rearing calves this year. The first new potatoes of the season were brought into Timaru last week, having been grown on a farm a few miles south of Timaru. We' have to acknowledge receipt of two donations of 10s and 5s in relief of the case of destitution in Harrison Street. The City Brass Band rendered a very choice programme in the upper part of the town last evening. The music was much enjoyed by those who had the pleasure of hearing it. The total cost of the new municipal building at Greymouth is .£12,750, of which amount Mr Carnegie contributed .£2,250, leaving the net cash cost to the ratepayers at The newly-formed Marton Tennis Club will open the new Court adjoining- Marton Bowling Green early in December. The Club has a satisfactory membership of 112 and is in a sound financial position. The unfortunate lion at Newtown Park is becoming a target for the mighty hunters of Wellington. When clearing out the lion's cage the attendant noticed a leaden bullet a quarter of an inch in diameter lying in th© bottom of the cage; also two or three brass caps from which the pellet had been ejected. The Wairarapa Sawmillers' Association have forwarded to the Christchurch Exhibition a block of rimu timber measuring 3 feet by 12 feet. The block, whioh is in its rough state, will be polished in Christchurch. It is a fine specimen, being spotlessly clean. Archdeacon Towgood and the Revs. Gordon and Carr arc giving religious instruction at Marton School every Friday before school hours from 9.0 to 9.30. The arrangement began last Friday and a considerable number of pupils were present. A correspondent of a Christchurch paper asserts that some improper and disgusting carvings have been placed in the Maori Pah at the Exhibition, and calls on the police to have them removed. It is announced that the microbe of • whooping cough has at last been discovered and cultivated by Drs Bordet and Benjou, of the Pasteur Institute at Brabant, and the serum which will cure Buffering children is certain to be found within a very short time. It is reported that a valuable find of copper ore has been made at Hatuma, and more will probably be heard of the discovery. According to information received by the Danuevirke Advocate the indications are particularly promising, the assay showing small percentages of both silver and gold. In Christchurch the other day there was an almost phenomenal outburst of strong language when 600 telephone subscribers, who were in arrears with their telephone rent, found themselves disconnected. The authorities could hardly cope with the rusli of business caused by the arrival of dilatory subscribers to pay up arrears. In Wellington about 400 connections were out off but 300 have since been restored,

The new Dunedin railway station will be opened for traffic next Sunday. The first strawberries of the season aro being sold at Auckland at 2s j.er pound. Mr A. W. Cave, of Maaterton, says the Times, is sending Home a consignment of two hundred and forty fat lambs. In the last li3t of nine naturalised persons under the Aliens Act seven were described as gum-diggers. There was no Auckland mail to-day, as the Rarawa did not sail from Onehunga yesterday afternoonThe Rongotaa Dairy Factory is at present turning out about 15 cwt of butter per day, a quantity that will be increased upon considerably during the next few i weeka. The maximum production will not be attained till December and January. The new system of drainage installed at the factory is working splendidly. At the Police Court, this morning, Mr. W. G. Riddell, S.M., remanded a drunk for a week for medical treatment, and fined another offender ss, in default 24 hours. A Taihape inebriate, arrested a week ago, was fined ss, and ordered to pay 18s 7d expenses, in default 48 hours. "Have you ever been in gaol or been guilty of drunkenness or improper conduct?" or words to that effect were put to a candidate for the old-age pension at Thames last week. The witness drew himself up with dignity. "I have never spoken to a constable in all my life," he said proudly, and a suggestive smile appeared on the faces of the court officials. The Taihape Post says: The notorious Raetihi-Pipiriki road, which during the winter swallowed up vehicles, is now able to carry traction engines. An indication of the improvement is found in the fact that freights have dropjjed by £2 10s per ton. • Workers on the middle section of the Main Trunk line will now have a chance to live. The controversy as to whether a bride, should sfivc an undertaking to "obey" her husband is engaging attention in England. At a recent wedding at Selby the bride piomLsed to "love, honour, and keep," instead of "love, honour, and obey," and when the wedding ring had been placed on her finger she placed another ring on the finger of the bridegroom. At Blackpool recently a clergyman omitted the word "obey" from the service altogether. A lady wearing the red-cross badge, and who claims to come from South Africa in the interests of an English publishing firm, collecting material for a book, is in New South Wales. Tho lady says that her mission is to walk through the backblocks of Australia unprotected, for the purpose of testing the manly honor of the Australian bush men in their roughest surroundings, so as to be in a position to disprove the calumnies uttered against Australian soldiers engaged in South Africa. Government has approved as a tag for bales of hemp the following: — A piece of wire, about two feet long, with a tin tag on one end. and a leather tag on the other, is to be packed in the bale at tho mill, the end with tho tin being in the centre, and the leather tag hanging out at the end of the bale. Upon the tin and leather tags tho registered brand of the owner and the number of the bale will be stamped by the miller. Space will be left on the leather tag for the grade mark. The system will overcome as far a 9 possible the trouble now caused through the removal of tags, and will supersede the battens and calico now in use. The magnificent prices being received for dairy produce, unparralled in the history of the industry, should not (says the Farmers' Advocate) be taken as a permanent rise in values. On the contrary, it is highly probable that, before another eeaspn arrives, prices will recede to a more normal basis. It therefore behoves dairymen generally to look well ahead and provide in this time of prosperity for the years which must invariably come. We notice that some co-operative dairy companies have adopted the improvident policy of returning to suppliers every available penny instead of providing for depreciation nnd an ample reserve fund, and we fear the example will have a very demoralising effect. The yound man's (Edward Deering) only motive seemed to be to create a sensation* when he left a coat near the Quay Street Nos. 2 and !5 jetties with the following notes in his pocket: — "I, a lad, Edward Deering, drowned myself over this Avharf this night, September 16, 1906. I have a* reason to do it, because some person has been ruining my name, and running me down to the lowest. I am 20 years of age, a member of the Auckland Central Misw 6ion. If anyone wishes to know why I have done this, you will find out full particulars from Violet Lee, Duke Street, off Hardinge Street, Auckland." Another note said: "I drowned myself because I am sick of life, good-bye, all my mission friends, good-bye. They have got rid of me; now they can't talk." Deering has since been seen by a member of the Central Mission, to whom he said : "I was in the water all right, but got out again.'.' Deering has, however, not been yet seen by the police. — N.Z. Herald. Last night's Foilding Star says: — Tho Wanganui Education Board is determined to maintain the position of being the most practical and most advanced educational administrative body in the colony. It will be remembered that the Board were the first to appoint an agricultural instructor, and the result has fully justified the course taken, and now the le<id in another movement to further the interests of those who utilise natural opport unities has been decided on. At last night's meeting, on the recommendation of the Chief Inspector, it was decided to empower Mr Braik to make an appointment of a, dairy instructor, at a salary of £2>o a yeaf and travelling expenses, w hose duty will be to give lessons in the science of dairying and kindred work to the elder children at the schools, and also hold evening" classes, where possible, at dairy factories for adults, as well a3 young folk. It is almost certain that Feilding will suffer a great lose in this connection, as the gentleman who will bo offered the appointment is at present engagod in. tcaehinsr lioro. and possesses hieli qualifications for the position. It is somewhat unfortunate that, for the second time, Feilding- should be the recruiting ground for educational experts, although if the local school is as well served in the selection of a successor as they were when Mr Grant was appointed Agricultural Instructor, there will be no reason to regret the change. It is estimated that the grants allowed by the Education Department will be sufficient to meet tho expenditure necessitated by the new departure, and tho experiment will be watched with a considerable amount of interest. The good housewife who is making the 1 usual spring cleaning would do well to see McGruer and Co.'s well assorted stocks of lace curtains, 2b lid, 3s 6d, 4s lid to 25s 9d ; table .hirers, a moat beautiful assortment in plain and fancy designs, 3s lid, 4a 6d, 5s lid. 6s lid to 65s 9d each: Damasks Is, Is 3d, Is 6d, Is lid to Gn 6d yard; table serviettes, 4s 9d, 5s 6d to 25s dozen ; double bed sheHigs, Is, Is 3d. Is 6d, to 2s I 6d yard; towels, 9d, Is, Is 3d, to 3» 9d each; hearth rugs Is 6d, Is lid, 2s 6d, 3s lid to 25s 9d each- door slips, Is, Is Od, 969 6 2s 6d to 5s lid each ; special heavy Turkish hearth rug, 3ft wide by 6ft long, 8s lid each — this is the best value in the colony. McGruer and Co. are not only the cheapest house in town but allow a disruuut of U iv the X. Hl* and upwards.— Advt,

An old man named George Beatty died at Levin last week, at the great age of 98 yea rs. It is atatecl that- ho touched at the Hay of Islands i/i a whaling vessel 70 years ago, but went away again. He had led a hard aud rough life. King Alphonso apparently did not escape unscathed from the bomb which Morales flung At the royal procession on his wedding day. A Volunteer, recently in camp at Srtlirtbuiy, gave the following account of an incident in the visit ot the King and Queen of Spain to Bulford:— King Alfonso, he says, stated in conversation that, thore was one detail in connection with the bomb explosion on his wedding day which did not find its way into the newspapers. He was struck by one of the flying fragments of the shell, and bears a. scar on his chest which he will probably carry" to his grave. The King related how he saw the bouquet thrown, but merely regarded it as a wedding" favour. When he recovered from the shock it was to see sixteen dead people lying on the ground and the Quceu's drcas bespattered with blood.