Untitled

Colonist, Volume XXXI, Issue 5170, 24 March 1888, Page 4

Mb Jambs Mills, managing director of the Union Steamship Company, was presented by the Company's staff on his marriage with an address of congratulation. The address is a beautiful work of art, the illuminated text being enclosed in a margin formed of exquieite sketches of New Zealand scenery, interspersed with etchings indicative of the Company's business. The whole is enclosed in a catket made entirely of New Zealand woods, a fine piece of inlaid work, and a duplicate of the casket presented by the Corporation to the Queen on the celtbration of her Jubilee. Tie Premier was invited to attend the Home Rule meeting at "Wellington last week bat declined. He forwarded the following explanatory letter:— 1 My Opinion upon this subject is well known, and my sincere sympathy is with those who desire to see Home Itule established in Ireland, with too

view not only bfdoing justice to the Irish people, but of strengthening the Uuion now subsisting between Great Britain and Ireland; but while occupying the important position which I have now the honour to hold, I do not think I should be justified in attending any public mooting on this question, as my doing so might Hot unreasonably be taken as an attempt on my part to commit a large number of my fellow colonists, who unfortunately do nob think as I do upon this important subject.' It is a striking fact that the cost o* the carriage of wheat from iNew York to tha United Kingdom has fallen in fourteen years from 10s 6d per quarter to 2s 6d. In 1874 the rate was 103 6d; in 1879, 6s; in 1885, sa; in 1886, 4s 3d, and now it is just over 2s 6d. With the greater firmness in freights it is possible that the rate for wheat may stiffen, but it can uever approach the old figures, and hence there a permanent reason for the lower price of wheat. According to an old superstition of the Medieval Church, whenever a cock crows a lie is being told. During the very cold weather of the early part of January the Chinese sojourning in Berlin caused much amusement by the change of costume which they adopted as a precaution against the cold. They assumed ear protectors made of paper mach©, the top covered with black satin, the side pieces with blue silk profusely painted with flowers. The inside was lined with fur, which, projecting on the cheeks, had the appearance of whiskers, an appendage never seen on a Chinaman. They also abandoned steel or metal spectacle frame?, using ouly those made of tortoise-shell or horn. A Melbourne letter states :—A girl has be-n working as a man on a station at Qsley recently but her sex was revealed through her taking a few glasses of grog. The liquor caused her to go into fits, lasting au hoar and a half, and her shirt was opened to throw water over her. It was then discovered that she was a female. At Cannes, in front of a small bootmaker's shop the English tourist may find the followiug inscription in his own language :—' Repairs hung wiih stage coach.' After long and anxious thought he may arrive at the cobbler's meaning, who only wishes to inform his numerous patrons • That repairs aire executed with diligence.' The editor of a-certain periodical was rash enough to remove a few lines from a poem which he had accepted, whereupon the author wrote him a letter which wound up thus :—' And now, 0 slaughterer, vivisecipr, mangier, maimer, . destroyer, diffigurer. dßformer, de(acer,crippler, mutilator, good bye. Put this in your pipe and smoke it.' Embarrassed Coitf.t C^iees:—The lower agents of the law in Australia were generally Irishmen, and their agile fancy sometimes led them into curious escapades. Here are a couple. Many Chinese names eouud- like a burlesque, and are probably barbarous renderings of the original Mongolian. FougFafc, Ah Sue, Ah Foo, and the like nre common. A newly appointed crier in a County Court was ordered by thejud^ein adeem which a Chinaman was a witness to call for Ah Song. He looked puzzled for a moment, and cast a sly glance at the judge but fiuding him grave as an undertaker, he turned to the audience, and blandly simpered, ' Gintlemen, would any of you frivour his Honor with a song ?' In another Court a newchum policeman was ordered by the judge to go in search of the official interpreter whose name was Ah Kat. ' Constable, go for Ah Kat,' • Yes, your honour ;is it a tjm cat your honour wishes for V —' Contemporary Review. 1