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Thames Star, Volume XII, Issue 3945, 20 August 1881, Page 2

It is said that some persons, for the purpose of annoying Dr Huxtablo, and having a laugh at bis expense, sent one or two persons to his free consultation yesterday afternoon with imaginary complaints, in order to ascertain his mode of dealing with the patients. In one ease an empty bottle with his label on was procured, and filled with a mixture of sugar and water, which was then represented as having been furnished by Dr Huxtable. This bottle was afterwards handed to another medical man practising ou the ihames.

We learn that an advertisement will appear in the Auckland papers to t.ho following effect, " Wanted on the Thames a qualified medical

practitioner, who must be a gentleman and not given to backbiting."

A IjAEGE number of persons availed themselves of Dr JETuxtable's offer of free advice yesterday afternoon, and many expressed their approval of the course adopted by the doctor, and gratitude for his generous assistance.

" Shag on a Rock " contributes the following:—"Sir,—The following little episode is too good to be passed over these dull litnesi and it has the additional advautage of being true. There is an old proverb by Oapt. Watts —no! I beg pardon, I mean Dr. Watts— which says, ' Hatan finds some mischief still, &c,' and it is filly exemplified on this occasion. Mrs W., of Shortlaud, baa been making extensive additions lately, and has succeeded in collecting under her hospitable roof a lew choice spirits, who are not averse, now and then, to playing practical jokes on one another. The other evening, finding time hung heavy on their hands, someone (who knew how fond little G. was of getting' :i smoke on the cheap) proposed, by way of amusement, that they should go in for a gunpowder plot, j in the form of a cigarette carefully primed with powder, and put in a place where G. would be sure to see it when he came in. No sooner said than done. Pass the powder-iZorw, saya one, and let us proceed to business. The cigarette was accordingly caivi'ully manu luctured, and the proper modicum of po dec duly inserted. This being accomplished, it was proposed that Mrs Watta-her-name should try it to see how it worked ; but she declined, saying, ' She did not think it would Soufer, as it might Turner sick. However, shortly alter, little G. appeared upon the scene, and, as usual, said, 'Hum! ha! who's going to give aie a cigarette to night; don't all speak at once.' No one responding to his modest rpquest, be was just going away to tackle his own tobaeuo, when he espied the cigarette on the mantlepiece, and taking it up, said, ' Does this belong to anyone.' There being no claimant for it, he appropriated it, and started smoking like a chimney, the rest of the lodgers sitting round with an innocent don't-know-onyihing-about-it sort of expression on thoir faces, beautiful to behold. Presently came the explosion—the cigarette and little G\ parting company i;i a manner more speedy than j,leasanr, and lub face of mingled dismay and astonishment is easier imagined than descrioed. A voice from out the corner of the room was heard to remarked, ' Guess, We''sto7i\shed jou this time.' ' Yes,' he said. ' It would be ruination to smoke many of tbit, species, for it's merely one puff and it's gone.' As he was leaving the room to remove the traces of the explosion, he stumbled up against his long friend H., to whom he remarked, ' Hullo! old follow ; here's more of thia Sarrusing work going on. I always told them the pot would boil over one of these days, if they kept on with their j jkes, and row it has done so, with v vengeance.' Exit G-., looking very black. Since then he carefully smokes his own tobacco."

Ottb Auckland correspondent says :—" A little bird whispers me that Mr C. O. Davis and Mr Wm. Berry are to be made Hative Lands Court Judges after the House riseß next month, but it is not yet stated who the European gentlemen are who are to be asso ciated with them. Probably their colleagues ■will be Messrs' Bollard, of the Whau, and Mr Hobbs' friend, MrTilden. Mr Whitaker, if consulted, would no doubt prefer Mr Proudc, of Eazorback, iiud Mr Benjamin Tonka, haa the latter been in the colony."

A tj:leghjam' from Dunedin says:—Mrs Chapman, the wife of Robert Chapman, exRegistrar of the Supreme Court, baa been left a legacy of £30,000.

"Oke Who Knows" writes as follows: — Sir, —I see the correspondent of the Observer has been at his old tri ks again—incubating a paragraph and hatching a fiction. I refer to the account of a bottle- selling transaction at Shortland. The remarks are very wide of the truth. No such occurrence took place—at least, not during the preseut n-.anuger's term, now nearly twelve months. If the Observer's "special" finds it necessary to invent paragraphs, perhaps it will be better to avoid mis-statements that might injure the business of his fellofv townsmen.

The Hawera Star says : —" At a meeting of the English Church Vestry, it was resolved to write to the Bey Mr Calder, in the Waikato, asking him if he would be prepared to accept the appointment of clergyman, if it were ottered to him ; also, to the^Bishop, asking whether he would be prepartHLto oppoint a clergyman selected by the paßßoners, assuming that a suitable person should offer his services. Mr Calder, who has been privately coinouunicated wit,h by wire, proposes to visit the district before giving a, filial answer j but; is willing to eutertaiu auy proposal aubuailtol to him."

Fob sale, a grave fence 3ft 6in by sft 6in, with gate; price £U Also, a number of piano packing cases, lined wkh tin aud zinc. As I want to utilize the space they occupy, an immediate purchase- may obtain them at a nominal price.—J. G-BIGK3-, Pollen street.