LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume 14, Issue 1150, 6 May 1870, Page 3

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

The Editor does not hold himself responsible for opinions expressed by correspondents. Sir, — Will you please insert in your open column the following relation of incidents and reflections that occurred this week, between Napier and Te Aute Bush. While I was sitting in the back part of the coach journeying to the interior, and deeply absorbed in reflections touching the mutability of all sublunary things, and of certain changes in Napier in particular, — of which more anon — my cogitations were brought to an abrupt termination by a jerk to and fro, which upset the equilibrium of both body and mind. When trying to recover myself— my equilibrium I mean — I espied one of our snug party (three insiders) sprawling like a frog on all fours, having made a clean bolt out of one of the side apparatus. ■ No. 2 made his exit through the opening in the door, went and caught hold of the restive brute, (or fiend- which you please, that was the cause of our sudden surprise) by the bridle, the coachee perched on tlie box, holding by the ribbons like grim death, while' his companion, a good old fellow, sprang off and skedaddled, and halted not till he reached the " Two Brothers." 1, . No. 3, rendered my humble assistance to unharness the horses and get the coach out of the ditch on to the road. The driver mounted one of the horses, making for Te Aute for a fresh pair, the distance being not far, short of six miles. Now, Sir, what do you think we did, why, like true sons of Britain, we turned ourselves into horses — I beg pardon, substitutes — drew the coach about two miles, when we met the driver on his return ; hooked on the fresh horses and jogged on comfortably till we reached the aforesaid " Two Brothers," and there partook of a drop of " mountain dew," to quiet our nervous system; then remounted — not forgetting our good old chum who had skedaddled — went on briskly and safely to. our destinations, justly, I think, laying the blame of our mishap upon Messrs. Cobb and Co. for putting such a brufce upon, the road, endangering the lives of Her Majesty's loyal subjects ; it being evident, from the number of scars on his legs, that we are not the first he has tried to relieve himself of. Now Sir, for the cogitations which were engaging my thoughts, when the thump, bump, so rudely dispelled them, for the time being, from my pericranium. I was thinking how much the philanthropy and benevolence of the inhabitants of Napier must have degenerated since the good old time, when, if one suffered all sympathized. I refer especially to the case of Mr. Garry and the Artesian well. Look, Sir, at the indomitable perseverance and energy displayed by that man, in trying to obtain, and at lnst succeeding in conferring a boon of such inestimable public benefit as a spring of never failing pure water. Now, look at this picture and on that. I am informed that, in carrying out this enterprise, he was minus in his private purse somewhere about a hundred pounds, and no effectual steps have been taken to reimburse him. It is high time that some one gave a rap to the ungenerous and unappreciafcing public of Napier, for allowing so gross a stigma to rest unchallenged in its history, and permitting a comparatively poor mechanic to be a sufferer, instead of being handsomely remunerated. „ .Wake up ! ye men of Napier, if men ye are ; hasten to wipe out this blot upon your reputation ; start subscription lists at once, and stop not till ye have accomplished your object. I shall then believe that all honour and enterprise is not lost amongst you. Had our late lamented friend, A. Irvine, Esq., beeu still amongst us, I believe there would have been no occasion to write this. I have known the worthy sufferer for nearly fifteen years, and can testify to his character as one of the most estimable of my colonial acquaintance, and many others beside myself would be glad to add their testimony by subscribing, were au opportunity opened to enable them to do so, and I hope, Mr. Editor, you will be so kind as to announce your willingness to receive any such subscriptions on his behalf.—l am, &0., An Old Napekian. April 30, 1870. P.S. — I have this day been informed that the proprietor of the coach has veiy properly discharged the horse from the stage. [Nothing would give us more pleasure than to receive and acknowledge subscriptions towards reimbursing Mr. Garry. — Ed.]