MISCELLANEOUS.

Inangahua Times, Volume VII, Issue 1197, 20 November 1882, Page 2

MISCELLANEOUS.

It is said, that an Italian who began gathering old bottles hi a bag, a few years ago, has recently paid nineteen thousand dollars, for a residence in this city. The Boston Advertiser recommends that this new profession be borne in mind by the young men in our colleges, who are in the language of their class-day orators, "standing on the threshold of active life." !t is to be said in favor of the occupation, that a good many young men on emerging from colleges, have a larger capital of empty bottles to begin with, than of information which would be of service to them in any professional or dignified

calling.

A correspondent in the T nnedin Evening Star warns the public against a "tea swindle" practised in Hune din, and no doubt elsewhere. A Chinaman knocks at the door of a house, generally when the " boss "is away, and asks, " You buy some genuine tea?" " No, John, I buy mine at the grocer's." "But my tea is better than grocer's : smell," O£ course the tea smells better then the sort the lady gets from the grocers, and she buys a packet. John departs calls again in a week, and persuades the lady to buy a box. When a quarter of the tea has been used the remainder is found to be worthless.

The stock-brokers of ew York have a hat etiquette of their own, forbidding the wearing of a white hat when summer is over. How the rule is enforced may be learned from the following extract from a New York journal : — " Wednesday last was ' White Hat Day' ontheStook Kxchange. Formal notice had been given early iv the week that at noon yesterday all summer ' tiles 'would be called in,' but many of the members either forgot or disregarded the warming, and suffered in consequence. William Health was the first victim. About 1 p.m he entered the ' xchange in a brown study, with his thumbs thrust in the arms-holes of his waistcoat. In a moment his tall white hat was whirling in the hair, and as it touched the ground twenty brokers jumped upon it. This sort of diversion was kept up the whole afternoon. Whenever a person entered wparing the proscribed head gear, a shout we'it up, and before the alarmed broker could run the gauntlet, his hat was crushed out of shape." Before the afternoon was over a third of the brokers on the floor were bare headed, and dozens of white hats ornamented the gas brackets. In the evening the neighboring hatters drove a brisk trade, and had golden reasons for blessing the institution of the White ii at Day.

From a little book published in Melbourne by a professional sweep maker, it appeared that the amount received and disbrus<d by him during the last year was €5*2,000, which at ten per cent, commission meant an income of over £5000 for the twelve months, a much l-.ir.^r s':m than that paid to the Chief J-. it. lee o: V.r-' -oio >y. About race times there wa-, quite a run upon building societies, savi:i;s '■••i Vs, and other societies wluw per s:v. .; : . vested their earnings, in ordi-r that they might obtain money to put in these sweeps. From a caloul xHon which has been made, it appeared that nearly £250,000 was spout annually in Melbourne in these sweeps, and this large sum came, not from those who could afford to throw away a pound, but from the savings of our working men. ' Christchurch ' elegraph.'

A young cricketer in Melbourne, named Bruce, a Scotch College i>oy, is coining into prominence. Recently he was presented with a gold chain and Maltese cross, the inscription on which denotes the reason of the presentation :— "To W. Bruce, by the M.C.0., for his excellent play in the Cmp match, M.C.C. v. Richmond C.C.. in memory of the notable feat of having obtained eight wickets for nine runs, 14th ctober 1832/'

Private Letters from Alexandria (says an English paper) report a s!)..k['i<i accident on board the Inflexible. Inmost strenuous efforts were m.i'"let'i levin

the matter secret, but we are pitnr'UiVi that two men \vpreii:st,iirt.i ; ieous!v killed through touchng the wires in conne'.-tion with the electric light. T!)ereh:iveb«>en several similar catastrophes dnri'iij the last two years, a'ld it s vnn highly .i'v-ii lable tbatthere should be some coveriiigto these t'at'il wir r s. Some i.jportaiit alter.itions in the wovkifg of the GoveriiiiieMt ?isi?r,i i io'» Depuvimept are now o:i the tapis. ":v ilki\v.:riv! r.i :i w iy :-<v L \~\ f i ■■ • i ■ , ■ . ' , • • •■-'- ■ '0 ■■ ■• ■ ' ; • i.'i; '■ •> "V Alii:. ;" .iWs v. i:o ;ive ■;.: s i.i 1m- 1.-V .v.iliar, F. ..\., well know throughout » N ew Zealand. There were nineteuders

in all : Millar Bros' tender being £278 ,400 ; D. Proudfoot's next at £299,000 ; and the highest £375,000.

A number of intending subscribers to Ada Mantua's consultaton, residing Auckland, were nicely had by the postal authorities. Ada won't be caught by taking registered letters, and therefore money for tickets has to be sent in ordinary envolopes though the post in the usual way. The postmaster, however, acting under instructions, registered all letters addressed " Ada \fantua, ' unedin," and when they reached their destination, the addressed would not take delivery. The consequences was that the missives went to the Dead Letter ' >ffice, where the £ls were carefully taken out, and paid into the colonial exchequer. he would-be investors are now trying to get their cash back, and probably they will succeed after some circumlo«ntionery correspondence.-' New Zealand Times.'

In a recent number of the " War Cry " — the Saltation Array's organ — it is reported, concerning one meeting, that on Saturday night a man fell prostrate at the Mercy-seat, and kicked aud roared in an agony of soul." Then, re another: — One came running to Jesus, and, what amazed the people most, was to see a woman, who got so tilled with the power that she shouted and jumped. The singing was kept still going ; then a rush was made to the Mercy-seat Down went another and another, until they were lying about in all parts of the Temple like dead men and women. . . We could not get the people to go home, so we let them go on till next morning — and then the women were at it, preparing for the May morning breakfast, which was held in the Temple. Thirty more souls wept their way to Calvary. Hallejulah?"