THE SEARCH FOR MOUNT COOK.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LXIII, Issue 7562, 29 May 1885, Page 6

THE SEARCH FOR MOUNT COOK.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —In your extracted description of an attempt to .discover Mount Cook, in today’s Times, a gross injustice is unwittingly done to two very hard-worked, but deserving, members of our community, to wit, the two guards who alternately pilot the express train between Timaru and Christchurch. The writer in the Argus, whose effusion you have reproduced, accuses one of them of (1) an ungrammatical expression; (2) of having a “ rough voice,” and (3) of fencing an offer to accept some refreshment because his Inspector was on board the train. Now, Sir, in justice to these two guards, to whom this especial onerous duty is solely assigned, I desire to say that the statements made by “J.G.D.” are false, as I am in a position to state what can be proved by the railway authorities, as by the thousands of people with whom the men are continually brought into contact. Neither of them was ever heard to make use of such an ungrammatical remark as “ That ain’t Mount Cook;” neither of them has a rough voice, both being especially quiet speaking, and remarkably civil to travellers; and lastly, neither of them was ever known to have accepted refreshment, such as is inferred, while on duty, whether the inspector was on the train or not, -as it happens both are practical teetotallers, one having been so all his life. Trusting you will publish this, as the men are most unjustly wronged by such statements, and are prohibited from answering it for themselves, —I am, &c., > CONSTANT TRAVELLER. Christchurch, May 28.