AT THE CORNER.

Thames Star, Volume xv, Issue 4767, 19 April 1884, Page 2

AT THE CORNER.

[by nemo.]

Homo turn, Tiumani niltil a me alienum puto.

A good story is told of a well-known sharebroker here, who was entrusted with the sale of a share in a mine which had not struck gold, but had good indications. The intelligent miner one day rushed into our broker's office, and in breathless haste inquired if the share had been sold; " for," said he, "we have struck a regular jeweller's shop, and I have now got the chance of my life. I hope you have not sold?" "Sorry to say I have only to day sold the share, but I got a hundred more than you asked." " Dear me," replied the miner, " I am very sorry, for I thought my fortune was made. You never saw such a show ! " After a little more parleying of this kind, the broker suggested that his client might as well complete the sale, and take the cheque, which was for £180. The unfortunate (?) miner signed the transfer, accepted the price of the share, and left with welKfeigned disgust. Now came the joke. The .broker went in haste to see the mine, and found to his dismay— for he was himself the purchaser of the share—that the drive had been hung round with gold leaf. Tableau!!!

XX X # How is it that there is always such a preponderance of female attendance at

Churches on Holy days ? The proportion of- woiae^. and children to be seen at Divine worship on days specially set apart for that; purpose indicates a laxity or indifference as to things spiritual, which is not a heaity sign.

The extraordinary behaviour of some of the Evangelists during their religious meetings leads one to consider whether or not they are quite sane. When we hear of light jokes, laughter, vulgar similes, and such like low comedy practice, our minds revolt from such a method of dealing out Salration theories.

The holes in the bats, the rectangular wides in the bowling, the energetic hits by batsmen when the ball had gone ten yards past them, the playful way in which the fielders dodged the ball, and eluded its contact, and the grand scorn for conventionalism shewn in running after a ball by the Press team in the cricket match recently played by them against the Thames Club, are worthy of record. If the team were to continue introducing new ideas, and persevered with any degree of vigor, doubtless a new era in the cricket world would rapidly dawn.

A peculiar case came before the E.M. yesterday, showing to what extent petty spite will sometimes lead a mao. The two parties are farmers in an up-country district some thirty miles from here, and their properties adjoin, the sheep sometimes getting " boxed." There is no difficulty in drafting them, however, as the flocks are of different breeds. Well farmer No. 1 has for some reason or other cut down a few trees which fall on the boundary fence, partly breaking it. This Farmer No. 2 does not like, and when driving his sheep to the Thames some of No. l's animals managed to mix with them. He drives them down within five miles of his destination, and here drafts out nearly all of No. l's sheep, turns them out on the hill, and comes on to town and disposes of his flock. Meanwhile No. 1 misses his animals, and suspecting No. 2's dodge, rides in and finds one of his sheep among those sold. He interrogates No. 2, but can get no information, and therefore places the detective on the track of his lost property. That Officer quickly finds the missing animals, and an information is laid against No. 2 ior wilfully driving off the sheep. He admits the impeachment, and makes no defence beyond saying it is No. l's fault for cutting the trees down. His action, however, costs him the nice little sum of £20, besides his own expenses, the R.M. reminding him that it might be better for him in future to remember the adage in an old Book which he had perhaps heard of, to "do unto others as you would they should do unto you." No. 2 says he has already tried that, and it does not answer, and retires discomforted.

What is the field coming to? Everywhere one goes the general complaint is of the "dull times." Several of our business men have left or contemplate leaving, the brokers are walking about all day with nothing: to do, even the Borough Council has had to put the screw on their officers' salaries, and the only things which appear to be increasing in number are the Salvation Array and the array of debt cases at the E.M. Court every fortnight. What is the cause of all this P I ask, and the almost invariable 'answer is, that the " mines are not, look* ing' bo well." This is the root of the matter, though it is to the shame of the population that it can be said. Over and over again it has been pointed out that to be, and continue, prosperous, the town must have other industries, but the people are so dead to their own interests, that they cannot see it, and every project that is brought forward falls flat.

Another thing which has no doubt partly caused the present depression is the absence, until lately, of main prospecting works. Now that the Deep Level Cross not Companies have set the example, could companies be floated to put in main tunnels in various portions of the field; many old miners have given it as their opinion that if the Moanatairi tunnel were extended to the Alburnia, gold would probably be met with, while recent d evelopments in the Cambria and Rocky Point mines point to the desirability of main crosscuts being extended through the hills between the Waiotahi and Karaka and Karaka and Hape Creeks. Works like these cannot fail to commend themselves to investors, as they test the field, and as gold has been proved to descend to the low levels, their prosecution would in all probability unearth finds of equal richness to those found nearer the surface.

A schoolmaster tells me that while out for his holidays, he observed 6n a certain crack boat running from Auckland to a more or less flourishing gold mining town, that passengers were requested by placard not to " lay " on tne cabin seats. Whether the lay referred to is that of 11 The Last Minstrel," or is given in the way of (h) entreaty to refrain from spread* ing themselves ova the cushions, it is quite impossible to say, but it was inspected by my informant that the passengers were hardly likely to make geese of themselves while in the cabin.

The C.T, is generally pretty cute, but I call the following from a colonial paper: —" A story is told of a young commercial traveller who recently called upon a local storekeeper, and by mistake handed him a photograph of his betrothed instead of his business card, saying that he represented that establishment. The merchant examined it carefully, remarked that it j was a fine establishment, and returned it to the astonished young man, with a hope that he would soon be admitted into partnership." XXX In forming a mining company io these I parts, it is generally considered advisable to have on the directorate at least one gentleman who resides in the mining district where the claim is situate. Those in Auckland, however, being in the majority, generally " rule the roast" pretty exclusively—often ignoring the local director's recommendation— although perhaps he knows more about the matter than all the others put together; and they generally carry out the result of their own sweet wills, though in the end, as my readers have often seen, they find out that big mistakes have been made, which perhaps costs the company a large sum of money. Shareholders have the remedy in their own hands, as when appointing directors they should see that the men are thoroughly competent for the positions given them. ■

The police are certainly no respecters of persons—not even of " fcorers of the

Lord.'-' A Salvation officer last evening hung his horse up on the footpath in one of the streets, and the animal .was, with saddle jand bridle, promptly impounded by a constable. The audacious •' bobby "

will doubtlesshave, or has had,an anathema thundered at him by the worthy captain for his action. XXX One of the latest phases of servantgalism has been retailed to me. The respected mother of Sarah Jane, it appears, wanted her daughter taken .in as one of the family, and as this was not done to the fullest extent, Sarah's Ma waited on the lady of the house, and com* plained inter alia that her daughter " really didn't like her meat reheated ; she preferred dining with the family—couldn't stand the kitchen in fact; objected to curry; and—upon my word —the young lady abhorred porridge." I have not been told whether the drawing room and the use of the piano were required by Sarah Jane twice a week, for her young man's entertainment. XXX It is said, or sung, that " A Policeman's life is not a happy one." Substitute " Choirmaster " for the policeman in blue and there are some on the Thames who can amen to it. The irregular attendance at choir practice in at least one of bur churches indicates an apathetic feeling amongst the members which says little for their love of the important part they have | to take in the Church serfice^-ribe readi* -•■■;•■■ ness with which some of the members absent themselves for a dance, evening party, or private appointment, however trivial, must be very discouraging to thpße, members who attend regularly, and disheartening to the choirmaster and others who have the direction of choir matters, As I observed in my last "Corner " article referring to choirs, more rigidity is required in the rules, and members should be made „ to understand that they are in a favored position as members of a Church choir, and further that if they absent themselves without satisfactory explanation to the choirmaster their seat will be forfeited. Choir-singers must not be allowed to at* tend when they like or remain away as often as they please.