Compiled by Cameron McCullough
ON Sunday afternoon, Mr. Frank Duffy, assistant S.M. at Seaford, underwent the dangerous and distressing experience of being bitten by a snake.
At about 2 o’clock, Mr. Duffy had occasion to visit the wood pile, and while engaged selecting suitable fuel, received a bite from a reptile which was evidently hidden in the pile.
A sharp and sore pricking sensation was his first warning that something had happened. Mrs. Duffy, recognising the two punctures, realised that prompt action was necessary, and fixed a ligature, then made haste to the station, where Mr. Whyte lost no time in getting into touch with Dr. Hilliard Johnson.
Porter Costello, who was known to have had a large experience of snake-bite cases, and their treatment, was hastily summoned. He promptly opened up the two punctures with a razor, causing a free flow of blood. He also applied further ligatures.
By this time, Dr. Johnson had arrived, having answered the call with a promptness which brought him to the house ten minutes after receiving the call.
After administering treatment. Dr. Johnson conveyed his patient to Frankston for observation. Mr. Duffy recovered sufficiently to return home that evening, and although he is off duty, he is making a good recovery.
Dr. Johnson has added to his already large store of personal regard by Seafordites, owing to his promptness.
Porter Costello met with flattering remarks with regard to his prompt treatment, which was admitted to have done great good.
The experience was particularly distressing to Mrs. Duffy, who exhibited to the full, the splendid courage of her sex in cases of this kind, and when the wound was opened, it goes to Mrs. Duffy’s credit that she did not hesitate to suck the poison out, this greatly enhancing the chances of recovery for her very popular and highly esteemed husband.
“IT never rains but it pours,” is an old adage, and in the case of Mr. W. Macafee, of Bay street, Frankston, he would appear to be harassed with misfortune.
According to the sad story told by Mr. Macafee to a representative of “The Standard” this (Friday) afternoon, last night an urgent telephonic communication came to hand from a private hospital in Caulfield, summoning him to the bedside of his son, Leonard Falkner, 18 years of age, who had been an invalid for 12 months.
It is with deep regret that we have to record the death of Mr. Macafee’s son, who passed away at 1.30 this morning.
It is only nine months since another son of Mr. Macafee’s died; two months later his wife passed away, and a few weeks ago, he suffered an additional bereavement through the demise of his brother.
On returning to Frankston this morning, Mr. Macafee made the startling discovery that during his enforced absence, a burglary had been perpetrated in his well-known shop, a thief or thieves having purloined goods in the way of tobacco and cigarettes to the extent of £60.
In the first instance, the member or members of the “Bill Sykes” fraternity effected an entrance at the rear of Mr. Carter’s billiard saloon, from which nothing was taken, the objective evidently being Mr. Macafee’s domain.
The police are investigating.
We sincerely sympathise with Mr. Macafee in his sad bereavement, and also in the loss sustained in a lesser degree.
MR. E. E. Saw, of Chelsea, who was injured in a motor collision on Point Nepean road last winter, and through his solicitor, instituted proceedings against Mr. Bates, of Mordialloc, for £1500 damages, has made a successful settlement, he having accepted £650 in full settlement of his claim.
Proceedings in the County Court will now be withdrawn.
Mr. Reginald Wadham, of Chelsea, has acted as solicitor for Mr. Saw and has played no small part in the successful settlement.
Residents of the district will be glad to learn of Mr. Saw’s success.
A REMARKABLE shower occurred recently on a hill overlooking Western port Bay. For several days dark, threatening clouds appeared through the foliage of the heavy timber on the hill.
The clouds took the shape of human beings with angry scrowling faces ready to tear and rend each other to pieces.
At last they burst into a terrific storm, and to the consternation of all, it was letters and newspapers that came pelting down, instead of the usual rain and hail.
The storm had nothing to do with the Postal Department for the nearest post office was miles away.
Letters, papers and parcels were flying everywhere. One letter, in the fury of the storm, was whirled to my feet without an envelope, and for several days I was stupified by its contents. The electricity generated by this remarkable storm will probably be of use to those who can chain its power. All power in the aggregate is the same, and when separated even the power of hate, when properly controlled, can be turned to good account.
D.B.H.
Personal
The many friends of Mrs. Tait, wife of Mr. C. Tait, of Playne street, Frankston, who last week successfully underwent an operation in a private hospital at Prahran, will be pleased to learn that she is making good progress.
Mr. W. H. Ponsford, the brilliant batsman of Test fame, visited Frankston on A.N.A. Day.
Mr. Geo. Keast, who recently returned from a great trip to Europe, visited Paris for a month, where in comparison to London, living is cheap.
He stayed for a week in Brussels, and while in the historic capital of Belgium, went out to the famous scene of the Battle of Waterloo.
He also spent a week on the battlefields of the 1914-18 conflict, making Lille his headquarters.
From there he visited Armentières, Messines and Amiens. Mr. Keast, who looks in the pink of condition, stated to a representative of “The Standard” on Monday that he had been interviewed by the Melbourne press, and said he had been badly reported.
He had dealt with the apple question – a vitally important one – but the subject had been ignored by the city dailies. A special article on the matter of apple exporting will appear in our columns at a later date.
THE warm weather during the holidays has been taken advantage of to the full. Every beach along the foreshores was crowded on Foundation Day with eager bathers, while all available nooks and corners were filled with happy picnickers with all their paraphernalia of bulging hampers, and hundreds of motor cars of every conceivable color and make were parked for miles along the shore.
It is questionable whether such an animated scene has ever been witnessed here before. Towards evening the varying colors on land, sea and sky, continuously evolved rapidly changing combinations of amazing splendour that would have been the despair and unspeakable joy of any master painter.
From the pages of the Frankston and Somerville Standard, 28 & 30 Jan 1925