MORE JOB TROTTERISM.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 5101, 30 July 1877, Page 3

MORE JOB TROTTERISM.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE NEW ZEALAND TIMES. Sir, —Allow me to supplement your account of the doings of one of the “ stumped ” ones by the recital of the movements of one I was fortunate enough to “ catch out ” last evening. The clever device for raising the wind which you exposed in a paragraph this morning so resembles alitte financial operation of which I have been favored with a trial or two, that no feeling of admiration for an original method of floating a loan shall deter me from giving the financier who waited on me all the publicity which his scheme deserves. Some two or three weeks ago a man, tall and spare as to physique, and rubicund as to complexion, called at my shop and asked my wife for the loan of Is., as he found himself deficient to that extent in the matter of an eighteenpenny cab fare. In the absence of his cardcase he was good enough to say that he was Mr. Laffin. He was, however, politely, but firmly, referred to me, and it is needless to say the negotiation fell through at that point. A few days afterwards a man answering to the description above called at another place on the Quay where a friend of mine is engaged, and at an early hour in the day—before the proprietor was likely to be at business—exhibited to the youth in charge Is. 3d., and reported himself a trifle short in express hire, and (on the security of his personal integrity it is presumed), applied for a small loan. The wiiyyouth declared himself irresponsible as to the funds of the firm, and bankrupt as to his private means. Last evening (could it be the same ?) aperson came to my shop and represented to my wife (mark the subject of his favors) that he had underestimated the cost of removal of his household goods by express, and that a loan of halt-a-crown would relieve his temporary embarrassment. Luckily I was at home this time, and, from information received, wont out, and presented myself to the astonished gaze of “stumped” one. He accosted me civilly by name, and redelivered his case in quite an unabashed manner to me, at the same time explaining that his name was Deegan, and while he might personally be unfamiliar to me, not so was Mrs. Deegan, whom, he said, I knew very well. I assured him I had not so far been honored with the acquaintance of Mrs. D. However ray gentle declaimer had no weight with him,

Perhaps he knew best. He insisted that Mrs. Deegan, was well known to me, aud on that ground he claimed the loan of 2s, 6d.' -Therein he was more straightforward than Montague Tigg,'' who when on a similar ■ said, “Not for my friend Chevy Slyme, hut in the interests of genius—l may say as a right on behalf of genius—l claim the,loan of half-a-crown.” At the time I was engaged with Mr. I was not aware he was identical with Mr. Laffln, who had called on us previously, or I should have looked up the Statute Book to see if I could find an Act to meet his case. When I learnt after my interview with him that he was the same, I rather regretted I was not better prepared to confront him. I sincerely hope the little coincidences may be capable of some explanation. Perhaps they are ; perhaps not. In the meantime let me inform Mr. Laffin— Deegan in American phraseology—that I “take no stock” in financial ventures such as he wishes to introduce into the market, aud that it will be unnecessary for him to try to “ place” them with me again.—l am, &c., E. C.