Items.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXIII, Issue 7369, 17 November 1898, Page 3

Items.

The Independent, a New York magazine, has the following in the course of a descriptive contribution entitled " Admiral Dewey on his Flagship" :—" The Spaniards ashore seemed to be drowsy, but the Americans were wideawake, ready for anything, and could not be surprised; so that we may commend as wisdom the Spanish discretion that let them alone. The ship that was the nearest neighbor of Admiral Dewey flew the flag of Belgium. She is a large, rusty-looking vessel, without a sign of contraband of war or cbance of important usefulness about her j but she performed a valuable function. I asked half a dozen times what her occupation was before anyone gave a satisfactory answer. Admiral Dewey told'the story in a few words. She was a cold storage ship, with beef and mutton from Auscralia, compartments fixed for - about forty degrees below zero. Each day the meat for the American fieefs consumption was taken out. There was a lot of it on the deck of the Olympia thawing, when I was a visitor; and the beef was ' delicious. 3 lam at pains to give Dewey's word. While the Spaniards ashore were eating cough, lean buffalo beasts of burden in the streets, the Americans afloat | rejoiced in ' delicious' beef and mutton from Australia. . . . Australians not many thousands of miles from the PnSippines. and the Belgians have a smart consul at Manila who is a friend of mankind."

I Thursday afternoon in the vessels of her Majesty's Navy Is osaally given ap as a holiday for the bluejackets, and !s known as " make and mend clothes day." If Jack has no clothes to make or mend'— for he is practically his own tailor—he lies abont on the fo c'sle and smokes, chats, or reads. " Rope-yarn Sunday " is another name for Thursday afternoon. The Tapanni Courier states that L 125 per annum is lost to dairy farmers in the district because they persist in making pastrycooks' bntter at s£d instead of a first-class table article at B£d average. Captain Thomas H. Hodge, of Port Chalmers, who states that he was brought np in the Royal Navy from a boy, having been an instrnctor in the school brig at Plymouth, and having served under Admirals Sir W. Parker, Seymonr, and Hope Johnston, writes that when he read the paragraph about forming a naval reserve corps at Port Chalmers his blood was fired, and he took a trip down the harbor among the fishermen's qaarters. He interviewed ail the fishermen on shore, and found them unanimous in support of the project. A finer body of men conld not, I '' he thinks, be got together for the purpose 'in the Australasian colonies.

Those about to buy Bicycled should read this paragraph carefully. We have just landed a full complement of the famous B.S.A. parts, aud are now prepared to build these' machines to customers' orders at the record price, of Ll7 10s. This price has never before been equalled in the trade, the regular quo cations for these machines being from L2l to L 25. We are desirous of plac ing the healthy recreation of cycling within the reach of the greatest number, and we look to the increased number of orders to repay us for the very great) reduction in price. We are also landing by the Warrimoo in a fortnight a shipment of high-grade American bicycles from one of the best makers in the States. We are taking orders or these machines at Ll4 10s, and intending buyers should order at once as the first shipment is limited in quantity. Every machine fully guaranteed. Apply M'Donald and M'Diarmid's Federal Cycle Works, St. George's Hall, Thames street. Keep your eye on Clayton, Gardiner and Co.'s advertisement ever tbo leader, it changes often. Don't you require some Memorial Cards, come and see ;he samples this Office.e We have the Newest Designs and at Low prices