JOURNALISTIC PERSONALITIES.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume VI, Issue 667, 3 April 1879, Page 2

JOURNALISTIC PERSONALITIES.

There is but little doubt (says the writer of " London Town Talk" in -theMelbourne Argus) that, in time,-:the fungus growth of "personal" or "society" papers will cause the mind of 'man to become impervious to what is said of him by anybody ; but in the meanwhile —and,. in" the /country — some folks are still thin-skitt'ned. A penny a-liner in want of a subject made some harmless fun in a provincial newspaper out of the" catalogue of a rose-grower — the terms of which, as everybody knows, are often expressed inaratherextravagant manner. Thus that sweet flower " Miss Hassard," was described as "beautiful, delicate, pinkish in colour, large, full, and fine form ; first-class either for exhibition or general purposes ;" bnt, certainly, with no reference to any human being. A curate in the north, however, of very acute sensibilities, discovered in this descprition something personal with reference to the young lady of his affections. The items themselves almost carried conviction home to him, but what confirmed his suspicions was an account of "John Stuart Mill" rose : " bright, clear, red, of great substance, being also of strong constitution, and free habit." This the curate was conviuced could point to no other than his future father-in-law, the rector of. the place in which he lived. If anything were wanting it was that another rose was mentioned under the name of a third clergyman living in the neighbourhood, and described as "globular." Under these circumstances the irate curate wrote to the proprietor of the newspaper to say that his father-in-law ' ' had been identified by his friends' wit'a the " John Stuart Mill" rose, that his beloved, object was very grievously offended by being depicted as " Miss Hassard," and that if the third subject of his brutal satire did not choose to take the matter up on his own account, he (the curate) was resolved to do so, and begged to give him notice of action for libel. The newspaper proprietor, however, instead of referring him to his attorney, referred him to the catalogue of the nearest nurseryman, in which, indeed, all these roses, with the very identical descriptions, had appeared for the last 20 years, ' without giving offence to anybody. James Mackay, jun., the great Maori doctor, says the Wellington correspondent of a phristchurch paper, has not been so lucky as Mr. Luckie. ' I believe Mr. Sheehan Wanted him as Native Uiider-aecretary, but Sir George Grey would not have him at any price. He took the one at discount, but would not have the other as a gift, and so the Under-Secretaryahip has gone to Mr. T. W. Lewis, who began life as a messenger, has been the obsequious servant of every Native Minister for the last fifteen years, and will fetch jand carry like a water dog. Verily those who know how to toady get their reward. Little Tommy Young the popular interpreter . to the department! and. to the House of Representatives, has jußt been promoted to a Natives Land Court Judgeship. Ido not know whether the judicial dignitaries of .this Court , claim to be called your Honor, but if they do it* Will come hard on a good many who have been, accustomed to speak to the new Judge as Tommy, to, get round the change of title. One of the wards of the Melbourne Immigrants' Home was recently neir being the scene of a dreadful- tragedy. About midnight, one of .the inmates, an old fellow named James Smith, left his bed, and in a state of nudity, went on to the verandah. The: night -nutse expostulated with Smith, and advised him to return to his ward. The man apparently took the nurse's advice,' but in reality he merely proceeded to his ward, with where he obtained a table knife, 'armed! which he stole into the room of the wardsman, who was -in: bed at the time, and dozing. The wretched maniac made several lunges with his knife at the wardsman, who, by this time, was fully awakened to his perilous situation, and who succeeded, after a struggle, in disarming „t he would-be homicide. Smith was taken before the City Court, and as there were doubts entertained as to his sanity, he was remanded for a week for . medical - examination. It appears 'that Smith soma time since made a similar attack upon another -wardsman., !;,<*■;,,*. :"■•:'."> ,-;v The youngest of the Maori three wives, having quarrelled" with he r lord over certain supposed delinquencie* of hers with one of His Majesty's sub" jects, eloped. She was accompanied 'by a sable maid of honour, till they reached Ohaupo station, and both then came to Auckland by railway, where the guilty '.pair were ultimately discovered, her frail majesty quietly regaling herself with lollies in Queen Street. . The Liverpool P#ai says that General Tom Thumb, the celebrated dwarf, died on the 19th of January last, at his native place, Bergen, in the province of West Friesland, Holland, .where he had only recently retired after realising a handsome fortune from exhibiting himself in the chief countries of Europe and America. The cause of his death was dropsy. The real name of the general "was Haneman. . I was told the other day of an Irish editor (says the* London correspondent of the Argus) who, through indulgence in patriotism, or other stimulant, over night, was unable to prepare the leading article for his newspaper ( next morning. He could think of nothing in the way of ideas, or even produce, matter of any kind to fill his space, when suddenly his eye fell upon a copy of the Times inat come to hand. He snipped out a leader- with his* scissors, and sent it to press with the original exordium. " What does tluf ftmes mean by this 1" Mr A. Smith, of Monmouth, gives The Maine Farme an interesting instance of success with thin seeding : One bushel of clean wheat carefully scattered on two acres, and harrowed in well. The land, being a rich' intervale, the wheat tillered out and rentered is so thick that when ' the ! wind 'blew one of the 'reaper's fiats off, it would roll on the heads of < the wheat across the field and not drop among the grain. When the wheat was threshed and winnowed, it measured sixty-four bushels. We are' all of us made more graceful by the inward presence of what we believe to be a generous , purpose ; our actions move ; to a hidden music— "a melody that's sweetly played in tunel" —George Eliot.

A youngster, while perusing a chapter of Genesis, turning to his father* inquired if the people in those days used to do their suns on the ground. Itwasdu* covered that he had been reading the passage, "And the sons of men multiplied on the face of the earth." " Wanted, six strong, heavy working bullocks ; must not be old ; with bo 1 "*, yokes, and chains. Also a driver ; 2s. 6, per week extra wages will be given to a man. who can drive six bullocks ~ without, swearing. State lowest cash price. Apply to A. Ohristey, Shortland." Mr. Christey must increase his terms. It is evident he has never been " a bullock-driver. Why is the letter "e" a gloomy and discontented vowel 1 Because though* never out of health and pocket* : it never appears in spirits.