THE MAN ABOUT TOWN.

Auckland Star, Volume II, Issue 478, 22 July 1871, Page 2

THE MAN ABOUT TOWN.

And yet ..another Highway Board meeting ! Will they;never cease? Dick-sayß he hopes not,-for he finds more untulpxjpl happiness in attending one of these than in-ahything else that he does, ekcept irlio a visit to the Circus. I need hardly that Dick was at the Grafton Boad meetv ing. v A ll seemed to pass off very well there, and good men were elected without too great an exercise of the proxy system. One of the voters thought they couldn't be properly represented unless they had the "man of the , people"—the .great Staines—among' them, and he was proposed as a member "of the Board. He said he was sure they would get no one ;to look after his property more carefully than Mr. S., whose actions in the City Board proved that he had an eye to No. 1, especially in the matter of: lamp-.- ---! post. But it was found that the " people's champion" had not paid his rates up to time, and he was accordingly allowed to take a back seat. When the question of.tho (fas came on there was some warm discussion about an adjournment, the good old Soul wanting it to be adjourned to a church, the chairman to a public-house-, Mr. Use said he wasn't going to catcli cold by sitting in church for. a couple of hours, and he should vote- for a public-house, where they could iiavo a comfortable room and hot grogs. Several voices asked if these would be paid for out of the rates, and oh the chairman replying in the affirmative, the meeting adjourned tor a fortnight to the Kegg's Head Hotel. Mr. Staines wished to know whether they had not better go over to the Auckland, at' once, and . proceed with the question of lighting. A ratepayer remarked thait Mr. S., no doubt, hnd a considerable amount of gas to let off, and he: required the vacancy filled up with liquid. Mr. S. admitted a weakness for gin and water, but the chairman interrupted the. discuscussion, which wks quite virulent, and adjourned the meeting aforesaid. Dick expects great fun next week, and it is probable that two of the rowdiest meetings of tho season will come off, that at the North Shore, and that at Parnell. At the first the question of'! milk v. beer, or the defrauded children," will doubtless be fully discussed. Dick must assuredly have half-a-crown allowed for fare and expenses upon that- occasion. ' No doubt there'll -be some " smart" things said at the Parnell meeting too, and as it is said that some of> the work done lately is decidedly " fishy," it will be very " Strange" if there is not great fun.

Last night the most idiotic meeting of tho season was held, and the greatest twaddle talked upon the question of pavinc Queen-street*" at the Young Men's Christian Association—which, by the way, was a queer place tohavesclected for such a meeting—and'on 4such' anight. Are no other people but Christians interested in the paving question. And the Christians appeared to take the subject so much to heart, that they attended- in full force—no less than six being present. Out of these six four, believed in making anybody but themselves pay for the footpaths—the other two thought if tho work was to- be done they shotfrcH&sist in doing it themselves. Mr. Shoulders said there was no doubt the work was required, and so long as he didn't have to pay his share, he did not much care who did. Other sentiments of a like beautiful nature wore expressed, but Pure Love and Affection spoke like a sensible man, and said he was quite ready to pay his share. After considerable difficulty aS proposer and seconder was found for a resolution asking the Corporation to pave tho whole of ..^Queen-street without delay, and charge the same to the Provincial Government, who, on their, parti-are,to be petitioned to paint the shop fronts of the principal traders, to be in keeping with the pavement, and wherever there is no verandah, toyhaye erected at the cost of the General Government, and \ .jvitHout jjeley- \ 1 v / f j g f I I shall bo very glad when the traction engine is restored to good health. It can't go out for an airing, or take a qujcfc walk along Stanlej-street or the GraftonRoad, two localities-! eminently conducive to health, without meeting with"as much attention and as many paragraphs as though it were Her Most Gracious Majestynerself taking liqr convalescent strole. <Why not let this poor convalescent alone, aud il might then recover, but to be dodging it about, and printing it in big letter^ two or three times a week, must, if ithaye any scp.se of delfcapy, be anything but pleasant to it, and materially .petard its recovery, So, pcnny-arliner', please ' don't. So the Superintendent and his Executive have.visited the glassworks in Freeman's Bay. How.kind of them to thus encourage by their presence our local industries. The illustrious visitors were shown over the grounds by the proprietor, and everything explained' to them seriatim, from the making of a tumbler to the manufacture of a gin-sling. This portion of the visit was exceedingly satis-' factory : gin-slings, mck-tails, and"'other choice gems being expatiated upon and experimented upon ad libitum, The goblets were filled, and refilled.\ They were, on each occasion, placed between the eye of theiholders B(ihd the _sun■'-,;' and in a second nfterwards, strange to say, the ' liquors were found to have disa^^ared, and that without leaving the sliglWstun--: pleasantness behind. On the whole, we think we may say that His Honor and the Executive ; weve> tn^eh. benefitted by their visit to these great worfe.: ' !\ [ So there's been 9. rumpus among the' Volunteers, First there U a row about; the band, and that is discharged ■ nn d now fouv of the companies, waul, (.0 seficdo aud form a fresh, battalion. This sort of thing should be discouhfcenanced. "If there are any objectionable objects in the corps, they should be got rid of, but the force ought not, and we hope wii.l not bo split ijtp jnf9 two divisions. '»' -" I see Vogel gpttjng on fust chop in London. He's been visiting aJJ the big bugs, and appears to be all the xuga,.,,, QI one thing, lam quite sure, that when he returns he will be all tho rngc here— especially if he brings a million or two out with hi tii, I believe after the Superintendent and' Executive left the glass factory, £hey proceeded to Smith's oven factory, in High-street,,and.tberp, in their presence, t&reoi_j^lloe|s were jkilled,: droSsed,*'cut up, and cooEed in'the space of about two

minutjps and ; a]quarter. I can recommend these ove7)fi'i;.havinrr been in the habit of uMng. thi'™' from childhood's earliest hours.-'**'

Nathaniel Beeswing.