AN OLD-TIME FIGURE

Evening Post, Volume CXXI, Issue 15, 18 January 1936, Page 13

AN OLD-TIME FIGURE

An "Old Timer" writes:—While in a retrospective rhood the other e.vehing I was musing on. personalities and celebrities of Wellington in the;early seventies, and my memory brought to view a gentleman of between sixty and seventyjyears of age, well dressed, and who carried himself with a dignified bearing. His accustomed morning walk was about 11 o'clock, and the location was the then old Courtenay Place. Having performed his peregrinations he would adjourn to his usual-rendezvous the old"Clyde Quay Hotel, walk into the bar-room, and take a seat], pull from his pocket a case from which he would take a longstemmed clay pipe, fill the bowl with .tobacco, .and sit.smoking. ■' Every now and.' again he would remove the pipe' from his mouth and a smile would creep over his lips; soon the smile dis-. appeared'and his face assumed a sombre and grave appearance as if something was haunting his memory. Perhaps he was thinking of his youthful days when as a student of a musical academy of some city of the Continent he was learning his art, for he was a musician. ,He would continue in this reflective mood for some time. When customers came into the hotel for refreshments he would breast ,the counter and on the barman asking the customers- to name their drinks he -would say, "Mine's gin." In those days the bottles of liquors were placed on- the counter and the customers helped themselves not as now, when the liquor is dispensed by measure; but those were the days of free and easy ways. The barman would call -for payment, but the "gin. customer". had finished his drink.'and resumed his seat; the others naturally demurred to pay for him, ■as he did not - come jn with them, but the affair would end up amicably until rehearsed again some other day, which it usually was. He would then rise from his chair, approach the counter, and speak as follows, "Shontlemen, I tank you for your gootness, and to show my gratitood I >il blay a toon on the piano." Seated at the piano he played the compositions of the famous musicians and composers, with the greatest ease,, causing ' utter astonishment to the eager listeners —he was a gifted player. Nobody knew his real name,. nobody | knew where he came from, or anything concerning him; he was a mystery. He was known by the appellation of German John—the man who can play- the piano. 'He came as, he went; no one knew where he came from and no one knew where* he went. Perhaps some other old-timer of the i early seventies will remember him. . !