THAMES TITTLE TATTLE

Observer, Volume 4, Issue 86, 6 May 1882, Page 118

THAMES TITTLE TATTLE

— Mrs Elirenfried is at present in Auckland. — The Key. Richard Laishley contemplates a visit to tlie old country in a few months' time. — Miss Jackson, of Onehunga, is on a visit to Mr and Mrs Bayldon, of Hape Creek Road. — It is probable that Mrs and the Misses Wliyte will shortly remove to the provincial metropolis. — Miss Hill will pay another visit to the Thames in a month's time, after which she will return to her home in Canterbury. — "However could she do it!" Nellie has returned to the city, and Fred, is consequently disconsolate, refusing to be comforted. — Is it true that an arrow from Cupid's bow has effected a lodgment in the heart of Harry Taylor, and that as a consequence he will lead the fair Miss Jones to the altar ? — A well-known Thames resident has just come into possession of £500, left him by a person in London for whom he did a good turn when both were young 1 men at school. — The " lunatic " fringe is coining into fashion again with the young ladies of the goldfield. It is hardly necessary to say that the innovation does not fail to make hideous guys of those who go in for them. — At a certain j>laee of worship a few evenings ago the rev. gentleman who presided astonished the congregation when giving out the number of a hymn by exclaiming "Those who won't believe in the doctrine of eternal punishment, for God's sake don't sing those verses." — A report is current that Wilkinson and McCullough intend to publish a penny daily paper at Tg Aroha, for circulation in all the towns and hamlets on the peninsula. The former gentleman has given an oi % der to a firm of Imildgrs for the erection of a building at Morgantown. — It is said that Mac has lost the support of an influential member of the Hebrew race in consequence of a stinging article which appeared in his journal a few days ago on the persecution of the Jews in Russia, and in which the writer roughly handled the Israelites. — Quite a number of girls are "down in the month" at the departure ot "The Infant." Hughie was quite besieged by the dear creatures as he stood on the wharf just before the vessel left, and was compelled to promise to forward no less a number than twenty locks of hair to as many young lady acquaintances before he could escape from their clutches. Mr Bran fell is now the attraction at the Union Bank. — It is likely that the Sinking Club will hold their reunion this winter in St. George's Hall, Pollen street. The proprietor or lessee has offered them the use of the upper storey for the season if they will effect certain repairs to the roof ; and as this would not cost a great deal, there is every probability that the club will accept the offer. — An article, which recently appeared in the " Twiukler " on the outrages on the Jews in Russia, has given ris£. to ..considerable discussion amongst the members of the -Hebrew' race in this part of the colony, and mijchcilli-feeling has been engendered by the publi-jSation-Gf---the---leadeivH-.he-authqrßhip~of-whfcli'ls",£i"c-l. [cr^difrefl. %<$ a'jgenftlepiauiregidiugan the'.Hape'.CrxblL --■ ' f— There arc high jinks, to -play in the. choir of a Certain dissentingf ohapelin tow.n. $ow e,6f thg lady lne'mbers are furidu's at' 'the 'admission of a~ charming. ' girl whoh.asreeently lialcen'-up' her' rSsideinp'e' here,' ancV threatened' 1 resign .iS she; is > not » extolled; :- !i The'-'"eifcy '■'damsel, it appears). 3s .possessed -of a greater ■shar'cbf ; -personal charms than any .of the,other,ladies,- hence the furore. And yet the'se'x assert tliey" are riot jealous ! ' t •^g}hjB o Te.Qle;,G]tub;.hav.t! in, -hand a=farc&'enfiitlfcd 's,'Uend Me Five Shillin^Si« which:' they ;hope'to-15e able to /produce at the Academy within 4 the present month. ! Th& performance wiQ'pe^ioHowea- by V fibpj *for which invitations . management Is in the hands of Mr Fred Burgess, who

has had some experience in such matters; and the committee consist of Messrs Gudgeon, Coney, Home, Banme, and Burgess, who will, I am sure, leave no stone unturned to render the affair successful. — A. fracas almost occurred in Pollen-street the , other afternoon between two well-known professional men, who at one time were as " thick as peas," but who have, for some months past, been almost at deadly enmity with each other. Most ungentleniany language was made use of by one of the parties, which so angered the other that he threatened to horse-whip the offender if the words were repeated. At this juncture a friend of both the squabblers interposed, and succeeded in averting what would have proved a most unseemly breach of the peace. "Let dogs delight to bark and bite," &c. — Trial of the [Reporter. — At the District Court last week 111.1.I 1 . Weston, the "Buster" scribe, was arraigned on the information of Nat. Brass-eye, Esq., charged with jthe heinous offence of partaking of the accommodation 2>rovided within the court precincts for the professors of the long robe. Mr Miller appeared for the culprit, and Nat. conducted his case in i>erson. After listening to prolix arguments by the counsel on either side, His Honor dismissed the information, remarking that he had often heard of gentlemen of the Press being elevated to the Bench. Nat. looked foolish for about two hours after. — I never did believe that a great amount of good was accomplished by evangelists of the HampsonBamford class, and I am now convinced from recent occurrences that the number of genuine conversions made by the peripatetic preachers who have visited the Thames during the past year or two can almost be counted on the fingers of one's hands. A large number of persons in the community (both male and female) profess to have been converted by means of Mrs Hanipson, Mr Spurgeon and Mr Bamford, and are ready to hold up their hands (a la Chadband) in pious horror at any little mistake of those individuals whom they consider are without the pale; but I doubt whether there are half-a-dozen amongst the crowd who can really be called Christians. A lady who has taken a great interest in the charitable and religious institutions of the place was one day last week discovered in an act which only requires to be made public to cause her being ostracised from society. There are just as many, if not more, hypocrites on the Thames since the advent of the evangelists than before. — A gentleman, who at one time "was connected with the Observer in the capacity of local correspondent, experienced a narrow es&rpe from sudden death the other day. It would appear from the statement made to me that a week or two ago a paragraph appeared in the society journal to the effect that a marriage was on the tapis between the employers of a certain establishment in the town. In giving currency to the report, the scribe informs mo he considers he was justified in publishing a piece of news to some extent already public ; but the matter was not viewed in that light by one of the persons to whom it referred, for on accosting the individual who had formerly held the position I am now occupying, he demanded to know this, that, and the other, to all of which queries most unsatisfactory answers (as far as the questioner was concerned) were returned. This had the effect of "riling" the interrogator, who, thereupon, threatened to annihilate anyone who should dare to "put him in the Observer," and wound up by .offering to try conclusions at fisticuffs on the beach with the offending gentleman. It is fortunate for the irate individual that wise counsels prevailed, or my friend would assuredly have taken the matter before a Court of Justice. Language calculated to create a breach of the peace cannot he uttered with impunity. — A nice sort of magistrate : The other day a local Jehu was hanled up before a certain judicial functionary, near the Thames, on a charge of proceeding down a public wharf with his vehicle at other than a walking pace, and was ordered to place a certain amount in the corporation coffers, the presiding genius, at the same time reading the poor defendant a lesson on the enormity of the offence of which he had been found guilty. On Monday last this "model" magistrate made up his mind to take a trip to Auckland (on business bent, I presume) and accordingly hired a carriage to convey him from his home to the steamer. The Eotomahana, for a wonder, left pretty punctually, and in consequence several persons narrowly escaped their passages by her, said individuals being firmly convinced from experience that she would not take her departure for, at least, fifteen minutes after the advertised time of sailing. The lines had just been cast off, and the genial and popular Farquhar was about to give the order for "easy astern," when the position of affairs was observed by the cabby's faro, who besought him to break his horses into a gallop, and he iconic! pa;/ tlia fine, as he was exceedingly anxious not to miss liis* passage ! The driver did not require to be asked twice, and accordingly made the auinials " step it out," with the result that the gentleman was deposited on the end of the pier in time to leap on board the steamer as she was moved off.