FREDERICK THE GREAT

NZ Truth, Issue 1079, 29 July 1926, Page 7

FREDERICK THE GREAT

SETS THAMES ON FIRE!

Visions Of Wealth Went West When Bogus Magnate Went North

(From "Truth's" Tha mes Representative.)

.=J)>liiiiTi>(tiiiitiiiiiiiitiiiiiiiitiiiiifiiiiiiiiiiiiitt iiiitiiiiiiii'iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiitiiiiitiftiiiiitiiiiiiiiiriiiiiitiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiriiiiiiiiitiii~iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiijiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii^ - I 'J'WO more promising industries have "gone west" m j I Thames. They went west when their- pseudo-promoter ' = | went north— to Mount Eden^ where, for the next three | | months, he may spend his 'leisure hours perfecting plans |. | . for the industrial development of the Dominion. 1 '■■ ■ ■■■••'■. "■.-■■.'■ '■ - ■ - . ■. ■ ■ ■" ■ . - ■ - - ' ■ ; - ~\

WHEN Frederick Walter McLennan, well set up and of 'good address, dropped casually off thi'e inbound .express, as it drew into the Thames "..' station, he probably thought that as the ; field before,, him had yielded fortunes to pioneers m the past, it might still be made to part up with a little more wealth to a prospector of a different type.- - <rr\ REDERICK thought the Icy prospect was, at any rate, /aII quite promising, and the prospector was sanguine. Stepping blithely along the aJv . street, he sought out one of the best hotels and was readily fixed up with a room. The new arrival wasted no time m making . himself heard m the town. . .Thames is not overburdened with anything m the way of excitement or unusual happenings, and when it ber came known that a company promoter was m town— arid that he intended to purchase land^and erect large nitrate works — interest soon reached a high levei. Very soon the land and .estate agents, with whom things have not been too brisk during" the past year or two, commenced % to court the favors of the stranger. But while,admitting sthat he was certainly _ looking , for something, McLennan was not too eager to settle on the first block of land shown him. • He must have a good look round first, lie said, as the heavy machinery f or -the block of buildings ho proposed to erect "would require something special m the way of foundations. That was quite all right; he could easily be suited m- this respect. There were any number of sections which would fit his purpose admirably. Still, he kept them jigging for a time and finally expanded his requirements, for he also -intended to undertake the manufacture, of bricks at Thames and would therefore want a considerable amount of clay. Whispers went round that McLennan had settled on the old "Star" office site as the one most suitable for his project, but those "Who should have known most about .it— but were the most ignorant of it— were, the "Star" people themselves. . . . Here was. item of news going begging— missed by the very people who should have known all about it. Callers streamed into the newspaper office to know if it was true — until at last the. editor began to wonder if he had not, for some special reason, been kept m the dark over the' matter. . ; The .next.; thing this' multi-millionaire

desired was, of course, a residence, for he intended to remain m Thames during the erection of his works, and would need a dwelling: suitable to _his position, aiid one of which hH v ' ; wife and family would. not.' be. ashame^v"' Residents of the somewhat sleepy El Dorado of the "past began to blink with visions of an entirely new atmosphere overspreading the town, and not a few: .who had heard of the new social and financial, lion were eager to get a glimpse of him. Frederick the' Great fel.l somewjiat m the social scale, however, when;; he visited .one of the local- •.. schools and told the" headmaster "he was an expert m ju- jitsu. He was pei'mitted to give an exhibition of his skill to the pupils, and then informed them that he intended to start, classes and that his charge would be £1 for the complete course. It is not known,, however, whether he collected any fees. . . :This wizard ;6f industry and. finance became exceedingly popular, for he certainly "Has a way with him" and his schemes were all so good. .; The landlord of .the hotel where he; was living m luxurious ease, ■ however, began . v t6 wonder if his •guest* was not just a little too good to be true. He forthwith put liim to the simple t,est of asking him for the price of . his board and lodg- ■ " ■ . ing. Frederick made various excuses for not being- able to produce a cheque at the moment, but the landlord, who was not going- to take any chances, tipped the wink to the police. When a gentle hand was placed on McLennan's shoulder and he was asked to come along to the police station and ah-swer a few inquiries, it was discovered that his acquaintance with the law was somewhat familiar. It was found that he was the gentleman who had posed successfully for some time as a doctor at Rangiriri, and that later he had also passed himself off as a policeman, for both of which offences he had. been convicted. The shine, which was mostly moon-reflected, was completely taken- out of Frederick when .he appeared before the local Court next morning, charged with 'false pretences and vagrancy., V . The police story was not a long one. It told briefly how McLennan had entered the town, of his representations, his previous convictions and of the fact that he was a young man who was not fond of work, but was endeavoring to live by his wits. Frederick was given a further period >of three months' free board. ;. ' . . .