Literature.

Dunstan Times, Issue 996, 20 May 1881, Page 3

Literature.

ONE THING AND ANOTHER, Each sly Bangrado with his poisonous pill Flics to the printer's devil.— Horace Smith. _ During the course of my natural animation I have seen much of that class of men known as miners. At the Mount Bischoff tin-mines in Tasmania I had good opportunity for noting their characteristics and general demeanour. I have ever found them to be jolly, generous, devil-may-care fellows, and as fireside-companions they are immense. Always prepared to relate some story, and filling in the gaps in the tales by getting outside of pints of beer, the time does indeed pass quickly when one is in the company of two or three miners. But the average minor has his faults, the principal of which is obstinacy. If ho gets an idea into his head, nothing can change that idea. He stand by his opinions while he has a leg to stand upon, or a red cent, in his possession. Sometimes their obstinacy makes them appear in a ridiculous light, besides lightening their pockets of large sums of money. Jack Spade, a miner in the Dunstan district, is a good “ gully mate ” and a kind-hearted man, but very pig-headed and selfopinionated. If bethinks thatsuch-and-such a thing is not “ 0.K.” or not up to what he styles “the knocker,” Old Harry himself could not convince him to the contrary. A short time since a hawker visited the goldfield upon which Jack was working. The vendor of cotton handkerchiefs visited Jack’s shanty, and asked himif he “ vauted to puy any goods to day.” “ Yes, I guess I do,” replied he to whom the query was addressed. “ I want a new hat and a good suit of clothes. I have been down to the blessed store three times to-day, trying on hats and suits, but I don’t like the kind of article they have there, so rummage over your goods and bring me up a complete outfit of clothes.” “Very veil, mine friend,” replied the pedlar ; ‘ ‘ you shall have vat you vants in one hour.” Now, dear readers, can you guess what the Jew did ? Well, he went down to the local store, bought a hat and a suit which Spade had tried on that day, took off them the tickets and numbers, retraced his steps to Jack’s shanty, and throwing them down before him, said : “Here you vas, Shack. These goods I pought in Dunedin, dirt sheap. You can have them for £B.” (He had paid £4 for the outfit at the store.) “Moses, you area brick,” replied Jack, joyfully ; “ why, I’d have given you £9 for them if you’d asked it. Catch me dealing with that store again ! re, take the greed.” Then, before the Jew had counted his money, Jack had danced the Highland Fling, whistled “I’m so Spry,” snd stood on his head in a corner of the shanty six times, and all heauso ho thought ho had “done” the storekeeper and obtained a suit “dirt sheap.” Verb, tap.

The following suggestive little dialogue, which I overheard at Cox’s the other day, 1 consider it advisable to rescue from the unfathomed depths of obscurity, as it may contain a particle of interest for those whom it may concern Jim (a homy-handed son of tho toil): “ I ’ear that the County Council is agoing to be changed, Pat. Is it true ? ” Pat: “ Ah, shure, Jim, it is, an’ its mesilf that knows it. But, begorra, if it wus all the same to the counshillors, I’d lave out the *« ’in the worrd, so I would, and have thim all hanged I ” The prospect of such a thing never coming to pass was so overpowering, that the speakers fairly wept, and finally each indulged in a nobbier of brandy to ward off an attack of—hysterics 1

A rumor of a sensational and amusing nature lias been going the rounds of the district during the last week. Some persons who fancy that they are in the secrets of the powers that ho, asserted that the Victorian Government had made an important communication to the Now Zealand Government, the tenor of which was to the effect that “a band of desperadoes had left Victoria and landed at some portinthis colony.” It was also said, by the aforesaid busybodies, that the police, the bank authorities, and the post office officials had been warned of “ an intended raid to be made on the banks and mails of this district by this gang of ruffians ” —or the Kelly gang, as they were christened. Of course there is no truth in the rumor. Some nobodies who have nothing better to do promulgated it, probably for the purpose of having some quiet sport at the expense of their neighbors. NEMESIS.