BALCLUTHA POST OFFICE.

Bruce Herald, Volume XI, Issue 1017, 11 June 1878, Page 6

BALCLUTHA POST OFFICE.

To the Editor. Sir, — Apropos of our; Post; Office row, I am creditably informed that the Westenders in our good town of Balclutba are sitbscribing to "give a section free to the Government, said section being alongside of the Presbyterian Kirk, now building. Certainly our Presbyterian brethren ought to have the preference, seeing that they are the greatest upholders of the postal institutions h ere and are considerablyinconvenienced by having to soil the hypocritical Day and. Martin on their watertights, by walking in suchweather as we have had lately. :; • Subscribers are; requested to hand in their mite to Mr J- S- Fleming, J P., or to Mr Wm. Lloyd* Farmers' Arms Hotel, not later than the :30th inst. Discount allowed on Colonial Bank notes. Having made "up my mind that- r the. PostOffice should be removed'to " pastures new,' and after consulting my "better half," I have resolved to give five bob "to the good cause, seeing that the township in the vicinity of the old Pill Box has been reduced to smoke. Though I should personally have preferred to see the P.O. placed on the top of the hill nnearr r Mr Fish's homestead ; the Governor would then see that Waitepeka, Puerua, and Warepa could do without their individual institutions, and consequently would be~a considerable saving to the country. — lam&c., Bob Gotjttee, Swamp, West End. Balclutha^ June 10th, 1878: THE DUG TAX. ; (TO TBB EDITOR.) Siß,rr-Gi'en a glint ower yer last publication, my e'e happened tae light on the news o' the County Council. Ac Item in partikular tbokrmy attention— that pairfc about the dogs. It gist > brought tae my mind a conversation that I. happened tae ha'e wi' my auld friend, Mr Grabba, and thp coll ector o' the dog tax. (Bit ; Xmuu- tell ye he's a decent cheild). . "Weelj it happened in this wiy :— The collector .being giem-auldfarranti'thought he wid jist slip down ane o' they weet days and gee Mr Grabba a ca' tae mak' share o' catching him and his dogs at hame, for he. Kent he wis gien slippery to get a baud o' ; bit luck wis in his way, for he got, him an' a l , his dogs at hame. ' Guid morn,' Mr Grabba, 'it is gie wet weather jist nop. Grabba— 'Weei,lthinkye'll ha'e yet ane share o't, coming out in. me a day as this* it mune hae been something very pushing tae hae sent ye out.' Collector — ' A weel, I j ust'. too Jria dander doon tae see how many dogs ye had, as I thought I wid get ye at hame this wet day, and I wisna far wrang. Is a thir Bax yours ? Grabba (aside tae him- " gel')— * Confound him., if I hid thought' that wis his errant jl wid have a wbeen o' them tied under the bid as I. ust t«e dae' Weel, no, thir no' a' mine, I hae only twa.' .Collector—•'Un' wha owns this ane ?' Grabba — • O that ane b'iangs tae my uncle.' Collector — * An' whare is he t Grabba — ' 0, I dinna ken ; he's awa owre tbe ridges someway; I've something else tae dae than look after him; Bit jist At this time, ane o' the wee Gra'bba's comes up tae his faith er's knee an' says—No, faither, uncle's sitting in the room at tha fire.' Collector—' Noo, Mr Grabba, I'll hae nane o' your jowkerypackery, yell pay up for this lot ' Grabba— * Man, yer an impident fellow tae sac that I sid pay for what's no my am.' Collector — *' Wee), ye hae nae bissness wi' them here. Grabba—'"VVeeli i'll no' pay for ony niair than three, for that ane belangs tae a friend o'' ' mine in thoTaieri, an' that twa belangs tae some o' thae cobier bodies, so ye can gist mak me oot three bits o' tickets.' Collector wi' a smile, draws oot his buke an' writes oot three tickets, thinkiu' he'd done gin weel this time. Grabba raxes out yon lang airm o' his and gits a baud ,o' a' the tickets. Says he, * I hae' nae siller the day, but I can see ye ony time.' Collector—' Na, ye'il gae me back my tickets, for I hae them a' tae accoont for.' Grabba — ' Man, yer affu' suspicious o' an honest man ; i'd pay ye by-and<-by.' Collector — 'Man, yer sic a grabbin' mortal that I wudna' trust ye a dog tax, so gae me them back.' Grabba « Weel, I hae tbe tickets. I'il.see ye some ither day,' and rams them in his pouch and

gangs awa' whisslin ' Heather Jock's noo awa.' Collector turns roun' tae me r we a ruefia face an' says,. ' Jock, that man's weel named Grabba.' So I left him tae mourn his loss, ril maybe gie ye a ca' some ither day. — I am, &c, ,' .. ..' Jock.