ST. BATHANS.—Sept. 30.

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume III, Issue 187, 4 October 1872, Page 3

ST. BATHANS.—Sept. 30.

Stem Winter seems unwilling to relax his hold. He paid, us a most, unexpected visifc'on Thursday night, in the shape of a heavy fall of snovr, and there have "been very severe frosts every night since. Mr. JSTuttall, agent for the New Zealand Submarine Gold Mining. Company was here a few nights ago, when he explained to a large number of miners the principles on which the wonderful boat of the Company will be. worked. On this point—the working ofthe boat—there were many pertinent questions put hy intelligent miners to Mr. JNFuttall, who answereclthem with great readiness, and apparently to the satisfaction of the audience. Mr. Pyle has been appointed agent for St. Bathans, and I think some shares will be taken up here.

It was fondly thought by most persons in this district that the last of that disgraceful class of men who delight in leavin a place without paying their debts had left St. Bathans over a year or two ago; but those who thought so were rudely disappointed when, on Sunday morning, a number of his kind friends were heard lamenting the untimely departure of a miner named "John." I have no syn*pathy for dishonest men, but could help feeling amused at hearing a "water boss " sing the following curious and irregular medley on the " dear departed:" Oh, where is my Johnny gone to, gone to, gone to? I fear he has hooked it away: His name's in my ledger, and, faith, I may pledge yer,' The mark will be "Bad" for many a day. He had a cpck in his eye, so shy I ne'er thought he'd say good-bye, so sly; And the thundering rogue spoke such a homified brogue That I let him runup vwo score, or -•■ more—(sterling, of course). This next verse with great energy..' But d—n him, where has he gone to, gone to, gone to ? I am sure he has hooked it away. So, from rogues gone away,' and rogues who stay, , May the Lord deliver us, I pray, I pray. Here are two prayers, and in the second one, at all events, I hope all good men will join this broken-hearted waterman, who, I very much fear, will persist in repeating the first. I am glad to hear that you, Mr. Editor, spend your Sundays like a. Christian, and not in fighting or getting drunk. These are -eery bad practices, and are dreadful hard on the const-eye-tution.—l am, &c, Otago.