AT THE CORNER.

Thames Star, Volume XV, Issue 4964, 6 December 1884, Page 2

AT THE CORNER.

[by nemo.]

Homo sum, humani nihj,l a me alienum puto,

When are we to have manufactures started at the Thames ? This is a question which must interest many parents here. I have previously asked what is to be done with the numerous and increasing youth in this self«populating goldfield ? Nature is kind, and her gifts lie about us in the form of mineral ores, and earths suitable for many things, as well as her many other natural gifts; but no attempt is made to utilize the precious stores which abound —and all because no one will find the almighty dollar, without which we can do nothing. Factories could be started on the Thames, where good water power can be obtained cheap, much more easily than in Auckland. The high level water race would also conduce greatly to the introduction of factories here; altogether it seems a matter of regret that more enterprise is not apparently existent in the place. X* X : An Australian paper to hand points out J that the perversion of taste shown by the kea—the parrot which has given up vege\ table diet and become carnivorous—has roused another squatter to find a remedy. It says :—The kea attacks sheep near the region of the kidneys, torturing and generally killing the victim. Mr W. S. proposes, in order to confound the feathered enemy, that no sheep's tail should be removed. " For then," he

said, '• the sheep could brush the birds off with its tail." Now is *It the habit of a sheep to wag its tail ? . X X X A young lady noticing that a house was being covered with corrugated iron, remarked to her companion that the house was being "• ironed." This is a new departure in the laundry business. It is due to the young lady to say that she did not mean " flat" ironed. Not being married, she is not "up " in such things, and I speak not ironically when I express the hope that she nerer will be. * * *■■ That versatile writer, in the Australasian, " iEgles," tells the following :—lt was formerly a joke against a Baptist stockbroker, in the Rev. Charles Clark's time, that he attended regularly in the church porch, offering the use of hymn books, and that his business card, with quotations, was always found inserted between the fly-leaf and the title-page. This happy combination of the secular with the spiritual is disclosed in the following circular addressed to a squatting firm :— PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH STIPEND FUND. . Hay, Oct. 31,1884. Messrs Mills, Neilson, and Smith, Uardry, Hay. Dear Sir, —Your yearly subscription to the Stipend of the Presbyterian minister of this place is now due.A Your cheque for the amount will much ohlige.'^H Yours, very truly, Wm. P. Gordon, Secretary. U. Threlkeld, Treasurer. And then comes this interesting intimation, from Mr Gordon, who is a manufacturer of soap :— P.S.—Have you any tallow for sale? lam payingl more than the market value on account of local scarcity. Give you same price as last for rough, or 25s for rendered and return casks.—Wli. F. Gordon. This is almost on a par with a Jewish gentleman in the soft goods line in a small way in one of the colonies, who attended a Governor's levee, and upon being introduced to His Excellency, produced an immense business card, and with t a bland "Good-day, good-day* your Excellency—• don't forget the address," deposited the card in the Governor's hand, and walked away in a perfectly self-satisfied manner. XXX The sports at Parawai last Monday were well carried out, and reflected every credit on those who made the arrange" ments. The competitors in the various items evidently strove to win fairly. The 150 yardß ; mile; half»mile; the hurdles, and the 300 yards races were really most creditable preformances; and while the victors may not Wst; the vanquished have nought to feel ashamed of, and the at* tendance at the sports was exceptionally good, considering the unsettled state of the weather. X XX In last week's notes I referred ad« veraely to the directory of the Cambria Gold MiniDg Company in sending their specimens to Auckland to be crushed, and the result of their action, as shown in the small return obtained, amply bears out any strictures then made. Everything was kept profoundly secret, and the first news which leaked out was that the supervisor had brought back the tailings to be treated here. This was thought a somewhat extraordinary course, and not boding ' very well for the success of the experi- ' ment.but on retorting day the whole thing came out. The wonderful " process," which was to save "all *' the gold, turned out a " duffer," and more than half as much of the precious metal was obtained down here from the tailings as was extracted by the manipulations in the Auckland Bank. The folly of the directors is now apparent to all, and during the week they havo come in for some rather strong condemnations ; so I do not expect we will hear of any more parcels of specimens being sent to Auckland for treatment again ia a hurry. X X X A little incident, which does not speak much for the knowledge of the Bank man to whom the stone was entrusted, is going the rounds, and will no doubt be interest* ing to my readers. I give it simply as I heard it: —Seeing that the specimens were not yielding as well as was expected the Thames gentleman, who was " supervising" the treatment, panned off some of the tailings, and lo! and behold! got a good prospect of gold. He showed this to the Bank man, who stoutly denied that it was the precious metal at all. But our miner was not to be beaten ; he had detected too many " colors," and had bagged too many hauls of specimens in his time to be mistaken, so the process of amalga* mation and retorting was resorted to, with the result which might be expected—a button of gold—which I have no doubt made the Bank official open bis eyes somewhat to the imperfection of his method of specimen treating. X X X The Salvationist nuisance on Sunday afternoons should be put down at once. What right has a small section of the the community to inflict the discordant noise of a big drum and cornet oat of time on this peace-loving people? Besides this, there is the evident disorder caused amongst Sunday School children, who are led away from their duty by the superior attraction of an absurdly-attired procession, headed by a few " tootters'" playing wretchedly out of time; and, still further, do these fanatics go parading past the Hospital, turning the sweet and peaceful Sabbath day into a jangle of di*cord which threatens to snuff out the glimmer of life in some of the poor patients. Why should this state of things be permitted to continue? I am told remonstrances have failed ; if this be so, other means should be tried to stop the, Salvationist nuisance. XXX The Conduotor and management of the Choral Society might consider the ad., visability of performing only selections from the " Messiah " on the 18th ; the full oratorio occupies about 3| hours, and no audience at the Thames would sit out more than two hours of such high class music—even in Auckland, where it is the fashion to largely attend the " Messiah " and such like performances of the Society there, I know that people become excessively "bored" by the time tbe Hallelujah Chorus is sung, and wish it was over. I should recommend a seeoad part for the concert of the 18th, coniist. ing of songs and instrumental music.