MISCELLANEOUS.

Timaru Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 11659, 18 January 1902, Page 4

MISCELLANEOUS.

A growing tendency to levity on the part of boy messengers has induced the Renter Telegraph Company to employ the mere conscien:icus ghl messenger to deliver their telegrams in London. Now some 120 girls of about sixteen years of age are enrolled in the' service. They may be seen neatly attired in blue serge" costumes, with little wallets hung round their necks, hastening through the streets of the city with an air of importance and urgency that disgusts the maie messenger and astounds the telegraph lad.

Sir Wilfrid Lawson says he never received a knock-down blow till, espying'a labourer walking along "with the old familiar black" bottle' protruding from his pocket, he entered into conversation with him, and pointed cut the misery that had resulted from lb 2. bottle,-and earnestly exhorted the c.:.a to flse from its contents. The m .n was so overcome that he emptied the bolt's in the road, and Sir Wilfrid, beaming with pleasure, handed him sixpence, saying, " Take that; it will buy you something better." The man took it, and straightway entered a public-house and spent it on beer. His bottle hud contained cold tea !

A Canadian paper says : —The Canadian Pacific Railway intends to adopt an ingenious and most effective melhod of advertising Canada in the British metropolis. On the completion of the company!* new offices in Trafalgar Square, in the he.ut of London, the top story will be so arranged as to give to the public at night panoramic views of Canadian scenery by means of the magic lantern. This is certain to instruct hosts of people in regard to Dominion possibilities, and it should in course of time induce thousands of persons to reek out these yossibiities for themselves. A London daily which very rarely indeed gives up any of" its space to political car-

toons, could not tesisl an acute temp'.a.n.n the other day. Toe Marquis of Dufferin and Ava, in'the course of an add;ess reviewing the changes in politics and morals of the last, century, said: " Nor was inconsistency with avowed and vehemently asserted opinions regaided in the same odious light in which it used to be held. In recent times we have seen pub ic men j of light and leading leap from one policy to its opposite, not only without compunction but with absolute hilarity." The "Daily Chronicle" gives a cartoon repiesenting "Mr C." reading this passage to " Lord S." and at the close he remarks : " Now I call that —" The " Marquis " in; terrupts with: "Infernally personal!"

It is stated that of the 500 latest arrivals in the States from the Alaskan gold district of Nome that not one of them brought back as. much money as he took out. Unquestionably this may be said of the whole Alaskan gold development —it has cost the country more than it has yielded in yellow metal. The new Ameer, it is said, has begun well. He has caused to be promulgated a notice inviting to return to Afghanistan all persons who haTe taken asylum abroad in consequence of oppression or other injustice, and promising that their lands shall be restored to them and one year's taxes remitted. —It, may be doubted whether this is a good beginning. It is at all events a slur upon the administration of justice by his predecessor. A vast cavern containing a large lake inhabited by blind fish, and whose subterranean passage are filled by Nature's handiwork, recently discoveied by hunters, eight miles west of Red Bad, 111., has been explored. An attempt was niade to reach the north end of the cave, but after covering a distance' of about ten miles the explorers had to return. They discovered huge rooms, containing stalactites, stalagmites, and waterfalls. Great rooks- that have been carved into a thousand fantastic shapes by water are scattered about the cave. Huge axd beautiful stalagmites extend 30 feet from the floor .to the roof. In some rooms tha stalactites alone are to be seen; they hang from the ceiling in great bunches. There are narrow passages in this subterranean wonder that are nearly blocked by stalagmites that stand out like fungus growth on each side of what were large rooms. The Federal Flag question is by no mear.s settled (says the Melbourne " Age "). The selected design has not even been sent to the Imperial authorities for approval, but this step will not be delayed very much longer. The idea seems to have occurred to the Department of External Affairs to accompany the selected design with one or two others, so that the. Admiralty and the Colonial and Foreign Offices would have alternatives to deal with in the event of the verdict of the Australian judges being disapproved. After some consideration, however, the proposal was abandoned as being somewhat difficult of execution. It is thought that eventually the selected flag will be favourably approved, though at first retired admirals," heraldry pedants and " men from the Carlton Club " will protest against the painfully commonplace design chosen.