MYTHICAL THOUSANDS.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 267, 10 November 1928, Page 13

MYTHICAL THOUSANDS.

"TICKETS IN. "TATTS." ANOTHER FRUITLESS QUEST. LONG TRAIL TO KINGSLAND. On the principle that if you never speculate you never accumulate, a good many Aucklanders dabble iu "Tatts," the Tasmanian gambling organisation, and during the past week there have been more than an average crop of statements that sudden wealth has descended upon some lucky citizen. Somewhat sadly a North Shore resident denied yesterday that he was in any way _, associated with a financial windfall, nor is there.any truth in a much-repeated statement that there is a lucky ticketholder out Kingsland way. "Yes, £20,000. He 'drew Statesman in 'Tatts'." It was told quite impressively to a "Star". representative by a gentleman who is not addicted to the pleasant habit of trying to pick winners. The "Star's" informant was a. bit hazy about the address, but it was a number with a two in it, and the street he was quite certain. ■• Thus it was that a "Star" representative began..to 1 make inquiries in the said street'this morning, and after interrogating a butcher, a baker and a milkman in turn—the latter said that the luck of some. people in. speculations was something awful—a house L was located which appeared to be a likely place to start inquiries. .i Inside the. front gate was a dog which appeared to' be both unfriendly and a cross between an Alsatian and a cocker spaniel, and he followed the prospective interviewer closely.;, • ; Knocking at the back door elicited an immediate response—a lady's voice from the interior, and the curt announcement, "Nothing to-day,'butcher." "You're- from' where V inquired the far-away voice, as the conversation began under difficulties; "Win anything in Tatts'?- No, I didn't. I'm having a bath, so go away, and (she said this very decidedly) don't forget to-shut the front gate."' \, ■ , It was'a street in which all the residents seemed to be prosperous, but apparently that was /-.he result of lifetimes of thrift,and the : commencemnf of the saving-habit when they were young. On the surface there :: was nothing to show that anyone about that part of suburban Auckland had suddenly come into even moderate/wealth. .. A'gentleman of florid appearance, who was leaning over a gate was approached, and by,.devious the conversation was steered into a.channel associated with legacies, the backing of .'hopeless outsiders, and cases—apparently very rare in Auckland—-of sudden accretion'of wealtlu ■• . - " _ '."'

.'"Two of> me bloomin' hens, died, last night,".said the local resident savagely, in the midst of a declaration that it was the unluckiest part of Auckland that he had ever lived in, while his peroration was to the effect' that, barring a chap who:had 10/- on Flying Juliet last Saturday, and a.man next door who had. picked-up an unused tram ticket, he had not heard of anyone living in the locality with luck'out of the ordinary. "->. ;-, v?y a process of elimination of figures "two" another;- house was . eventually located, and the lady' that-lived there said -most regretfully', that' she was in no way associated withja lucky ticket. A friend, of'.the. family had a ticket in the consultation, ,but- as far as they knew there was no money, prize associated with itj and the idea that the winning horse had "been drawn was thoroughly discounted.,-'

Apparently there are quite. a .'number of mythical people, in Auckland at the moment who 'have suddenly / : become financial beyond their, wildest dreams by an investment flutter across the/ 'Ta's man. But, the. lucky recipient of £20,000, or thereabouts," is singularly hard to locate, and perhaps in the words of the historic Mrs. ain't no sich pusson." '/;. , .-'-