THE DISTRICT MESSENGER.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXI, Issue 20, 8 September 1911, Page 2

THE DISTRICT MESSENGER.

Some curious information about the work of that very useful institution, the District .Messengers of Loudon, was given the other day at the annual distribution of prizes in connection with the corps. The District -Messenger system is now in its twentyfirst year, and every year sees its use fulness extend. Besides running messages, the messenger hoy keeps places in queues, looks after babies, does many other curious things, and sometimes goes as far afield as the Continent. A boy named .Beale was awarded three medals, one for good conduct and two for journeys abroad. He went from London to Home to deliver a uniform to a customer who was in a hurry, and to Pan's to take some scientific instruments to another customer for whom the mail was not quick enough. But his most curious job was a journey to Liege undertaken solely for the purpose of handing to the Grand Duke of Mecklenburg—who was on his way from Paris to Berlin—a luncheon basket from London containing delicacies which the Grand Duchess particularly favoured. The average boy would think tho travelling necessitated by a messenger’s work lino fun, but Beale has already learned what others learn later in life, that the glamour of travel wears off in time. To him globe-trotting at eight shillings a week is not so attractive as clerking, and he wants to ho a dork. A curious task hefol one Robbins, be being told to go to Brixton and bring an elephant and its keeper, an Indian hoy, to tho Palladium, and conduct it back to Brixton tho same night. This ho did, riding to and from tho music-hall on the elephant’s back. Even more curious than this was the case of a messenger who was sent in hot. haste to a place in Bond Street, where he found a Lady standing in terror on a table because there was a mouse in the room. She refused to descend until the mouse had been captured, and the messenger despatched the animal. .Most linmcrons of all the tasks mentioned was that of the messenger who was employed by some irate Kensington residents 1) rout a Gorman band that wa.s playing in their sheet. The boy was instructed to stand in front of the band and snelc a lemon. Let ns hope it bad the desired effect. The expeiienee these boys get should stand thorn, in good stead in after life.