A STRANGE DISCOVERY.

Waikato Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2228, 19 October 1886, Page 4

A STRANGE DISCOVERY.

A MYM'KKious "find" is reported from P.ihiatua. According to the local paper .vhen the township joad was being formed thre. 1 or four yeirs ago, tlie camp of the road paity wa* in the \icinity of a hollow lata tree, and it is stated that peculiar n.use- were nightly heard coming from that inection -sometimes as if several men were engaged bush falling. One man, whose tent was a little apait from the ic»t. was so struck with the noises one night that hp went to the other tent to see if anyone had gone out falling, but he was considerably astonished to find them all fast asleep. The day after thi.s the skeleton of a man was found in the lata tree. On Tuesday, last week, a bu^h-feller named JJawsey, in going through the bush at the Village Settlement came upon a large swag containing a considerable quantity of clothing and other nrticles, But the former was in such a rotten state that it almost fell to pieces when touched. However, sufficient was seen to arrive at the conclusion that it was a valuable one when first deposited on the spot where it was found. Amongst the clothing was a naval coat (it is impossible to say whether it was a dress coat or a shell jacket), and from the buttons, which are silver, and in a good state of preservation, it appears that the owner once belonged to the Union Steam Shipping Company s service— they bearing the letters "U.S.S., Co." A Masonic diploma on parchment (issued by the Grand Lodge of New South Wales) was also in the swag, although very, much discoloured by the wet. The name on the parchment is "David William Walker," and the date of issue the early part of 1882. Various articles — scent bottle, razor, comb, etc.— were found in the vest pocket.

In Calcutta Englishmen used to say apropos of the numerous appointments held by Scotchmen, that if you were to go to the steps of the Government House and call out " Mac !" instantly at each window of the enounous building there would pop out a red head, with "A3, man ! what is't ? ''

A Caxine Drunkard. — Writing to a Liverpool paper respecting the reality of canine drunkeness recently discussed in the columns of a local journal, Mr. W. Leicester Herbert, of 22 Devon-street, Liverpool, says : — Some years ago I was travelling with a touring dramatic company, which, among other places, visited the city of York for a few nights. In one of the " houses" (hotels) in that city which were then frequented by the " profession" I had the honour of being introduced by a son of John Ryder to the only member of the canine race whom I have ever seen betray a partiality for strong drink. His name was Jim (other) name not known, or considered superfluous), and he had a shabby, woe- begone, miserable, out-all-night appearance, which was thoroughly in keeping with his reputation as a confirmed canine sot. At the instigation of my friend I "stood " Jim a drink consisting of a glass of beer, which he lapped up like mother's milk and immediately stood upon his hind legs and begged for more. Each day that we visited this hostelry Jim was sure to turn up, and whatever form our refreshments took — gin, rum, beer, whisky or brandy— Jim showed a marvellous power of assimilating the same, until intoxication seemed imminent, when he waddled his devious way off to the nearest garden, where he slept off the effects of his debauch, aud afterwards ate grass and doctored himself up for another " go" on the morrow. The only industry Jim was ever known to show was in the bone burying business ; but as he was mostly half drunk at such times his labor was entirely thrown away ; for when he was sober he never for the life of him could remember wherft he had hid his treasures, and was for ever •jetting into scrapes through raking up holes in the wrong garden, a practice which led to his acquaintance with all the sticks and clothes' props of the neighbourhood. At the end of the week business compelled our departure, and we did not return to York for a twelvemonth. It grieves me to have to say that during our absence poor Jim had succumbed to the enemy ot dog and man alike. He had retired to a lonely spot by the river side, where he had breathed oub his la^t sigh in a fit of dds trem.