CORRESPONDENCE. THE WHATAWHATA SPORTS.

Waikato Times, Volume XVIII, Issue 1487, 14 January 1882, Page 3

CORRESPONDENCE. THE WHATAWHATA SPORTS.

TO TUB EDITOR. Sir, — In your issue of Tuesday I see two very clever letters signed " Whatawhata" and " Old Clothes, respectively, and I consider that the gentlemen who have constituted themselves the champions of disgraceful and indecent conduct, have each chosen a vexy appropriate norn do plume, " Whatawhata accuses me of misrepresenting facts ; lie states the jumping was not on the main thoroughfare ; well he may try to wriggle out of it in that way, and of course we can excuse people trying to get out of a scrape, when they are in it, the best way they can. I have only to say it was on the place where the footpath of the future great city of Whatawhata is to be, and within a few yards of a private dwelling. Then, he says, the instant it was observed that he was not provided with the usual and proper costume, he was hustled out of the throng, &c, &c, the instant it was observed. Well, I am glad I have been enlightened as to the duration of the space of time mentioned, as it is really much longer than ever I imagined, and I am most thankful to such a learned gentleman as " Whatawhata," for bringing me out of the dark. Then, he says, that he (the offender) was not countenanced during the remainder of the day. Aa to that, I cannot say, for big as I am presumed to be, I would not dare to cast any aspersions on the Whatawhata Sports Committee. As to the remarks of both those gentlemen about snakes in the grass, respectability, morality, church-going, &c, I can well afford to pass them .by with contempt. But it does seem strange to me, Mr Editor, that although they take up the cudgels in this case, and are barefaced enough to deny the truth of my statement, they acknowledge that it really did occur, and now I will leave you and the unbiassed public to judge whether the conduct described was disgraceful, o? ( ,»oVt and if those gentlemen take' the tfouple to •qrrite any more on the subject ,1 shall not . take the slightest notice of iCK is 1 delightful to notice how decidedly they aieiuthedftrk j

with regard to my identity, as their allusions to subscriptions and other things clearly show ; for I have never subscribed a single farthing to the Whatawhata sports, or any others," so your correspondents are striking blindly at an unseen foe. but as for me, how shall I chase away my sorrow ? I have offended the Whatawhata Sports Committee— my doom is fixed — I am to be crushed out of existence by the heel ,of .some honest man's boot. I have slighted a respectable Highlander, who has a perfect right to strip in public. Oh !Ohll am in disgrace]; for have not " Whatawhata" and " Old Clothes" said so. I must pass away into oblivion and hide my diminished head. By-the-by "Old Clothes" was going to call me a gentleman, only he thought of it in time, was'nt it lucky. He also says moral men, as a rule, would have pointed the offence out to the committee. Were they not there, and did not one of them pocket Scottys shilling, although he was not allowed to enter. Then he should remember, as his letter indicates, that morality is quite out of fashion.— l am, &c, OTemfoba 0 Mores. [We trust that this subject will now be allowed to drop. Ed.]

Mr J. S. Buckland will sell at Cambridge, on Tuesday, a supetior lot of cattle. What letter should a man name if he saw his shrew wife in a lock-up ! — Letter B. (Let her be.) .■> Sunday Crusade in Cornwall.— There have been some strange outbreaks of Puritanism in Cornwall lately. At St. Ives a boat load of pilchards, which 'had been taken on Sunday, could not command any bids, except one of £10, which was one-fifth of the value, because the fishermen had "broken the Sabbath" in shooting the seine on " the Lord's Day." The austere people of the place were confirmed in their resolution to boycott Sunday traffic by the sinking of the boat and the loss of her cargo during the night — a mishap which was looked upon as a direct "and special manifestation" of divine displeasure. The owner of a cellar refused to let it for the purpose of curing some fish caught on Sunday. — Truth.