RANDOM NOTES.

Oamaru Mail, Volume I, Issue 240, 29 January 1877, Page 2

RANDOM NOTES.

" A duel's amang- ve takin' notes, An' faith he'il prent 'em." Burxs. » By M.VJGUFFIN. ♦ " It is an ill bird which fouls its own nrst," and I have it on the very best authority that the powder and shot fired oit of the Timaru gun at the Harbor Board were manufactured in Oaniarr. T.iere are many things in the attack made wliic'i leads to that conclusion, amongst othera the imp rfect knowledge of the facts written about, as if the gentleman who had made t' e balls had not sufficiently " posted up" his champion. Unfortunately in every community fiere arc to be found persons who are too anxious to resort to any mean device or lying stratagem whereby the good name of a district and its people are for t < gratification of p tty malice or jealous--, spite. Oamaru evidently revels in a redhot sp-ciuv-m of ilif- genus ; 1 ul alt* <;u. 1 he miy lay the flattering unction-to'hi: soul—if he be possessed of such a c >mniodity—that because he stabbed from behind a screen he has preserved his anonymity, he is most egregionsly mistaken. The prompted insinuations and groundless accusations of tue Herald bear too palpably upon them the imprint of the despicable mind from whence they emanated to permit of ranch time beiny wasted in tracing the author; and the detractor —like tiie ostrich which, while

burying its head in the sand, leaving the remainder of its body expose 1, lulls itself into a s nse of security—in publishing writttn attacks in lieu of verbal ones previously made, has indisputably affixed his sign manual at the foot of the document. I am not at liberty to mention the name of this "good and tried citizen," nor in fact do I think it n c ssary ; but as I love

peace and quietn ss, and like to put him .->+• his ease, I may as well inform him that I m not the only person who has pierced his identity and is cognisant of his patriotic and disinterested manoeuvres, and no doubt he will meet with a fitting reward when he least expects it. Meantime I should advise him to moderate the excess of his z. j al, otherwise he may jeopardise the unsullied honor and fair fame for which he has hitherto been so conspicuous, and which in the absence of ability has been his sole redeeming characteristic.

I notice that your leader of a few days past has had the desired effect, and Mr. Fish has addressed letters to the three Dunedin papers in explanation and extenuation of his conduct at the School Committee. After a week's deliberation for material to supply the charge made against Mr. Strod ■, his accuser now lavs the grievous accusation that some time or another Ml- Strob hal und-rfcakjn to coll ct subscriptions for a p : c-nic for the school children, and that afterwards he grew lukewarm in his ex rtion, and ri I not by any means carry out the task to the satisfaction of Mr. F's'\ Tie-p'stle is vrritten in the ad misericoi'diam style, and concludes :—" I had no desire in any way to reflect upon Mr. Strode, with whom, during the past in all matters connected with the business of the Committee —save in the instance alluded to— I have worked in the most amicable manner; nor do I see that I have been guilty of any heinous fault in expressing my belief in the way I did." Mr. Fish, I don't agree with you for two leisons — first, the gravity of the charge was not such as to justify your unwarrantable con-

\ duct; an J secondly, your txplanation, beside being far from satisfactory, was } toad* rather late in the day to heSssigncd

• as the true cause of your objection. How- ! ever, the lesson may not be lost, and may j sieve to teach ambitious young men that, ! whatever may be their hidden designs, there are certain limits which it is not wise or discreet to o'erstep. Mr. Fish is fund of having his native element in a heated temperature, and I have little doubt that, disagreeable as the position may be, he will soon be on the hook again. Meanwhile, in all sincerity, I

say— Adim. There are times when the lords of the soil dictate their own terms to the meB j and the latter are satisfied to approach, t leni cap in hand ; but as the wheel goes round, the positions become reversed, and when Hodge gets the whip in hand he uses it to some effect. In Victoria, at the present time, labor holds the reins, and capital does not seem to take kindly to harness. An instance of this occurred a short time since in the Beechworth district whereafarmercame into town in search: of hands. As he passed t'e street corner where there was a number of men standing together, he cast anxious eyea towards the gro-.ip, but was somewhat timid in disturbing the conversation or making: his wants known. His hesitancy being; observed by one of .the party, who stepped forward, and caressingly stroking his beard all the while, ad.lressed him in the following manner:—"Pretty, pretty Cockey ! Does my pr-tty Cockey want a man to do his pretty work ? If my pretty Oockey brings in a hooded buggy, and Irives us to see his pretty crops, we'll see whether we will do his work for him !" History does not state whether the hooded buggy was brou <ht into requisition, or not ; but there is every reason to believe that, should Hodge be on the Wallaby and call npon the pretty Cockey, he would be sure •f a particularly " warm " rec >p(Ln.