BANK NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 1957, 27 August 1891, Page 28

BANK NOTES.

The LAfE Poaching Oases at AbbowTOWN.— Under the beading Moral Depravity the Lake County Press thus comments on the action of the recently convicted poachers at Lake Hayes :— " Some incidents in connection with the late poaching doses at Arrowfcown are indicative of a low moral tone amongst a large section of the community, la the first place tha two young men (Linwood and Shanaban) seemed to cars little for the consequences of their illegal actsone of them expressing himself to the offset that he was quite willing to serve a term in gaol, and seemed indeed to regard bimßelf as something of a hero. When the cases came on for bearing thfly very wisely pleaded guilty, and got off with remarkably light penalties. Still they chose to take the alternative of imprisonment with hard labour, their relatives and friends appearing to concur in the decision. We were pained to see those young men having so little self-respect as to voluntarily place themselves level with gaol birds, and treating with contempt the penalty of the law, Linwood, in so many words, said he had no means, and would- have to ' take it out' — making his position appear to be beggarly and helpless, yet at the same time he was in steady employment — an employment that since his release from gaol he has resumed. Shanahan too followed Linwood's lead, and agreed to go to gaol. No one can say that either of them went to gaol from necessity. It was purely a matter of choice and, we believe, of prearrangement. There were a large number of poaohers and .poachers 1 sympathisers in court —in fact one could hardly bit a head in court that day without hurting a poaoher or receiver of poached fish — and we have no doubt that they bad something to do with the arrange* ment. However, something ocourred to alter tho decision, for. after the two promising youths had been in gaol about an hoar or two, the fines were paid. So enraged were the poaching gang that some of their number ahould be caught, that they were making all kinds of wild threats — even of personal violence. Fortunately for them perhaps, their courage was not co strong as their language, or they might have been given opportunities for reflecting on their folly in the cooling atmosphere of. a prison cell. Some of them are nowboasting that they took more fish the night after the court than were taken altogether before, These are some of the deplorable features but the loweßt depth was reached when a subscription list was started to pay the amount of the fines imposed on the poachers— not a " public " subscription, because that would have been against the nature of poaohers, whose " ways are dark," We are surprised to learn that many so-called leading oitizans of this town have contributed to the list. True, some of them did not put their names on the list, because they were too cowardly. Still the fact of their subscribing shows the bent of their minds. When so many in a community sympathise so strongly with breaches of the law of the land, we feel inclined to despair of their being open to any good influence. Rumour. — Under this "heading tha Presa says :— The theft of some fish that had been netted by the Acclimatisation Society's ranger at Queenstown (to obtain a supply of ova) waa reported last week, and in connection with this a rumour was ourrent that the parties were known, but, being men of position, were not to be prosecuted. We have made some inquiries ia the matter, and are assured that, so far as tha society is concerned, that they have no idea of who the culprits are, and that, if they do find out, a prosecution will follow. On the other hand, the local constable denies that the police aa eifting the matter, because they have not been officially informed of the theft of the fish. We hope and believe that the society will make no distinctions in such a matter. Several of the stories current are'too absurd to be true."

"Siamese Twin" Salmon.— The salmon fry batched in the batchery on the Deveron have been placed in the liver. Among the young fry was found what must be held to be & rare freak in fish life. It consisted of two fish joined together at the back fin, from which there wsb only ona body to the tail. The lecg'.h was rather more than an mob. Both heads ara perfect, the eyes being large and brilliant. The gills are also quite normal and acting freely. The form of the duel creature did not impede its motion, for not only did it "float double," bat moved rapidly through the water. There wai no sign of diversity of will,— Land and Water, Kaiapoi Anglers.— The Press lays ;-" Oa Friday evening a meeting of anglers waa held at K&iapoi to draw np objections to a proposal to do away with night fishing, As tha majorit? o? the naesabew of this branch of the Austere 1 Soolaty m by waiqb of their oopup^tiona ug* able to g@* GaUteg m the day tioia, it would be useless ht them to auy laager takfl A 8 intenat i& gQgitag fi m pwpwid iregulAifoa wes put iato epsf fttio.oi . _, „. . , r was feafcsaad gf d&r the eoob of & itm on ths river baafe, &bd he waa sitting in the bug p!&ying with a dog. " Fishing V' inqnirod a man pissing along the road. " Yea " answered ihe boy as briefly. "Jdoedog you've got there What's his name ? " " Fish." " Fish ? That's a queer name for a dog. What do you call him that for ?" " 'Cause he won't bite." Thou the man proceeded on hia way.— Washington Star.

—Mr Glaiaher states that in 3500 balloon ascents only 15 deaths have ocourred ; that id, about four per thousand. At two miles from the earth he beard a musket shot and a dog bark, .and at four miles a railway train.