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DR. JOHNSON’S DIARY.

FOUND IN DUNGEON. TELLS GREAT MAN’S SECRET. After days of search in the gloomy dungeons of Malahide Castle, County Dublin, the homo of Lord Talbot do Malahide, searchers have found the unpublished diary of Dr. Samuel Johnson. The dairy, begun in 1765, holds Dr. Johnson's secrets till five minutes be fore his death in 1784. The discovery was made by Colonel Ralph Islinm, the American collector, who paid Lord Talbot de Malahide more than £60,000 for his collection of Johnson relies. Lord Talbot do Malahido is n great-great-graiulson of James Boswell, Dr. Johnson’s biographer. Col. Isham showed a reporter the book with great pride. It gives many Interesting sidelights on Johnson’s private life. There are references to his wife, Tetty; accounts of meetings with Goldsmith and Garrick, and records of charities—a guinea to an improWrished actor, a groat to a beggar and a shilling to “a woman at the door.” The first entry runs: “Resolutions. God help me: Read the Bible through this year; combat scruples; rise early; drink lit.tlc wine,”

The Policeman’s Lot “The policeman's lot is not a happy one," according to Gilbert (states the Southland Daily News). Neither is the lot of a policeman’s wife if everyone shows the same consideration for her as did a resident of Invercargill recently. He knocked loudly at the door of the constable's house in the early hours of the morning, hut could get no reply. He persisted, and finally, the constable’s wife, with some trepidation, went to see what all the noise meant. “Is the constable at home?” was Ihe query. “No. He isn’t home from Iris heat yet.’’ “Well there’s a siek dog in my yard—could you do anything?” How ihe constable on his return described such implicit reliance on Ihe representatives of Ihe. law can better lie imagined than printed. The Federal Fisheries Bureau of Hie United States finds the nation’s anglers , spent £500,000,000 last vear. This does not include any part or the sum spent by the anglers on flowers, candy, etc., to placate their wives.—Sacrcmento Be*.

Tin Hare Racing.—A movement to introduce tin-hare racing into Dunedin has been instituted by a group of enthusiasts who have taken the first step towards their goal by registering a company entitled Mechanical Sports, | Limited, and lodging an application with the Caledonian Society for the use of its ground, where it is proposed to hold two night meetings a week. Permission to erect a totalisator on the ground will be sought from the Government, but it is not anticipated that I lie application will be granted for a year or more. The provisional directors of the organisation are Messrs P. 1). Garsido, \\\ D. Boreham, J. M. Bodgerson. A. K. Emslie. B. M. Morris, .1. Matheson and A. Wheeler. There is such a thing as keeping a house too clean. At Dodge City, in Kansas, a woman recently walked through a window.—Milwaukee Journal. Wo are I old that every big railway station now has its own refrigerators. We arc i.ot told, however, why so many of them have “General Waiting Boom'' written on tiic door. —Punch.

Theft of Stamps. —A new type of vandal lias arisen in the Dominion. He i-s tiie stamp-thief, and with the high prices paid for some stamps even mail and packages sent through the post hearing, unusual stamps are not safe from his grasping fingers. Only a few days ago a message was received from Dunedin recording that a whole set of air-mail stamps sent from England on a parcel of Coronation numbers of periodicals had been filched. Mr Hamilton Nimmo, of Wellington, was recently the victim of a similar sneak-thief. Mr Nimmo’s private letters are delivered to Ids home and placed in a box at Ihe gate. He was indignant to discover that in Australian letter bearing some interesting stamps had been tampered with, tiie whole corner of the envelope bearing Ihe stamps having been ripped off and Hie rest thrown back into the grounds. In removing the stamps the thief had also lorn off about a quarter of the letter, making ihe remainder of the contents'difficult to understand. I am never less at leisure than when at leisure, nor less alone when 1 am alone.—Scipio Africanis.

Flood Relief Refuse* 4 .—For the llrst time in the history of the Southland County Council, it is claimed, the Government has declined assistance to the council toward the cost of repairins: flood damage to bridges. In March application was made for a grant for repairing damage caused by floods in February. Yesterday at a meeting of the council a reply was received from the Hon. P. C. Webb, who wrote on behalf of the Minister of Public Works, the lion. It. Semple, stating that tlie cost of repairs was well within the council's finances and that the assistance sought could not be recommended. It was decided to inform the Minister that the county was not in a strong position and to renew the application for assistance. Time wasted is existence; used, I? life.—Young.

Permanent link to this item

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/WT19370717.2.152

Bibliographic details

Waikato Times, Volume 121, Issue 20248, 17 July 1937, Page 12

Word Count
839

DR. JOHNSON’S DIARY. Waikato Times, Volume 121, Issue 20248, 17 July 1937, Page 12

DR. JOHNSON’S DIARY. Waikato Times, Volume 121, Issue 20248, 17 July 1937, Page 12

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