ON THE WING

Fair Play, Volume I, Issue 21, 1 May 1894, Page 29

ON THE WING

Victoria’s total gold yield to the end cf 1893 is valued at

Elderly ladies in China are paid 2s 6d per hour to visit tho houses of the wealthy and retail the latest and choicest bits of scandals. The mercenary creatures 1 In New Zealand many elderly ladies are glad to do that job for nothing. The following appeared in a recent edition of our morning contemporary:— “ A man named Charles Physick was arrested by Mounted Constable Healy on a warrant charged with threatening behaviour to his wife.” This, evidently, is a case in which the lady should take Shakespeare’s advice and “Throw PhysicJc to the dogs.” A. good deal has lately been heard of Quong Tart, the Sydney Chinaman and tea merchant. The latest is he is expected to be a candidate for Parliament next election. Quong is wealthy, and although lie occasionally wears kilts and sings Scotch songs, there is a good deal of the gentleman about him. There is a big drop in the marriagerate of Victoria. In 1890 it was 8‘21 ; in 1891, 7.66; in 1892, 6*64; in 1893, 5*99. And this despite the increased population, and the presence of 163,040 marriageable men and 173,138 marriageable women. V 7 hat is to become of the girls ? The following from a Sydney content-

porary speaks for itself:—“ Men’s tastes vary. In a recent very prominent divorce case the general expression of surprise in Court was “ What could he see in her ?’’ The “ he” was the co-re-spondent. The lady must have heard some of these remarks, and certainly could not have been flattered.

Madame "Belle Cole’s now concert company, which has boon engaged for a tour of forty concerts in Australia, will visit New Zealand. The company includes Mr. Philip Newbury (tenor), who made his first appearance in Rossini's Stabct Mata • in Dunedin, and who last season toured with Sir Charles and Lady Halle (Norman Neruda).

Mr. V. Richardson sends ns a story entitled, the “ Man from Monto Carlo.’’ The story is well written and full of interest ; the only fault we have to find with it is that it is an old friend, and has been published in the colonies before. What we want are original tales, and not either contractions or expansions of stories that have appeared in other papers which we read in New Zealand. Mr. R. can have his manuscript on calling at this office for it. If wo desire reprint we are already provided with scissors and paste. According to a cablo lately received from England the average millionaro must be a gourmand of the very first water. Uaron Hirsch recently entertained GOrnon of that persuasion at dinner at a cost of .£I2OO. Just fancy each ono consumed £2O worth, enough to feed the Lord knows how many starving families, to his own own cheek, and yet the Tory elcnent wonders at the growth of the socialistic propoganda.

Tennyson Smith dear long-haired Tennyson Smith—the only temperanceevangelist, is on the warpath in Ballarat. Says Meloourne Punch : —“ A mob of unwholesome fanatics and sly drinkers met him at the railway station, armed with drums and banners. Subsequently a procession, mixed in the proportion of ono lank-haired adult to twenty-six totally abstaining small children, marched through the streets, with Tennyson Smith in tow. The demonstration incited at least a couple of thousand citizens to liquor up on the spot, but the people who never touched anything before are still ‘ off it,’ so Smith’s mission has given general satisfaction to the good cause.” Sydney exchanges state that there are thousands of unemployed in that city, and that the Domain and the vicinity of Lady Macquarie’s Chair are crowded nightly with vagrants. They are not all bad characters either, but men who either through “baa luck or the bad times ” have been unable to get work of any character, although perfectly willing to labour if an opportunity is given them. A re-echo of this cry comes from Melbourne, where things are stated to be even worse. Surely we should be able to con-

graulato ourselves in Now Zealand, aa although our prospects are not as bright as they might bo, still wo aro not anything like as badly off as tho sistor colonies.

From Into Australian papers wo loarn that Mesa's Joshua Bros., tho proprietors of the Boomerang Brand Australian brandy, aro likely to succeed in establishing an industry in Australasia, tho value of which cannot bo ovor-ostiinatod. Tho enterprising firm mentioned distil no loss than 250,000 to 800,000 gallons of spirit annually, and as tho quality of tho articlo produced has given univorsal satisfaction, this may bo looked on as merely tho beginning of a vast trade in Pure Grapo Brandy betwoon Australia and tho marlcots of tho world. The loading Now Zooland doctors hnvo expressed thomsolvos as extremely delighted at tho pvospoot of being able to obtain a thoroughly hoalthy stimulant, as the raw Gorman spirit lnbollod and sold os brandy has done an immonso amount) of injury. That Messrs Joshua Bros.havo definitely docidod to soil their brandy under tho Boomorang Brand ovidonoos a dosiro to impress on tho public tho fact that this is an essentially Australian articlo and that tho proprietors aro proud of it, colonial projudico notwithstanding. The oditor of ‘ Fair Play’ has of late boon favoured with tho visits of a young lady who ” occasionally contributes” to the press. Apart from tho ox* cellonco of some of the matter oftored thoro is an indefinable grace and charm about tho liltlo woman that has induced us to break forth into verso. Wo don’t assert the indy’s name is Cameron, noithor do wo assert that it is not. Wo leave our readers to guess who it is, but wo shall not award any prize to tho ono who guesses correctly.

“ LA PETITE CAME RONE.” She’s a bright littlo creature, Not over eighteen, With a charm in each feature, And graceful in rnion ; Sho’s a laugh that's quite catching, A chic all her own, And her oyes tlioro’s no matching, La petite Camcronc.

She can arguo a quostion, On music or art; Give a witty suggestion, Sometimes rathor tnrfc. At “ society” story Sho stands all alone, And she does hate a tory La pet ite Cmieronc.

Now, I hope I won’t frighten Her off, when I say That she often helps brighten My dull Saturday. With a sweetness quite striking ’Twould soften a stone. Can you blame for liking La petite Camerong