PORTRAITS OF THE PEOPLE.

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume I, Issue 13, 16 October 1872, Page 3

PORTRAITS OF THE PEOPLE.

W'qut»d that I possessed the magic power of As'iiodeus, that I might lift each roof of this goodly town and unfold to jour readers’ wondering eye the manifold extravagances of life existing in its dwellings. As it is, however, 1 can but confine myself to attracting notice to such salient points as may come under my observation in the most commonplace and ordinary manner. With your permission, Mr Editor, I will at intervals supply you with occasional sketches of prominent men living amongst us. I shall at all tiroes carefully and religiously avoid offensive personalities, and deal only with (very mild, perhaps),' but at the same time good humoured chaff ,arid banter. I t rust my remarks will be accepted in the sumo spirit as that in which they are written, all will then go merrily as a marriage bell. ' And eo, “ Come let’s fo’t like French Falconers.” Those who would know the history of Tauranga should bo informed that their lives in our midst one Capting ’Encry Lofty 8 s. Stop, gentle reader. Mark that somewhat pompous, dapper, all-important looking man, with a self-satisfied smile on his strongly marked, but intellectual features. It is our hero. See, he is making hasty strides for Bonnet’s. Let us follow, wo shall bo sure to find him in the snuggery. Hero too shall we meet with “ gorlo companie”—the polished B h, the drily humourous B—ll, the courteous S y, the jocular S n. tho irresistible C r, tho good humoured Iv—g, the musical Q —_ e , the knowing little S- s, the gonial and jovial Host, and others of that ilk. As wo expected, here is the village Hampden, buttonholing an unwary stranger and entertaining him with a full, true, and particular account of the history of his eventful life from the time bo was wruiied up to the present hour. Shades of Bacon, Newton, Herschei, Angelo, Soyer, Walton, and Tom Sayers, hide your diminished" heads—to him all sciences are known alike. Through what worlds of thought will he not whirl your bewildered brain : pneumatics, hydrostatics, sympathetica, gymnastics, perturbation of the siderial system, singlestick, theories of tho cause of earthquakes and tidal waves, the art of cookery, politics local or universal, the noble science of .-elf defence, love, war, music, angling, editing, lecturing, reading. 'What more ? The enumeration is far beyond the limits of my descriptive power. But, gentle reader, oft hues have 1, as Paul at tho feet of (xumaiiel, sat with eager ears and bated breath listening to tho treasures of wisdom dropping with almost chaotic rapidity from his eloquent lips ; and oftimi s have X watched with awe-struck eye the pearl like dew starting from that sapient brow, as with rapid gesture and thickly uttered woros, he drove conviction into my benighteu sou). Aon seem surprised at liis powers as a “ talkish” ’Tis but his way. The o erwroughfc mind must find some relaxation, arid this is one of Ids. Simple, is it not? fie has uiher peculiarities, but harmless as tho hntterllv sipping tho dew from off tlu> r .sc led'. .In fact', holding a similar notion, though he, wiser than the sidy insect, is more apt to seek Ins dew upon, the mountain than on the rose. And etjoakuig of that reminds me—»Leti you liquor, lake whiskey.’ Vtrbumsap' Tvc tried the tup. i'uiz.