CHISPA’S LETTER.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 2, Issue 220, 18 December 1880, Page 2

CHISPA’S LETTER.

“ I am not yet so bald that you can see my brains. ”~LoNGFiiLLO\v.

My procession has so completely flabbergastered me that I don’t feel equal t • writing much this week. Let me give my thanks and the thanks of old Chanie to all who helped.in the shift, to the lender of the section, and to all to whom thanks are due and, having done that, 1 shall bottle up for another week. Chispa. however, has to express regret that after the legitimate business of the removal was over, there should have been a second procession which was never contemplated, and in which some very unwise .and injudicious things were said and done, and Chispa would like to state that when the old man’s house was deposited on the new site that his object was accomplished, and the

Subsequent proceedings interested him no more.

One for the cockatoos. A family from Graham’s road came in yesterday to see the show. The mother was a portly female, and her chickens weie all around her. They assembled at the electric light engine, “What’s that, mother,” said young Betsy Jane. “ Oh, girl, don't you know ? That’s a combine for threshing out the gas !”

But before I sluifc up, let use calm my ecstacies and make reference t > a subject that a swimming lawyer is always bothering me about. Wo have now a stream of water flowing through the township, and a splendid little river in the domain, but still there is no provision made for bathing. Is there any possibility of making a “ ducking” pond of one or other of the deep places 1 It would not be difficult to cover one of those in, so that a dozen or so at a time of our young men—and old ones too, for that matter—may have a plunge, and a stretch of their fins. The thing is worth considering, and the engineers of the borough may perhaps be induced to turn their attention to it.

I like cheek, it’s a sort of second genius. Just after the conclusion of the show last night I overheard a conversation that tickled me. It was between an Ashburton resident of a year’s standing and one of the show “ bosses,” and the subject of it was the “ tribe of Comanche Indians ” who had just finished their wardance and song. (By the way a local composer says ho will get up the son:.; and music for the Fire Brigade Carnival. The words are “Co, na, wa, no, too, but he can’t give the English. Neither can I, can you ?) The Ashburton man wished to know whether the showman was aware of the fact that those gorgeous Ju lians were born in Dublin, and had travelled the old country as “ wild ” North Americans for the last ever so long. The question was so astounding that the showman’s lower jaw fell six inches ; but it came up again with a loud snap, when he heard the local man add that he (the local man) had taken the money at the door of the penny shows at which the exhibitions had .been held. There was very nearly a fight. Chispa.