A GRAND PIANO,

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume 30, Issue 30, 30 March 1880, Page 2

A GRAND PIANO,

A singular story of a piano comes to hand from the South. Some time ago an accomplished musician, whom we shall call Herr Thumper, finding business dull, raffled his instrument — a half grand — which, having undergone Bevere wear, was in a rather tuneless condition. As luck would have it, the lucky thrower was a lucky Philharmonist, and this gentleman, believing thirty bank-notes would be preferable to the musical notes of his acquisition, sold it for that sum to a firm of auctioneers and dealers. From the latter it found its way to an importing firm in New Zealand, whose name and style, to avoid unpleauantness, we will not mention. Thii occurred several months ago. Nor for the sequel. Herr Thumper was travelling the other day with a musical company, when h8 happened to call at a wayside township where the only place for entertainments is a Town Hall belonging to a public • company. Besides the halt a grand * piano was hired, and Herr Thumper proceeded to examine it. "Why," said he, critically surveying his instrument, " I'm bio wed if that isn't my old half grand that I raffled at——— a few months ago." "Can't be," replied the hall-keeper, "that piano belongs -to the Town Hall Company, and is a newlyimported instrument which they recently paid £150 to Messrs , for " "Well," replied Herr Thumper, " that may be a newly-imported instrument of the Company, but it can't deny its identity. It's the old half-grand which I've hired and raffled, and played on till I was sick and tired of my life."