NEWS OF NORTH "THE SWEEP."

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XVI, Issue 117, 30 May 1881, Page 2

NEWS OF NORTH "THE SWEEP."

Auckland, Monday. An outhouse connected with a house occupied by Leon Devonport was destroyed by fire caused by an explosion of gM i which he was in. the Mbit of manufacturing. \Lhe loss is £40. Uninsured. A young man named Carltdh who arrived by the mailgsteamer and wetit^m in hei- to Sydney, related last flight to Fishei' of the Occidental an account of a conversation he had at San Francisco with North, the Wellington levanter shortly after the former's, arrival there by the last mail boat. He said that the first Sunday he was at San Francisco he visited Woodward's gardens ih order to see some sports going on, and was surprised to perceive North there in company with a man named Street, who owns ii large saloon. lie went tip' atid shook hands with him, and, after the interchange of the usual commonplaces; Noi-th inquired what was thought of 'him iti NBw ftbaittHd, wlien Carlton replied that he had completely ruined the sweepstake"business there. North appeared to be very jocular and several times remarked in a tone of great glee " Didn't I give them a fail- start ? I intended gome day to do it. 5 ' He professed his willingness to pay anyone whom he should drop across his share. He said his wife and family were 100 miles up the country, and that he had cleared out of Wellington with £4,600 and that he was then oh his way #to the Cape. He intended, however, going through the States to lecture on the sol, consequences of gambling and the disastrbUh results entailed upon young men by their weakness for sweeps. He drew attention to the slightly pock marked appearance of his face, and in explanation said that on reaching Honolulu he went ashore to interview the Iting and got gloriously drunk with him and caught the smallpox which was raging there at the tione. He was put into the pest house and kept confined there for a month. He bade Carltbn good-bye, efter desiring him to tell his New Zealand friends that he intended coming back and giving them another turn some day.