“PERSONALS.”

New Zealand Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 4208, 15 September 1874, Page 3

“PERSONALS.”

Even in the English journals of the very olden time the “ Personal ” column was not unknown, although it was not extensively used. If a Bristol merchant trading with the coast of Guinea or the West Indies had a handsome black page among his importations, of whom he wished to dispose to a lady, he inserted a tempting advertisement in the Gazette or the News Letter of the day. Some trader of Wapping had secured a small sample of bohea by means of some smuggling master or mate fresh from the Orient : he resorted to a delicate card in some fashionable journal to make those ladies who were not unfamiliar with the beverage aware of the fact, and appoint a place where they could meet him, and secure a prize which would make them the pride of their circle and the envy of others, so long as the caddy contained any of its coycted contents. If a sailor from the Gold Coast brought up a parrot that could beat that of the Bishop, by speaking as well as thinking, he addressed through the same channel and in the same way those ladies of fashion who delighted in monkeys, Guinea pigs, cockatoos, and other live curiosities, as well as old china. The gallants of the time of George the Second were also not disinclined occasionally to pay a compliment through the same channel to some masked beauty who had refused to make herself 'known in the tea or the bear gardens, but whom they were unable to forget. These little eccentricities have now assumed a somewhat important form. If a lady or gentleman has a curiosity to sell or desires to exchange a piano for a carpet, or a violin for a library of sermons, resort is had to such papers as “The Mart” or “The Exchange,” which have been established for the purpose of accommodating those who desire to bargain now lamps for old ones. If a lawyer wishes to sell his library, or a clergyman to dispose of a col- . lection of sermons sufficient for a calendar year; if “ a poor player” desires an engagement, or makes an appeal to the public for support on some pressing occasion ; if a Freemason -wishes to acquaint the fraternity with some special want or some important fact ; if a Hebrew tradesman thinks of announcing his special Yr'ares about a special holiday time, or a wholesale grocer to announce some particular “ line ” all these have their organs in London, in which their announcements find a proper place. The thouaand-and-one, however, who have lesser and more personal objects to attain, have found their medium in “the personal column” of the London Times, and on a comparatively small but gradually increasing scale the London “ personalist ” has now his imitator in the chief towns of Australia, and his organ in the leading journals of those cities. Those are columns, however, to which every person cannot find admission for his announcements. It is easy to see how “ the personal column ” might be made -the vehicle of communications and notices that would not conduce to the peace of homes or the interests of morality, In the German journals, singular laxity is permitted in this respect. The code of morals there is not that of England, and an easier system of relations is reflected in “ the personal column” of the Berlin and Vienese journals. In The Times office, however, and in the Melbourne and Sydney offices, which are modelled upon that of Printing-House Square—the greatest possible care is taken that nothing to which objection can be attached finds its way into the announcements of the special column we allude to. The members of the staff who ait at the receipt of custom in this respect, must know “ all about it,” before the desired communication is passed up to the Printer to be announced in black and white. It may be a secret of the heart, but “It’slittle for blushing they care down there.” It must he told, and the manager must be assured that ho is only aiding an innocent flirtation, before the enigma is published. For many a day, in the London Times, the announcement used to appear from time to time, “ Door-mat to-night,” and as often “ No doormat to-night.” Of course the young bloods of the city were on fire to know what it all meant, and many were the ingenious efforts to discover it ; but the secret was safe in the bosom of the ministering angel who sat on his tripod behind the advertising counter, 'The secret of the door-mat was preserved. In the same way, at regular intervals, spread over two or three years, in tho same columns, there appeared advertisements in words of a cabalistic character. It was an ingenious arrangement of tho letters of the alphabet, which might have Been Welsh, or Cornish, or Esquimaux, to the ordinary Englishman, but yet had a meaning to those who held the key. Protracted was the anxiety to find out what it all meant, and the explanation came at last. There is no post-office at the North Pole known to St. Martin's Le-Grand. There were no means of sending letters to Jones’s Sound, or tho unknown waters at tho head of Baffin’s Bay. But there was a Polar expedition then at sea, which had entered tho Arctic region by way of Behring Strait, and was frozen up for a couple of years, and finally discovered the North-West Passage. Post-letters can only go where there are post-offices, but The 'Timet goes everywhere. Whalers sometimes get it at sea, oven in Polar waters?; hunters and trappers carry it to the mouth of the Copper Mine llivcr ; and tho enigmas of The Times wore only a means—and a successful one too—of enabling a young lady to corres-

pond from time to time with her brother, who commanded one of the two ships which formed Captain McClure’s Polar expedition. It is in New York, however, that advertisers in “the personal column” have been allowed to run riot. There seems to be little cave or supervision over that department—say of the Herald— and yet wo know the whole business of the New York journals is managed with such remarkable supervision that it is hai’d to believe that this column is not vigilantly watched as well, not merely in the interest of the money-box, but of morality. It is like wandering in a fancy fair to run the eye down over this column of the New York Herald, and some very strange and various ideas do the announcements suggest. We can quite understand the perplexity of “Moon,” who notifies to the “Sun” “letter of 22nd at hand, and do not understand all ; will not -write, but expect to appear about the middle of the month named.” “F.Z.Y.3.” is very warning when he or she says, “ Change your location at once ; send address to E.” “Worthington” assumes a doubtful name, and does not follow the rules of polite society when he advertises, “Gentleman desires honorable acquaintance of lady he asked if name was Robinson—Twenty-Third Street to Calvary Church, Tuesday evening.” Here is something very tender:—“Minerva.—A happy new year. May Heaven shower down its choicest blessings on thee and thine, break the shackles, and allow thee to unite with and cling to thine faithful, Geneva Cross.” “ Katama” says, “ ‘ Puss,’ -wish you happy new year. Are you not hungry V —rather a strange question to ask in the Press without sending an invitation to dinner or supper ! Here is an affectionate creature in “P.”—female most probably : “ Accept kindest wishes of a devoted heart ; trust in happier days soon. IC. M. L.” “N.F.” says, “Anxious to hear from you and “Sis” is notified by “ X).,” “ Come home at once ; all right; your father is very ill”—bad as it is, good news evidently for “ Sis.” What are we to think of these imprudent or naughty ones ? —“The party answering will address again, with circumstances of meeting, &0., to prevent mistake, H. H. W., Herald office.” “ The, lady who noticed gentleman on Broadway yesterday afternoon will confer a great favor by addressing Leander, box 117, Herald office.” Here is another :—“ Will the young lady with seal sacque, accompanied by friend, ‘who rode from Pulton Ferry to Bleecker Street in car on Saturday morning, send her address to gentleman who stood on back platform ? State some circumstance to avoid mistake. Address Frank Winters, Herald office.” There is another “Frank,” who is confidingly and hopefully frank, for he advertises, “ Hoi, come home this day and all will be O.K.” —or, in telegraphic phrase, “all correct.” “Light and Hark ” appeartomeetstrangelysometimes, and this is how it was done in a “ Third Avenue car on a Saturday night” : —“ Two gentlemen, light and dark, -would like to meet two young ladies, one sat in other’s lap, who recognised them when getting off at Eighth Street. Address Light and Hark, Box 121.” But there are other classes in the great commercial city of the United States whose wants and wishes appear to be of a less hopeful character. Here, for example, a father advertises :—“ Will give my boy, seven months old, healthiest, prettiest, best baby in New York, to respectable family of means; cause, panic : address for one week.” Another says, “For adoption, a healthy male child, three weeks old ; American parentage ; full surrender ; call after 12.” But there seems to be quite a trade in children, for another is advertised, of French and American parentage, to be given away; and a lady with a foreign name, an agent in this business probably, offers “a new-born babe,” and also “ one two months’ old.” “Photographer—will accept,” is an unusually mysterious intimation. “ Lizzie McA.” is asked to “let your old friend know where you are living”; and “ Lena will please to send her address to her little friend Chatterbox.” “Sam” intimates to “H. Fraud” (nothing suggestive in the name, we hope) “Where will a letter reach you with a ton of coals in answer ? ” “Anxiety” communicates her state of mind to “ William J. S. Sharkey,” but gives rather a significant address—“ Warden Thomson, at the Tombs.” They are usually credited with being smart fellows, who are connected with the Press in New York; but what are we to say to the following:—“Lost.—Left behind on one of the Fulton ferry-boats, Saturday morning, a small parcel, containing two reporters’ notebooks and some manuscript. The finder -will confer a great obligation upon, and be liberally rewarded by the loser, by leaving the same at the Herald counter, corner of Ann Street and Broadway, as early to-day as possible.— Reporter.” We blush for brothers of the pencil who could lose their rote-books : it would be out of all consistency to suppose that the missing notes were ten-dollar ones ! “ C.” is addressed by a pei’secuted person, who advertises, “ Once for all —do not write to, address, or recognise me.” What unhappy confidence has “ C.” won ? These little curiosities of literature could be multiplied ad infinitum , but we have quoted enough to show how extensively and how Curiously this personal column in the New York Press is resorted to. We add the following, in a string, as “more curiosities,” and with it, part from the subject :—“ George—Petty pigeon, won’t you write or call ? Just saw you. By the love you once bore me, I entreat. Central, where you command. —0.” “ Hitch—Come home and go to work. Everything all right.— Hootsev.” “Mr. Jimmy—Meet me at the corner of Canal and Broadway, Sunday evening, at 9 o'clock, rain or shine.—Lottie.” “ Saturday night, 8 o’clock, corner Fourteenth Street and Sixth avenue.—Rabbit.” “ Sweet Tot—Am obliged to postpone until next day, but one at same hour.” “ Capri—Appropriate Addio!—Beale.” “H****k. —All’s well that ends well; Argyle bal masque to-morrow eve. —Blue Homing.” “F.—l must see you again; I have waited all the week and no letter. Please meet me once more at the old place in Tenth Street.—Charlie.” “ Governor, who called December 3, "will please call again Monday evening, at 4.30.” “ Humpty Humpty.—Friday evening. 1 See Sunday’s Herald.' Please send address if agreeable, and state some circumstance to Twins, Herald Uptown Branch office,” “17 —A—Hollie, no letter received yet; have not ceased to love you.—Charlie.” These samples will, we think, suffice by way of a sketch, to show readers in quiet Wellington the character of “the personal column” of the leading journal of New York.