THE BLUFF.

Southland Times, Issue 574, 5 October 1866, Page 3

THE BLUFF.

On arriving at Campbelltown, nearly opposite the Eagle Hotel, there was another hitch. There was a fence to be broken down, and there was a rail to be replaced. Here again I thought I was about to witness another pugilistic encounter. A thin youth, with decayed eyes, and slightly in beer, accused one ofthemen engaged in removing the fence of striking the man in charge with a crowbar, and threatenedto " punchhis eyes," and " knock bosheadoff/'andotherwiseperformdreadful things, which caused the ladies to shudder, and the nervous gentlemen of our party to turn a pale green color, and some of whom, while standing a safe distance from the disturbance, eagerly scanned the street in search of a policeman, and haughtily dem ir.dod that the disgraceful proceedings should be immediately put an end to. At last. Mr Watt, the Resident Magistrate,

appeared on the scene, and tho affair ended in an information being laid by an excited mdi vHual against the workman who was alleged to have attacked him with the crowbar. Perhaps I might mention that I was an eye-witness to the whole scene. I can confidently a-43ert tha** there was no attack made ; that there was no crowbar used; and that the only assault cotn--nitted — if assault it can be called — was in removing, without the slightest violence, the leg of a man from the side of the fence, where he had planted it to obstruct the workmen. "With the termination of thia little affair, ended all our difficulty, and I had time to notice that the Bluff had put on its best holiday appearance. The houses were gaily decorated with flags, and the bunting of the steamer Airedale, which lay ' alongside the jetty, was displayed to advantage. After wandering about, inhaling the fresh sea breeze, and ruminating upon the benefit the opening of the railway will confer upon this pretty little town, the advantage that will be derived from the quick transit of merchandise, and the opening up of the country along the line thatis certain to follow, I, in company with some others, adjourned to the Eagle to refresh the inner man, and from the number who were seated I should have imagined that both the hotels must have been taxed to the utmost to appease the hungry appetite that -unexpectedly required to be attended to.