OUR MAIL BAG.

Lake County Press, Issue 1065, 21 May 1903, Page 5

OUR MAIL BAG.

P Tha King and Queen have arrived in London. The N.Z. Band opened ita tour at Turnbridge Welte, and scored great success. A total of 639 hotel licenses have been refused in England and Wales during the last two months. The South Kalgoorlie mine will be ghufc down at the end of May, throwing 200 idle, pending the raising of frwh capital to re-organise and improve the plant. Reinforcements aboard a British steamer entered Tefcuau unopposed. The Saltan's troops carried the fortress of Tazza by storm after pillaging and firing villages in t.h<3 surrounding couutry. Madame Oalve, the French operatic Singer, who, since 18S2, when she made her debut iu Brussels, hus sung in the principal centres of Europe and America, nearly lost her life by an overdose of aoointe. Sheep were placed in the French battleship Henri Qualre, in a position where the men are destined to serve the small gun 3 while the big turret is fired overhead. As a result of experiment the sheep were stunned, otherwise unharmed. The conclusion arrived at is that the gunners will not suffer. The Parliamentary excursion over the Otago Central railway route, returned to Dunedin on Sunday night. Misty rain set in ab Ophir, and the party saw practically nothing of the Ida Valley and the country about there served by the line. There appears to be a consensus of opinion among the members that the line, having been carried so far, should at least go on to Alexandra. Reality is leaving Jule3 Verne's romance far behind. The newest guide-book time for a journey round the world is forty-five days, made up thus : Days. Hrs. London to Queenstown ... 1 3 Transatlantic passage ... 5 12h New York-Montreal ... 0 11 Montreal-Vancouver ... 4 4 Vancouver-Yokohama ... 10 10i Yokohama-Nagasaki ... 1 12 Nagasaki-Tladivostock ... 3 0 Vladivostock-Kharbin ... 2 0 Kharbin-Manchuria ... 2 18 Manchuria-Irkutz ... 3 12| Irkutz-Moscow ... ... 7 23 Moscow-London ... ... 2 23£ 45 10 The schedule is given in " Bradshaw's Through Routes." We have been shown a letter posted in Dunedin to' Stratford, a well-known town in Tarauaki, and which travelled round the globe before it reached its destination. The envelope baars the stamp of bwelre post offices, and its journey may be traced by these. Currying a clear address, " Stratford, New Zealand," it was posted in Dunedin on November 17, 1902; a large circular blue stamp is dated " 21st November, N.Z.," etc.; then comes "Honolulu, December 2, 1902"; " Ou'bee " ; "Warwick, December 30, 1902"; ♦• Learuinijton, December 30 " ; *■ Strat-ford-on-Avon, December 30, 1'J02." Here eight postal officials affixed their initials to the statement " No such place as Stratford." Them a genius, writing in red ink on the envelope, says: "Try first address— Stratford, N.Z." So it comes buc't again, and reached Stratford, New Zealand safely on February 9, 1903.—ilawera Star. A Western Queensland station Waaajer was askod b\ the owners tu

report as to how the station had come out of the drought ordeal. Accordingly In- made up a parcel of sundries piece of hide containing the station brand, three hoot's, a greenhide girth, a broken bndle, u pair of horn.--, the skin of the cattle dog, and u rotten watei-bag. This he forwarded with the addendum : " Gentlemen, these are tho assets." List year the Ashburton County Council paid about £IOUO for small birds' eggs and heads. The Council decided to pay the sum of Jd per head for small birds' heads, and to request the Selwyn and Gcraldine Councils to co-operato in poisoning tho birds in their respective districts. While Sir J. G. Ward was addressing a public meeting at Ophir, one of his faithful linemen, who had imbibed rather freely that day, (pay clay) and persisted in giving expression to his enthusiasm in tones calculated to disturb the meeting, was being ejected by a constable, when Sir J. G. interfering, said " Let him alone, he is alright," then addressing the culprit appealingly, " but, my man, you must keep quiet for a while," " alright Joe," was the response. lie did not interrupt again. —Argus. Thus a correspondent of the Morning Press :—" Tho citizens of Danuevirke appear to bo a Godly-fearing people. They have a clergyman who sits on the Bench and administers the law to them ; they have a clergyman on the Education Board to see that tho children are well educated ; they have two clergymen upon the Licensing Bench to see that the liquor is not adulterated ; they have a clergyman as Chief Magistrato and Mayor; and rumor has it that they are going bo haye a clergyman as a publican. No wonder Dannevirke is so prosperous—a holy city !