The party in their first assault of the giant were beaten, and in their second and successful attempt, a sheer face of a thousand and more feet of ice was met with, necessitating the cutting of steps merely inches apart. There was, however, no turning back, and the seemingly insurmountable was overcome, the summit attained and traversed, and a safe descent made on the other side. Thanks to the dogged persistency of Mr Wright and his companions, Mount Earnslaw has now been conquered from its most formidable aspect and visiting Alpine climbers are left one less virgin peak upon which to try their skill.
• Mr Taylor, the Agricultural Department's inspector, has made a unique collection of 50 varieties of North Otago grasses (says the Oamaru Mail), the whole of which have been pressed and named in readiness for the department's exhibit at the forthcoming winter shows of the dominion. In order to further augment the educative value of the collection Mr Taylor is also preserving a root of each variety showing the growth, also a green tuft showing flower and seed.
• ''Possession is nine points of the law and the buyer is entitled to all contents of the package purchased'' was the decision given by Mr E J Stevens, manager of the Hotel la Salle, at Chicago, in handing to Mrs C F Kennedy a pure white pearl she had found in an oyster while dining in the hotel. The assistant manager had argued the pearl belonged to the house, while Mrs Kennedy insisted that, as her husband had bought the oyster containing the pearl, he was entitled to it. The pearl was valued at £35.
• More applications than were expected have been received by the Labour Department for registration under the Barmaid's Registration Act since the amending legislation of last session was passed. The Act did not entitle any additional barmaids to registration, but extended to June 1 the period in which barmaids entitled to register under the Act of 1911 can register. It was not expected that more than a dozen applications would be sent in. In some cases wives and daughters of licensees who did not consider it necessary to apply for registration in 1911 have made application since the extension of time was granted. Women so placed are not required to register under either the original or the amending Act, but registration secures the right of working as barmaids in any hotel, as paid servants or otherwise.
• During the holidays numbers of persons have been earning good money by shooting shags and forwarding legs and wings of these to the secretary of the Hawkes Bay Acclimatisation Society. The latest consignment received in Napier contained the wings and feet of no fewer than 40 birds. The sum of 1s 6d is paid for every shag. - ODT, 8.1.1913.
• COPIES OF PICTURE AVAILABLE FROM ODT FRONT OFFICE, LOWER STUART ST, OR WWW.OTAGOIMAGES.CO.NZ
