CORRESPONDENCE. THE WAITAHUNA CHRISTY MINSTRELS.

Tuapeka Times, Volume V, Issue 223, 9 May 1872, Page 8

CORRESPONDENCE. THE WAITAHUNA CHRISTY MINSTRELS.

. (To the Editor.) Sir, —In your issue of May 2nd I see a letter signed " Thomas Eaton," reflecting oil an account of the performance recently given by us, or rather the part he played in the affair, and I must say the whole of his letter (or nearly bo) is a tissue of direct falsehoods. ' In the first place, Mr. Eaton promised the Club that, if at any time ihey liked to get up an entertainment in«the minstrel line, he would be very glad to lend them any and every assistance. In fact, Jhe was the first to pro-pose the thing. Well, Sir, at the time the entertainment was started, Mr, Eaton was out in the bush cutting timber for his house ; but Mr. Baylis waited on him at his residence, and stated the facts of the case to him, when he promised to do the best he could for us. Now, Sir, Mr. Eaton came into the Athenaeum ou the Wednesday previous to the entertainment being given, and said " I am afraid I am late ;" but upon being informed that the company would wait for him, he said, "as soon as I have had my tea, 1 will return,", and all agreed to wait, which they did until after 12 o'clock ; but Mr, Eaton did not come back or send word that .he could not do so, until the next Friday night, \yhen he sent a note to Mr. Baylis saying he could not come, stating-, as he says in his letter to YOU, j that he could not learn the number of songs required to be played in so short a time. JS'ow, Sir, if Mr. Eaton could not learn the music in time (and he a professional man too), why did he promise on the Wednesday to come back and not do so, and never send word until the Friday? Perhaps it was because, (as Mrs. Eaton told one of the Clubs, they had better get the pereon who was going to play at the Oddfellow's soiree to come and play for the Minstrels, as she said her husband was not going to be made & Jack-at-a-Pinch. How she can make that assertion with any good grace I am at a loss to understand. As far as his taking the part of Me. Johnson, it was made as simple as possible, as a proof of which, the gentleman who took the part (Mr. Turner, to whom too much credit cannot be given), had only one rehearsal. Mr. Baylis sent him a note at 3 o'clock on Saturday, requesting him to play, and he came in all the way from Paddy's Point, and, as all can testify, took the part to every one's satisfaction, more especially as that gentleman does not place himself as a professional Violinist. . Now, as to Mr. Eaton's assertions about Mr Pennell, juur., cutting his linger and not being able to play, that is a mere subterfuge^ and Mr. Eaton well knew that, under any circumstances, he was expected to play ; and he was told also that he could not be expected to lose his time for nothing, as the Club would pay him any reasonable charge he might make. This was before Mr. Pennell, jnr., cut his finger ; in fact, it was a fortnight before the entertainment. As Mr. Eaton well knows, he was in the Athenaeum on the night of our first rehearsal (Saturday, April 6th) ; in fact, he advised the Club in his letter to try and retain the services of Mr. Pennell, jnr. As to Mr Eaton's placing himself before the public. in -a. bombastic manner, such an idea, emanating from a professional man, sounds very much like "bosh." As a proof of which, Mr. -Eaton came up about 9 o'clock on the night of our last rehearsal and said, " I am come to do the best I can " — he well knowing at the same time we had obtained another gentleman to play in his place. Trusting you will will give this a place in your valuable journal, — I am, &., One of the Minstbels. Waitahuna, May 6th.