A lady who was out on a shopping mission, left her perambulator on the footpath in front of the shop at which she was transacting business, and had not been inside more than two or three minutes when a small child who was passing wheeled the vehicle along the footpath.
It had not gone far, however, when the perambulator was overturned into the water channel.
A lady who was passing at the time was attracted by the child's cries, and she immediately went to its rescue.
Having righted the vehicle and picked up the child, she was in somewhat of a dilemma as to what she should do with her and the perambulator.
A prominent legal practitioner chanced to be coming toward them at the time, and the lady ran to him and said ''Here, you will have to take charge of this,'' but the legal gentleman politely replied ''I don't know anything about it, madam; you had better hand it to a constable; there is one just down the street.''
The lady wheeled the child down the street in the direction of the Post Office, when she met and accosted Constable Parkhill, telling him to take charge of the perambulator and the child.
The constable was rather diffident at first about about obeying what was practically a command from the lady, who had by this time become somewhat excited, but eventually he took over the charge, but not before a large crowd had gathered on the Grand Hotel corner, and when he set out for the Central Police Station, pushing the vehicle, he was accorded a cheer by those assembled.
This did not end the matter, however, for shortly after the constable's arrival at the station, two ladies appeared, one to report the loss of her perambulator, and the other the loss of her little girl.
They were soon pacified by the return of their lost property, and went away contented.
For some time past it has been felt by St Clair residents that that suburb was in the invidious position of being the only district in Dunedin which was without a tennis club, and various attempts have been made to get the people to take an active interest in the game, but without success.
However, a few weeks ago some of the leading citizens of St Clair took the matter up, with the result that a largely attended meeting was held last night for the purpose of discussing the advisableness of forming a club.
Mr Isaacs presided, and in opening the meeting expressed the opinion that it was highly desirable that St Clair should have a tennis club. It was just a question of ways and means.
Mr K. A. Macdonald, who had been identified with the movement from the beginning, stated that he had discussed the proposal with a number of St Clair gentlemen, among the number being Cr Hancock.
As they were aware, Cr Hancock was also chairman of the Ocean Beach Domain Board, and in this latter capacity he had stated that were a club formed the board would be prepared to let it a site - a suitable site - on the domain, almost opposite the Forbury Racecourse, at a annual peppercorn rental.
Mr Macdonald said he thought this offer a good one. To lay down two courts and fence them in they would require at least 250.
They had procured an estimate for the work, and it was upon that that he based this statement.
It was decided at this stage that it was highly desirable that a tennis club should be formed.- ODT, 1.8.1914.
