Savory Morsels.

Thames Star, Volume XIII, Issue 4341, 29 November 1882, Page 2

Savory Morsels.

A paragraph at present going the rounds of the Press about the abolition of fourpenny pieces recalls to mind an anecdote. When the British mint ceased to issue these coins, the question was asked in the House of Commons why this particular bad been abandoned. The Under-Secre-tary for the Treasury replied. A Scotch member notorious for his extreme penuriousness, was then moved to ask why they had ever been coined. The Under-Secretary looked nonplussed,* and would probably have asked that notica should be given of the question, when the late Lord Beaconsfield (then plain "Dizzy") was observed to whisper to him, after which the Undersecretary rose, and amidst roars of laughter, gravely stated that it was in order to encourage Scotchmen to be generous—but it had been a failure."

The latest estimates of the American wheat crop vary from five hundred million bushels to above six hundred millions. These assume the continuance of good weather for the harvest operations. The chief danger now is in the far NorthWest, where the weather is hot and wet, and if this continues it will swell the wheat, and may be followed by hail and tornadoes. Further south, in Minnesota and Wisconsin, .the harvest is advanced, the threshing machines are busily at work, and all the reports are favorable-to the high estimates which were formed early in the season. Prom the extreme South-West the news comes that tljecorn crop is immense—Texas alone has a surplus of thirty millions of bushels, Arkansas a surplus of ten millions, Missouri ten millions. Last year Missouri imported ten million bushels.

A Boston lady who was lately thrown from her horse in one of tho parks said that the horse was not frightened at a bicycle, as was asserted, bat at the gorgeous dress of the rider. To judge From the following extracts, the lady's remark was not at all surprising:—" The Branch Missouri Bicycle Club uniform is brown helmet and grey shirt, brown kneebreeches, and blue stockings. The Marblehead Bicycle Club has adopted the following uniform :' Green corduroy breeches, light olive-green shirt laced with green cord, green stockings, green corduroy polo cap, with monogram of, the Club on the front. The Club colors are crimson and silver. A long debate on the subject of a uniform for the Kentucky Bicycling Club resulted in the following : —" Seal-brown corduroy breeches, laced at the knee, with cardinal cord and blue silk insertion, blue stockings, seal-brown corduroy polo cap, with X. B.C. worked in cardinal, nary blue laced shirt, with cardinal-trimmings, and the Clnb's initials worked in the same color on the pockets." —The Bicycling World. Mind v. Matter.—Young Athlete (to professor; "whom he has been worriting awfully): " Well, I daresay it may amuse you, but give me a pair of sculls." Professor: " Well, one '11 do you, I should think, if there's any brains in it." Ob, the Bad Men. -(Soene— Anteroom of Good Templar Lodge).—Brother B. f Outer Guard (who hag been tasting— not wishing to be detected—to Brother T., who enters): "There's a terrible smell o' wbuskey here the nicht!" Brother T. (who bas been tasting too) : " Whist ye, inon ! lat'a ace a draw 9' your pips."