MR GLADSTONE IN A FIX

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1342, 15 September 1886, Page 3

MR GLADSTONE IN A FIX

An incident of a somewhat ludicrous natnre recurred while Mr Gladstone was recently addressing a Glasgow audience at Hengler’s Circus. It is too good not to be rescued from oblivion. The weather was hot, the circus packed with people, and the June air at fling. To ensure extra ventilation, some windows ware smashed, and the gusts of air admitted through the apertures thus made blew out many of the jets of gas Here was a new terror. To choke from the effects of gas is not the nicest death imaginable. The lights conld not be reached to be rc-llphted ; bnt even had this difficulty not existed, it would have created too much continual commotion to re-light the jets as gust after gust blew them out. The only alternative was to screw the gas iff from the main meter. This was done, and when Mr Gladstone arrived be received an ovation in the semidarkness which the skylights of the build; Ing only made more apparent As happily the hour of meeting was 3 o’clock in the afternoon, total darkness had not to be contended against. Presently a new and greater source of difficulty arose. Mr Gladstone, wishing to read an extract from one of Dr Cha!pier’s writings, adjusted his eyeglasses, peered at the paper before him. bnt could not see sufficiently well enough to make it cut. The chairpaaa and another gentleman, with an inspiration of the moment, to the rescue with lighted wax vestas, which they held on each aide of the Premier c >nviently for him to distinguish the reading matter. It being observed, however, that the chairman was once or twice dangerously near singeing the Grand Old Man’s scanty whiskers, one of the audience called out “Ye canna hand a candle tae him,” amidst the uproarious laughter of the assembly. The climax of this undignified and absurd predicament, was reached, when a lighted candle, firmly fixed in one of Messrs F, Thomson’s Irish whisky bottles, was brought in to illumine the gloom and enable the Prime Mip’ster to proceed with his address.