MISCELLANEOUS.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 813, 30 September 1887, Page 20

MISCELLANEOUS.

Japanese printers are said to have reproduced in exoelleut style a number of oau publications used as text-books in the schools of Japan. About thirty girls employed as “spoolers” in the Webster, Pembroke, and China cotton mills, at Suncook, New Hampshire, struck recently for more wages. The mills there run seventy hours a week. It has been discovered that whereas there are 1 ,550,000 Irish-born citizens- of the United States, there are 2,000,000 British born citizens. The Duke of Clarence once, when visiting Portsmouth, remarked to a certain admiral, “ I hear, sir, that you are the greatest scoundrel in Portsmouth.” “I am afraid,” was the retort courteous, ‘ * that your Royal Highness has come to deprive me of my reputation.” In 1878 there were about 8000 convicts in New Caledonia (the Frenoh penal station) a total which has sinoe been swelled to 20,000. The lowest sentence for transportation is for seven years. After that, each man has to serve tor seven years more as a libere under surveillance. The business of the Suez Canal shows a falling off of 568,097 tons for 1886, compared with 1885.

Barber : “ Sir, you’re getting bald rapidly.1 have a most excellent remedy.” Old gentleman : “ Never mind. I’m just yearning to be entirely bald. ” “Eh ? Why that’s a remarkable desire.” “No, it isn’t. I’ve got a terribly wicked son, and I’m determined he shan’t bring my gray hairs in sorrow to the grave. Peckham (meeting au old friend) : “Why Dingley, is this you ? I haven’t seen you for tea years. How are you, anyhow ?” Dingley : “ Oh, I’m just like I used to be. By the way, Peckham, how’s your wife ? You used to say you had the boss girl when you were single.” Peckham (sadly): “She’s still boss.”

At tho library.—Lady : “ I’m getting tired of modern fiction ; can’t you recommend me a good exciting standard work ?” Librarian : “Have you read ‘The Last Days of Pompeii?” Lady: “ No, I believe not. Can you tell me what he died of ?” Librarian: “An eruption, 1 believe.” The Hebrew population in Jerusalem is rapidly increasing. It is now 19.080, the largest number since Titus destroyed the sacred city, A.D. 70. The Earl of Arundel (tem. Charles I.) was the first person who brought over to Eng land, from Italy, the new way of building with bricks. The employment of women as printers is increasing in England. A Woman’s Printing Society has been formed with leading names on the list of directors. President Lincoln used to tell a story about a big hussar who came to Washington during the war, and called on a street Arab for a “ shine.” Looking at the tremendous boots before him, he called bo a,brother shiner across the street, “Cornerover and help, Jemmy—l’ve got an army contract.” “Freddie, have you been to school to-day?” “Yes’m.” “Did you learn anything new?” “ Yes’m,” “ What was it, my boy ? ” “ I got on to a sqre way of getting out for an hour by stuffi’ fed ink up my nose.” Father : “Tommy, you should try and be a better boy. You are our only child, and we expect you to be good.” Tommy : “It ain’t my fault that I am your only child. It is hard on tne to be good for a lot of brothers and sisters I haven’t got.” A burglar who was doing a neat job on a safe was horrified on looking up to see a man standing quietly beside him. He was about to retire when tho gentleman said: “Goahead. I am interested in that job.” “Why,” asked the astonished burglar. “Because I have forgotten the combination, and no living person knew it but myßelf. If you can get that safe open I’ll make it worth your while.” Householder (to bnrglar through a key hole): “ Good evening, sir. Make yourself at homo ; don’t mind me. I must apologise for tho thinness of - the larder ; but-my wife is down with smallpox, 1 have typhoid fever myself, and the girl has a little touch of diphtheria.” Miss Jennie Gray, an energetic young woman who works a 100-acra farm in Dakoto, says she could work another just as largo if the fellows who want to marry her would stop bothering her. It has been discovered that whereas there are 1,850,000 Irish-born inhabitants of the United States, there are 2,090,000 British-born citizens.

We have much pleasure in stating that Sir George Grey is very much better, and is recovering rapidly from the prostration caused by bis recent exertions. - “ Mamma,” said a little five-year-old, “ I wish papa would give me a pony.” “He can’t, dear ;he is not rich enough.” A little later: “Mamma, may I have some pudding?” “No, my dear; it is too rich.” Still later : “Mamma, I—l wish that papa was a 3 rich as the pudding.” Pens were first used early in the seventh century. They were, of course quills, and steel pens did not come into use until 1820, when the first gross of them was sold wholesale for £7 4s. The quality of these pens was greatly inferior to that of those for which we now pay 6d a gross. Spectacles were first used in the latter part of the thirteenth century. There is no certainty as to who was the inventor of them, but the distinction is generally claimed for Alessandro di Spina, who is said to have made some about 1285. The new Tay Bridge, which has just been completed, is a much more solid-looking structure than the first, which collapsed so tragically on the night of Sunday, the 28th' December, 1879. The cost of the new bridge, which supports a double line of rails, has been about £750,000 againßt £350,000 expended on the old one, which only oarried a single rail. The first glass window in England was one put up in an abbey about the yeox- 640. Glass | windows, however, did not become general for many hundred years, and as late as 1577 the glasß casements, at Alnwick Castle, the Duke of Northumberland's seat, were regularly taken down when the family was away from home.