JOTTINGS.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 11589, 21 May 1903, Page 6

JOTTINGS.

Two of the M.T.artest young agitators on the side of the strikers are at prese-nt (say_ the "Argus") occupying a delightfully Gil-bt-rtian position. They pride themselves in having "helped on the strike, but ,-idmit candidly that they misjudged the time at which their freely expressed desires would be consummated. Their respective wives happen recently to have taken a holiday jaunt in the absolute certainty of being safe home before matters "came to « bead." - The strike authorities, however, upset their little plans, and it conns to pass that one agitator cooks a solitary chop rightly ovtr a refractory oil stove—mistress aud maid having left together, while the other has to "mind the iiouve," whiit time most interesting developments ar* takirii. place elsewhere. The averagei housewife has rarely Anarchistic tendencies, and the judicious course of house, work will probably re-act with great benefit on the _.rv-eare» in question. A cyclist left Melbourne on Saturday with one copy of "Tho Argus." and by the time he reached a point forty mile*'from Melbourne he had made 15s" out of the paper. He charged 6d a 'read," and was still going. Anions the passengers for Melbourne by the Karlsruhe, which arrived at Adelaide, was a young woman from England, who was greatly dirtrcssed because she could not travel overland to Melbourne, where she was to bo married next day. She waa somewhat relieved when she learned that, the boat would bring her xo— —* wly twMfcta-Oia; boor* lata. _____L:______—__e-A; : : ..'_• ■

The scene on tho Sydney exprc-s to Melbourne on Saturday morning ia described by the passen_e-fi as a remarkable one. When it was di- ered that the rai_i had been greased the passenger*, acting under the direction of the driver, broke, off stickto dig earth, fo that the whe-e*« might grip th* rails. When a subscription for the driver, fireman, and guard was mooted only four of the 80 passengers—two in the _retc'nss and two in the second —refused to co-tribute. The feeling amongst tho passengers was very strong, and several of them delated that had "they caught- tho offender red-banded (or black-handed) there is nr»t a shadow of doubt, that he would have been lvnohed. It, was a novel and remarkable "sight to see each passenger earthing over his own livlc section of ran an <i all had mnd* up minds to do P for ten mtles if nectary, rather than ai-knc/wledgo defeat. The cessation of the tram services to the country placed the managers of Melbourne newspapers i:x a svrious difficulty. The "Age" surmounted it admirably. A s-eciid *civics, ci cans was arranged for th* suburban deliveries. A 6teamer w_s chartered to take the papers to Geclong, and more than half a ton of them were thence sent cm to Ba'.larat by motor car, the "A_e" be-ins the only Melbourne paper to reach Ballnrat on the first day ot t-ne strike. A very large motor car oonver.-d the papers from Melbousne to Bcndigo. Tb« "Age" on Saturday sold ia Bailarat at up to a .'.-hilling a copy, and in Bailarat East two .shillings <t cony was offered and refused. Cvc'.ist.s made a good thing our, of a. fnv copies and riding out, to dwta-nt townships, where they sold them at h.ilf-a-crown apiece- The man who went out a<i far a.s Castl'-maine had only one copy hft out of fifty, and would not sell it- for five .«=hill'nes.