Life in Wellington.

Hastings Standard, Issue 103, 25 August 1896, Page 2

Life in Wellington.

Life is a journey : on we go Through many a scene of joy and woe. —Coombe.

It was Tkilby !

The Yankee company now playing a dramatised version of Du Maurier's wellknown book "Trilby" is doing remarkably well at the Opera House. The main interest centres round the impersonation of Trilby and Svengali. The latter is played with consummate skill, and is the nearest approach to the ideal. Trilby is effectively played, but does not come up to the picture as presented to the world by I)u Maurier. Of the other characters nothing can be said of any consequence. The Laird cannot talk Scotch and Little Billie is too difficult a part to be acted successfully. The company is doing well financially, and that after all is the main consideration. It also establishes the fact that the Yankees are appreciated. There will be no chance to seethe company at Napier, as the show is to be taken direct to Auckland from here, and the company leaves for 'Frisco by the outgoing steamer next month. Tkilby Extractions. " Trilby" has served many purposes, mostly of a money-making description. Patentees have adopted the word, and TriHsy this and Trilby that figures everywhere. We shall have somes of our races called " Trilby," and already there is a mining claim in the Auckland district called "The Trilby." We cease to enquire now, " How are your poor feet ?" It is " Trilby." The Americans, however, with the ingenuity peculiar to the nation, have turned " Trilby " into' profitable account in a novel way. Trilby auctions, when charitable institutions are in want of funds, is now a popular pastime with the fashionables of Yankeeland. The business is carried out in simple fashion. On the stage of a public hall is erected a screen, with an opening at the lower part suffi- • cient to admit of a pair of feet. The auctioneer stands in front of the screen, and the charming girls of the town are put up to auction, the purchasers seeing nothing but the white feet, shapely and otherwise, of the giddy young things. With a wealthy audience there is plenty of money in it, but in New Zealand it is hardly likely that a feet-show would draw the shillings. The Yankees, with their many millionaires, find amusement and profit in Trilby auctions, more particularly as the buyer of a pair of feet is entitled to certain harmless privileges. The Cully Family. Writing of actors tempts me to relate a theatrical yarn that was given to me by an actor friend. In the profession the male members address one another in a style of their own. It is always Cully. Two " pros " badly broken in pocket found it necessary to quit the pub and seek quarters in a hash house. Strolling up a fashionable street of this city they saw the card " Board and Residence," a card that unfortunately is to be met with in almost every street of Wellington. The actors were not particular; one boarding house was as good as another *in their then penniless condition. The ready witted one was sent on to make enquiries while the other stood at the gate pending results. He walked up to the front door in style, knocked, and was answered by the neatly dressed landlady. A few appropriate questions were asked and satisfactorily answered, and the actor turned to his mate and with " Come along Cully " engaged rooms for his friend and himself. " We'll take possession at once Mrs , we are quite satisfied, and in the course of an hour we will have our luggage sent up from the wharf." All went well for a week, but at the end of that time the two boarders flitted without giving the landlady her just dues. Some three months afterwards a very respectable and well recognised company visited the city, and two of the members who are in the habit of putting up at boarding houses looked about for quarters. As luck would have it they struck the same lodging house and the same landlady. The two respectable actors went through a very similar performance as their broken down confreres. One stood at the gate while the other made enquiries. The same appropriate questions were asked, and the same satisfactory replies were received. There was the same readiness to take prompt possession of the rooms, and there was the same half turn towards the gate, and the some " Come along Cully." The landlady was struck with the similarity, but ventured no remark until she heard the familiar name " Cully " when she rounded 011 the man. " I beg your pardon, Sir, I had two of the Cully family with me before, and I don't want any more," and she banged the door in the faces of the astonished "pros" who had tofind quarters elsewhere. Breeding " Wild Cats."

The mining boom is beginning to liave its effects on the sleepy Wellingtonians. There must be quite .£20,000 of Wellington money sunk in mining ventures, and the knowledge of this has probably tempted those with " wild eats " to liberate them to come down here. The flotation of new companies is being taken in hand by all sorts and conditions of men, and it is wonderful the number of "good things" and " straight tips" that one can get hold of during the course of the day. The "Pat Contributor" in the New Zealand Times, has dropped upon the " wild cat " company-promoters, which will make them go a bit easy. The Wellington sharebrokers make it a rule not to identify themselves with any venture that will not bear a examination, hence there are very few companies floated by the brokers. This pans out badly for those who have " duffers " to sell, and they are therefore obliged to try bank clerks, commercial travellers, and warehousemen to work off the swindles on the strength of fat commissions. A lot of Wellington money is thus finding its way into " wild eat" companies. The sharebrokers of the city are suffering from this underhand competition, but they have themselves to blame. It may be surprising, but it is none the less true, that we have 110 Stock Exchange in Wellington and no association of brokers, and yet the Empire city is favorably situated "for the transaction of a lot of share business. With Auckland on one side and Heefton 011 the other we should stand in for a lot of business here, but our sharebrokers are asleep. The vendors of duffer claims are taking advantage of the drowsiness of the business talent and planting their shares easily. The Political Campaign. We are promised a great deal of boisterous fun during the election, for we are to have about a dozen candidates, mostly Liberals. The National Association will nominate three candidates, and it is hinted i that Sir Bobert Stout, the variegated poli- , tician, will be one with Duthie and Men- j teath -to keep him company. Mr H. D. j Bell will not seek re-election. Stout and 1 Duthie are certain of winning. The former has the female vote, and the latter is acceptable to most people because of his shrewdness, fairness, and honesty. Mr Menteath sat for the City before, and may, if he lack, find a i>e? «f JParliauwai ?nce wore. Tbe

Liberals are to be represented by a whole gang of mediocre fellows, and that is where the party makes a mistake. Every little clique, faction, or coterie, allied, or supppsed to be allied, to the Liberal Party wants its own particular bantling to receive the Liberal support, while the Labor Party is divided as to the number of their nominees. If the Liberals expect to win in Wellington they will require to be thoroughly well organised, and to nominate three only of their strongest men to battle for them; but there is no chance of them doing this, and there is therefore not the slightest hope of any success for them. There are to be several Independent candidates, and the Temperance Party are to put up a man. There wife be fun in Wellington, and the boys antr the barrackers are saving up all the eggs with a tendency for evil-smelling, for future use. It may be necessary to prosent some of the candidates with halfbricks. Thko. Thilpy. August 24, 1896.