"STOCK EXCHANGE LOSSES."

Waikato Argus, Volume II, Issue 101, 2 March 1897, Page 3

"STOCK EXCHANGE LOSSES."

A London contemporary writes: " When insolvent debtors set down their impei aiiosity to Stock Exchange losses, as is very commonly the case, it may be suspected that they do not take into account how they .spent their gain'. There is a tradition iu Cornhill that every " boom" brings a great increase of custom to the jewellers' shops round about the Royal Exchange, whereas a " slump " produces the contrary effect. When the gallant plunger gets on the right thing at the right moment, he becomes filled with benevolence, and "wets his luck," so to say, by carrying home some pretty trinket for bis wife, or the lady about to be promoted to that position. The next day, he will make another haul, and so on "in sieeula sieecnlorum." Thus, his gains are cotiHtantly depleted, and when luck changes, he is not nearly so well able to stand the shock of battle a,s would have been the case had he banked all his winnings. In ■•. case of bankruptcy at Hull the other day, the debtor began by attributing his unfortunate position almost wholly to '•gambling on the Stock Exchange." Hut later on, be admitted, that he had been in the habit of " making valuable presents which had not been paid for," and which, of course, helped to swell bis liabilities. Had he, then, incurred these debts dishonestly, well knowing that they would never be paid '! Not at all ; " he intended to pay for them when he had a ' draw ' on the Stock Exchange." Unhappily, that draw never came off—it rarely does when wanted to stave off ruin—and the giver of gifts thereupon saddled speculation in stocks and shares with the responsibility for this long array of liabilities." The above remarks apply equally in many cases in this colony.

In the West Indies a lemon bath is almost a daily luxury. Three or four limes or lemons are sliced into the water and allowed to lie tor half-an-hour, in order that the juies may be extracted. A remarkable sense of freshness and cleanliness is given to the skin. Mr F. Popple, general storekeeper, Cambridge, who it will be remembered was burnt out recently, intimates that he has now resumed business in the premises formerly occupied by Mr Searle. The salvage stock of crockery, ironmongery ami drapery will be slaughtered in order to make 100 m for a new stock of croecry.