BY THE WAY.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume II, Issue 238, 22 December 1888, Page 3

BY THE WAY.

Possibly some people will laugh at me when I say I still have faith in the Panama Canal scheme and that I have hopes of it becoming —and that in the near future—a decided “ fact.” This may appear Quixotical in the present state of affairs, but I know that de Lessqps is a man indefatigable in energy and fertile in resource. The difficulties that he has had to encounter and overcome since the reception of this scheme, show him to be no ordinary person, and if he does not find some way out of the present difficulty it will not be for the want of an effort. De Lesseps has had the misfortune in both his great projects to meet with a great deal of opposition from those who are not so far-sighted as himself. Anyone who has read the history cf the construction of the Suez Canal, and the negotiations which led up to it, will have a good idea of the obstacles which are placed in his way and also of his capacity for overcoming such obstacles. Perhaps, his greatest opponent is England—the last 'to come to his assistance, the first to reap the blessings of his work.

No doubt many will remember that one of the last items of news received before the break in the cables of last July, was that de Lesseps was reported to be dead. No further news either confirmatory or contradictory arrived after the restoration of the cables, but very few believed the report. It was afterwards found that this was part of an attempt made by his opponents to prevent the success of his lottery loan. It was then proved that a stock exchange syndicate had sent 500 telegrams all over the world announcing the death of M. de Lesseps. Not alone was this done, but the public were farther imposed upon by all sorts of lying circulars and false despatches. At that Lima a syndicate of bankers came to his aid and made certain arrang-ments with the Panama Canal Comptny, but these do not seem to have been of a permanent nature. Still, de Lesseps is not dead yet, and, as the doctors say, “ While there’s life there’s hope,” I prefer to treat the scheme as not having utterly collapsed. A the resourses of de Lesseps completely e bausted ? Nous verrons!

Christmas, or thereabouts, seems to be a favorite time for marrying and for giving in marriage. There have been several of these marriages during the last month or two and about one of them a good story has reached me. The officiating parson, who by the way is a man of a jocular turn of mind, and not afraid to pass a funny remark even at such a solemn thing as a marriage ceremony, found a young lady of his acquaintance close to the door, “ Ah,” he said, “ why don’t you get near the front, you will have a better view of the ceremony ?” The young lady hesitated, but after some coaxing was prevailed upon to change her position. Just as she was about to take her seat, the person turned to her and said, “ Look here, this couple is rather an awkward one, and a thousand things may happen—supposing the bride fails, will you take her place?”. She, willing to carry on the joke, at once said she would. Judge of her dismay when, the ceremony being completed, the parson, turning to the spectators, complimented the bride upon securing such an excellent husband just in time, “For,” said he, “a young lady, not many momenta ago, assured me that if the bride failed, she would step into her shoes.”

The aforesaid wedding showed that there id a grand field open for some enterprising man or woman to start an academy for coaching those about to get married, in the part they must play in the ceremony, so as to obtain the best effect. For instance, it looks as if there’s a screw loose somewhere when the bridegroom endeavors to fix “ the golden circlet ”on the bride’s thumb ! The young people cannot be blamed for making a mistake. Only those who have tried, know how hard it is to get through any performance without a rehearsal. Hence, I suppose, comes the constant attendance of old and young at every wedding that takes place. There is generally a large number of these regular attenders, who seem to take great interest in the proceedings and who are afterwards ab e to describe very accurately everything the bride or bridegroom wore, how they looked and acted, and whether the marriage is likely to be a happy one or not. How, in the short time at their disposal, they are able to glean all this information, I am unable to aay.

By the way, some of our newly married friends complain very bitterly of the musical honors awarded to them by the larrikins. They do these things not better, feut worse in Ireland. Fancy having a fire of straw lit at your front door ! Buch was the reception given to one couple. Thjs was scattered, but only to be replaced by one lit in the hall, and filling all the rooms with smoke. Scarcely had the straw been shifted and the party settled at the wedding breakfast, when crash I crash 1 came some heavy etones through the windows. Nearly every window in the house was broken, and the heavy stones begad to fall among the guests, who had to leave by the back door for safety. This was chronicled in the local papers as “ Marriage Rejoicings.” People have different tastes, and there may be some who like tp start off in this manner. After all, it cannot be much more barbarous than having an old slipper thrown at you* head, or a bushel of rice allowed to wend its way dtfwn one’s back. But it’s only for luck, you know I”

Some people appear to think the American national gaffie of base-ball will become p'oprp

lar in the colonies. I very much donbt it, but then that is only my own humble opinion. I have been reading the account of the match played in Auckland between the Chicago and All America teams, and I must confess I got hopelessly muddled. I did not do so badly for half a dozen lines, but the iraformation that “ Pettit got a nice drive, and made first base and stole the second,” was rather much forme. Not much more comprehensible is the statement, “ Ward, on trying to get a third, was retired,” or that so and so “ hit a high-fly.” Again we are told how one man “•sent away a grounder,” while another went out by “ hitting a bounder.” Somebody else went out on “ strikes,” and “ foul tips,” “ short hits ” and “ wild throws ” were numerous. So that if before one can play the game he must be acquainted with all the technicalities of it, there is not much chance of it becoming popular. Not only that—the larceny involved is sufficient to deter all honestly disposed persons from adopting it as a pastime 1

The fact which has been made apparent in connection with the late murders that gambling is rife among the Maoris on the coast recalls to my mind personal reminiscences of the length to which the gambling spirit sometimes lead them. It was some years ago that the vicissitudes of life brought me into contact with a lot of natives who had come down the coast for the grass cutting season. That was before machinery was so much used as it is at present and a great deal of reaping was done by hand. These natives used to collect in their tents as soon as their work was over and bringing out the inevitable pack of cards would play until the early hours of morning. The stakes used were tallies, and when pay day came round these would be turned into cash, sometimes having very little in the pocket of a heavy loser. The game seemed to have a strange fascination for them and they would sit in silence—broken only by the occasional twang of the Jew’s harp or the exclamation of “ play ” —intently watching each card as it was played. There was always difficulty in getting them to work next morning and they seemed spurred more by the desire to get money for gambling than anything else.

While upon the subject this is just about the time of the annual influx of natives from the Coast. About the same time every year they arrive for the purpose of saving the grass seed. Some of these gentlemen are very nimble fingered and prior to their departure farmers begin to miss things., A word of advice to watch them may not be out of season then. The Maoris are fond of imitating the pakeha and last New Year’s Eve a number of those from the Coast went around Matawhero way making night hideous and frightening women and children. It might be as well for the police to take steps to prevent it this year, for with a number of natives, half mad with drink, making demands on the settlers for “ d ink and kai ” there is no telling what may happen. The natives can if they wish celebrate the new year but let them do so in a peaceable m inner. Little thay care whether it is New Year or not and their desire to celebrate it at all is simply “ bosh.” Mark.