AN EYE FOR EVERYTHING.

Mataura Ensign, Volume V, Issue 249, 24 April 1883, Page 2

AN EYE FOR EVERYTHING.

By Cyclop. It would appear that even members of the Young Men's Christian Association are nob exempt from the frailties of less favored mortals. That branch of the body which prolongs a moribund existence in a town not more than a million miles from the " City of the Plain " possesses a reading room as well as other adjuncts. On the table of this room are filed a number of newspapers, and it has been fouud that these have been systematic cally abstracted. History does not say whether the 'Southland Times' was the paper most run upon, but, at all events, the committee have found it necessary to secure their newspapers by lock and key in such a manner that their theft involves their destruction. lam of opinion that a course of lectures on the Decalogue would not be out of season. A Wyndham sportsman had rather a start* ling experience the other day. In company with two others he was drifting down the Mataura river in a boat, and not qpntent with sitting in the bows to keep a |look-out for dnckfl, bis ardour took him as far forward as hecould get where he knelt over the prow with his gun at "full cack," anxiously scanning the surface, of the water in search of game. Whether by accident, or design on the part of the ateersman,it is not_known,,but the boat suddenly came into contact with a snag and our local * VSinkle ' was rudely precipitated into the water. Spluttering he aroße and clung to the side of the boat, and as soon &i he recovered breath beeeeohed his companions to beware as Ihis fowling-piece at the bottom of the river was still at'-full-cack.'. , The ship Opawa is rapidly filling up at the Bluff with Sonthland products in the shape of mutton, grain, eto. The freezing maohine is universally.Baid to be a (n)ioe one. Illustrative of the meanness to which some people can descend, a story cornea from Riverton. A oase had just been decided by Mr McCulloch and costs were being assessed. One of the parties to the suit olaimed railway fare, when up jumped Mr Finn, counsel for the other Bide.—" Your Wowhip : May Ibe allowed to ask this gentleman ene question ?" His Worahip having given permission, Mr Finn ordered the|claimant to stand up, and put this very pertinent interrogation to the gentleman who wanted his railway fare refunded : — •' Mr Crrrr-r-t have you not a.free rail, ay pass over the New Zaalahd. lines ?" .T3:s> Claimant-: *-' I havn." • Those possessing any' .kaqwi*^ge^pi_l£ „ Euis;> character [and^is; ?i > i^^_^B9^.'^^^^l!^^^^_^^^W /o£M#tuki&^ "- ■ V Ho^^^H^^Y^/A^?^^^{^Pt. "Gia3stonerspeakin_f apropos of this; Bubje<4, "is undoubtedly very effective. Its power is enormous. It appears, if we consult those who have made successful use of this extraordinary instrument, that it depends wholly on producing an impression upon the publio mind by iteration or by the constant repetition of the same thing. This shows a very singular state of the publio mind; it shows that there is relative to those matters a certain amount of dullness, a great eagerness to compete for attention, and no one gets it except by giving:, as it were, so many strokes oft he hammer to compel people to know what is going on." These words ot wisdom should sink deep into the heart of every man of business. > On dit that a well-known sporting gentle* man has commenced legal proceedings for assault and battery against an equally wellknown auctioneer of pugilistic tendencies. The trouble arose over business transactions, and the whole affair wears a Gorey aspect. Proh pudor I The other night when the 4 25 p.m. train from Dunedin was approaching a Btation between Balolutha and Clinton a solitary inn dividual was observed standing upon the platform. The natural assumption was that the individual iv question desired to travel by the train, whicli drew up at the platform. Imagine the horrified look of the guard when he was, coolly asked for a copy of that evenJug's Star! r .England expects, etc."— So • signalled 'N_son t<p his fleet at Trafalgar. And so I signal naw Co the railway officials here. At the risk of tfiei?lives«a tew days ago a party of ladies and gentleunn in defiancd of the protestations of the official in oharge of the railway bridge actually had the audacity to oross whilst the train was distinctly seen ia the neighborhood of the Gore railway station. Ido not say the train was approaching ; it was probably stationary ; but there ths train was, and that is enough for me, and for the railway department. The red flags were up, and does not that mean danger ? Of course there was dangtjr ,- and yet these thoughtless, reckless young people, careless of themselves, their lives, and the feelings of their friends, dared to oharge the bridge and cross it in the face of the bridge-keeper and his two red flags, and in face of the fact, too, that the train had already arrived at the Gore Btation. Clearly the duty ofthe railway offi- ! oials need not to be pointed out to them— a rule | or regulation I think the thing is called, has been broken and justice must, be done though the heavens fall. Ahd clearly these young people must suffer the pains and penalties provided by a sapient railway management and the Legislature. What need it matter that the train did not cross the bridge for an hour afterwards ; the red "flags were up, there was therefore, danger, and whether they held their lives so cheaply or not does not affect the case, the cost of a ooroner's inquest on nine or ten bodiejs is of more consideration after I have said that the regulation has been broken, and I think an example should be made of those who so flagrantly committed a breach of the railway legulations. Oh! dear, when will they come along with that traffic bridge ? " Music," bo someone has said or sung, " hath charms to soothe the savage breast." It may be so ; I don't wish to argue the point, but I emphatically assert that in a certain hotel not 100 miles from the Gore Post Office, music is gratuitously' supplied .y a gentleman amateur on piano cornet, «fee., which has anything but the effect described above. Ibe curses of tha boarders, if not loud, would certainly be thought forcible if they found vent. I can wager that when this musical genius starts on the wories, tbe boardeas leave faster than do Members of the House of Representatives when M. W. Green gets up on his hind legs.