The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1884-12-26

We walked cordially together toward 81
Martins church.
."Hkxs was the last We metz" said my
new friend. "Surely at the governor
generals bali at Calcutta"
"Never was at Calcutta in my life, =
I said; mines the Bombay presi-
dency."
".And I've been taking you all this
time for Colonel Scoop. Isit pcssible
that Fm deceived.
ialways feel with the least degree Of
soreness, when IL England. that my
friends in the military branch have
somewhat the pull over us civilians in
fhe matter Of titles; but in India ''coI-
l6ctbt" ~ very much more important
title THAI Colonel, hut people don't seem
to understand thst, snd set us on . level
with tax-gatherers. Thus il was, withs
slight degree of acerbity l replied that
was no colonel ct all, but q mere civil
servant.
"Most wonderfull" cried my friend.
''Never was such an extraordinary re-
semblance. Pardon the unconscious
liberty have taken"
Well, We were very polite to one
another. snd asked after this man and
the other, whom, perhaps We might
both know, and got quite thick together.
Major Bilkins, il appeared, was the
mans name; he was a nice, agreeable
fellow, and we walked on together in q
very smicable way. Bilkins hoped I'd
come and look him up at his little place
in Surrey, and I gave him my card and
said I would be glad t see him at
ocvenoaks.
"And what are you going to do now?"
said the major. "Come and lunch with
me at the Oriental"
Now, there are six or seven men to
whom I've deadly hatred, who lunch at
the Oriental daily, beside. which
one gets quite enough of the ORIENT In
India; and 20 I told him.
"Quite right" he said. II like to
get out Of the regular groove. What
do you say to going into the city and
having bit of fish together? knew
capital place-Chuffin's, close to
Billfngsgste and handy for our trains
Take the penny boat from Hungerford,
eh?"
willingly agreed 70 this. for like
70 make the acquaintance of new phases
Of life under competent guidance, al
though I haven't enterprise enough to
cut out anything Of the kind for my
self.
The tide was we'll up, and we had q
pleasant soil down the river. There is
no more charming vista than that from
Hungerford bridge. The embanklrent
makes handsome sweep just there,
and the bridge of Waterloo, surely the
hxndsomest in England, and Somerset
house, std st. Paul's looming over all,
but lower down the embankment gives
a sadly tame and formal aspect to the
river. A stone wall, accentuated with
lamp.posts and door, knockers, is an un-
worthy monument of British taste. You
might have taken hint from the Hin
doc ghsuts, OF landing places, to advan-
tege.
We landed close to London bridge,
and the major introduced mo to Chuf-
fms. A very nice place, with an ordi-
nary and q regular chairman, and
characters that, if were ono of your
pen-a,d link artists, I should have great
pleasure in sketching for you. We had
no end of Ash Of the very hest. But
the major seduced me into extravaganza.
A pint Of champagne with our fish,
some brown sherry, ard, to wind up,
sofiis sspitsl iced punch, an iniqIitous
sort of processing for man who had q
family dinner awsitng him ct z; but I
got into the spirit of the thing, some
how, and the majors conversation was
really quite bright and onthralling.
II must leave you now," said the ma
jor, calling the waiter and picking ont
4 ninepenny cigar. He took handful
of GhSDge out of his pocket. "You'll
allow me to settle for this little affair ?n
Couldn't think Of it," said warmly;
mot on any account"
"Oh, nonsense! Well. I won't press
it," he said. seeing was determined.
Lets see, two. .and-s six, five, seven and
six and six for the waiter, eight shillings
apiece; shall settle?"
"Do, il you please" SAID, handing
my friend half q sovereign. '''-
The major gave me two-shilling
piece and lounged away to the little
desk where they took the money, made
his financial arrangements, and vanish
ed with parting wave of his hand.
For myself, l confess that felt lit
tie muddled with the good things of
which 1 had partaken. I ordered 9
brandy. snd-soda and screw ot tobacco.
and indulged in long clay pipes
thing I very much affect wien I have
chance.
Presently, as the time for my train
approached, Knocked out the ashes Of
my pipe and made my way to the door.
II have to pay for brandy-and-sods
and tobacco" said.
"Yes, sir, said the waiter, who how
cred about to check off the payers,
land two dinners, champagne, sherry,
punch-eighteen shillings. if you please,
SIR"
"But." demonstrated, "my friend
paid for all that"
II beg your pardon, SIR" said tho
young woman 1t the desk; "he left
word, sir, that you would settle for
everything"
Well, they wouldn't let me go with
out paving, and 1 went home rather
crestfallen. wrote to Major Bilkins,
at Buckley park. Surrey, but my letter
came back in due course, marked in
red and other colored inks all over it
mot known; try"-ever 90 many
places.
Oh, Major Bilkins, I didn't mind pay.
ing so much for feed and giving you .
little pocket money, but it was rather
too bad to hand me for change out of
my half-sovereign form that proved
to be "duffer. BE lgravia.
The gold production Of the United
States has ateadily declined from $45,-
OOO, 900 in 1877 to $2S, ,O0O, 900 in 1888.
This is just about equal to the Austria
lisn output, which has varied little in
the past ten years. The yield of the
Russian mines is slowly declining.
The only countries that are increasing
their gold yield are Colombia and Ven.