Page 3 Advertisements Column 1

Waikato Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 2292, 19 March 1887, Page 3

If tho totalisator is lawful why is] not cash betting 1 . "Come in out of the wet," as the shark said to the-little boy. A Tough Problem. —The other morning, in the smoking-car of a Chicago, Burlington and Quincy suburban train, two passengers were discussing the pronunciation of the word "Stough," which appears o'ver the door of a small station building not far from Hinsdale. They could not agree, so they submitted the question to Mr. Mervin Tabor, the State insurance actuary and a former schoolmaster. "Why," ssid Mr. Tabor, "If r-o-u-g-h spells ' ruff,' I should think . S-t-o-u-g-h would spell ' Stuff.'" " What do you think about it?" said one of the gentlemen to Mr. Watson, a Board of Trade man. " I should think it would be pronounced 'Stoo,'" said Mr. Watson; "you know t-h-r-o-u-g.h spells 'tbroo.'" At this juncture Mr. Caldwell, the paper manufacturer, came in, and the question was put to him. " Why," said he, " anybody ought to know that. T-h-o-u-g-h, ' tho'; S-C;0-u-g-h,' Sto,' of course." When Mr. L. Rood, of Aurora, came in, he was asked for an opinion. " I should call it 'Stoff,'" said hec-o-u-g-h spells ' coff,' and I don't see how S-t-o-u-g-h can spell anything but ' Stotf.'" At this a greyhaired man with a light hat and the air of a capitalist turned round in his seat, and with the intrepidity of one who speaks from absolute knowledge, said. "It is^ pronounced with the sound of 'ow' — ; Stow." Well,' said one of the parties to the controversy, " what confounded fool gave such a name to a town any way ?" It was named after me," said the grey-haired man. "I laid out; the town j my name is gtongh."