LEESTON JOTTINGS.

Ellesmere Guardian, Volume XVI, Issue 1638, 27 March 1895, Page 3

LEESTON JOTTINGS.

{From, our own correspondent^)

A most serions case ©f juvenile misohievousness has been brougkt before my notice lately. It appears that during to* strong Nor-wester ot last Wednesday, two or three young boys were oaught m the act of letting fire lo the long dry grass on one of the back roads m Leeston, and the fire had actually obtained a good held before it was observed by any other persons. The young raprobates commenced operation* on one of the roads at the back of the Wesleyan Pareonage, and the fire had >urnt to within r few feet of a large gorae fence, which would, if igaited, certainly have set fire to some buildings which it enclosed. When discovered, the yoeng rascals had a lot of matches, and also a sunglass, m their possession, which were, needless te flay, speadily confiscated* Constable McCormack's prompt disoovery of the young fire -raisers was probably the means of preventing: the fire doing the damage b otherwise might have done, »ai uore than prohabiy gave . the. youngstt-rs such a severe fright that will very likely net as a foil stop to their growtn for a year or two. •,•• * o . Probably l'> rn'.j'uuv oi: oar res'Jw* 1 . ' «l|^r' U; ..:•■ ;:.■• .".I ..•■.. Si-5 '■' t_" n.£ -■>' r«'Tlj-.. •:.ui,rautß tii .} ." -v a 1 1 *tJ *» JrgiuUuoa <vhich wou d mitigate ag&inut • ro lie j; vagrants (styling themselves Concert Companies) from victimising: lodginghouse and hotel-keepers, wou'd probably be welooued by all clbssob (vagrants of ooarse ©xcepted). Leeston has latel* baen honored by several visi'sof inMn«>ran ' showmen, vagrant theatricals, etc. who have, for the most part, "sroU silently away," leaving a few " enqui m. frienda " behind them. A ; ar'y of ve-y shabby ' theatricals ' put up at the local hotel a few days ago, intending, as a show bill stated, to give a V«ri«tv dhow at the Hall m the evening. They (the Variety Show) turned up at the tiall m the evening, but somehow or other, the audience did not, so they shut up the Hall, an ' j postponed their performance for an m definite period. As a sequel to the comedy, when the time <arae for " reooning with their host" for their hotel expenses, they were coolly informed that, as they had had such a vary poor " house " at their entertainment they were unable to meet his bill, bat that they wonld *' send it to him." These kind »f p-ople are generol'y of the most casp-bard^ned description, but I'll go bail that the ncerry reception they reoeived after volunteering this consoling statement mala even them fairly shake m their shoes. The attention of the police was called to the case, and I venture to say that they will not have qui'e their nsual amount of agsnranwhe n?xt time they try to " tray 1 on the never." Each and all of th»m were indentified aE being well-knowo (< ra: s " of the least reputable charaoter imaginable, an<* they were evidently disronfited to learn that their fame had gone before them, * * * # * While 1 am on the growling ticket, ?hw<? n another practice which nay bs remedied if properly ventilated or brought before the notice of the proper authorities. T refer to the habit that some of the local youths-— and, indeed, vonne: mm —have of congregating at street corners on Sunday evenings, obstructing the traffic of foot passengers, who have to ran the gauntlet of the groups of these ill-mannered galoots, who are not content wifcti merely blockin rhe thoroughfare witl) their csreases. but stare every person out of oonntenance who have the misfortune to have to "run the biockal." On one or two occasions latly, whm thq passengers happen to be unprotected females, there has been sotto voc : re a arks passed by these hoodlums, which were not mereiy vulgar, but of <» description that would probably land the offenders m goal if brought before the uotice of th« B.M. But 1 heir that f'-w i* poo" r"oin<* to be proceedings stared which -.■>' ; ff •.'— tually stop this stupid, and vry ill manneted practice.

***** The local branch of th« Salvation Army have been having quite a gay time of it lately. They have been reinforced by somn visiting soldiers, among whom being Staff Captain Paul, who, it will be remembered, is one of the survivors of the Wairarana wri*fk. On Sunday evening the Town Hall was packed m every part to hear the acconnt of thf» wreck from a survivor, and Captain Paul certainly pave a very graphic and descriptive account of the awful catastrophe. She drew vivid wordpictures of t'-e heart-rending scenes which weie enacted during that terrible | eveniog, and, of course, depicted the despairing agonies of some of the poor 'irowniog wretches. Tbe congregation were very much moved find interested m the recital, »nd the collection accruing from it will give the funds a respectable lift.