THE MEMBER FOR KUMARA.

Manawatu Times, Volume X, Issue 1332, 28 October 1884, Page 4

THE MEMBER FOR KUMARA.

The fallowing- anecdote of Mr Eichard Seddon, M.H.R.; popularly known as " Dick " Seddon, has been contributed 'to a newspaper by an occasional' correspondent :— " There is a good'yarq, told of Dick Seddon, the irrepressible, member for Kumara which, ifXco.aid'.teSl it m the quaint language of , my ■informant, would be ; worthy rif/ circulation as a 'Note' of! value. It relates, to .a period of Dick's history gating back some : 12 year* ago,' when Dick kept a store on the Waimea,.in We.etland, at some little distance from which iiny informant and bis mat c had a claim ; the latter was a New England Yan-' tee, a big brawny chap of six feet three, and possessed, as' most of his countrymen are, of a fund of dry humor. They dealt at Dick's ftore, as also did an adjoining claimholder, a Canadian, alsa stalwart of build. The West Coast 'miners were not at that time of too frugal habits, and our Canadian, living -hot wisely but too well, when his claim was done, owed Seddqti a; considerable. ' tucker' account, which lie was unable to pay. He made a moonlight flitting, and Dick, also ia man of thews: and sinews, followed him up., and as he could not get his money he took it out by administering to, the Canadian a sound thrashing.' My friend's Yankee mate when he heard of this did not say' : %uch, but apparently though a d good ( deal . and when :th c storekeeper's man made his weekly delivery of; 'tucker, ■ i he said — 'I say mate, next ;f ime : • you come bring along yosr,. bill, and bring us no more tnckec' When asked for his reason— V. Well, I don't much like a man who .-does business ' m the style your bossldoee. I don^t like a man who comcffwithhis bill-in one hand, ; and his shirt m the other. I am going to deal with the Dutchman, now, and if I can't pay him, I' shan't be obliged to take auy of his ' sass. 5 Yer see, I f caii;lick him. Mebbe I could lick.-pici if I tried, but I know I can lick ; the 1 Dutchman.' " . The member for Kumara must be a man of far more than . brdinaxy . strength. One day .npt ; long . ago, he took "Wahanai ur m his arms, and carried him the length of a corridor m the Parliamentary Uuilding. The old chieftain grunted out '« Humph ! no Maori could Kare dore that." "Wahauui is a magnificently made man, weighing over 3001 bs, and as Le is not particularly fat, his enormous'- weight 1 must be mostly due to bone aiui muscle. Mr Seddon would be ,an awkward customer to nief t< m a football scrimmage. '