"ARCANUM" AND "ANTI-HUMBUG."

Cromwell Argus, 13 July 1870, Page 5

"ARCANUM" AND "ANTI-HUMBUG."

(To the Editor of the Cromwell Argos.) Sir,—-In looking over the Dumtan Times of the Bth inat., I was both surprised and amused at reading a letter headed “ Lying Spirits,” and signed “ Antl-Humbug,” in which the writer attacks, with more vehemence than consideration, an article,swhich appeared in the Argus of 6th iust. In the first place, with regard to the gentleman signing himself “ AntirHumbug,” I am very much inclined to look uj on him as ono of the perfect humbugs that one occasionally hears or reads about; and my reason for saying so is gathered from the whole tone of his letter, which begins—“ I notice a disgusting article in an up-country sheet," &c. For my part I cannot see anything at all disgusting, or even approaching the disgusting, in the “sheet,” as “AntiHumbug ” is pleased to call it j and I am positive that nineteen common-sense people out of twenty will take the same view of the matter. It appears to me that there is very little antihumbug about that part of “Anti’s” letter whtcJi refers to its being “ a pity the dead cannot he allowed to remain at rest.” “Anti” then goes on to say—“ It is very provoking, moreover, to find that tho spirits alleged to ho evoked are lying spirits,” But I consider it still more provoking to think that we have an individual living amongst us who can make such an assertion as “Anti-Humbug” does when he says—“Tho spirit of J- W. Garrett, for instance, is, strangely enough it would seem, ignorant of the fact that a tombstone has long since been erected over his grave.” This portion of “Anti’s” letter is entirely false, for I assert that up to the present time there is neither a tombstone nor anything else erected over the grave of the late J. W. Garrett* Cromwell, 10 th July 1870* CAtrsna