LOOKING BACK. EVENTS HALF FORGOTTEN.

Evening Post, Volume LXXIV, Issue 78, 28 September 1907, Page 12

LOOKING BACK.

EVENTS HALF FORGOTTEN.

HAPPENINGS IN 1882. ! A quaiter of a century seems a long time in some respects, and in other aspects it looks like tho day before yesterday. This fact is impressed upon the person ./ho takes down a newspaper file of twenty-five years ago, and iead& there, in of the doings of men now unknown, and never heard of by nine-tenths of our present citizens; and of the doings of othor men, still hale and/ hearty, who continue to fill promiueivt jplaces in tho business and social life of the community. To read in newspaper files of the happening of a hundred years ago is to read of commonplace matters that seems nebulous by comparison ; and the recoids of half a century ago possess Uttle of the virile significance of th& everyday events of twenty-five years since. These ure remembered, though for tho mo&t part dimly, by hundreds of men still living and amongst us, and the fact needs no elaboration that a weekly summary of the principal happenings recorded in tho Evening Post files of twenty-five years ago -will be read nowadays with extreme interest by a largo proportion of our readers, quite apart from the many whose memories will enable them to recall actual occurrences. Frozen meat exports from New Zealand were not far removed from the ox1/erimental stago in 1882, and there was rejoicing as news came through tiras aud again of successful shipment, with depression when the record was varte-1 with news of failuie. ' On 27th September it was recorded that "a cable message received by Captain Rose, manager of the New Zealand Shipping Company, confirmed the intelligence that the cargo of frozen meat per the ship Mataura had arrived in excellent condition." A cablegram on 28th SfeptenUjer said that the mutton realised 6£d per lb. Salesmen expreppcij themselves delighted both with the condition and quality of the consignment. On 29th September ifc vas said that the Mataura's sheep were over-fat, and that some had been sold at sd_ per lb. "Timid as a rabbit" is a superlative term in common use nowadays, but there was at least one Rabbitt of courageous, not to say foolhardy, nature, sailing the seas a quarter of a century ago. It >s recorded thai, a master manner named Rubbitt purchased a fishing schooner of 60 tons at, Sydney, Capo Breton, and being unable to get a crew ho sailed in her himself for Newfoundland. On the- sixth day out he lashed down the helm and went below to prepare breakfast, but after he had been below for a while the vessel struck something heavily. H«> rushed on deck and had just time to jump on to the rock vihich tho vessel had struck. Almost instantly afterwards the schooner floated off and was carried away by a strong current. Captain' Rabbitt remained on the rock for two days and two nights, without food or drink, before being rescued by a passing vessel. There is a comet to be seen now m the early morning, and it is a coincidence that September, 1882, had its comot also — a more pretentious one than our present exhibit. According to a Post correspondent, the 1882 comet had a brighter, bigger, and yellower tail than any other comet's tail the correspondent had ever 6een.. Under heading of "Scone in a Synacrogue," the following telegram from Christchurch appeared on- 26th September: — "A case in which a great deal of interest was taken by the Jewish residents of this city came before tho It.Al. Conrt to-day. Mr. H. E. Nathan has been for nearly a year occupying a seat in the synagogue to which ho had no right, and was doaf to all remonstrances. At length tho officers of tho church would put up with it no (onger, and on the festival of the Jewish New Year called in a constable to eject him. The constable refused to do 60, and the president of the congregation, with Fome assistance, did it himselfs The fracas caused a grent scandal amongst the people of the Hebrew faith. Mr._ Nathan entered an action for assault against the president (Mr. Harm} oiid also against Mr. C. Louifison, but the bench held that tho defendants had acted quite rightly. The case was dismissed, with costs, against Nathan. "Observer" wrote from Karori, under date of 28th September," 1882, that there was "a growing nuisance from the furze fit that suburb, which, if allowed to take its course, would soon become a power too 6trong for the" people to contend with." Only this week a correspondent wrote a similar complaint to the Post. This shows that history repeats itself; also that the people of Karori could not have heeded "Observer's" alarm twentyfive yeurs ago. On 50th Septembor. 1882, Wellington pl.iyed football against New South Wales, and were beaten by tight points. The Wellington team consisted of Gainpbell, Cooper, Webb, Connal, M'Gregor, Peat, Morrison, Gibbes, and Roberts 'forwards), Brown and Kirk ' (quarterbacks), A. Thomson and H. Smith (halfbacks), M'Ciirdell (thiee-quarter-back), Firth (full-back)* Wellington was captained by Campbell. ft is of interest to note that the Campbell in reference is Mr. G. F. C. Campbell, now ValuerGeneral for New Zealand, and that the Firth who played full-back is the present principal of Wellington College. A "local" on 28lh September stated that "the Australian crickoters and their victories were giowing monotonous. We learn by to-day's telegrams that they have again beaten an eleven of All lingland, this being their third triumph this season over an All England oleven. They have dona well, but they should leave off when they win their fortieth match. They have done quite enough for glory, and, we should cay, for profit too. Otherwise, they may become historical as the greatest bores on record, as well as the most successful cricketers." On the last day ot September, 1382, Wellington Gas Company shares were quoted at £10 15s ; Bank of New Zealand, £23 7s 6d; National Bank, £3 17s ; New Zealand Insurance, £3 18s ; N.Z.L.M.A. Co., £6; Mosgiel Woollen Co., £4 2a to £4 3s; Wellington-Mana-watu Railway Company, at par; Wellington Equitable and Investment Co., £5 11a to £5 14s 6d; Now Zealand Drug Company, £1 4s. The game report was signed by Dpncon and Bushoil, James Kirton, John W. Stevenson. P. W. Telford, and D. T. Stuart (chairman.) 'ihe auctioneering firms — Lc.iry and Campbell, George Thomas nnd Co., and Hassell and Co. — quoted potatoes at £3 to £3 5g per ton, chaff £4 per ton, baron 8d per 11), dieoso 9d to 9-ld for prime, ot?gs 9d to 10s, fowls 4s 6d por pair oninns £9 to £10 iilt ton. feed ontn 3r 6il to 3s 8d per bushel, barley 3s 9d to 4s.

Ciicus Manager— -Hero, f say, what's all tho row m this tent? Clown — "Oh. kucli fun! Tho man who wnlkn boiefooted on the iti/or-hladi'S has juet nin a splinter in his font. LiLtlo Lllii — I'm ne\er going to Holland when I xim v up CiovcrncsF— Why not.? Klla— T.'n uso run (joography soys , it'i a. low., h'ina country.