MISCELLANEOUS.

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume IV, Issue 256, 30 January 1874, Page 3

MISCELLANEOUS.

lTor several days lately, Arrowtownhasbeen kept in a state of commotion hy. the vagaries offn eccentric individual, who, if report speaks truly, possesses a great deal " more money than wit," and'who hasbeen investing rather extensively in silkdresses and other articles of personal adornment, to the great satisfaction of thestorekeepers in these dull times. Report also stated that a blushing barmaid at theShamrock was going to be married shortly, to one of two gentlemen named, but as to - - which there seemed some confusion. The mere marrying was nothing new, and attracted little attention ; it was to be ex--pected, as the house in question has long«. enjoyed the reputation of keepirg i the best_,articles in the matrimonial line, host can point with pride to the number r of successful alliances which originated.at i his establishment; indeed, the demand seems to be greater than the supply. .- Well, on Monday morning, a gentleman . presented himself before our worthy TJ.M. - with a request for a marriage license; - and almost immediately after another re- - quest was preferred for a similar docu- - ment; the lady's name being the same in.' both cases. This necessitated further inquiry ; and as each of the claimants insisted that he was the happy man, there - was nothing left but to send for the lady herself, who very soon settled the matter, the rival Romeo being rather summarily ejected . . The happy couple were married by the Rev J. Smith last week, and went afterwards on a pleasure trip to Queenstown. To the present, the rejected one cannot be, got to believe that woman was so false, and soundly drubbed an overzealous" friend, who ventured to tender sume'.sound advice on the subject —' Arrow Obseiver.'

A most painful sensation will be caused in rigidly economical circles by a story related in the ' Sporting Gazette' respecting certain proceedings at the War Office. One~of the cleiks, it is stated, in the exuberance of his animal spirits, the other day fas'ened several yards of string to an umbrella, and then set up the article in" tlie dnoi way of a public staii case to watch the result. In. the course of half an. hour abou* a dozen different persons saw theumbrella, and after a furtive glance around marched off with it, until suddenly pulled up short by the string, when a roar of laughter from imisiblespectatorsgreeted the discomfiture of each who nai thus "way to temptation. There is really something terrible in the idea that during tins _ scene the work of the nation muFt have been absolutely at a standsiill, and this too, on the eve of a general election, when candidates by the dozen will be only too glad to point to this story of the umbrellaas an instance of the lamentable light- - heartedness of cleiks in public offices-dur-ing the houis when, with fiowns on their faces, to be bending over their .desks in return for the enormous salaries they draw from the Exchequer At the "same time it cannot be dtnit-d that there is a f general laxity of principle with regard to umbrellas' which requires to be checked. The whole affair will nn doubt •• •!be thoroughly investigated on the meeting 'of Pailiament by a Select CommitUe of "the House of.Commons. r -~

Accident to Mk.. Johnston—A telegram announced that arserit-us, if not fatal, accident occurred to. Mr Johnston, Resident Engineer fur the General Governl.ient, at Tokomairiro. J K We learn the following further particulars from r. Blair, O.E, the head of department itf Otago, who saw the unfortunate <jen- v tleman at 6 o'clock last evening, "an 1 who was in possession of information ife"~£&—S-. _/ o'clock :— : Mr. Johnston had remove.!, with his wife and family, from Dunedin at the New Year, to take charge of the railw.ty works, and to reside at Tok'omairiio Having taken the old parsonage, he was removing two horses he had on trial fi nm one paddock to another, and mounted one of them' bare T backed. Me had to cross a creek, and it is supposed the horse bucked and threw himf as he was found lying insensible on the road a few minutes after. Medical help was promptly called, but the" doctor's opinion was that hv coulfinqt liyoover 'the night- Mr. Johnston was an' "cXceejlf * ingly able officer, aud~ highly -re'spt e'ed.. "-" - He is about 35.'years of-ago, aihVhns a wife and two children ' '<■

The Airow is abut to lose, for a iimv, r ' a Waiden* who has won golden opinions «• dining the time he has been officiating in the district. Mi Warden Robinson has obtained eight months' le.<ve of absence, and Mr Snalfo'.'i jil ilc in tl»u Mount Ida district 1 hrpm which he was promoted to the* A) row Mr. IU-binscn I richly meuts his" well an I " we Mint that'he nuty v })!oa><n.tiy cnj.iy-ir.' Mr. W aa rl the \jiow as~ Mr fviutioid'.-* abseni e—t -Walcatij^fM ail' - A c Scotch bhner h,i» Lt>nee ; \oVtiUvi yVs,. -thargahvnisuVy.lil j u-u-rr i" o'TsfefiWd "* ease, anil ha«> ct<'ooij'n'g'\ !.-i>-!-> vui«>s aIL ovei his Pdih, .in 1 nr, ,„■• 1 '.l/jnnvilU su r poweiktl b.«tlery.