FREE LUNCHES.

Waikato Times, Volume VII, Issue 428, 13 February 1875, Page 5 (Supplement)

FREE LUNCHES.

I w.\s wa-. thinking of taking an hotel in Auckland and of tiying the experiment of "free luncheV sfime as in the Slates " Bul I>xc con " eluded that I won't. My rea-on foi this is that I went to the sheep fair and saw what some of you Auckland folks can do in the way of eating a lunch when you don't ha\e to pay. And the'ie\ no mistake about it on those terns you fellows do get outside of a proper squaie meal. There were two or thiee out tlieie that I spotted, and thinks I, my boys, I'll just chop on you in the Echo for the rough manner you

go in for those refreshments. The first individual that my piercing eye iell on was a tall, lanklooking sort of a chap— just the light bleed for doing hi*, level best to pi event any fragments ljing round, and thus sawng the waiteis an immense amount of tumble, lie was without doubt a "lean and hungiy man" uhen I fusL glanced at him, but before that lunch was over he had impio\cd wondei fully. It's a fact. He giadually filled out and his body assumed the form of a well-noimshed peison. The expression of his face, too, undenvent a considerable alteration. When I first watched him it was one of intense longing, and he evidently was just waiting foi l'eikins to sing out "up boys and at 'em," for when the woid was given he did " at 'em" and no | mistake. The way he lushed the dish of sandwiches was a caution. I'm pietty good at that soit of thing myself, but I felt mean in even looking at him. After making away with about two laige dishes of good substantial tucker he turned his attention to bread and cheese, bottled beer, and cucumbers. Thinks I to myself you'll pietty soon have to knock off, my friend. Uut n«, he stuck to it manfully, and in about one hour from the time he Raited I'll undeitakc to state by actual observation that he could not have put away leis than the following : 61bs. bread, I %lbs.« beef, £/ Ib. ham, ij/ib. cheese, 3 cucumbeis, and enough bottled beei to float the steam launch Eclipse. By this time his expression became one of supieme content, and as he left the building scarce any one would have recognised in the portly pleasant-looking gentleman the lean cadaverous-looking individual who entered it an hour pieviously. There wcie several others who did lemaikably well ; in fact, so well did every one do, that I can't see the fun of instituting free lunches. Not if 1 know it. Yours, &c. Lately Oi r.