EPISODES IN LIFE.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 2547, 6 March 1877, Page 3

EPISODES IN LIFE.

This is how a writer in the Grey River Argus alludes .to the" early New Zealand days of Mr Charles Haughton, once M.H.JJ. and IJnder-Secretary;—. " Poverty not only makes people acquainted with strange bed-fellows, but drives them to strange expedients fora living. In. the early days of the Otago goldfields circumstances, threw together two young men on the' digging who were equally hard-up. One was a doctor, and would'say to his companion—" Hang it nobody gets ill, and if they do they get better directly, and. as for teeth I never . knew anything like it—l Hied upon one tooth for a l wock, and two boxes of pills had to lastinae for three days.'' And the - other was-no better oil'— there were no children toj teach, and the miners were

top contented to go to law. While they \vere discusging -.th'tvir future course of action .a"happy thought struck the doctor aud he sang out, "By "Jove,^ o!d fellow, I've got it. >\'c'iL- rhalce Rai Paste !"' "Hat Paslc" ? Mskcd" his' friend, quile/:astonis!icd. "<'f course, Rat Paste, don't you Know that (lie rats are playing the -mischief :-with the storekeepers and there are neither haps nor cats. Look here, okl.Tellovr. I can musterup a few bob; that will buy some rancid butter at the. store. You go round to the back of.the next shaniy and fetch j a few empty bottles V..pound 'cm to fine powder in that moi'far, then mix. and there you have your Patent Rat Paste, in packets of half.arcrown each, a reductiou upon taking a quantily !" tho.'t/woset to'work, one pounding broken glass, and the ether mixing it with butter, wrap-: ping it in-small packets and labelling 1 them "poison." . In a day or .two the appeared a notice -pinned outside the tent announcing the -wonderful preparation which'was ■guaranteed to exterminate all; the rats in tho district. Tho success was wonderful. The rats took the bait ravenously, but as they could not digest it, 5 of course died. The paste sold extensively, arid the vendors sold their secret, audby • the means ..thus obl«ined c they were enabled to go to another part of the goldfields, where they subsequently :got: on well. One became a member of Parliament for the district and ah Undersecretary, and the olhir rose to a very good practice. .