MOA BONES AND BOOKS.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XLII, Issue 9373, 31 October 1921, Page 4

MOA BONES AND BOOKS.

A VISITOR'S IMPRESSIONS*. ASHBURTON'S READING ROOM. The Distinguished Visitor was staying, but he graciously permitted a. pressman access to his room. "It's a trifle early for an inteEview," he remarked, while he latheredi, his face. "A trifle early." He stropped his razor assidiously. "Perhaps you would express yoanviews on our town," ventured the* pressman, shyly— -all pressmen. ara» shy. ' ■ "Oh yes, oh yes!" boomed the Great One. xt Le me. see," he went on. thoughtfully. "Tell your readers that. I am greatly impressed with the dcenic attractions of Ashburton. Your mounrtains are splendid; your Domain is a sparkling gem of natural beauty, andi your river feeds the, finest trout it hag^ been my pleasure io taste," ' p He lathered himself again. "Our public institutions " eug<gested the pressman. . "Quite so," acquiesced the pistan.guished Visitor. ' "I had been told that money was- so. scarce m Ashburton, that if a citizen found a halfcrown he would nail it oifc the wall of the Public Library as a . curio. Interested m such a uniqnet idea, I visited the reading room at. that institution. Dear me; I failed ti» observe any money hanging on the; walls, but I counted five musty look- | ing cards offering a reward for the> .detection of people mutilating thepapers. Five age-worn cards, and; & Venetian window-blind m its reverseposition. It hung by two wont strings, like a tattered topsail of a derelict ship. The only "ourio"_ I noticed was a glass case containing, five bits of bone.— Seems, thai "five" is a favourite number m the reading, room. Somebody must have? been: | "drawing" for a "full handl'*-— A ; faded label refers to them as- moa j bones. Quite so. Another- dusty 'ticket draws attention to a shark's tooth. But unfortunately the tootfr im not there. In the same case is^a defunct sea horse reposing on a bed! ©| cotton wool, looking out on the moa bones and the absent shark tooth from eyeless sockets. It seems too sad for words." "But the literary side, sir,*' prompted the. interviewer. "You mean the papers and periodicals. The selection is all right if yon. know the secret of finding what you . want. You may turn up a leatherettes cover labelled "Graphic,** and find inßide a pamphlet extolling- the rirtuee of sombeody's pills, while , th* "Graphic" is reposing m & case marked "The Weekly Press. w I should «ay Ashburton frequenters of the reading room are particularly interested m addesses for a series of shelves is loaded down with directories and' trade circulars. Yes, your reading room, is all-right, of you except th« moa bones, the broken blind, and the deceiving covers. Now when I was m Invercargill ." But the pressman heard the call of the office,, and left the Distinguished Visitor still' industriously lathering Wa face.