HARD TO BELIEVE.

Tuapeka Times, Volume XVIII, Issue 1213, 13 January 1886, Page 5

HARD TO BELIEVE.

An amusing anecdote is told by a southern squatter, illustrative of the ignorance of English people on colonial matters. The squatter was travelling by train in England, and in the same carriage with him was an English farmer. At one of the stations they were delayed some little time, and drawn up alongside of them was a train carrying some sheep. The New ' Zealander made a remark about the sheep, which interested his companion, and after some little conversation the Englishman said, " You seem to know something about sheep." " Yes," said the squatter, " I live in New Zealand, and keep sheep." Some conversation then ensued on the subject of breeds, and finally the Englishman asked, " Do you keep many ?" " "Well," said the other. " that depends upon what you understand by the term ' many.' " On being asked again the number he owned, he said he " couldn't say, of course, to a hundred or two, but he should think somewhere about 30,000." The Englishman looked at him, apparently wondering whether he was in earnest, then muttered something about 30,000 lies, and sinking back in his seat declined to have any further conversation with a man whom he evidently thought must be looked upon with grave suspicion.

There was never a time in the publishing business, says an expert, when proffers of manuscript from women were so numerous. Society belles seem to have all at once caught the fever of authorship. As some houses will publish anything in which the profit is assured, but nothing from untried pens without a guarantee, they can usually give a definite answer to an applicant without first reading the copy. A restaurant keeper hangs out a sign of "free chops," and when the oldioafers come round he shows them the axe and a woodpile. - • ' '