WAYSIDE NOTES.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume 2, Issue 202, 25 June 1878, Page 2

WAYSIDE NOTES.

(by an occasional contributor.)

First aud foremost, how much thicker and bigger are the marsbmallows on our thoroughfares and footpaths to grow, before the Borough Council have them cleared away ? Already more than one burgess, in the darkness of the night, has bit the dust, and knocked bits out of the wooden curbing with his front teeth, through his feet becoming entangled in the mazy labyrinth of roots attached to this promiscuous vegetable. Why not set that newly appointed Foreman of Works (scissors! just fancy that!) on day labor to cut them down ? Do, if you please, Mr Mayor and Councillors, if its only to save wetting one's , well, continuations up to the knees in getting from the road on to the footpath. The high price of land seems to be all the talk at present. I should rather imagine it was! Report hath it, and in default of answer to the oft repeated appeals for explanation, I am inclined to believe it, that £120, £140, aye, up to £170 an acre

have been given by Peninsula Road Boards for ordinary pastoral land required for the formation of .pads, fencing not included. It is a pleasant arid exhilarating thought that, if one only had interest enough to get a road diversion through it, it is feasible to buy a property and make our fellowratepayers, or rather the public generally, pay for it, say two or three times over. Cheered by this hopeful prospect, I am gciing to purchase an estate, and put up for a Road Board!

The practice of wearing the tail feathers of the pheasant in the hat, though, doubtless, calculated to give a jaunty and— ahem ! cocky appearance to the wearer, is not, however, unattended with danger. A young friend of mine who is much given to cultivating his personal appearance, lately ornamented his bead-piece i with the caudal feather appendages alluded to, and was rather startled the other day, when traversing those mysterious winding paths in our Domain, at suddenly having the said head-piece blown off his head by a charge of powder and shot that he reckoned was sufficient to have slain an elephant. Having made quite certain that no portion of his head, I leave out the question of brains as doubtful, had departed with the - hat, my friend dashed through the scrub in the direction of the shot, and found himself face to face with some youthful sportsmen of tender years, bnt acdent in the pursuit of anything shootable. Of course he fated them soundly for their carelessness, though moved by their explanation, that they took him for a cock pheasant, to which he replied, that it was " a hard case if quiet, inoffensive people could not take a walk in the-TDo-innin without, being made game of ;" but I don't think he meant it!

By-the-bye, what about the new courthouse buildings ? The present Road Board office, upon which, in the more frolicksome days, or rather nights of the past, some way nailed the bitter satire '* Collegiate Institute," will shortly cease to be occupied, but the building that I understood was to replace it seems to have dropped into oblivion. . The last news about this much needed addition to our local improvements was, that the plans were being prepared. From the time that has since elapsed, I take this to have meant that tire paper, inks, pens, mathematical instruments, &c., were in process of manufacture, and the architect was as yet unborn, but thought of. It may be that these plans, if matured, have found their way into the same pigeon hole as the Borough by-laws. If this is the case, there is just a faint chance of their being discovered during the present century. Probably you are aware, Mr Editor, that smoking is prohibited in the Government buildings. Still, the weary officials must soothe the overtasked brain with the solacing fumes of nicotine. This is the way they do it: They each hire the chimney for a specified time, and, during the absence of the chief, in turn, accordingly, put their heads up the chimney, and have a surreptitious smoke. Now, as is the universal unfitness of things, the chief is bound to return and disturb one of these officials in the middle of his clandestine whiff. There is no time then, except to hide the pipe in one of the million documentary receptacles, rush for a seat, and appear to be hard at work. In searching for that pipe on the first favorable opportunity, it is just possible these plans and by-laws may be unearthed, but it is very improbable.