Our Wellington Letter

Feilding Star, Volume X, Issue 120, 16 April 1889, Page 3

Our Wellington Letter

{feom otjr own correspondent.] Wellington, April 12. The old men's cricket match laet Saturday was a great success from many points, aad it caused a deal of merriment to the onlookers to see the tall thrown in, in stages of about twenty yards from one player to another, until it reached the wickets, and in some instances, when a catch was to be taken, the player would think his hat safer than his hands and would use it to advantage j in this respect young New Zealand certainly j picked up a wrinkle about £27 was collected on the ground which was devoted to the Old Men's Home. The old gentlemen are so pleased with themselves that they intend to continue the game to-morrow. When a stranger visited Wellington a few months back, the first question asked him was, " Have you seen the ghost ?" but now the visitor is met with the query" have you seen the 41 Whiffler?" this eccentric individual whose real name is Harris, was a few years ago, manager for Greatrex and Sons but owing to his peculiarities, one of which was walking down the wet streets in carpet slippers with a gun under his arm, he was dismissed and in his evidence during his action agains 1 : the Greatrex company for wrongfull dismissal, he explaiued to the judge that he had been out shooting and that one of the birds had flown away a " Whiffler," or in other words, had carried away the charge of shot, hence the sobriquet ; since then, the " Whiffler" has set himself up for the amusement of the public generally. At times he will be seen walking up the street with aa (Z tail booktd to •his coat, and perhaps next day he will appear as an admiral, and so on, of course always followed by a host of .youngsters, at present Mr John tSnrith Harris is the best known individual in the city, so that your readers who intend visiting Wellington had better be prepared for the question "Have jou Beeu the Whiffler." The general Post Office is notf almost completed and will be taken over this tnouflf, the liuii-tiug. is ii"t to be painted for six months, " to give the cloment time to dry," so the authorities say.