A TREAT FOR THE GIRLS.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2427, 19 November 1892, Page 3

A TREAT FOR THE GIRLS.

All amusing story ol a Kew Zealand skipper is told in “ Homeward Bound after Thirty Years,” a narrative of travel written by Mr Edward Beeves, and published by Swan, Sonnensohein & Co. The town 'of Greymouth, in Tasmania (sic), grew vexy fast. Mines of coal as well as of gold were opened; trade sprang up with Hobart, and a genial skipper from the port entertained all hearers at the hotel with glowing accounts of the beauty of the Hobart girls. Ladies were scarce in those early days, and the fun waxing fast, over drinks all x’ound, each one in joke, commissioned the skipper to bring him a wife next time, at £2O passage money. The ship sailed, and the joke was forgotten, but not by the old skipper; that astute old salt calculated t|iat young ladies at £2O each passage money paid better than timber or potatoes even ; so he went over with glowing accounts of the rich bachelors at

Greymouth waiting for wives, and persuaded about a dozen Hobart girls to go out on speculation to order. Arriving at Greymouth he calmly reported to each joker —horror-stricken especially were the married ones—that the commission was executed and the consignment to hand, £2O to pay. £2O was not so much to pay in those days for such a good joke, especially one of a delicate nature that required hushing up ; so nearly all paid up, and laughed. The sweet young Ho bartians soon got husbands or situations, and all ended well.