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Marlborough Express, Volume XLIII, Issue 270, 16 November 1909, Page 8

One morning last week, by the post ' from Melbourne, a remarkable letter, I accompanied by a parcel, was received .at the Advertiser office in Adelaide. The parcel contained a pair of handcuffs, and in the letter the writer, Ernest Ryan, requested that these .symbols of the law should be returned i to the Police Department, to whom they rightfully belonged. Ryan was known under the aliases of Peffreys and Moran, and had been serving a two- months' sentence in Adelaide .gaol. It was decided to remove h;m to gaol at Gladstone, and on Maxell 11 last he was placed oa" board thetrain for that place in charge of a warder. When about half the journey had been accomplished Ryan flipped away from the officer, and jumped fiom the tiam at a point between Movlpton and Kybunga. The ' ibrain was t4u*n at full spWd, and it ] is *urpriMOg that he was not hurl. J He picked - binxwlf up and disappeared. In hi-* loiter ttyan\ is labouring under a fipnso of what be con- I Riders injustice, and he puts his case in a manner which has considerable I

force,

The farmer who m independent, , however .small his holding,, smokes his calumet of p«\C9 undismayed by the fall in wool or by the drop in butter or by the slunip-in oatft (moralises the Oamaru Mai!.) He is\assured of shelter, food, cor:fort, ; port, everything tl'nt wakes life worth living. 'Not for him is ilfare any .need to stand in the>market place with the rest who are there becaose no mini hirers them, and babble of anything but green fields, wasting breath in talk of limited working hours, and "the inalienable right to work.

,As a general rule the public has overy reason to congratulate itself on the accuracy with which telegrams are transmitted' over the Government lines of the Dominion (says the Otago Daily Times). Occasionally, however, lapses do occur, although in these, instances, as is chiefly the case in regard to typographical errors, the fault lies more with the caligraphy than with its interpretation. An error made some years ago has often been quoted in temperance circles with much gusto.' One day_ a certain prominent worker left his home to pay a visit to another town, and to apprise friends of his arrival despatched a telegram. The recipient of the telegram was not unnaturally somewhat mystified and much horrified to read over the well-known signature the portentous words, "Will arrive tight; meet me." This was a corruption of "Will- arrive eight." Another, instance has just occurred which produced a somewhat similar: mystification. A certain gentleman in a northern town, learning of a journey to be shortly made by a southern friend, wrote him inviting him to stay a night with him. The reply was not satisfactory. It was the laconic message, "Think sold chaff; going straight homo." Telegrams demanding explanation were exchanged, official channels moved, and at last the original message came through as, "Thanks, old chap: going straight home." In both ot these instances the form of the words was such as to 'make it certain that the writing n the original message was mainly at fault.

The Wanganui branch of the National Defence League since Mr McNab's visit in June last, has enrolled 700 members, and has established strong and healthy men's and women's branches, a men's ambulance brigade of thirty members, and a women's branch of the St. John Ambulance division. A qualified nurse has been secured by the branch at a salary of £150 a year, and. she has been in practice for the past three months, daily visiting and attending fc» the wants and requirements of the suffpriug poor and others of the town. Not the least useful work performed by the League is the fostering of shooting amongst the cadets of the Dominion, in connection with which some very valuable trophies have been obtained.

A young New Zealander of the name of Stewart;-proved himself one too many for a: gang of London confidence men a few days ago (writes the London correspondent of the Lyttelton Times). He was strolling through the National Gallery when a stranger, well-dressed and most affable, got into conversation with him about the pictures, and mentioned, in a casual sort of way, that he, too came from "down, under." The upshot of the meeting was that the stranger invited the New Zealander to lunch, next dajr. Although he was already suspicious of the affable one Mr Stewart thought he would see it through. So he went to lunch, and was entertained with a story of how one of the stranger's "pals" was going into partnership with a."well-known Wellington business man in the purchase of a sheep run: for £20,000., "How many acres?" asked Mr Stewart. "Fifty," replied the stranger. "And how many sheep to the acre will the land carry?" "Oh, about four." "This is all most interesting," remarked the New Zealander, wno found it difficult to, keep a straight face over this story of a fifty-acre sheep run at £20,000. Just then the" inevitable second man arrived with a wonderful story of a horse that was absolutely certain to win at odds of ten to,one that afternoon. The New Zealander. was invited to put some money on. He said he would co to .his hotel for his cheque book and return in an hour, and they arranged to meet again accordingly. But he had had quite , enough of both of them, and vory wisely, he never went back.