HERE AND THERE.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 7078, 25 February 1893, Page 2

HERE AND THERE.

One of the meanest excuses for not giving liberally to the Queensland relief fund appears in a letter in a New Plymouth paper, in which the wri'or urges his neighbours to beep (heir cash to mend their breakwater, which is in jeopardy, and if that goes, the farmers of the district will themselves sink among the''submerged tenth,”

In an inquiry how it was that the bakers of Timaru do not, Lure nn annual picnic, the answer was given that it is throe years since toe previous one. “80 many of the young men of three years ago have got married that we were not able to get one up.”—“ And now another generation of unmarried young men has come into the business and it was they who got up the picnic?”—” Just so.”— “ And tbe result of the picnic will be that—-f'.-r the redeem before stated —another will be impossible for a year or two?” —“That may be expected.”

It is in China—is it not ?—that a custom obtains of creditors committing suicide at the doors of their debtors, with the express intention of punishing them for not paying up by easting upon them a peculiar form of public obloquy. We are reminded of this by tbe suicide of a bankrupt banker of London in a railway train, he having previously written to the English representative of our Official Assignee, to come and fetch the body of “ his victim ” There was something of the Mongolian spirit: in Mr Barker, and no small sense of humour.”

Among the funny things perpetrated ia school essays this one, written by a girl on “ Our Boys ” rants high : —" on the Human Boy. The boy is not an animal, yet he can be beard to a considerable distance. When a boy boilers he opens his bigmoo.th like frogs, but girls hold their toung till they are spoken to, and then they answer respectable, and just tell how it was. A boy thinks bisself clever, because he can wade where it is deep, but God made the dry land for every living thing and rested the seventh day. When a boy grows up be is called a husband and stays out late at nights, but the grew-up girl is a widow and keeps house.”

The Dunedin Harbour Board are arranging to lease their big dredge to the Wellington Harbour Board. We understand that there is plenty of sand to be lifted in Ctsgo Harbour still, but the board think it will pay them better to let drudge 222 go and lift them a little clean cash for them.

A few days ago newe was received of a number of stacks having been set on fire near the fiakaia, and, it was added, they were nob insured. This addition has led to the Bug geetion being made that the insurance agents have bad a hand in causing those fires, as a means of reviving their business. It is generally believed that insurance agents have cheek enough for any'hing ; but. that refers to agents in another line. And it is a “ cool cheek ” that is meant.