The Temuka Leader THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 1882. THE END OF THE WORLD.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1031, 16 November 1882, Page 2

The Temuka Leader THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 1882. THE END OF THE WORLD.

So we have escaped destruction in 1881 only to be annihilated by the coming comet of October, 1883. We are told that after that date there will be use for newspapers, as the whole world is to be destroyed. We would give a bit of advice on this score. Wc advise every one now to become subscribers to the Temuka Leader, and pay half a year's subscription in advance, and as the annihilation will take place before the other half-year comes due, they can have the paper for nothing in the meantime. This h a splendid opportunity for people to patronise the local paper on Mie cheap, and we trust that people will take advantage of it ; for certainly if the comet story be true they will never have the same chance again. But, speaking seriously, is it not surprising that after all the predictions, prophecies, and so forth, that have alarmed people from times immemorial, failing to turn out true, persons are now found to have the consummate assurance of putting such nonsense as this before the public, We have seen this comet. We have seen it in the dead of night when it had a good opportunity of just jumping down on this sinful world and smothering it while it lay asleep, and leave no one alive to bear witness against it, but it did not do so. It sailed on calmly and quietly through the midnight sky, and in fact impressed us with the idea that it was a quite harmless comet, that had not one bit of vice in its body. But after all it may be a sly cunning sort of a comet that would not let its mind be known to many, and that it came around here just taking stock as to the best place it could land on to smash up this little tinpot sort of a planet of ours, which we call, in our limited knowledge of things, the world. If that be so it has been detected by no less a personage than the Astronomer Royal of Scotland, but what in the name of all that's wonderful can its antipathy to newspapers have arisen from ? To be sure the Timaru Herald used to have a fresh local in every morning about it, tailing its length, breadth, and circumference to a nicety, but we never knew that eminently critical journn' to abuse the comet in any way. in l..uc we thought that journal gushed a little too much over it, and lavished much more scientific learning on it than was necessary. If the comet took offence at this, itsideas are quite different from anything we have come in contact with during our journalistic life. Our experience is that people like very much to be praised up in the newspaper, and so long as they are that paper is the very acme of perfection, but should that paper criticise their conduct adversely, no matter how justly, it becomes a miserable rag. The comet evidently does not appreciate the admiration lavished upon it by the Herald if the tales we are told be true. And now that we think of it, we fancy we saw its eye cocked in the direction of Timaru when it was passing by here. No doubt it was just taking stock of the Timaru Herald, and probably nursing up its wrath on account of the way that paper was watching all its movements. But why it should have a down on all existing newspapers because of the Timaru Herald we arc at a loss to know. Only the Astronomer Royal of Scotland, who is evidently in the confidence of the comet, can tell that. However, we will run tho risk of it. Any one who desires to become a subscriber to the Temuka Leader can let half the year's subscription stand over till October, 1883, and if the annihilation takes place we pledge ourselves never to trouble them about the unpaid amounts when we shall meet at the other side of Jordan. We do not believe that the amiable, gentle comet, whom we so much admired when it visited us, has any sinister intention of demolishing newspapers. The All-wise Being that has guided the comet from the beginning will steer it so as to keep dear of sun and moon in 1883, and newspapers will be read after the Astronomer Royal of Scotland has gone to acquire knowledge of which he possesses very little at' present. The same astronomer, after reading the Pyramids of Egypt, predicted that the world would come to an end last May. Now it is October 1883, *nd be expects sensible people to believe him !

Capital and Labok.—Hudson Bros., of Melbourne, hare cabled for men, stating the time has arrived when employers of labor should be able to govern their establishments as they think proper.