SOTHERN'S PRACTICAL JOKES.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3213, 17 October 1881, Page 4

SOTHERN'S PRACTICAL JOKES.

It is generally known (says the San Francisco News Letter) that the late popular actor, Edward Askew Q othern, had a perfect mania for practical joking, end a large volume would harrlly contain the record of his successes and failures. His tricks with the pos>t office "i:iv be alluded to as harmless specimens of the kind. It was a irery old pr(ic*M"p of hi? to write on the back of a pt.ivU-down envelope, and he alwayi de- .•)))•"■! t'l.-ih the introduction of *he post- ■' ■ '•■ " w'i' T owing to his having made "•!••■''i.'ir. r\\,:> r> him. Fro ■■ ./> m nV|,.yp-l nootmnn :i <\ mi m ( > i -> I 'i o'd tune io f, " •-oulhuell ''rr ill pox '■> i I'ini'op Confiimed Virgino " ie! v fur Hie Prnpugntion of Pure H l-in " ' 'ftuje for • efni mcd \theisl<!" '' ourt of Fuoulties," and others. " Curious Specimens of Contagious Piedding " was an announcement, on an envelope which mast htive caused many a recipient to handle it with caution, if not trembling hands. Another favorite plan was to get his friends in different towns —and even countries —to post to him with directions in pencil, sealed envelopes, and these envelopes thus sent over and over again would at last be despatched to friends to whom letters wore due, and who would be utterly bewildered at the number of postmarks with which they were covered. One correspondent has an envelope which is stamped with the postmarks of China, Turkey, Rio Janeiro, Glasgow, Suez Canal, Liverpool, Edinburgh, and Birminghim, with, of course, a corresponding number and variety of postage stamps. When what is now commonly known as a parcel or " pattern " poafc was first introduced, he played with it such " fantastic tricks," which, if they did not make " angels weep" would have causpd many a postman to use ungentle language.