THE WANDERER.

Wairoa Bell, Volume IV, Issue 156, 29 July 1892, Page 2

THE WANDERER.

No moneys are available for expenditure upon that road. Such was the stereotyped wail sent forth by the Hokianga Council to a business man who had the awful presumption to write to that August body requesting that some patching ln ight he done to the main road leading fr . in a place called Waikara to the Maunganui Bluff. The aforesaid business man has on more than one occasion expended money out of his own pocket on this * main road,’ and thought that under the circumstances the least the County Council could do was to spend a few pounds if only sufficient to make it passable for the winter. Poor deluded business man ! you have by this time learnt to your cost what an idiotic thing it

I is to try and get Councillors to vote for the expenditure of money on really necessary works, -are you not aware that in all probability most of these men have some petty right of way to their own potato patch which they would much prefer having the funds spent upon thau upon a main road between two large centres of population. But so it is and so it is likely to continue where ratepayers take such little interest in county matters and will quietly allow a lot of self-mter-ested guidnuncs to crawl into office and power. There is one thing I would like to impress upon the high and mighty Councillors of Hokianga ; it is that the road is in anything but a safe state for anyone to travel on and if an accident shquld happen they might have an action for damages brought against them and get let in ; then the old wail ‘ no funds ' won’t do. ifv When Mr Shera M.11.R, was through this way he travelled over this road which at that time was in a far better state than now, but he then thought it was in an abominable condition and promised to do his best to gc t the Government to spend a sum of money upon it. Mr Shera, we thank you ; it is more than our own member has promised us. Mav vou be successful. * * * What a fuss a few antiquated dames in Auckland are making over the Women’s Franchise. But I think it is a great pity that they should drag so many parsons into the affair. I don’t approve of so much mixing up of religion and politics. Nobody could have a greater respect of religion than myself, but I like it in its proper place and do not care to see it mixed up with either business or politics, in fact when a man commences talking religion and business at the same time I invariably keep a sharp eye upon him. * * * But didn’t Sir Georg-e come out strong ; he ‘ thought the women should have a chamber.’ Now really, Sir George, I’m not a bashful man, but I was almost inclined to blush, but when I thought the matter out seriously I came to the conclusion that yon were quite in the right though yon might have gone a little further and have enlightened us as to the size and pattern. * * * So the useful little suspension bridge at Opanake has been washed away and the life of a Government ranger nearly lost. What a pity it was not the Minister of Public Works, or one of the Commissioners. The maories are now at work building a larger and stronger one. Let us hope it will not share the fate of the other one. * * * One day last week I was doing a wander up north when being overtaken by the rain I made inland to one of the gumdiggers’ camps, and on arriving at one of the whares the boys who happened to "be at home gave me a hearty welcome, and at once proceeded to ’ sling the billy.’ After having refreshed the inner man, pipes were lighted and I started the lads yam spinning. Some stiff ’uns were told I can assure you, but a yarn told by one was so good and so clearly proves that all the diggers are not such ignoramuses as many seem to think them,' that I think part of it at least worth relating. It appeared that Mr digger had been dealing with a certain storekeeper up north, but being dissatisfied with the way iu which he was being served he shifted his account and went to deal with another storekeeper in the locality. At the time of changing he owed storekeeper No. 1 a few shillings, for which an account in due time was rendered. A few days after receiving the bill he met the storekeeper and told him that he would pay the amount any time he called at his whare but that he could not afford to lose the time (two days) going ever to she store to settle up, to which Mr Storekeeper replied, Oh, that’s all right. So the thing went on, the creditor never calling and Mr digger never paying, though quite prepared to do so. But what was the latter’s astonishment when one day he received a very peremptory no:e informing him that unless the amount were paid within a eertsin time a summons would be issued against him for its recovery. The money was sent and with it the following : Sir, —Your impertinent and ungrammatical epistle duly to hand. It has often been said that nothing will more clearly show ignorance, vulgarity or impudence than a display of petty spite. Your letter has clearly and conclusively proved the entire truth of the saying, but allow me to inform you that I have neither the time nor inclination to worry myself over the braying 3 of an elongated specimen of the ass tribe like yourself. Mr Digger treasures the epistle which he glories in showiug as a genuine specimen of ignorance, impertinence, and bad grammar. ifc •=& Another good story was told me about our late Govenor Lord Onslow. It was while on the trip up North that his Lordship and the Countess pulled up at one of the way-side pubs when a few who were around drew near desirous if possible of having a word with the Governor, when up came a stunted, unwashed, rag and tattered specimen of humanity. Well !my little man,’ said his excellency ‘ what do you want ?’ ‘ Please your lordship, I want’s a bit of land !’ ‘ Well my man, go and take a bit.’ ‘Yes, yer lordship, I ought to get a bit, because yer see as how I’m related to Sir Thomas Salt the member of parliament at ’ome !’ To which his Lordship quietly replied ‘ Cum grano salo.' Many thanks ‘ Old JT-iihu ’ for your wart, 'ng, I’ll admit I don’t obie-"*' •» x bit of a ro"-r’ rod tumble when there is i«•_ in atfewb ' _ out I think I may very 1 d. v drum- fli-s at 2 Brazen cheeks and tough bull-Mcte. 1 much prefer being in the position of the email boy, who, when his mother said to him Now : 3t riia you’ve been fighting, I can see it by tho look re. your eye ? he replied, Ah ! but you snould twig the look in the other chap’s eye. No, no, Old Kaihu, the line mu t bo drawn : for it would be utterly useless pegging away at a thick-skinned creature such as you describe.