"NEW CHUM" IN REPLY. TO THE EDITOR.

Waikato Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2076, 27 October 1885, Page 3

"NEW CHUM" IN REPLY. TO THE EDITOR.

Sin, Ifav ing, since giv uijj your readers my imprcs-.ions on Waikato hunting, left tho distiicf, the letter of your coi respondent "Old Identity" in Tuesday's i^uu would have escaped my notice, had not some good f i lend had the kindness to post me a copy ofyoui \aliiiible paper. I regret exceedingly th.it my remaiks should h.i\e given pun to any one individual. What I wrote \va-» .1 literal outline of what cuno undei my notice, and though "Old Identity" his abused mo soundly, and perhaps deserv edly, about my mama and Lpsom, and "sundry other funny little topics, strange to s iy. he does not \enture in one single instance to deny the correctness of my impressions, which he, in .ill tho humour of his soul,' attempts to ridicule. Tiuth is incontiovertible, and when told has a more unpleasant cftect than the other thing. As to my driving tandem to the Deiby "Old Identity" is quite right. I never drove tandem in my life, and, I can assure him, am never likely to ; and if he will peruse, my im-pre-sions less passionately I thmk he will find that I never took the ciedit of having done mi. I simply claimed to be of a spotting turn, winch I undoubtedly am. In speaking of the moneyed publican, and my friends the baker, tho" blacksmith, the shoemaker and tho tailor, Idoso as indicating that 111 this countiy it was the tradespeople 01 the commercial gentry who followed the hounds and had a soul foi sport, and not the landed gentry, as in England. Indeed, I must confess I thought I did them honour ; if not, that certainly was my intention. Their sporting tendencies are deserving of the highest compliment which this verdant " Xcw Chum " can pty them. Now, as to "Old Identity" hini-elf, I regiet e\ ciedingly that I should ha\o given him occasion to foiget hnn.self and lose his temper. His \ery gentlemanly intimations respecting physical impressions and such like delicate attentions most unmistakeably reveal his identity as tho butcher boy who was trying to flog and spur the broken down old ui.ue with tlueo legs oiei the post and lail, or else tho indignant but genteel and flashily dressed young man, or perhaps the tipsy youth (not yet sober) to whom I made reference. Whichever it may be, if he leaves his caid with tlie Editor, I will do him the extreme honour of shutting my eyes to his absurdities and tipsy frolics when he again favoui* the hounds with his presence. Now as to the matter of right. I must assert, Mr Old Identity, that I have as good a title to lanj^h at you when you go hunting, as you have to bo ridiculous, which you undoubtedly were when I last saw you, and to expose absurdities as you have to be absurd. If my design be to make hunting better, then, I think it is your duty ;at least I'm sine it is tlie interest of those very people, such as yonr»elf, whose follies and absurdities, I ridicule, to reward me for my good intention. Trusting mum kind friend, perhaps yourself, will favour mo with a copy of " Old Identity's " reply, I remain, dear Mr Editor, your devoted contributor Nkw Ciiim, Auckland, October 20th, 188>.