THE MAN ABOUT TOWN.

Auckland Star, Volume II, Issue 533, 18 October 1871, Page 2

THE MAN ABOUT TOWN.

NO. XLIV,

Tedtre is an old saying about dirty buds fouling the.r owb nests. We-liave.a.good m>my such in Auckland, I doubt not ; hut there are, of course, some a.great deal worae than; others. I see by-que of this morning's papers that some immaculate: investor of other people's money has returned the sura of £1000 \to a friend in Victoria, by whom it whs \ forwarded to him to invest. JN'ow, did the friend to whom the money was returned send the letter over to the journal in question ?— or did the writer keep a copy of it for the purpose of publication P —or is not the whole thine! a: pure invention on the part of.the "bird?" written merely tor the sake of fouling his own and his neighbours' nests. In the letter he tells his '• friend " that he returns him the £1000, " because gold mining is not carried on withq,ut ; so muo.h,rignii>g ; ,o| the market ;r Hhat mvt,Btniehts are unsaife, A from tlie dishonesty of tlie people"; and_ that he had* fur better expeuiii-is money in Victoria." All this advice may be very good, but why need the writer \bave ; troubled himself to publish liisi- own letter, in an Auckland print P If he had given his name, the letter might have carried some weight; having none, it is perfectly valueless. If the facts contained.therein ar6 true, I can only regret that on the receipt of tlie ; £1000 the receiver had not brought it to mo.. I would have invested, hit for liim 'without ■ any 'fa|i.,''| can assure hifip|| have a large parM of "Cures"; lying oa-hand,; Vf 'jioh .would have swallowed ijj) the whole j liAoun* ; and to have made a good bargain f,r .the Victof ian gentjeman. i w6.u!d liave thrown in a few Cosmopolitans. Never let mc hear again Qf"money being returned tin. this reckjgsg. manneryit. is an inTsult. 'aud'an iirij'ury to t-he-land of ouradoptibn. 'The'meeting of the Early Closing association last evening was a great, success, as indeed it deserved to be. After some : preliminary discussion as to the state of the finances, the balance of which it was resolved (after tlie meeting) to apply to a "twist in the elbow," one daring young innovator, of the name of Dark, rose ft-om his seat, and said his own opinion' wus that, having succeeded in getting several things granted to them, they would be great flats if they did get the'mutter into" their own hands altogether, lie would propose that the various places of business open at ten o'clock of n morning and close lit two, except on Saturdays, when In thoiiL'ht the assistants were entitle 1 to gel a half holiday after the labours of the week.,, lie hoped they would insist upoi the masters shutting up at noon on that day, so that in tho afternoon they couhl play cricket, t»ke steamer excursions, oi a trip by the Kaipara railway, and othi-r recreations of a similar character. Mr .YlavH said, " But appose the people on itlie railways, in the steamer* and coache-. . public houx-s, and so on, wanted to closi early too, what would they do then?" Mr, Dark said. "That be blovred for > yarn, Such people must be like th< unfortunate men on. the newspapers: they must work hard and late for ihe good of others—himself among th number." Tho speaker was going on U Lmake some remarks «b »ut giving s >m grand midday performance, for t';e auj'mentati&n- 'pi their funds, and for Jlvelr,own personal aggrandisement, when Mr Mavis referred 10 political economy an i the candles getting short. A resolution A-us then carried, pledging, every one presgiit ;.to do the best-I.e could for*lri?iiselt, after which, the proceedings terminated with the Drapers'.National Anthem of, " Don't shop after six o'clock." i So the police have again b ">n showing ilieirj hanlpess of heart. Wb'-> would tl.ink that-under such magnificent-look mg uniforms there heats nought but a in the. place of a heart? Have these men no soul? Why cannot they be soothe.d by the oharnis of tlie lute ami tflie lyre, like other people? The straius whi'h daily emanate from the harp and viohn of our two recent arrivals would m»'lt> tn t<-ars any person of oritinary sentiment, but they have no other effect'upon • ur hardened hobbies than to make still more. liarsh their voices as they crv •j moveiou."' Dick feels the conduct 6! ihese " myrmidons Jof the law " auitely. Last evening, while passing along Queenstreet, I found him straining out his pocket han^Lkfrchief intllie Ligar Canal " —for the riif.flodi.us, Ynough. small, band of iiiuoi-i|atiß had just been '"moved on.',': VV'Hat' is' Auckland more than any other place, I should like to know.", -that such 'trhitrary powets are exercised agaiust street musicians? Are we more ad Vanced in the s«-ale of learning and civilisation than London? for in^ that iqwn bands, are allowed tqYpljny )rf tb'e lejading "quarter* of the town, unless special couipkint be, made against tj'em. I I .do'Hope that these unfortunate' yo'iing men will not be furjher :persecuted by the guardians of. the law, who, although? tliey.dou'bLles^have the fullest authonity. for.^yjmt they do, may he excused if they cloge tjheir ears whenever they hear the strains, and become suddenly struck with a sense of duty, call ug them away from' the-tsraall but efficient orchestra • ; :

•What.a:fuss they are malting about the 'appointment^ of a medical officer to the Borough OoUnt.il." And there appears to be! a good deal of competition for the position, notwithstanding that the title i* i'nerely an "honorary" one. I see the 'two Picklesops';. .Frock will, and Jpwjsbro, "have applied for the billet, hut at present? ppiie,qT.thgnj r> ]igf§{,gpft..iiii /i! he first tjwo 'aii'e such endearing triends, that; they shduld. both he appointed; the next is a gentleman of -much lime-and experience, i.;W.hlch eminently qualifies him to watch Y.'thei battles of the Board ; while the last named - would : likewise .bo I 'usefulin I the same capacity—when the "claret" flowed he'd Abe ready with thej'' sponge" to catch it. lam told that whoever>may -be appointed,' his principal duty will be to be present at every meeting, of the Board, and in case of a ; ' shindy," to repair damages, and act as uippireitiLtlieencounte,!*. It wonld'have : saved a deal of trouble if Dr. Hee had been elected ; he wou.d, always have been on his post, and would have been as comipetent as. any ,tp stop.Ya . ?V'.oimd>; -But as tliere is only to be a fee paid when a row ; takes place, I fear that.the amount, leceived now will be comparatively small. Whoever may be appointed, I would strongly" advise him to use his utmost influence to get the people's cx-champion to stand at the next, electiop. He might

get in again, and if he did, the p:4ion of ihe doctor to the Board would a once ' become a very lucrative one. y At the meeting last night, in connction with the temperance movement, . was pleased to see a friend of that cans get nrj and make a very sensible or father a series of very sensible speldifS, from his -place* in w«st.he riddle of the hall. " Why,"., said, he!*'if you want to -..,-..abolish theydi-iking customs, doii't you.Vfirst abolish the Government P lou Would then.renire no taxes, and if you 'didn't reqnire'any taxes people, wouldn't, of course, dink, for I am quite convinced," said he, "hat no.man would touch a drop of intoxicamg liquor but with the patriotic intentionof filling the coffers of the Treasury." Aid the local distilleries and breweries Wre started with this obj-efc, and for no othr. Ho away with the Government—with .1 Government offices, including the polie ' and. the. prisons—and.we shall very sooi come to the, milleniUm." " les," cried 'Dick, "and" "while" you are about it, wouldn't it be as well to do away with1 the country altogether—suppose you sink New Zffil md under the sea." Upon this my friend became very noisy, and was endeavouring to show how. to begin with, we could very well do without the, police, when the police appeared on the scene and proved beyond a doubt how we could very well do without him. After which things went on splendidly, and a number^ o£ resolutions "wore passed -sjibwing' yid'ugeVeiy nan, woman, and child in the if qunlry w >uld be'wprih £5t),U00 a-vear ifyMefe wer> no publiu.houses', and how e.vc j*y. lian ?ho touched a glass of beer ou ;ht to be ;ontined to the Asylum, with many o'her pleasantries of a similar nature. J hear there's.sgmo chance to be n.^ide in the.^wqj.vk.ing.-o.f the Caledonian. It is whispered that the, '* roe" of the mine has been worked out of it, and that the extraordinarily exciting reports which have; lately been published-, from that mine hate been published' merely to try and keep up the status of the property. Tin '' roe" has proved such beyond a doubt, and if it really has been " worked out," ihe only thing to do now is to go in aud strike a " melt " as rich as the " roe " ha> proved. There are not wanting illd'sposed persons who. say that there has lately been a Hide " fake" on—whatever that may mean ; — but this I could not be induced to believe, takinir into consideration the present mode-of management. I. heard o*i good authority ye-terday that prayers are about to be oUPered up 1m •ertuin parties iu charge of tlie mine thai he '• strike" may a^am lib found. Aitvi which, and immediately before work is •ouimenred, all the hands are to sing the ,'ieat moral chorus of " Itow, brothers, ',11.," null an affecting tableaux at tin back. Few oT those who witnessed the pro; i-ession of boats, on Saturday last, will s idii forget the sight,- Tlie day was g„>r:ecus in, tlie extreme, an immense mnlti ude thronged the Queen-street wharf, vliile every vessel alongside and in tin, si yea m wa.s deep in tht' wa.ter.with tlo weight of sight-seers. Flags flew from •very tcpgallnnt peak, and anchor shroud; and the eomliined bands of tl:e circy^j healre, rifl s, navals, artillery, ,engi iOiTJ, antl iiui.d oF Hops, all bttilJed ttt 54 crt ated a deafening noise as the. ■rashed fj'.i.th the enlivening strains- o'

" I he Jolly Young Waterman," wlueh I hey lid as tiie proeessio.i, consisting of th r<i -m.ill boats, eama forth from their shed in along line, two abreast,- gaily decorated with fligs, and manned by the.athlete and 'Hercules of.this fair .city. vjWna i.eed to .recifceJ'the struggle- wliieh- toolplace, The gallant Boxley., the'; depart mental Mice, the , plump; :;and I smiliu). (iluMiiins, the brawny Gunueft, tin smirking Biass-eye, the , plucky Stilus, the*-literary De Brettui, and, in fifet,-tin' wnole of the youth ai.d beauty of th

lub were there, "and but that the su had been hot, or tfiat,~they had been pre, viously overcome with tho heatof. th/ proposed Turkish bath, would doubtless have done even more thai they did. Full forty strokes did they pull ere they stayed to ' refresn —which done, they started qff upon a series of angular efforts to "fetch" thliulk. Having rounded this with great difficulty, a series' of "racing and othei •li-quilic sports were proposed, and woulo doubtless have been carried butjSev^rai .miateur actors, among them being "Brass eye," said they had al " rehearsal" foi their next performance, which was coming off in about three months, and if- .iheyrnissed a single day they would not be. perfect in their parts—a thing byyiio raeuns uncomfiiosi. /So the-crews pulled, sadly -ashore, the bands plHs.i|rgp|fi" .Cead, March m^aUl?"—wliile-ffie titixl^w H«v<£ who had fallen asteruf.t.hrQjig^ meet-in-g fXith a head winuV caused by.a pas.§:n^ butteifly, was taken in to'w of tht admjra|'s gig,. and safely lapded.i\mid th,t| .-deafening cheers of t h expect a t":>rs". What [iurther ensued tliis depoheirt sayeth not, 'for at thi-j .period—;whether ; f,rpm 3 tjipi^etij|' of th'e sun of the sire)'gth o|. ( t)it> lemonade, slightly diluted—memory became a blank toj JN"aT_=[ANIEL BEESWJttfp. I