It Is Town Talk

Free Lance, Volume III, Issue 120, 18 October 1902, Page 24

It Is Town Talk

—That the custodian who has just retired from the Basin Reserve could not be unproved upon, At least, the cricketers say so. —That a peregrinating person, just arrived from Home, requested histnenct the other day to "come down tihis bally orevice." He meant Willis-street ' That we can get along without borrowing money in England. Someone suggests the Cook Islands as a jkely spot wherein to floait the next loan. That there were thirteen births, thirteen marriages, and thirteen deaths in Gisborne during last month, which is considered to be a remarkable coincidence. That, the eeneral impression is that Mr C. J. Pharazyn, Wellington's centenarian, has reached his present age by going without an overcoat in all weathers. —That it is hard lines that someone does not burn off scrub on the top of some of our hills to give us a volcanic sensation of the Australian Mount Elephant kind. That the punishment for playing "two-up" in Austria is banishment. It would save thepohce much expense m binoculars if New Zealand would adopt the Austrian method. —That a small Anglican church in Queensland sent a cool request to marvellous Melba to smnr a t its hospital Sunday service. They should have sent £1000 as a "retainer." That a paper down Tapanui way heads its comments on the accidental shooting case at Johnsonville, "Another Murder," and suggests lynching as not too good for the man with the gun. That Warden Hawkins remarked in Court the other day that a companypromoter frequently took up a bit of virgin bush on the top of a mountain and called it a sluicing claim. Rather tall' — That, looking down the long list of Parliamentary candidates' announcements we are constrained to remark that guided bv the said announcements there is none that doeth evil no, not one — That the stylish person in Tinakoriroad, who, vi reply to an advertisement "How to live loner " sent the usual Is, received some good advice. It was contained in the two words, "Don't die " — That there is a mild agitation in Gisborne about the unsuitable cognomen 'Poverty Bay" foi the district "Carrohna" is held in the highest favour as a substitute. What does the Hon. Jimmy say? — That to an elector, who interrupted him, a candidate for the Victorian State Parliament remarked that he was a blatant, bibulous, bestial fellow, with the instincts of a buzzard and the brains of a chimpanzee. — That it is astonishing what a number of people, whom you thought were more or less poverty-stricken, going Miramar-wards looking for likely scetions whereon to spend the money that they say they have not got. — That "the best motives and the most specious pretexts should not tempt us into tolerating any proposal which involves confusing the functions of State and Church." * small dig by Professor Zedlitz at the "Bible in schools" question, culled from his article on "Zola." —That a youthful Wellington parent, the father of two small specks of humamtv of even age, who recently and simultaneously took a nlace on the world's stage, says that it is "all fudge to say that two heads are better than one." — That the clergy ceitainly aie waking up. One latter-day parson, the other Sunday said that ' Ms.H.R. were thieves for votine themselves increases of honorarium." If he thought that, he should not have said "honorarium," anyhow. — That the following is the most astounding item of news the Masterton "Age" prints for the week — "At the last New Zealand census 720 persons in every 1000 were afflicted with blindness, epilepsy, lunacy, or were idiotic or deaf and dumb." — That it is inconceivable that the hundreds of thousands of working people who are striking in England, France, Switzerland, Australia, and America, do not come to New -.ealand, where such things are neveT heard of, and where the, Arbitration Court promises to be brisker than ever during the coming season.