The Tuam Herald, Saturday, April 3, 1909 Tuam, Co Galway PITHY PARS. - Personal Parochial Provincial and Particular The Galway April fair will be held on Wednesday, 7th April. This is a very important fair and a large supply of stock will be shown. Prices of cattle in particular have a decided upward tendency lately, and as these fairs are well advertised a large number of buyers are expected to attend. ---------- From the returns of the Registrar General for the week ending 20th March, it appears that the death rate in Galway has reached the exceptionally small figure of 15.5 [?] per 1,000, the smallest but one of the 22 principal provincial urban districts of Ireland. The average for the whole of Ireland in the same period was 26.1[?] ---------- While quarrying in the Kilmovee, Co Mayo, district a man named Callaghan hit upon a piece of ore one and a half pounds' weight which is believed to be gold. This is the second "find" of a similar nature in this quarry within the past few years. ---------- At Co Mayo Assizes, in Castlebar, before Mr Justice Andrews, Patrick Lyons (Insurance agent) charged with obtaining money under false pretenses, was acquitted. At Castlebar Quarter Sessions County Court Judge Morphy was presented with white gloves. His Honor, in acknowledgement, said he had very little business to do since he came to Mayo six years ago. ---------- Two youths, Thomas Kelly, 17, and Laurence Curley, 16, in a spirit of play, started to throw potatoes at each other in a Galway potato field. The first named chanced to hit Curley on the back of the head, from the effects of which he died. Kelly, who was brought up at the Galway Assizes charged with his companion's death, was released by Judge Johnson after five minutes' detention. ---------- Investigations are being conducted in Claremorris by the Somerset House Inspectors into the general administration of the Old Age Pensions Act in that district. The Inspectors are apparently satisfied with the statement of every pensioner from the point of view of means, but without exception, they are having a search made in the census papers of the years 1841 and 1851 for the age of every successful claimant who in his application form stated that he was 75 years old or under. They instructed the Postmaster of Claremorris not to cash any paying orders except for those who had come before them and had given the requisite information. The local offices of the authorities were filled all day with the old people, and as each was dealt with he or she was given back the cheque book and a slip of paper with direction to the Postmaster to pay. This process was slow, and many of the old people had to remain in the town longer than they expected. It appears that on the question of determining the age, the pension authorities are guided entirely by the census returns, and although proofs are every day forthcoming of the unreliability of these records, yet they will not deviate from the rule, except on the production of baptismal certificates, which receive precedence. As the district is now the seat of operations, it may be interesting to cite some cases, which go to show the unreliability of census returns. Martin Regan, Cultybo, lost his pension on a return made from the census of 1851, which showed him to be only 68 years old, but his book was soon afterwards restored on a certificate from the 1841 census, according to which he was 74 years old. Patrick Flaherty, of Corskeogh, was refused a pension on the ground that, according to the 1851 census, he was only 68 years old, but later his application was passed on a return from the 1841 census, which showed him to be 71 years old. The same applies to a Mrs. Anne Kerrone, of Newtown, who was 68 according to the 1851 census, and 70 according to the 1841 returns. Jim McNamara British Isles Family History Society - USA, Newsletter Editor http://www.rootsweb.com/~bifhsusa