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Free Lance, 15 December 1902, Page 28

Friend William rang foi rohesliments, and placed us at our ease. Mr. Lulun was State Censor, and in charge of the legitimate drama, which had its abiding place in the Shall espeare Theatre, in Kent Terrace. Mr. Coffey had consulted the populai taste by letting politics take a back seat, and by bringing sport and recreation into the lmmedi- , ate foreground , nearly ail the leaders were on these latter subejcts. A crushing article would appear that evening on the no-b ailing of George Hams. It would make Alfred Ashbolt sit up all right. Had we noticed that the "Post's" selection of a representative eleven to play against All England next week had been adopted en bloc b> George Webb and his Selection Committee ? No, we shame-f acedly confessed that we hadn't. But we would lose no time m repairing that omission. We asked about the "Times," and ascertained that the Grand Lottery had installed Mr. James Tarr, formerly Mayor of Karon, in the editorial chair, amd that the Opposition had retained Mr. Loughnan to =cc that James did not use up too much thunder. They were afraid that if he wrote as loudly as he spoke the constitution of the "Times" mightn't stand it. What about the Free Lance? William rose from his seat, and led us to the window Did we sco that sixstory brick building surmounted bv a knight on horseback bearine a oilt la/nee in rest? Yes, we saw it Well that was th<? Lance Office It was the people's paper, independent of parties, and havine an enormous influence We wrung William's hand, and begjred him to allow us to despatch his valet with an order to the nearest State Dispensary to send along revivers for all hands. This little symposium over we hastened away to have a look before dusk at the marvellous changes at Petone and the Hutt, of which we had been hearing a great deal in a desultory sort of way. Out on the street our curiosity was aroused by a dense throne of people pouring into a lofty edifice not far away, and we followed in the same direction to find out the centre of attraction. We were carried into a spacious Ti all, and discerned a pulpit at the farther end, filled by a portly figure, crowned with a iolly, good-humoured, and familiar face.

There was no mistaking W. F. Shortt but, surely, he hadn't taken at his time

of life to revival preaching :* We pushed through the crowd, and clambered up into the rostrum beside him after he had winked Ins business eye. Then, the whole mystery was revealed to us. He was State Auctioneer, and the State, m taking over his business, had made him a handsome allowance for the use of Ms well-known trade gag, "Send it to Shortt's " He proceeded to tell us of a splendid Christmas programme be had mapped out for himself. A deer-stalking expedition in the Wairarapa had been arranged for and. as those champion deer-stalkers, Walter Woods and T E. Donne, were to be in charge, places in the party were worth a Jew's ransom Even Naughton, the Government Printer, and James Maokav the great Arch-Druid, and Chief Boss of all the Friendly Societies had failed to get in dearly as they loved a venison hunt. But, Wilh i Fraser Shortt had made sure of a place, and, for "Auld Lang Syne" would squeeze us in too if we oared to go. It was a great compliment, no doubt, but we had heard in years gone bv that deer-stalking was a frosty sort of sport involving a good deal of before-daybreak rising, and sundry nips of whisky to* screw the oouras-e up, and keep the blood from congealing, and so, with many thanks, we begged him to let Naughton or Mackay have the show Hastening along the Queen's Wharf, to get one of the half-hour trains to Pet one and the Hutt. we found ourselves ten minutes too soon A porter passed by with a motor-truck full of goods. We rubbed our eves in amaze as we gazed at him.

"Surely not William Ferguson, the author and finisher of Wellington Harbour?" we mused aloud. "Exactly so," he said, as he stopped has vehicle, and stretched forth his hand in greeting. "But, your place is on the topmost pinnacle of fame, isn't it, here in Wellington, and how is it that a £2500 enr gineetr is toting; goods and luggage at a railway station ?" "This is the age of topsy-turveydom, my dear sir " he said, 'and my end of the social see-saw is just now resting on the ground. But, I'm just as well paid as the Hon. David McLarem, the chairman of the Harbour Board, whom you can see in that 'reserved' saloon carriage over there, and next year's Lottery may send me right up to the tip-top position m the Commonwealtih. I wouldn't mind this for a bit of a chance, you know only Captain Falconer, the new Harbour Board engineer, is going back on some of my pet ideas, and grafting on old-fashioned ones of his own." We hurried away to make sure of our seat, and had a food look at the Hon. David as we r>assed. He was smoking an expensive ciear, was clad in heavy

broadcloth, wore a massive gold chain with, several pendants over his embroidered sdlk vest and looked so lake a multi-millionaaie of the Pierpont Morgan variety that we actually could not summon up courage to address him. He was on his way home to his mansion at the Hutt. Which reminds us that the Hutt line was straightened at last. The whole trip to Petone only took ten minutes, and extensive reclamations at Kaiwajrra, Ngahauranga, and ait other points, had elaborated those places into attractive towns. Tommy " Wilford's hand) must have entered largely into this, work, for the first object that airrested our attention as we reached the threshold of the city of Petone was an imposing equestrian statue of Tom in bronze, striding; the arch which spanned the entrance to the magnificent Esplanade at the end of the beach. Petone had grown into a great industrial city, the seat of manufactures, and the home of a very large population. It stretched away in an endless network of streets right up thei Hutt Valley. In fact, I soon found out that the only wav of distinguishine: the Hutt from it was to note where "Orton" amd "Stevens" began to assert themselves in the nomenclature "Steven® Square," "Orton Avenue," The Stevens Theatre," ' OrtoTi Club," and so on. We ascertained that Orton, Stevens was serving his ninth term as Mayor, and that the whole valley rang with his praises. Indeed, so great was his popularity that every third male child in the Hutt was christened "Orton" in his honor.

We dined at Bellevue G-ardens, now the orreat show place of its kind in the colony. Nowhere else could such a magnificent collection of flowers be seen. Nowhere else so complete an assemblage of the native flora of New Zealand. Its shruboeries were a dream of loveliness. Its aviaries, ferneries, orchids ; its zoological park, and its aquarium; its hot-house exotics were all unapproaehed in the colony. Finally, there was Belleyue House itself, which, under the spirited management of Mr. Tom Lodder, had become the favourite resort of honeymoon couples and tourists from all tihe colonies. If you had not sojourned there, you had not seen New Zealand. The shadows were falling as we hied back to the metropolis, and we were fortunate in picking up congenial com-

pany in the person of Mr. Trevor Gould. Trevor was no longer with the New York Life. The State had snapped himi up, and put him in full charge of all its various insurance schemes. Between whiles, he found time to give golf a lift, and had just been up tihie valley to open Petone and the Hutts fifth golf club. Wellington presented a brilliant Christmas Eve aspect. It was a fairy land of electric light. Great arc globes blazed at the street corners, and over the principal shops, clubs, publicinstitutions, and Dlaoe® of amusemente. Decorations of the usual Christmas character were abundant, and tlhe tradesmen had displayed the utmost taste in the dressing of the shop-win-dows. The entire population seemed to be in the streets — or. at least, in the streets or the shops, and especially the toy emporiums, where the usual perspiring crowds of parents were loading up for Santa Claus. ° We did not hesitate long what to do. All day we had been burning with impatience to see King Dick. Now was our opportunity. He reigned at the Gaiety. and to the Gaiety we bent our steps accordingly. Judged by size amplitude, and sioleindour of appearance, it must be the leading public building of Wellington. It covered the whole site formerly occupied by the Club Hotel and the old Gaiety, as far as Waddell, McLeod. and Weir's timber yard, and was built of red brick, with white stooie facings.

Mr. Seddon was holding a levee in his suite of managerial apartments, and it was some time before we got private audience of him. The flight of veaim had brushed softly by him. Hia fight-ing-weight jyas just about the same ate. it was in the Coronation year, and he looked exactly a® if waiting the signal to step into the next room for a Citizen's Banquet. Greetings over we asked naturally enough if he was not. longing to get back into the hurly-burly of politics P "Just as much." he said, "as the oat is hankering to eret into tihe hot soup!" No, the Gaiety was good enough for him : only the next Lottery might shift him out of it. In reality, through th© Gaiety he wielded a erreater influence over public opinion than Parliament and the Press combined. Everybody patronised the Gaiety regularly, whatever else they missed. Their opinions were moulded for them unconsciously by Gaiety artists. Richard took care that these artists were all of the right colour, and his right bower, or chief joker, was Fred. Haybittle. Fred'si colour was of the most pronounced right hue. Mr. Seddon confessed with a* smile that he him(Continued on page 33 )