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Typo: A Monthly Newspaper and Literary Review, Volume 5
[miscellaneous paragraphs]
Admirers of Miss Rossetti's graceful verse will be gratified to know that a new and complete edition of her poems has just been published.
« Dog-weary » is said to be a corruption of a Dutch phrase, Doege waere hie— « Being long on one's legs tells at last » We do not guarantee the etymology.
Sometimes the penny-a-liner makes the mistake of talking in Reportese. « ؟Are these sandwiches pro bono publico? » one of the newspaper-men asked of the waiter at a certain Melbourne gathering. « No, sir, » was the reply; « they're 'am. »
A London correspondent writing under date 21st February, says:—A sad bereavement has befallen Mr Rider Haggard, who, with his wife, is away travelling in Mexico. The novelist's only son, a little lad of nine, to whom Allan Quartermain was, you may remember, dedicated, stayed behind with some relations. A fortnight ago the little lad caught measles, and in a few days lay dead. Both father and mother were wrapped up in the boy, who was their only child.
The press in Australia (says a contemporary) began early to entertain a high idea of its mission. In 1824, the editor of the Hobart Town Gazette and Van Diemen's Land Advertiser grandiosely declared, « We esteem ourselves a beacon, placed by a Divine graciousness on the awfully perilous coast of human frailty. » A year afterwards he was sent to jail for calling the Governor « the Gideonite of tyranny, » and the beacon went out without a splutter.
The Napier Telegraph writes: « We hear that the celebrated Waikopiro libel action, W. C. Smith v. Waipawa Mail, which has been so long hanging fire, is likely to come to a head one way or the other, our contemporary having sent a final answer to the effect that plaintiff will neither have apology nor the reduced sum claimed for damages from it without going to Court. Should it reach that far, the public will learn the truth about the Waikopiro Block, and the public is anxious to know it. » To which the Mail adds: « We may inform our contemporary that, so far as we were concerned, there was no reason why this case should not have 'come to a head' at last March sittings of the Supreme Court. Mr Smith never had any ground for expecting that his claims for an apology and damages would be entertained. » —The whole press of the colony will look with interest for the case, which promises to be an exceedingly interesting one.
The Patea Press has succumbed. Patea is noted for short-lived newspapers.
On dit (says the Wellington Press) that the Lyttelton Times has changed its proprietary, and that there is a good chance of the long-talked-of amalgamation between the Times and the Press being brought about at no distant date.
On the 29th April, at St. Peter's Church, Wellington, the eldest daughter of Mr G. Didsbury, the New Zealand Government Printer, was married to Mr H. W. Moss, of Greymouth. Among the wedding-presents was a handsome gift from the staff of the Government Printing Office.
Mr Henry Blundell, one of the proprietors of the Evening Post, has been elected Acting-Chairman of the United Press Association, in room of the late hon. W. Reeves, pending the next election at the annual meeting of the Association to be held at Napier in October. Mr Blundell has been one of the Directors of the Association since its formation.
The Takaka News says:—The sale of printing plant and effects, lately used in the publication of the Golden Bay Argus, took place on the 27th ult. The plant was disposed of in one lot and fell to the bid of Mr R. Allen. We understand that Mr H. Allen intends settling in Collingwood and will publish a paper weekly.
A West Coast paper writes thus of a local contemporary:—The Star has secured the contract for the exclusive right to all advertisements required by the Borough Council for the ensuing 12 months at the rate of 2d. per inch for each insertion. Moral: There are printers in spite of many assertions to the contrary, as big fools, and as spiteful as other members composing the great human race.
We regret to see that the enterprising proprietor of an East Coast paper is in difficulties. The Tauranga Evening News says:— « ؟Who is the proprietor of the Bay of Plenty Times? » is a question that was asked at every street corner on Saturday. From what we can gather, it seems that the holders of a bill of sale, who were unable to get any satisfaction from Mr J. Galbraith, took possession under that instrument and placed Mr G. A. Ward in possession on Saturday morning. Later on the same day a notice of ejectment was served on Mr Ward by Mr De Bourbel, and to-day it seems there are two managers, Mr Ward, looking after the interests of his principals, and Mr De Bourbel looking after those of Mr Galbraith.
Somebody has sent us No. 11 (the first we have seen) of the N.Z. Fire and Ambulance Record, published at Napier. It is principally taken up with the report of the annual gathering of the fire brigades, at which a resolution was passed acknowledging the work done by the paper in the interests of the brigades. One of the members complained of an error in the Record, by which « vice-presidents » was substituted for « ex-presidents. » And a paragraph in the report (marked with a large X in the margin), records how sub-superintendent George— himself a printer—stood up for the general correctness of the press, saying that the hint of a typographical error « was one of the most common loopholes people with defective memories had. »
An insolvent actor made a statement of his indebtedness, and with the ruling spirit strong in bankruptcy, he added, « For further particulars see small bills. »
Some years ago Mr J. Duigan, now editor of the Wanganui Herald, performed a feat of telegraphy which attracted some attention. He kept up the rate of 36 words a minute for the space of two hours twenty minutes. In 1883 Mr Kivell of Wanganui surpassed this feat by sending to Mr Price, Whakapuaka, 42 words a minute for 2½ hours. That was eight years ago, and it does not appear to have as yet been beaten in New Zealand.
Mrs Baldwin, widow of the late Mr John Baldwin, is said to be in Auckland, in straitened circumstances. The grievous wrong done to her husband can never be repaired, but we think the journalists of the colony might do worse than unite in an effort to assist the brave woman who has suffered so much, and who, as our readers will remember, toiled during long and weary hours at the desk and case to keep the little paper going during her husband's imprisonment.
New Zealand pressman will note with regret that Mr William John Henningham, once proprietor of the Dunedin Evening Star, was found guilty in Melbourne of uttering a forgery, and on the 1st inst. was sentenced to three years' hard labor. In reply to the usual question whether he had anything to say why sentence should not be passed upon him, prisoner said that he had been a resident in the colonies of Victoria, New Zealand, and New South Wales for the past thirty-eight years, and he had never been accused of any offence. He had held responsible situations and reared a family, the members of which occupied respectable positions.
The N. Z. Methodist of 9th May contains a fairly-good portrait of « Aunt Kate, » whose column for girls has for two years been one of the most popular features of the paper. It also reveals her identity. The lady is Miss Powell, until recently of Invercargill, but now on her way home for a trip. She is the daughter of an English Wesleyan minister, the Rev. W. Powell, B.A. During the seven years she has lived in the colony, she has been very active in various branches of Christian work, and of late has become widely known and made many warm friends through her published letters and an extensive private correspondence. Since her departure she has contributed to the Methodist some interesting notes of travel.
The Northern Advocate of the 16th inst. published a strikingly-designed advertising supplement. In the centre is a plan of the Puhipuhi mining district, with an account of the discovery of silver ore, and the « frantic rage » of some of the discoverers when the late government insisted on the prospecting and occupation of the land being conducted in an orderly and lawful manner. There are also views of the district and portraits of the pioneers, and a photo-litho miniature facsimile of the first page of the Advocate. The outer margin is occupied by advertisements, each one with a ragged-edge border brought up in strong relief by a deep-red ground. The supplement, which is of large size, is a good specimen of litho work, and reflects credit on the enterprise of the Advocate, and its confidence in the district.