ECHOES FROM THE CAFE.

Waikato Times, Volume XIX, Issue 1637, 2 January 1883, Page 4

ECHOES FROM THE CAFE.

CinusTMAtf"' Day, "' with its ' hallowed memories aud its family gatherings, baa once nios' £omo and gone, and r hope 1 that most, 'if hot all of us feel better for this glad 'reminder of that wondctful' event which ' took' place in the City of David nearly nineteen hundred years ago. To' k, large portion, if not to the majority of our polygldt population, Christinas Day is but a holiday, not a holy day, but it is very noticeable that, even those, who jConsi lor it in the former light seem to feel themselves bound, out of consideration for those \\ ho deem it the most saeicd day in the year, to p.iss the day quietly and without any of Hie more noisy foims of pleasure noticeable on other holidays. The laigo section of the community belonging to the Anglican and Roman Catholic Churches attended service in the morning and spent the rest of the. day quietly in family gatherings, while most of the rest of our population enjoyed the day in a quiet manner also. * < Boxing Day, on the otlier hand, was observed by all classes as a holiday. The races, steamer excursions, and picnics wore the order of the day, and J upiter Pluvius being in a good humour and the weather being consequently tine, everyone seemed to enjoy the holiday. Of course, the summer meeting of the Auckland Racing Club at JCllerslie A\as the main &ouice of attraction. Seldom has there been a larger attendance at a race meeting here, and those who were present were well satislied with their days' sport, as in every event but one tlioie was a splendid contest for the honour* and the number of the horse moat fancied by the public was the topmost on tbe tclegiaph bo.ud at the. close of the race. A fine day, a large crowd of happy people, a good run for the money, and the tasoiito winning a welleontestcd lace, what mote could people want 1 i A f The steamer evolutions to the islands and bays of our beautiful haibour wen* well patronised, including one to the island home of the >"( treat Pro-consul.' By the bye, I heard a very good story .sometime ago in connection with the afoiesaid "island home." Among the passengeis by one ot the incoming San Francisco mail steamers was a quondam member of the Cential Committee, who treated strangers to Auckland on board the steamer to vaiious stories about Sir (.Jeorge Urey and the friendship "which subsisted between him and the Q.AI. of the C.C., which, according to his account, was of a similar iutensity to tliafc ot David and Jonathan. When the steamer approached this poit the Q.M. of the (J.C. asked an Auckland gentleman \\ ho was on board the name of the island they were passing, and was informed that it was Kawau. Shortly afterwards he pointed out the island to some of the strangers, telling them that it was Kawau, the residence of his friend, Sir George Urey, and that ho frequently went there to stay. Unfortunately one of the strangers had heard him ask the name ot the island, and mentioned the fact. The Q.M. of the C.C. suddenly discovered that it was time for him to go to his cabin, and begin to pack his luggage. 1 did not go to the races, nor yet to any of the steamer exclusions, but drove out to the Whau, and went and inspected the site ot the -South Whau township, and what will be the western terminus of the canal joining the waters of the Waitemata with those ot Miinukan, jiiovided the canal is made at the Whau portage. Of eouise., as 1 am not an engineer, my judgment is not A\oith vciy much, but it is my humble opinion that to construct a canal theic would be a costlj undertaking. I think that " there's millions in it," and that it will not 1)0 attempted for many yeais, if at all. Of coiuse.it may fairly lie contended that it is a national undertaking, but 1 ventuie to say that it Mould bo a veiy diiheult matter to persuade Mr Macmdiew and the other Otaguu mcmbci.s ot the tact. I'io-viuualist-5 may say what tho^ please about the. benefits ol the piowucial system, but it is impossible to disprove that, in consequence of that system people in the Southern piovmcca have objected, do object, and will object to money being spent in Auckland if they can diveit it to the South. What seems to me a much nioiu teasiblc and more easily attainable pioject is to nin a branch line horn the Kaipaia railway to :i spot on the iMiinukiiu about a mile bolow the Sout'i Whau township, Avheio then; is ft depth of thiity leet at low tide. (This bi finch line would be about fnc miles long, and would cost about C' 20,000. It -would unable iliamois to icceivjand jlibcliargc cargo and mails ictjaidloss ot Llic state oi the .side, and thus the mail* could aui\e tour hoius latei, ,u\d leave four hmu'b honuei than at piescnl. Tin's project then is very feasible, Mould cost very little, and would bo ot gi eat advantage not niuioly to .Auckland but to the whole colony, so 1 hope to sec pi ovision made foi it dining nc\t bession of Parliament. What a beautiful sheet of water the AJtinulv.au is when the tide ih in, but what an ugly expanse of mud when the tide is out ! I do not wondoi that Onehiing.iis such a " sleepy hollow," .seeing that, during at least one-halt of each twenty-four liouis, the ga/o ot the in habitants mn 4 lest on miles ot mud tlats. Jlowexcr, it the smelting ot the ironsand is carried to a successful issue, even the mud flats w ill tail to keep OneJninga in its piesent stagnant state. * x The bazaar ill aid of the building fund of the Auckland Tabernacle, which was held last week, was an unqualified success, resulting in the icalising of no less a sum that Cl l.V> as gioss receipts. It is confidently hoped that, attcr paying all expenses, tiiei c will be £1000 as net profit. This shows what can be done by a wellorganised and determined effort, even when, as in the case of the Auckland Baptists, the people are neither numerous nor wealthy. # ♦ The other day I heard a true story about a lady (of course she is a lady) belonging to our local would-be aristocracy. Though owning a number of houses, she lives in a hired house, which has been for some time in the hands of one of our local, agents for sale. A gentleman who wished to buy the house went to look at it, accompanied by hjs wife and a clerk from the land agent's office. He knocked at the door and asked whether Mis Blank was at home, and was told by the girl who answered the door that she was not. He informed the girl of hi. 6 errand and said that it would probably be better to return when the lady of the bouse was there. The girl told him that she did not think that necessary, but that he might go through the house then, He allowed his wife to go into such of the rooms as the girl took her into and he contented himself with looking at the outside of the house and at the grounds and offices. The result was so satisfactory that he bought the property. The next day he received a most abusive letter from the Uuhj who was occupying the house, telling him that he had been guilty of the grossest' rudeneBS, that she strongly objected to ••tramps and other loose characters " prowling about her house, and that she had placed herself and her property, under the protection of the police. Of course, he did not acknowledge the reoeipt of her letter or reply to it in any way, but merely wrote her a polite note, informing her that he had bought the liouse, and giving her formal notice to juit. Of such is the would-be aristocracy )i ! Auckland. ' ' . ♦ \ 'iDnrhigjbJfe gass ji r eek/ther|&; has" been ituefror.pqjppg in thc ', $ aily , W s^ Srap'tjii alleg^ Hamilton murdfer'.clulk* WxmMM^Mfc^- foiffi? keen , acted