Another man did not particularly care to have the pole, but eventually consented. He said, however, that it would not be worth his while to collect the shilling which would be due to him. He was told he need not trouble to collect it himself, as the postman would bring it round. It was the Christmas season, and the man's indignation was aroused at the apparent slimness of the Post Office. “Ah, I see; I take with one hand and give it back with the other, to the postman for his Christmas box.” An engineer, seeing a man who appeared to be the proprietor of an estate, where some trees were interfering with the wires, asked permission of him to trim the branches. “No objection at all, my dear fellow; trim away as much as you like.” This the officer did until the real proprietor came out and wanted to shoot the engineer. The other man, who was a stranger to the neighbourhood, in the meantime escaped. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ [Illustration] _Photo_ _Clarke & Hyde_ UNDERGROUND TELEPHONE WIRES. Underneath the streets of London are miles and miles of telephone wires. This is a section of the lines running beneath the Kingsway, and the operators are at work repairing the wires. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Some people give way handsomely when they find there is no chance of standing out successfully. Under the Telegraph Construction Act (1908) the Department has certain powers of compulsion. Representations were made to a lady but she took no heed of them, and a notice was served on her by the Solicitor of the Department. She replied: “With reference to your communication respecting the erection of telegraph poles, &c., I am afraid I have not taken much interest in the matter, and I thought it was all finished long ago. The absurd fuss that was made some time ago seemed to cause my husband much amusement, and as he is letter scribbling, and has nothing else to do or think about, I handed the affair over to him to see to, as I did not think it of any importance. As far as I am concerned you can put 40,000 poles or anything else you like up down or all over the road: it is a matter of absolute indifference to me.”