BRIEF MENTION

Observer, Volume 7, Issue 233, 28 February 1885, Page 12

BRIEF MENTION

The larrikins now chaff the drivers of the milk-carts by anxiously inquiring if their cans are chalkful. A number of young men, while bathing at Cheltenham Beach the other day, saw a charming picture — a young woman up a tree with a man's arm round her waist. • The Conditional-Immortalists have been in great glee since tlieir great apostle, G.A.8., returned to Auckland. Mrs B. and the young B.s remain in America for the present. A correspondent reports having seen a woman drawing a canal boat, bent nearly double with the leathern harness as she trudged along the towpath, a man sitting at Ms ease in the boat smoking. "Pa, how funny this looks in this paper. The printer has got the words all mixed up, so there is no sense to it." '' No, no, my child. That is the new poem by Tennyson." It is rumoured that Lieut. Connolly, of the Hobson Company, has been compelled to resign his connection with the H. A.C. B.S. for declining to propose the Pope's health at the recent banquet. A Helensville correspondent threatens to put a head on Ted if he passes any more impertinent remarks on ladies going along the scoria road. Ted had better insure his life ; and make a will. The young journalist is known by the fact that he always keeps a dictionary handy. The old journalist does notbother with dictionaries. If not quite sure of a word he gives a dab at it, and lets the printer figure it out for himself. A lot of people in Auckland who are down on their uppers and out of employment are anxious to volunteer for the Soudan. The phrase, " Doiug the Pacific slope," will soon fall into desuetude. "Doing the Soudan slope " will become the fashion. The larrikins in Kamo are carrying things with rather a high hand. They threw a hanful of mud the other day on a young lady who was returning from a singing practice. Remedy: Fourteen lashes. Is the local bobby furnished with a copy of the Police Offences Act? Jones: "Speaking of the principles of government, you know that Cicero says — " Smith: "Kickero, you mean." Jones: "NTo, I don't. I mean Cicero." Smith: " But he was called Kickero." Jones : " Oh ! well, if he was a kicker, it don't matter what he said." The Grafton Road 'bus, so long driven by the genial Butler, has changed hands, aud. become the property of Mr Pohlen, Avho, from the fact of his having reduced the fares to threepence, combined with civility and attention to his passengers, will no doubt reap the success he deserves from his mew venture. The lovely Hebe who dispenses lager beer and other nectar at Luks' lower bar was somewhat perturbed in soul the other day. An old gentleman called for a glass of whisky, filled up a tumbler almost to the brim, and put down a battered sixpence. She identified him as a previous offender, jacked up the contract, confiscated the liquor, and returned the tanner. "O, yes," said she, prettily ; " you've just come from the club, I know. But that doesn't excuse your coming home at such a late hour and in such a condition. The club, indeed ! There's danger in clubs ; don't you know that the first murder ever committed in the world was caused by a club ? Abel was killed by a club." "You're wrong, my dear, wrong, it wasn't a club that killed Abel ; it was only a Cain. About the coolest and meanest proposal ever submitted to us comes from Mr Wilfred Badger, of Christchurch, author of some ; book. He asks us to go to any lawyer, ; borrow a copy of his book, review it for nothing, and send him (postage prepaid) a copy of the paper containing the review. This is enough to show that the man is a lawyer. Only a lawyer could possess the consummate cheek to make such a proposal. We are glad to see that the Auckland and Suburban 13111 Posting Company continues to make rapid progress and to extend its sphere of operations, despite insidious and criminal attempts to injure it by defacing the bills on the Company's hoardings. Mr Wiseman, the indefatigable manager, is, however, on the gui vive, and the first offender that is caught in the act of destroying or defacing the posters will come in for a benefit. Since the Company began business it has conferred a great boon on the business community by delivering them from a grinding monopoly, and has vastly improved and cheapened the printing as well "as the posting.

We have received from Mr N. G. Lennox, bookseller and stationer of Queen-street, a copy of Whitaker's Almanac for 1885. This is ;^itdoubtedly the most useful Handbook iitfthe world at the price at which it is published,- one" shilling, or bound 2s. It contains information respecting the Government, finances, population, commerce, and general statistics of the British Empire throughout the world, with much informa--fc^fiyconcerniug other countries. Especially interesting at this juncture is the comparative statement of the ironclad fighting ships

of the world, an account of the steam passenger fleet of England, an article on shipwrecks and loss of life, figures on the colonies of Europe, and other matters dealt with in the index. -We recommend this excellent aknanac to business men. The Wesleyans of Helensville had a grand corroboree at Christmas on the occasion of the revival services in the Oddfellows Hall. In order to do justice to the occasion, a local preacher was sent up' to pull the thing through with becomiag eclat. During his stay in the place he was accommodated with a shake-down in the quarters of certain pious bachelors who are bright and shining lights of the congregation. When the holidays came the bachelors Avent away to see their friends, leaving the poor local preacher in possession of an unprovisioned house, and not a penny in his pocket (la-de-dah) to keep the pot boiling. By the kindness of a Good Samaritan he was provided with a Christinas dinner, and the hat had to be sent round to raise funds to defray his passage to Auckland. Behold how these Christians love one another !