THE MAN ABOUT TOWN.

Auckland Star, Volume II, Issue 460, 1 July 1871, Page 2

THE MAN ABOUT TOWN.

Me. Editob, having allowed me the use of your columns for an occasional scribble, you are of course to bo congratulated. From my long experience, extending for many years over all parts of the world, I shall be able to write on Auckland matters without prejudice, and from a broad and impartial stand-point. The success of Sniggeroon's patent medicines, for the sale"of which ib is well known I was agent for over fifty years, until, indeed, I became grey in the service of my employer, is a guarantee that I shall do the thing secundum artem. When I gaveup Sniggerson I came to Auckland. This is without doubt the finest spot on the whole of the habitable globe—when all the others are taken away. The press is the Archimedian lever that moves the world, —I think: I've heard this before, —aud the Auckland portion stands in the very front rank. There is, therefore, no doubt that the fact of the globe going round is a good deal owing to the efforts of the Stab, which is of course the leader of the Auckland press. Tho Stah moves- the press, the press moves the world, ergo the Star moves the world. So I said tomysonDiek —smarlbov.Dick —who is just entering upon a brilliant career as a young man aged seventeen. ' I think, Dick I'll write a few little things for the leading journal, as it seems conducted on right and proper principles." I wrote to you, you Ituow with what result. We had a disagreement about terras. I wanted two guineas aline, you at first only offered a guinea, however, we split tho difference so that's settled. But there was one tiling you barga:ned for —that,you wouldn't iv any way undertake to endorse any opinion I might express in your highly enlightened journal. My dear sir, this is perfectly immaterial to me. So long as my cheque is right, and I have a carte blanche to abuse anybody and everybody, anything and everything, I shall be thoroughly satisfied. Bharebroking pays in Auckland, that's an undeniable fact! Every seedy looking fellow with an ounce of brains thinks so. Examine the gentlemen at the " Corner," and sec of what, for the most part, they are composed. About the head an abundance oE hair, innocent of scissors, razor, or oil; eyes decidedly fishy; about the body, d,othes, shabby to a degree, and clean liilen conspicuous by ils absence. These grntlemen button closely to the .throat ti hide tho imperfection in the matter of shirt; trousers, of various degrees of ago, generally greasy, and patchy about th« knees; and boots, regular " hand-mo-downs." The whole man redolent of stale tobacco aud beer. These gentlemen'have all been in trade—mostly in the hawking and general itinerant dealing Haiti; but they have now thrown aside their crockery, old clothes, brushes, &c, aud have embarked in sharebroking. But this is only tho incipient stage of business among these gentry. In a day or two, by some means or other—how? Heaven only knows—they maqage to sell something—Cures, Eurekas, Belfasts, or what not —but by means of a good deal of touting they do so, and .get their commission. Mark the result! To-day a new coat, to-morrow new trousers und vest; and, yea—mark this !—tho next day a clean shirt is seen upon them, for tho first tirae-jierhap*-;.r a..:- ):««, aua uiby become fullblown sharebrokers—in their own opinions. And then with a bad cigar in their mouths, and a small book and butt end of a pencil in their hands, they become at once a nuisance, button-holing everything and everybody, knocking people down by! running against them in their efforts to sell, or elso blocking up the pathway at tho Corner. They become loud in their style of conversation, and talk about Caledonians, Tookeys, and Thames, ns if Ihey had the command of thousands. From these men the respectable sharebroker very properly holds aloof, for it is such'as they, who bring the business in to disrepute, and become themselves an abomintblo. nuisance. This is lovely weather for a Circus ? And such a Circus? Dick wtat on Wednesday. The rain came through tie roof in torrents. Everybody was miserable, " looked liks drowned rats," Dick sajs, but having paid their money to go in, would not go out. The vaultigeur could not vault; tho horse could not jump, for which the poor brute was hissed by the audience, and flogged by the rider. But tha" ride to York! -Turpin's noble steed objected to the rain, also to the pistol shot that waa fired after her death; for she at once jumped up and wanted to hook it. Dick says the circus was shut for the last two nights—if it remained so it would be no great loss to the public. Tho amateur gymnastic performance was a great, success fit the Prince of Wales Theatre. The feats gone through were a decided improvement on those seen in the canvits tent, and it strikes mo the great a.robats, who were doubtless present, won't show up again in a hurry. The clog-dance of ivir. Walker was really first-class ; and tho figures of the acrobats were doubtless duly admired by their lady loves. Some portions of their figures," however, appeared to me to have gone out to pasturage. But sparring was the point of attraction. It was applauded, of course, aud went down. Had it been in a- lower class house, and the performers those of a lower strata of society, I supposo the press would have said it was disgraceful, aud- called upon the polico to interfere. Little Laura Wiseman's singing of " Father Come Home," was very pretty. Strange as it may appear, it wasn't a bit like tho singing of Mr. Stuart O'Brien, who had a penchant for this song; but it put me iv mind of it, nevertheless. I went to one of our law courts the other day; in fact, why should I deny, it? I received a special, indeed pressing, invitation—from Mr Beekham. The Court was very cold, but the magistrate made it hot for me. I afterwards^ went to the Supreme, without asking this time, without any invitation—very cold there too. The judge looked as if he had been packed up for raijway travelling, avid the lawyers appealed to be frozen to their very wigs. To keep his oratorical powers going, Mr. Russell was attacking with great avidity, and every two seconds, a glass of cold water. This, Ipresume, generated the necessary amount of steam, or, as you call it here in Auckland, gas, of which this gentleman has very large quantities on hand; Dick says they should warm the Courts up with hot pipes or something. I think so, too;'and to the pipes some-

thing else hot might added-P. 8,, so much the worse for the taste ot too Auckland public; it does not speak Councilors, or whatever they call thenv selves, wouldn't sw.ep the mud oil the streets into heaps, for }™ c£ be a change, and that would bo some- * D?cfc tells us there's a new " tag'\< out 'this morning. There's a pretty term to apuly to a means of disseminating light, truth, and justice among the people. But does it ? Wot having seen it, I .can t say. For this weather, I can conscientiously recommend Sniggerson's Drops and Asceticulated Balsam ; they are a sure specific ; may be had at all booksellers. Nathaniel Beeswing.