THE DIMONSTHRATION.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5452, 17 September 1878, Page 3

THE DIMONSTHRATION.

MARRIAGE AV THE CITIES. THRUE AN' FAITHFUL ACCOUNT O’ THE OPENIN’. (From the Saturday Advertiser.) Me Covsin Mick's City Hotel, Duuaidin, September 8. Av coorse yer ten thousand readhera will be looking out anxiously for yer humble sarvint a account o’ the Openin' o’ the Kailway, an’ the thrip down from Willingtou, an’ bagorra I’m sorry for it, for I’ve the divil's own head-ache to-day, afther last night’s bapkot, an’, koueiquiuce, I'U not be able to give ye sich a graftic report as I might have siufc yo under more propishious sarcuraatances. Howsomever, I’ll thry an’ give ye a brief outline o the dimousthrafcion. Av coorse ye kno\V that me* silf an' the Markiss knm down to Lyttelton iu the Nymphe, whilst the rest o' the boys thravelled in the Hineyrno an’ Taupo. Only two numbers o' the Ministhry, besides raesilf, kum down, as the rest o’ me collaiges are busy in ikin’ out our bills, bekaise it's the beginning o' the 'mouth. Mo two fellow Minxsthers, Misther Stout an' Farmer Fisher, wlnt aboord the Hineyrno, but the Markiss insisted that I should thravel wid him iu the Nymphe, which landed in Port Cooper a day sooner thin the other numbers. Begorra we got a grand recipshun in Christchurch, so wo did. Five bould warriors, mounted on hansom chargers (splindid kab horses, out o’ complimiut to the k ibinit), wid dhrawn soords, galloped afther the Vico*raygil carriage to the Club, where our party put up. Thin kura Docthcr Feather, robed in his a-cad-dam-ical kostchume, looking as proud as a newly-married pay-cock. The sthreets wor lined wid the most intinse enthusiasm, only there was so much dust that ye couldn’t see it, an’ the two min an’ a boy, who are keepin’ the ruins o' the kathcdhril in order, stopped their wheelbarrows to gaze on the coortige as it passed. On the Thursday, mesilf and the Markiss opened the Musaim, which is a great place intirely, so it is. Talk about moas, an’ monkeys, an’ whales, an’ rhiao-soar-ua-is, on’ sich like baists, *pon me consbinse it has no aiquil in New Zayland; but for donkeys it’s not to be minshioned in the same breath as Willinton at this saison o’ the year, so it’s not. On the Thursday night, av coorse, we atliuded the mayor's banket. ■ This was one o’ the most illigant affairs I’ve iver pathronised. The tables groaned undher the platen, an’ tumblers, an’ watherjugs, an’ ivergreena, an’ corn-tongues, an* spoons, an’ knives, an’ forks, an' jellies, an’ blueraonges, an’ yallow-raonges, an* red-mouges, wid here an’ there a bottle av claret an’ a decainther av sherry to relaive the pliaint monotony o’ the festive seen, whilst at the Yice-raygU ind of the table, where me an* the Markiss sat, there was three ■whole bottles av rale sbarapain, the clivil a word o’ lie in it. His Worship’s liberality was most magnanymous, an’ I’m tould on good authority that the gintlemin o' the Press, who wor privileged to sit up above in the reporthers coop, wor thrated to a email bottle o’ rodhero, betchune tin o’ them. Sich ginerosity desarves to be rekorded. I’ll not throuble ye wid a report av the epalches. They wor grand orashuns iutirelv, bo they wor, an’ Docthor Turnbull surpassed himself, but it was a morti d pity that be cut his spaich-so short. He wound up wid the followin' poetic piroration, which he translated himself from the Moorish language : Svhea I renumber all The “ tots ” wo've had together, AVhen cronies used to fall Like laives in dusty weather, I feel like one who dhrinksalone, Chaip wine wid cork long started. The flavor's fled, the sperrit’s dead, An' all the stiingth departed. Afther the banket our party returned.to the Club, an’ tuk a few'tumblers o’ punch to sittle our stomiks, an' keep off the nightmare. Thin we had a six-handed game o' forty-fives, as it wasn't worth while turnin’ in afore the time o’ startin’. Mcsilf, the Markiss, an’Pat O’Rell, our aid-to-kang (I'rinch), wor partners, whilst Major Lain, Kaptiu Towusind, an’ George McLean, wor our veesey-vees (Frinch). We bait thim two out o’ three* owin’ to me shuparior knowledge o’ the game. The Major tbried to chate once or twice, but I was too knowiu* for him. These ould sojers are up to all kinds o’ tbricks, so they are. An’ now for | a condinsed account o’

It was a glorious mornin’. The purple fingers av Appollo (a haythen god) wor drawing aside the crimson curtins from the gooldin couch o’ Sol, in the gorgeous west, an’ the deep boomin’ av the mighty ocean seemed to sing pay-ins in honor av tho occasion. The grand voice av the say an’ the main seemed to say, “ Success to the main line o’ railway?,’* an’ as I pondbered on the murnful dirges o* the deep, I exclaimed wid Tinnyaen—

Break, break, break, • On thy could grey stones, O say, - An' I would that rae tongue could utther, • This line is snre to pay.’ An’ now the fog-horn blows, the guards jump aboord, an’ a thrimindchious cheer bursts from the stintorian lungy av one juvenile pathriot as he waves a dirty little pocket-hankercher in the mornin* breeze, an’ cries “hooray.” Whiz, whiz, whizzing we go be paddock, field, garden, an’ plain, an’ as the clock strikes eight tho towers av Ashburton loom in the distance, an* the Markiss whispers to me, “ Be the hokey. I’m ready for breakfast, Paddy. Arrivin’ at ASHBURTON, an addhress is prlsinted to us, expresrin’ loyalty, ctcefchra, an* we rush over to the Town Hall, where a very nate raypasfc greets our oilfacthory narves. After breakfast we inspect a fine Bulloch that tuk first prize at the Corporation Show a, few days before. We jump aboord again, an* rush across the plains to Tiaaaru. As we come close to this important sayport, Misther Wakefield points out the breakwather to us ip the distance through the tiliscope av iduyality. Arrivin’ at Timabu, we recaive a perfect ovation. Thriuraphal arches, an* flags, an* banners, an* po-shays take us for a dhrive round the town, an’ in half-an-hour we return an’ make another start, laivin’ siviral av our passengers behind us. A couple of hours more brings us to OAMARU, where a grand warlike display awaits us. The iutire army av the White City are dhrawn up in battle array. The squadhrons an* battalions parade wid soords dhrawn an’ bagnets glaimin’ in the noon-day blaze, whilst the hayroa’ eyes flash marshal ardhor, an’ their iQUstashes bristle wid fierce ipiotion as tho vh e-raygil salute w fired. Afther inspectin’ tho breakwather we return to lunch, an* murther-in-Irish ye niver saw sich a sight in yor born days.. Talk about tlje poor craythura running afther victuals in the Chinaiae famine, 'pon me sowl it was only small pitaties coin pared to the rush made to tho banket hall at Oamaru. We wor led into a big barn, through laborinths of cornsacks, till we Uum to a narrow staircase, where wo filed up one bo one to the banket. Av coorsu mesilf and the viceraygil party had nothing to complain of, as wo raiched tho hall first an’ devoured two turkeys before the company was saited. Be mo conahinee it was as good as a play to see the Markiss get up wid a turkey's dhrnm-atick in ono hand an' a glass of rhodhero in the other to'rispond to the toast av his health, proposed be Major Stewart in felicichws language. X may here minahin, ony-paas on (Frinch), that we only left about twinty av our passingers at Damant. Nothin* av importance happened until wo raiched PALMERSTON, an* ’pon me coushiuse, I must confess that tho people o’ Palmerston turned out like gintlemin on the occasion, and tuk the shine out av ivery other place on the rout. There was lashins an* lavins of sharapain an cakes, an’ it was the only town on the voyage where we wor greeted wid good, sound, hearty cheers. But av coorso the enthusiasm av tho Palmerstonians is aisily explained, for sure tho Mayor—Mickey Fagan —is a Patlander, an 1 whatiVer an Irishman's fafiins may be, want of hospitality and ginerosity is not one of them, so it’s not. On wo go agin to thg desorbed village o* Waikouaiti, that was once inhabited bo an iatherprism’ race, but is now lonely an* dissolute, like Gooldsmith’s sweet Auburn— Sweet, lovely bowers av Innoclnso an* also, At thee, alas ! Cobb's coach no longer stays, —I mintally exclaimed, as wo swept bo tho lonely ruins. Nothin’ further av importance happened until wc raiched Deborah Bay tun-

nel, whin an incident occurred that’s worthy w notice. Before latherin' the tunnel, me oald login triad, the Naybob, who had his quarters in tho nixt apartment to onr State carriage, caked me out on to the platform, and whispered in me ear, “ Blur un-age*, Paddy asthore, don’t lave me, do i*t me, avick machree, for faix ther’.n some laidies in the i thrain, an’ iver since that Valintine Baker affair, I’m mighty narvons goin’ through tunnels in the company of faimiles, so lain Av coorse I pacified me ould frind, an whin we got through tho tunnel another ipisodo tuk place. The login stopped to take iu wather, an’ me reapicted an’ vinirable frind went ashore for a miuit or two. 1 think some new variety av fern must • have athruck his eye, but I won’t be aartin’ that it was that tuk him clown. It was gefctin’ dark, an’ before the Nabob’ could secure--Ins botanical threasure the uight-ingin snorted, an’ the Ingia knight snorted too, as he rushed to the carriage. “ Stop the thrain, bad luck to ye; stop, the thrain. Would ye lave a knight in tho bush sich a night as this, au’ mo so nigh to town ?” ses he, as ho made a frantic effort to jump up. As luck would have it, I managed to catch him be the turban, an* wid tho assistance o’ the Markiss, I dhragged him aboord. The ould fellow was so plaised at gettin’ in that he got as jolly as ft sand-boy, an’ chanted the followin’ verse iu the eggs überance av his joy—

Och Paddy, me darlint, ms jewel, ms dear, I’ve fought wl I yer counthrymin out in Cowbull, Ver welkim, me honey, to visit Cashmere, Be-jabors, me heart is wid gratitchudo full. AUIIIVK AT DURAIDIB. Be the hokey-poker, me pin lacks iloquiuce to discribe the grand ovation wo recaived at the Duoaidiu Station. The volunteers, under Kurnil Stavely, looked mighty imposin’; dhrawn up in line ay battle, only it was so dark we couldn’t see thim, so we couldn’t. Thin there was tho illicthor’s lights (a manhood suffrage dimonsthratiou), au’ illuminations on Watsons’, - an’ Sargood’s, an’ the B mks, an’ the braes, an’ the public buildins.' Begog, it was a fine sight intirely, so it was. A carriage an’ four greys wor waitin’ to take mesiif an’ the vice-raygil party to the Club, but who the dickens should I meet at the station but me cousin Mick, who koej>a tho City Hotel, an’ he would force me home wid him-in spite o' the remonsthrauces o’ the Markiss, who feels missrableif I’m not always be his side whin he’s thravellin’. Av coorse dacincy wouldn’t allow ms to turn the could shouklher on me own kith an’ kin, for though-1 occupy a more ixalted position thin me rilitave, still there’s no dirty pride about me, au’ blood is stronger than wather, so it is. I need hardly tell ye that Mick made me as welkim as the flowers o’ May to the city, an’ he got a warmin’-pau to me feet, bekaise I’m not cured o’ me could yit. Whin I tell ye that it’s twiuty-oue years since Mick an’ I parted, ye’ll undherataud how glad we wor to meet again. Whin we left the County Waxford together, he {migrated to Boston, an’ I kum out to New Zayland. Av coorse our first few words o’ greetin’ was in our native language, as follows: —“ Och asthorc, banachlafcU 'glide deaymatba thu grab ma* chree ?” T ses Mick. “Arrah bather shin ma bouchileeu bawn, shule aroon, shin-fane shinfane, thiggin thu,” 1 ses I. That xndtd the discoorse in Gaelic, an’ “Kinnnhiu,” from Belfast, was brought in to keep us company. As I’ve to start iu the mornin* be the thrain, in ordher to be up at the nixt Kabinit sayance in Willington, I have been forced to write this on the Sunday against, mo will. The ixcillint banket given last night by yer Mayor (Misther Lairy) suggested the following thrifle ; The Dunaidin Basket. Don't talk to me av Trojans Or ansliint thaologaus, That live in Asop’s fables, or Homer’s high-flown dhrames; I wish ye wouldn't prate, O, Of Sock-vafc-is au Plato I’m mountin’ my Tig-asses now for grandher, nobler thaimes. The Railway Dimonsthratiou Claims me congratulation : Och, blnr-an-oanthers, nun alive ! 'tw.is beautiful to see The City Guards an’Gunners * (Begorra, they are stunners), Presintin’ arms, an’ legs, too, for tho Governor an’ me. The grand illuminations, An* banners of all nations, In lovely situations, wor gorgeous to behoultl; Likewise the banket, too, boys, . No thripe or Irish stew, boys, Hat rale ould mouhtain jew,boj s, wid geese an’ turkeys could. The butch°rs an’ the bakers Put life into the spaikers, Wid cliafram ixtinded, the Markiss poured a flood Av flowery ilocution ; An’ ivery risolufcion We toasted, boys, whit far to prove tho rodhero was good. The clargy, too, war prcslot, Quite jovial an’ plea-ant. Forgettin’all their differences, remembirin’ they are Who’re buildiu 1 up a nation ; The lines of separation "Wor wash’d in yitch libation, mi’ Union cor.ciuorecl thin. Begorra, as I gazed, hoys, Quite gratified an’ plaised, boys, 1 thin purslmcd, amazed, boys, a thrain of thought on love ; Some think that line a stale way To heaven ; but it’s the liutl vmy To link the cities of the earth wid cities up above. Faddy: iMuuniY.

Inn Bee. —A grate many people is wondheriu’ why I didn’t wair me Coort sluub at the Dimonsthraiiou, but as I tould ye afore, I was thravellin’ iu-cog-night-o, in ordher to "avoid the thrimiodichus excitement which me prisince would have created. In conclusion, I must Fay that I was mighty well plaised wid all the railway arrangements, Misther Conyers, the Commishmer, is a regular brick, an’, ’upon me sow], ho ought to hare been an Irishman, but I’ll forgive him the mistake this time.—P.M.

Pee Ess. —Bedad, I nearly forgot to tell yo av the slight put ipon mesilf and me collaiges be the ordher o* precaidince obsarved. The dirty bosthoons the impidince to allow Bishop Moran an’ Captain Townsind to precaid tho numbers o’ the Kabinit at the Dunaidin Banket ; bat, sure, they know nothin’ av hiraldry, so they don’t.—P. M.