ITEMS.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXXIX, Issue 10764, 11 May 1911, Page 6

ITEMS.

The King received at Buckingham Palace, "the bravest man in 1910," Frank' Fraseiy chief engineer on the Aberdeen trawler Donside, and presented him with the Stanhope gold medal awarded by -the Royal Humane Society, only one of which is given annually. It is understood that the Vatican is very indignant with the King of Spain for making the King of Italy honorary colonel of the Spanish regiment "Sayora." As the honor is almost contemporary with Italy's celebration of the acquisition of her nationhood fifty years ago, it is regarded as a fresh affront to the Pope, and. another intimation from Senor Carralejas that- King Alfonso means to be master in his own house. It has been recently stated that be-' coming engaged makes girls unfit fori business. Asked for his views on the| subject a city merchant said:—"l think there must be something in it. One; of my typists became engaged yester-' day, and this is the first letter she has; written to-day:— "My darling Sirs,—We have your esteemed dear little order of yesterday's ever-to-be-remembered date, which shall have our sweetest and prompt attention. With fond love, "Ever your affectionately, . . ' ■ "Brown & Co.

"P.S. —xxxxxxx aU for you."

Louisa Cox, who started from Eng-; land on February 7th. fo£ Canada, to! .try her luck, writes under date March: 14th: —"We all were given to understand upon signing papers for emigrating that there would be two matrons to; conduct the party brought from Bristol: to Reg'ina ; instead there was only one, and I saw her for. about two minutes; on the boat, and saw no -more of her: until we arrived at Halifax. On landing there we were asked by the matron' if we belonged to the Regina party, and as there were three of us together, I answered in the negative. She then told us to have pinned on us a glowing red card, to which two of us most; indignantly refused, as I thought it was! like marking cattle. Then the matron told us she was arranging- for provisions for us, which she did to our sorrow,! as we had to pay two dollars for the basket, which contained three loaves and; eight bags of biscuits, which if both' were put under an express train would; stop it, or throw it off the-rails. If ! we wanted beds we were to pay another: two dollars each; but I for one think! that they might have. provided better! accommodation on the train. It was' -stated--in-all the English papers that asj soon as an English girl sets foot on aCanadian Hrain she is treated like a: queen. Well, I have proved otherwise,! for we were like so many cattle or say-! dines packed in a box, and that is. plain! English. There :were, only 48 sleeping in the coach I was in, and three of us: had to sleep on one seat. Upon land-ing--here- we- are termed undesirables. At nearly every-station we passed we were spoken of' as a party of the 50CK> brides,' and I think every girl felt itvery keenly, and resented the greeting and behavior of the men at Regina Station. We were unprotected from the scoff and jeering of the men which we ;an' treat' with the utmost contempt, -ind God forbid we ever find husbands out of that'sample. I am pleased and proud.- to state -after such -a trying journey we have landed in a bed of roses, for we have indeed found friends with open doors and ever ready to. assist us in l our trouble." The ex-Sultan Abdul Aziz pawned all his crown jewels for 1,000,000 francs at the Mont de Piete at Paris, and they were only just redeemed by the Moorish Government in time to prevent their being sold among other unredeemed goods. The sword of state,, which is regarded in Servia as a sacred relic, was also pawned by a former king, while one . well-known European monarch found himself in such straitened circumstances that the famous house of : At-tenborougTi 'once, temporarily, had possession of all his old silver. Queen Isabella was, however,- the most famous royalty who made no secret of the fact that she raised money from the Jews upon the security of the portraits of her ancestors, which hung on the walls as the Palace Catile, her Parisian home, says London M.A.P. The royal lady often declared how deeply she was indebted to her royal forbears for coming to her rescue and helping her out of her financial predicaments. When two spiders fight there is generallv a good reason: for the attack and the vigorous defence that follows. It is not generally known, that after a certain time spiders become incapable of spinning a web from, lack of material. The glutinous excretion from which the slender threads. are spun is limited; therefore, spideES cannot keep on constructing new snares when the old ones are destroyed. But they can avail'themselves of the web-producing powers of their vonnger neighbors, and this they do without scruple. As soon _as a spider's web-constructing material has become exhausted and its last web destroyed it sets out- in search of another home, and unless it should chance to find one that is tenantless a battle usually ensues, which ends only with the retreat or death of the invader or defender. . ■ W-VDDELL AND CO.'S Alteration Sale —Just fancy! 10s 6d Hats for Is: 2s 6d Braces for 6d. Three Is 6d Ties for ls„ 0= 6d Cardigans for.ss 6d, Sweaters 8s 6d for 4s 6d. 25"s Boys'- Suits for 9s 6d, 40s Overcoats fo*- 6d.