MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS

Waikato Times, Volume 84, Issue 13067, 7 January 1915, Page 6

MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS

A «urgeon at the front writee commenting on the extraordinary proportion of cases in which the bullet haa entered the lungs and struck the vertebrae in leaving, paralysing the patient in the waist or higher. * He never saw so many complete wrecks-fine men who wiil "recover," but ntver be anything but helpless cripples. The surgeon mentions he often thinks he would be doing a good work if he went round with an extra strong dose of morphia one night.

With a view to encouraging young men to study the conformation of show stock ar.d thus enable them to qualify as judges, the Otago Agricultural and Pastoral Association baa decided to invite applications from young men desiring U accompany the judges appointed at the -Society's summer show* on their round of examination. It was also decided to write to all kindred societies in Otago askinßthem to try and arrange to have demonstrations where young mer could have an opportunity of judging purebred stock.

The work uf the Timaru dredge in Oamaru Harbour was concluded on Tuesday, says the North OtaßO Times. Since she has been under charter by the Harbour Board excel'ent work has been done. Ovar 36.000 tons of material havo been scooped up and lodged out at sea. and the port is now in better condition for deep sea steamers than it has ever been, though, of couise. more work will be necessary a few months hence. The Canterbury Central Dairy Company established a record "pay-out" for last month, the suppliers getting the sum of £19.650. This is approximately JtIOOO better than the payout for any other month. The company recently received a very gratifying report from its London agent 9 on the keeping quality if its butter, a ccn ignment having been stored at Home last March, and being in absolutely first-rate condition in November, eight months later.

A story illustrative of the magnanimity of the Kev. Samuel Marsden, the Apostle of New Zealand, was told at the Linwocd Congregational Church, ChrMcbureb. by the Kev. H. Allen Jrb, who aaid that next to the Church of England, the Congregational Church was mogt indebted to ihe man who introduced Christianity into New Zealand. When the work of the London Miasionary Society at Tahiti appeared to be a failure, the directors at Home sought Marsden's advice. As a result of his interest and efforts, he was fir years entrusted with the control and oversight ot the mission. Later, when the misnianaiies tied from that field, Mmden received them into his home, encouraged them, and finally restored them to their labor, the success of which was so soon to surprise the world. The L.M.3. workers always made the vicarage at I'atramatta their home when parsing to and fro. and when they were cruelly slandered Marsden brought the culpiit to the bar of justice. These and other things went to show the greatness of the debt which the Congregational churches owe to the Apostle of New Zealand, said Mr Job.

The fate of a cowardly German, who, when his fquad was attacked by a detachment of our men, forced a young girl to stand in fron of him. is related bv Trooper Field. Ist Life Guards, in a letter to his sweetheart at Stoke. Newington. "The Germans." he says, "are a terrible lot. What is in the papers is quite right about them, only thev are a lot worse. The other day we were sent out to a town the Germans had just left, but there were about 50 of them lert there. Our troop went out to meet these chaps, and when we got into the town they opened fire on us. wounding one or two. but we managed to give them a rattle up. with the exception of about 12, who we couldn't shift There we.e two of them who, when wt went up to vhoct them got hold of a poor young girl and held her in front of them so that we shouldn't shoot. They then went into the house and put a Red Cross flag up. I might siy 1 shot one of those dirty dogs stone dead, a thing which was much too good for him. Another thing thev did was to have a Maxim gun in a Red Cross wagon. Of course they caught us unawares."