THE LOAFER IN THE STREET.

Globe, Volume VIII, Issue 872, 11 April 1877, Page 3

THE LOAFER IN THE STREET.

[FROM THE I’RESS.] Excuse me, gentle reader, but before proceeding further, just have a look at the first page of The Weekly Press. I like it. It ■will be perhaps as well to inform you at the onset that the centre rpiece is the Corporation Seal. It consists of a portrait of the tunnel on the top storey ; two animals ( passant ), sex and genus unknown, playing bo-peep in a Jlax bush, on the second storey ; and on the third and separated from it by half a T square, is a plough ( argent ) couchant. The seal, which I should say was an interesting study to the art student, is securely anchored to a bale of wool. In the front of the bale arc three Lincoln Leicester sheep, apparently descending the hill on their way to foreign climes. The spectator’s attention is specially directed to the natural manner in which the animal running second is layinn back his ears. In the back ground you will observe Port Cooper with its usual shipping ; aqd doubtless the train which is bringing up the freight of eo»e of tho argosies will

attract the attention of the onlooker. It is snail like in aspect, and in this respect the artist’s conception of a Canterbury train is most truthful. On the right of the seal are two unmistakeable bullocks, one ruminating, and the other eyeing the emblem of his servitude, which lies close by him, with a (lashing eye. In the distance arc snowy mountains, and between them is an unfinished bridge of many miles duration. This section of the picture will possibly remind you of (lie vision of Mirza. The bridge as seen by t hat young lady in her dream is certainly there. The trees which encompass the seal are good, as trees of their kind ; but in my opinion might with advantage be more umbrageous. 1 hope I have not taken up too much space with this little description, but when you do introduce a fresh article into your show, it’s as well you should got credit for it. This is how the Wanganui Chronicle suggests to the City Fathers of that town that they should not drink quite so straight: — “The Wanganui Municipal Council will attain a much higher position in the opinion of the ratepayers when it is purged of a rowdy bacchanalian element which has found its wav into, and which manages to lower and degrade, its proceedings at nearly every meeting.” And very nicely the writer puts it too. There is now being published a series of photographic landscapes (intituled “ Silver Sunbeams from New Zealand Skies.” The name is alliterative and pleasant, but the description of the views is worth perusal. This is how the writer introduces the lover of art to No. 17 on the catalogue : —“ In this gorge was enacted the scene of Cannibalistic demolition of the last remnant of the Island race. This, apart from other considerations, will recommend itself as an artistic photograph.” I should think so ; though it would appear all the Middle Island race were not cannibalised on this occasion. I judge so from the fact of having been done out of sixpence in an cel transaction by a Maori remnant the other day. I suppose 1 must be wrong, because the 18th Sunbeam is jolted on to the public as follows : —The measured space is twenty feet wide, 20ft high, and from entraoc to back wall of cave 20ft. Within this cave it is traditionally believed the last of the Middle Island race were deprived of their rights and lives to satisfy the possessive cravings _of, and f° form a suitable repast for, their North Island victors. To a captious reader the cave alluded to above would seem rather a small crib for such a repast; but I believe the account implicitly myself, and can only say that when the writer observes in his preface that “ the subjoined descriptions give a moderate idea of the subjects, but space forbids their attractive features being so fully displayed as they merit,” he at once establishes a character for modesty which is indeed very rare. In a recent English telegram wo read of a man in England who sold his wife for £ls. It is a more interesting item of intelligence than some we are favored with now and then. It shows a change in our social customs which may be horrible or pleasant according to taste; but there is a crudeness about the telegram which is, to say the least of it, disappointing. Wo are not told who the purchaser was, and if the lady were considered as worth the money. Let us hope the bargain proved satisfactory to all concerned, and that the widower may feel as resigned as the gentleman who, in the' obituary column of one of your contemporaries, thus touchingly describes his position —“ Qn the ult, at , the beloved wife of , aged —. All is peace,” A telegraph agent, apparently of commercial tendencies, thus describes the advent of the small-pox to our shores; —“ The barque Sydney, from Hong Kong to Otago, with five passengers and ten cases of small-pox on board.” The Sydney, however, turns out to be the Gloucester, and between ourselves the authorities seem to be making rather a mess of the whole affair. When infected animals arrive here they are, I believe, incremated at once ; and many will remember the case of the Tasmanian horses who were sent back because the owner neglected to bring the necessary clean bill of health from the port whence he sailed. It would have paid much better to have started the Mongolians home again. Chinamen are no great catch anywhere, in my humble opinion, especially with the small-pox. Confucius was a celebrated Chinaman, but now a Chinaman is only celebrated for confusion. In a paragraph in the pages of a contemporary of yours referring to the probability of the km ice of Wales going to India in case of war, the following sentence occurs: : —“ If the Prince be compelled to remain at home and the cup of hope dashed out of his hand, he will probably succeed Lieut.-General Steele in command at Aldershot.” Now this woidd run all right, but it don’t quite go as above. It runs—“ If the Prince be compelled, &c., and the cup of hops dashed out of his hand.” If the paragraph had reference to some of my friends here I should have thought the line about the cup of hops was a delicate way of alluding to the “ jumps,” but of course this is out of the question, and I trust the compositor who made this unhappy mistake is by this time an angler in the lake of darkness, or a wretched outcast somehow. Mr Wcstgarth, who it is to bo presumed is an authority on financial matters, remarks in a recent circular —•“ In New Zealand stocks, the whole continue firm on the prospect of the cessation for the present of any further borrowing.” This observation reminds one of the opening soutence in Raaselas, and also reminds me that I have not found so much faith —not in New Zealand. The subject of Acclimatisation is more or less frequently before the public, perhaps of late rattier more. One gentleman so to speak hurls polite anathemas on the heads of the acclimatises for introducing sparrows, and he is answered in turn by another agriculturist who seems to consider the sparrow a sweet insectifcrous boon, but at the end of the correspondence we are not much the wiser as to the merits or crimes of the sparrows. Subsequent to this comes the turn up between the Society and a largo section of the public in reference to the date of opening the shooting season. Whether the Society have been wise in giving us sparrows, or whether their recommendation to the Government as to the change of date in (lie duckshooting opening were LI-judged or not I am not in a position to offer an opinion, bub I think the Society might utilise the rangers more than they do. If the duties of a ranger he only those of what wc may call a special frame constable, there are plenty of men 1 know who could bo added to their numbers with advantage ; bub I should think there arc many amongst the rangers whoso opinions ami suggestions on many subjects connected with acclimatisation would be found very useful to the Society, In what, way Ihesf opinions are to be procured, I leave to the Society and Colonel Packe. Not that 1 am played out on this topic, but if I keep on any longer iu tliis style, you will think I’m

writing a leading article, and I couldn’t stand that.

They have famines every now and then in India, and more frequently still in China. It is a horrible fact but people there artchoosing between the expedients of eating their children or burying them alive. 1 understand the former course is usually pursued, and apropos of this the following story has come to me from a friend on India’s coral strand. It appears that recently some indigent parents, having failed to hit upon any bet ter plan to save themselves from starvation, resolved to eat their daughter-in-law. The girl naturally lied in terror to her own parents, who were horrified at her story. Whore was the good of having a daughter if she were to be eaten by her husband’s people ? There was a manifest unfairness about tin's that struck them at once. They plainly had the first claim and ate the girl themselves that day.

This is how a professional gardener in Dunedin dashes himself, so to speak, before the eyes of an horticultural public : E. Daniel, Jobbing Gardiner By day or Year. Gadens Laid out in All new Elands.

But we have a little originality in advertising even in Christchurch, for it’s only a fortnight ago I saw a Well-bred Dog Cart in your own notices of sales.

And talking of originality, here is quite a novel brand of the article. A new pamphlet is advertised called “ Fresh Thoughts about Religion.” The synopsis of the work in question runs as follows: —

“ Restitution of all things in rapid fulfilment ” (I wonder if this includes saddlestraps and umbrellas). “ Graceful exercise of Kinking clearly prophesied.” Now Rinking lias been brought before us I should say in every shape and form, from the illustrated papers to the last work of our Canterbury Laureate; but I never heard of rinking regarded from a religious aspect. I must read this new pamphlet at once, and may I, without offence, suggest to the author that he should dedicate the work to Messrs Millett and Saunders, who will, I’m sure, thoroughly appreciate the compliment.