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Thames Star, Issue 3540, 30 April 1880, Page 2

The Dunedin Star gives the following pretty story as to how the present redoubtable Under-Secretary for Railways managed to get pitch-forked into his present billet over the head of scores of older servants:—" A young gentleman whom we will call A, having for a brief period held a commission in the army, came to New Zealand with heavy letters of introduction from noble lords and distiuguished commoners to the then Gbrer-, nor and certain of the upper ten in Wellington. After a few weeks he was. put on as an "sJcfeca clerk " i v a depart-' ment where he^liri|^' not wanted at all, and from the charaet'er of His bringing upwas of no manner of use. He was agreeable, and good looking, and played his card so well that Ministers found themselves, by what influence it is unnecessary to explain constrained to provide for him permanently—so oppportunity was taken of one of the periodical re arrangements, and A was placed over the heads of some dozen clerks in the third position in an important department. Here he was allowed to do very much as he pletfsed, and was chiefly distinguished by arriving late and going away early, by frequent leaves of absence,- which were never refused. Being a personal friend of more than one Minister, and a constant visitor at their houses, his immediate , superiors said nothing, and his subordinates it may be presumed did his work, '.time slipped on. With every change of Ministry, A, oddly enough, gained a step, until a bran new department was created, apparently for the/sole purpose of placing him at the head.

A clergyman addressed his female auditors as follows :—"Be not proud that our blessed Lord paid your sex the distinguished honor of appearing first to a female after his resurrection, for it was only that the glad tidings might spread the sooner."