BREAKFASIN A BALLUON.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1452, 10 January 1887, Page 3

BREAKFASIN A BALLUON.

Tbe Independencu Beige relafc.a tbe following curinuH story a» illustrative of the eccentricit'e* of Englishmen : — "We re<v>n_mend he following facta to M Juice Verne, who ro'ght certai ly utilise them Two friei ds, M«b ,rB Stanhop" an-". Colvin, wnre r. c ntly «i Hng fac. to fact) In tbe lonl n Jockey Club (sic) playing; a game of eccuie Th<> olake wae important. The I aer w_ s »o offor tbe other ' a breakfast, such as he had never had before.' Mr Stanhope lost. Ho invit.d hio partner to onm- ♦ Mm on the following day. October 25 h, In Hyde park, for the famou* bre-nfast A j the ttnted hour Mr C.lvin p esen ed blnnelf at 'he re n ' .zvoup. Mr Stanhope was <ita_tding near an i.'fl.ted b-.lloon, m tho car of w'Mch wss an -eronaut super, nter.dir'g tho preparations ft a vovaee In tbe air. As the two friends ertered the balloon, a cook arrived out of breath with cooking apparatus. Mr Stanhope ordered his cordon h'eu to fix the _ t > ye m the car. T •■•_• h ying been done, he caHed out vlaor-

"*ly, ' Let go,' and the balloon voia m jtstloally m the air. The oook, who h d not counted upon the voyage, uttered cries of fear, but Mr Stanhope, calm as the captain of a gulp iv a storm, aald to him. ' Sow, then, ook these two beefste ks, and lake care that no sparks fall o r. of the stove, or the balloon will explode' The o <ok proo cd.d to ca T ry out the order, and Mr St.nhope, turning to his friend Colvin, mere dead than •live, said, ' I have kept my promise ; this will Da the most ozpecsive brerkfast that ne have ever e*ten. Tinware £800 to pay tor the balloon and £200 as todvßauJty to foe oook/ "