Ways of Living.

Alexandra Herald and Central Otago Gazette, Issue 410, 17 March 1904, Page 7

Ways of Living.

"• "' Hp WOULD*HAVE AIR. odd scene between two travel-: (SjMT® jlera in* a compartment; on an SBk express train from Nice to Paris one day recently is related. ' It was afternoon, and opposite each other were seated an Englishman and a Frenchman; They were close to the window, and, unable to bear thejheat any longer, the former rose and let it down. He had scarcely regained his seat when the 'G-aul, with* a ' Pardon, monsieur,' got up and drew up the glass. The Englishman rose again*, ann saying, with a bow,' Pardon, monsieur I' sent the window gliding down for the second time. No sooner, however, was he back' in his seat than the Frenchman, after repeating the polite formula by way of showing that he was not animated by ant' ill-feeling, .towards g his s vis a-vis, palled: up the;J window* ; 'There was n an ominous! pause, and then tho Englishman standing up, took a heavy; travelling bag dawn from the rack and drew his parse out of p" pocket. A moment-later tM bag 'was flung at the upper part of the door, anil the glass, which was the innocent cause of the dispute, was Ijing shattered to atoms on the line. Upstarted the Frenchman, for the purpose of expostulating; but the son of Albion flourished his purse, and with one mose 'Pardon, monsieur," followed by fcaean-

damagr~done;rat T shS next~Bfciation,*here■umed his plaoe, and, it is to ba hoped, breathed freely at last. |v. l ways' fhffi§iegjjp . of yburif^wonien.'townbin fond slovers have proposed and from whom they afterwards desire release instead of matrimony. f Frequently ifeia the yonng : woman feels an indignity has been pint jupon her which Joan be retnovejd only|b|r -the yoiong of himself. " - " There is the case of the young man who proposed to a circus-rider, and was accepted by* her. -SomV'time afterwards he wished to be released from the engagement. . Asa breach- of -promise aotion was the last thing he desired"; he'told his solicitor to make the girl a substantial offer is settlement. She wanted more, however—not more money, but more in way of. reparation. She; demanded that he supiplemetitjbis one night as a bareback-rider in the ring with her.

As there was no other Way oufeof at, he accepted. He friends : that he was doing it on a bet; but the ex-fiancee promptly gave the real reason for his black-face performance, and he found that the proceedings were about as full of woe as a public hearing of the case in court would have been. It was not long ago that a middle-aged gentleman surprised a gathering at an animal show "by entering th<j lion's ctge and drinking a bottle of wine there. His friends thought he was paying a rash "And foolish bet. When the truth was discovered it was found that he had .become engaged to a" restaurant-keeper's daughter, and had wished to break the engagement. ; The girl had consented to release him only on condition that he accomplished the feat which had caused the wonder*bff his friends. -. £ '% ~'~\ M ' I

| WOMEN; IN;OE[D CALLINGS. f i "Women workers are invading every line 3 of employment. The census of 1900 makes returns for 303 separate occupations, and in only eight of these do women workers fail to 5 appear, aaya « Mahia's Magazine, Nose will ba surprised that there are no women among the soldiers, sailors and marines of the United States government, yet there "are 153 Women employed aB ' boatmen' and sailors. Women have not a 3 yet invaded the ranks of the city fire department, still not less than 879 women are returned in the same i general class of 'i watchmen; men and detectives;' , ~ - - 'There are no women atreet car driveirs, though there are two women 'motormen ' and 13 women conductors. They have not as yet taken up the employment of telegraph and 'telephone • linemen,' yet 22.556 of them are operators for these companies. There are no women apprentices and helpers among the roofers and slaters, yet two women are returned as engaged in these employments. . %i There .are,;. 126 women plumbers, 45 plasterers, 16? bricklayers and .stonemasons, 241 paper hangers, 1759 painters and glaziers, and 545 women carpenters and joiners. - ? ' T No women are returned as helpers to steam boiler-makers, but, eight women work at this industry as full mechanics. There are 593 women blacksmiths, 571 machinists, 3370 women workers in iron and steel, 890 in brass and 1776 women workers in tin.

Among other unusual employment for women are 100 workers as ' lumbermen and raftsmen, 113 woodchoppers, 373 sawmill employees, 410 bartenders, 2086 saloon keepers, 904 ' draymen' and teamsters, 323 undertakers, 143 stonecutters, 63 ' qaarrvmen,' 65 whitewashes, .11 weU-borerßßjad 177 stationary engineers and firemen.