Our Wellington Letter

Feilding Star, Volume XI, Issue 123, 10 April 1890, Page 3

Our Wellington Letter

(FBOM OUB OWN COBBEBPONDENT.) Wellington, April 3. Still two more toll-gates which had been erected ia the vicinity of Johnsonville and Ngahauranga have mysteriously disappeared during the darkness of the night, and, as usual, no one knows anythiug about them, though it is said, by those , who were «ye witnesses, that about a thousand men, more or less, whose actions would not bear the light of day, left their beds at the witching hour of' night and, with axes in their hands, <ieath and destruction written upon their faces and disguising masks over their eyes, marched with deter mined tread upon the defenceless atructureß and 'soon the gates were *• but a memory of the paste." For one had been cast into the surging waters of that pavt of the mighty Pacific, otherwise known aa Port Nicholson harbor, whilst the other was speeding along ia the turbulent roaring torrent, the Ngahauranga stream, at the rate of a mile a week. Unfortunately law and order were' utterly disregarded and the .one solitary policeman, like the heroic soldier of Pompeii; though he stood to bis post, was unsuccessful in his endeavors to prevent the destruction of this valuable property of the Hutt County Council, even though he flourished his baton vigorously and called upon the masked ruffians in the Queen's name, to surrender. . This, however, had not the desired effect, and it was thought, for a time, that the police would have charged, the mob ; but as a thousaud to one was rather long odds, the "force" retired steadily "with its face to the foe" until some four of the enemy made an assault from the rear, and brought the upholder of the law down to his mother earth where he reclined as gracefully as an additional thirty 6tone weight upon his back would permit. A little breath was, however, atill left in the u hero" and he was heard to gasp at intervals " I'll run yer in." — when he was released and given the opportunity, there was, unfortunately no one left to "run in" bo the " force" decided that his best course was to " run in" himself and report the terrible outrage to his superior officer, who complimented him upon, his bravery and mentioned that "they would keep the matter steadily in view." " We have not heard whether any more gates are to be made or hot. We are told that " cleanliness is next to • godliness," but 'some half dozen boys learned yesterday at the K.M. Court, that "'cleanliness is next to Her Maje»tys gaol." Boys will be boyi*. aad the more the daring- the mfcra& < e fun> an( * so with this element strong in them these boys went bath. ing in wijtat was known as the Thorndonßflitt*; but which; for a little esprwde corps among the shareholders, had been allowed to go, to, ruin, and therefore does not shield the bathers from the publip gaze, ana : as these youngsters had not provided 'themselves with a, decent covering, they had to part with half a crown and receive a severe eau*ion from the Bench. What a moral lot we are to he sure. r : '---. '* - : "- , • ' -