AN OLD PAPER

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume 52, Issue 3273, 9 June 1943, Page 6

AN OLD PAPER

OWNED BY RESIDENT OF BAY EVENTS OF THE YEAR 1801 Dated Friday, January 16, 1801, is volume one, number one issue of the “Dundee Weekly Advertiser,” a unique record in the world of print, at present in the possession of Mr Rose of Whitianga. Mr Rose’s father came out from England as a lad in the year 1864 and this copy of the “Dundee Weekly Advertiser” was discovered arqongst his possessions. For the sum of three halfpence people in the year 1801 read news of such personalities as the “Emperor” (Napoleon) and Lord Nelson, and the negotiations for peace between Britain and France.

The print and set out of this first issue under the name of “Dundee Weekly Advertiser” is more like a magazine of the present day, though the print is smaller and the letters finished with flourishes.

Here follows an extract from the newspaper of January 1801, recorded on paper, to-day yellow with age, and headed “French Ingenuity”: “.Some months ago, Mr C., a Frenchman, being much in debt, was beset continually by the bailiffs; and being one morning informed by the maid of the house where he lodged, that the • Philistines were hanging about the door, he immediately packed up every article he had of apparel even to his shirt, hastened into bed, and requested the maid to secure his box in her room, telling her, if they asked for him, to say he was at home. They knocked, and enquired; and being answered in the affirmative, were diercted to his garret. Tapping at his door, they were told to come in, and going to his bedside, they asked if he was Mr C. “Yes,” “Then we have a writ against you for ”

“Ah ha!” said Monsieur, “Let me see —ha! you take my body! Your writ say.”-?‘Yes, you must get up and go with us—come, make haste and dress yourself.”—“Begar, I have no dress.” —“No dress; what do you mean by that; come, come, we can’t loiter here; get up.”—“Upon my vard, all my dress at de pawnbroker —you take my body, your writ sayno dress” —and immediately he sprang from the bed in “puris naturalibus,” and danced about the room; being a perfect “E(sau,” he made a most grotesque appearance The myrmidoifis in vain insisted on his dressing, while he reiterated, “Take my body!” “Why, who will take you in such a state.” “I cannot tell (said he), you take my body.”— “D your body—come along Flannagan, we’ll have him as yet some how or other; d his body”; and for that they left him. The Frenchinstantly changed his. lodging; in a few weeks after, the Powerful Arrester of Mortals seized him, and for ever freed him from trouble.