CLEON TO KING FROG, ALIAS "BRASIDAS."

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume 4, Issue 378, 5 March 1880, Page 2

CLEON TO KING FROG, ALIAS "BRASIDAS."

Per favor of the Akaroa Mail.

Sir, —I was once travelling in a country where frogs were very numerous. One fine moonlight night I came to a pond by tho road side, into which a boy was throwing stones in the most vigorous manner. I stopped and inquired tho reason. " Oh," says the boy, " tlie frogs make such a noise we cannot sleep at night. 1 ' I asked if ho thought throwing stones into the pond would stop them. "Oh no," says -the boy, "there are too many of them."

Now, Sir, Mr Armstrong seems to me to be the boy who has thrown a stone into the Road Board pond, and disturbed tho spawn and all tho clacking of frogs, hence all tho croaking. " Brasidas " seems to be the great King Frog on the present ocassiou, who docs the croak, croak, croaking for the Road Board. The facts remain just the same as stated in my last letter. Mr Bell has shown a fair amount of smartness of a kind in getting on the the Road Board, and taxing the general public to make a road to his own property ; but his real smartness is in getting from amongst tho croakers. Let me tell King Frog there aio threo roads leading to Mr Armstrong's German Bay property, all of good grade and laid off by one of the best (Surveyors ever sent lo tho Peninsula (Mr Shaw). Mum is the word about grade hero, says King Frog, but then "the situation is unfortunate." Tho situation seoiiis right for the purpose of rates to make roads for the croakers. What right has the. disturber of our happy pond to a road *} ho is only a Yankee, and they arc all rebels. Plunder and howl him down—

" Injustice leagued with strength and

power Not truth nor innocence can stay."

Now about tiie Aylmer valley road, tbat was made to the property of the Clerk to he Road Board. Why was it not extended

to Mr Armstrong's property ? King Frog again sings mum. The troubled waters of the pond and King Frog is again silent on the grading y_f> the upper' portion of the Grehan VaTley road, but this is owing, no doubt, to friend Fred being sick—they abstain from croaking rather than disturb the Bick man. I -have to inform King Frog that I had a conversation with my friend Mr Armstrong after the business of the ,County Conncil was over, and he informs me the Balguerie road is to be extended, and that the Chairman of the Council ha_ full power to get a Survey of the line, and advertise for tenders for the work ; and I ask King Frog and his fellow croakers to inspect the shoot when completed. " Man's inhumanity to man Makes countless thousands mourn." Thanking you, Mr Editor, for the space you have given me in a just cause put forth by an old settler, and where the cry of the " man with a grievance" has been raised, when, in reality, the conduct of the public body in this matter has been an iniquity. In bidding King-Frog adieu, let me tell hmv-thatt the/serpent, although he has lost his sting, hissing is not the only power he retains; 'he has still the great, the wonderful power to charm, fix the eye on the frog, slime it over, and it goes. Your-knowledge of natural history is only a little at fault. Don't be discouraged ; try again, you may do better next time. ■ : ' ' Yours. &c, CLEON. Akaroa, 28th Feb., 1880.