THE MAN ABOUT TOWN.

Auckland Star, Volume II, Issue 510, 29 August 1871, Page 2

THE MAN ABOUT TOWN.

No. XXVI.

No doubt the public are working theHiselves into a fearful state of excitement in anticipation of the grand ceremony which, is to take place in connection with turning the first sod'of the Kaipara railway on Thursday next, and which is expected to be, and no doubt will be, one of the most sublime spectacles of modern times in this or any other country. An immense number of cards of invitation have been already issued, and the magnificent screw

■tcatnor Gemini will leave the wharf with ;.i.:er living frei^Tft at nine o'clock punclally on.the morning in question, with ie rank and faSnion of this opulent city n board. the distinguished, /isitors will lie His Honor the Deputyi Superintendiaat.(#ho, from his well-known agricultural'proclmties, is eminently fitted for turning up the first sod in a workmanlike manner),, the Provincial Executive, ike Lord Mayor and Borough Council, the Karbonr Board, the Teetotal Society, .and 'ofcker public, bodies top, numerous to mention, besides the general mass of the mercantile community. L hear it whispered.in well-informed circles' that Captain Casey will be subsidised to run his gigantic boat from Auckland tj> Eiverhead on the completion of the line, thus forming a perfect connecting link between the Kaipara and this great city. For the last week or .two preparations have been going forwafcl on an immense scale to make the whpj<eutb.ing pass off with eclat, and it has been rumoured that no less than six dozen ofginger beer have been conveyed at different times to River-head-in anticipation of tlie-coming feast. I hear, too, in the strictest cqnfidenoe, that a second-hand spade has been purchased (after much haggling) from the well-known emporium of the " people's champion," at a price, however, for which two new ones could be obtained anywhere else, but of course this is, of little consequenpe when we take into consideration the air of celebrity with which the article must be invested after having lain mouldering for so many years in the shop of the worldrenowned Staines. Two men and a boy are now busily engaged polishing this up for the occasion, and its oldest friend wouldn't know it on Thursday. I might remark in passing, that Mr. Staines looks forward to the affair with great delight, and anticipates, not unnaturally, that he will there be able to make,up for lpsfrtime, and for the injustice which he considers was done to him by the Mayor declining to give his promised spread., Dick has received a special card of invitation, and to him has been confided by tile proprietors of this influential journal, the task of reporting the whole affair, which will duly appear in our Saturday's issue. There has lately been a good deal of growling about the town clock not being properly lighted up. This was rectified about 3 o'clock on Sunday morning, when feve persons could havo reason to complain of the dial being insufficiently illuminated. And this remin;l.s me of a story told by a certain traveller, of pigs and China. Ho said thero were immense quantities of pigs in that enlightened country, but that neither he nor the Chinese had ever tasted roast pork there. "But one night ahouse' was burnt down, and several of these interesting creatures roasted to death. Thexi ■were at once, upon the reprcsculw'^, 6 > lC - the, traveller, cut uy _aj»'li/i/l'cTved such Chinesawtfenglit for roast pig, that they immediately set to work burning down other houses in which, the animals were confined ; in fact, that when ever they wanted roast pork, they set their houses in a blazo to got it. And so with the town clock, and no doubt whenever the public want a bright light on the dial they can get it by setting firo to a house in tho neighbourhood, but I hope the practice will not got too common.

Poor sharebrokera !—Whore now can you lay your heads? Yourfavorito reaort has been ruthlessly, and at a momeal's notice taken from you, and the Corner has once more opened its willing arms to rccnivo you, but what a difference you'll find from the warm and comfortable Exchange to the cold and sullen Corner—especially on such a day as this. Of course I didn't go to tho fire. I am too old for that ; but Dick was there in all his glory, and if what ho says is true, there must have been great neglect or great recklessness displayed somewhere. I sincerely feel for Mr. Haley, but I hope he will see his way clear to re-establish himself in the old spot. There are some rumours of suspicion of foul play, which, however, I can scarcely place any faith in. And, again, it was said that the fire could easily have been put out whea first discovered, but I am pretty well sure that all was done that could be done under the circumstances by the police, and by the time the Fire Brigade arrived the fire had too strong a hold to be easily extinguished. And then at it the public went, and I am told that the sight was truly refreshing. Doors and windows were smashed in, furniture bundled out, safes toppled downstairs, chairs and tables tumbled over the balustrade, cash-boxes and scrip kicked about as if they were valueless, and the occupiers of the offices rushing about in a frantic state of excitement. One well known sharebroker, with his cash-box and his papers under his arms, sat upon a chair in the road, and calmly contemplated the fire, refusing to budge an inch ; another, not so carefu., lost sight of his cash-box, which was bioken open, and tho contents -Jifteenpeice, all in coppers—ruthlessly purloined without the slightest regard for the widowaud orphan. Scrip rolled in the gutter, and was washed away hy the streams of water, never to jviurn. The public-houses were opened in the most unblushing style, and tippling at the bar was carried on to a large extent; and Dick says, had ie not been for this he would have caught his death of cold, for he was -wot through, the gallant director of the hose having mistaken him for a shining light, and blazed away full at him, much to his annoyance and discomfort, for besides " putting his pipe out," it wetted all his matches. I am told that a number of people who were watching the fire were inwardly Chuckling, in hopes that the office of the official liquidator might catch, and all, papers of companies in oourse of winding up be destroyed. But no such luck occurred, and these books were among the earlwsii iembved. I hope there will

be an inquiry of the most searching Character in the first place, and in the second thai Mr. Haley will immediately proceed to reestablish himself. It is said that when the news of the destruction of the news-rooms and the restaurant became fully known, a gentleman connected with the Mechanics' Institute imrae< diatcly shed tears, and that the diningroom keepers in the neighbourhood entered into a secret treaty to at once reinstate Mr. Haley.

What an imposing sight was that of Sunday last, when the Engineer and Artillery Corps paraded to go to Church. How noble looked the privates in their uniforms of red. How gorgeous the f"-I®' alterns, and how truly magnidfr|ifc the captain. And the Staff Band, fully cpuscious of the solemnity of the occasion, played louder or.more out of tune. Why would the big drum persist in drowning every thin/? else?—and why would th*e rain persist in drowning the whole? What patriotic feelings must have thrilled the men's bosums thus to turn out on<a Sunday morning, and as they entered the sacred edifice how they rniist have.sighed as they saw the storm clouds 'passing overhead and threatening/to spoil '.their fine clothes. But stay ! Who is that noble and commanding-looking son of Mars who has just arrived, six feet two in his boots, with a perfect forest of beard upon his face, dressed in a quasi-navul uniform, and followed by three small _ boys marching two abreast, and taking up the entirejmvement? whispers Dick, "Why don't you know? That is Commandant Mauricy, of the Hob-son-street Juveniles. He has just been gazetted, and to-day has his now suit on for the first time." "Form fours, left wheel!" shouts out this man of war; and with stentorian lungs.; and the imposing-looking cavalcade march into church with much clatter of the " pomp and circumstance of glorious war." The Engineers and Artillery have marched in before them; and after having fixed his youthful aspirants for military fame in a back seat, the noble-looking Captain Mauricy marched grandly down the aisle and took a seat vis a vis with the equally gallant-looking Captain Jargaville, and. within a very feet of him. And yet they" formed a wonderful contrast these two men, and opened a train of speculation which was hard to repress. They were, of course, the cynosure of all eyes, arid during the entire service.the ladies gazed at them in pensive mood, for they evidently pitied tliem. The service being over, . the three small boys were re-formed, and went their- way. rejoicing again headed by the martial ,De Mauricy, while the .Engineers and Artillery got away as quickly .as possible in the midst of an interesting shower of rain, which, precluded i the band from treating the public to a stave of'" Sally Come Up." And to tell-the truth, the whole -thing''to me had very much the appearance of a'farce. "If the Volunteers want to go to church, on Sunday, by all means let them go in their own private clothes, for I fear that headed by the band and dressed in the habilameuts of war, they do not give their minds to those. subjects which shonld engage theni in so sacred a phico. In fact my own inipression is<that they goto chuFcb. with/this pomp' and parade. for mb othjer purpose thanrto be stared at.anc%4j4ired;i -jpy o%p3part, however'j on such occasions rt*i-'£SZlJc'. J» 'feat «s 4 1 lA™ Quite a nico^TiveVpffle&ing'ffiat of the Caledonians yesterday. Having sold out my interest in this claim a few days ago I had no voice in the meeting, or I would very soon have brought all parties to their senses. I would' myself have offered to bo a director at £1800 a month, and, of courso, this would have settled everything amicably, and no doubt a cheque for the first £1000 would have been handed me in ' advance. Several vory warm, speoches were made, but the one that most tickled my fancy was that by Mr. Lenducks, who mounted on a high stool for the occasion, settled the whole matter in a braco of shakes. The fervid torrent of eloquence which this volatile gentleman poured forth completely turned the tide of the meeting, and if I should: bo allowed to offer a recommendation, I', wouid humbly suggest to Mr. Lenducks, ho great desirability of his at once putting up for City, West, and I am sure ha would be elected, and would, 1 feel conviuced be raised to the Ministry without dcliiy, for such a Demosthenes in debate, would be a valunble acquisition to a semi-popular Government.

Nathaniel Beeswing