Our Thames Letter.

Observer, Volume 9, Issue 57, 18 January 1890, Page 3

Our Thames Letter.

(Special Correspondent.)

Thames, Monday. DEAR MR EDITOR,— Two little items, of gossip are going the rounds, which are deserving of being duly chronicled in the columns of the Observer. Both have reference to persons moving in our 'upper circles,' and are as follows : — •

A young girl had been in the employ of a certain lady (?) who resides in Pollen-street as a servant v ff"l> and appeared to give every satisfaction. , All went along very pleasantly between mistress , and servant, until one day recently the latter^" aecorated herself in a new dress which she had . managed to obtain by putting away from her hard earned sayings a shilling or two every week. ■ i'he costume was one of the' new fashionable' greens, and was not by any means expensive, but ■■ it was no doubt with a natural feeling of pride "" that she glanced at herself in the mirror as she completed her toilette, and thought how .pleased '. her mistress and — well, never mind who else — ■---. wotild be to see her looking so prim and nice. But, poor girl, she was unaware of the mean and jealous nature of her mistress, for upon entering 1 the room to dd the latter's bidding, she was;.' accosted with the interrogation as to what the' said mistress's friends would say when they saw '"', her servant and herself attired in precisely.. - similar costumes. 'Dear me,' she exclaimed, ' things have come to a pretty pass when servantß ; can buy the same kind of dresses as their mis-','; tresses! The idea! What on earth would nay ' friends say if they saw us walking along the; street together !' The servant is reported to have meekly replied that she didn't know, anrt explained that she had no idea, that her mistress '■ had also a green costume. But the ' lady of the 1 house' is of such a proud and haughty disposition that she forthwith told her that she could no, < longer retain her services, but would give her a ' week's notice ! "When, however, the girl informed, her mother of what had occurred, it was decided.;; to no longer serve under such a woman, and? ' the servant at once returned to the house, gathered up her belongings, and departed. {■'•■■ It is needless to add that the servant has made .; no secret of the affair, and we girls cannot but,:-; commend her for letting the matter be known as / widely as possible, as such kind of mistresses de- '■> serve to be exposed. .; # # #■,;.-

The other item of gossip referred to was oon- ■: cerning the son of a would-be ' leading light ' who '•:. resides at Tararu. The young man in question &; : some months ago took to foot-racing, and won, -~j; several prizes ; but it seems that he recently pro-c>(? ceeded to Morrinsville, and having entered under ''l an assumed name and represented himself as,^ being a maiden performer, he got such ridiculous:' handicaps that he was of course successful in 1 ;^ winning several events. The stakes were duly >- paid over, and the individual referred to quietly-^ returned to the Thames, but at length it leaked';; out that he had competed at Morrinsville and "■:•], won some of the events by entering under an^ assumed name and as a novice at the game of f00t ;..; racing. It is said that the upshot of the matter i : was that he was threatened with legal ■proceed-,^ inga, but deeming discretion the better part 0f),.: valour he settled the affair without allowing tlie | facts to be made public in a Court of law. If;? Dame Gossip i 3 correct in the above, then thial^ vulpine young gentleman should be debarred from\| ever again competing in a race at the Thames, or,^ if possible, anywhere else. m* * * * ' ..'A

The engagement of Miss K. and Mr P.McG.,'^ the rising youug draper of Mary-street corner, isy^ announced. . ''<j * * ;;J

Eev. Dr. O'Callaghan is drawing large congre* : : gations at St. George's Church, and raking in the '/ dimes, to the great joy cf the Vestry. Money X , ; r Money ! It's the same god everywhere, even:'; thongh it's made up of threepenny bits, all else -, being made subservient to it, and the best parson.;;; now-a-days is hot the most divine or Christian- , r like, but the one who can draw the biggest crowd j of people and ' bleed ' them of their cash. ■ ■- ; !

Miss Mc.W. of Tararu, and Mr J. P. have made it up, and their engagement has been renewed.

The contest between Messrs Bateman, Wilsoni 1 ,-^ and Trembath, for the honour of representing the ,*'« South Ward in the Borough Council, proved a - very tame affair indeed, Mr Wilson polling 102' votes, and Messrs Bateman and Trembath 36' and :"-■ 27 respectively. The last named gentleman was/; positive that he would be elected, but in an advt..- v after the result of the poll he says that he be-,; ! lieves that those who voted against him did so for >; the best ! It is not everyone ■ that will admit •• ' that his opponent was a better man than Mrn-1 self. ■ ■ - A

*

Mr McComisb, foreman at the Advertiser office^ was yesterday (Sunday) married to Bliss Horne,Vi of Newmarket. The ceremony was performed ,at'^ St. George's Church, the Jriev. Dr. O'Callaghan.:s being the officiating clergyman. . v . ,'■•.*

It seems as though the Borough. Council were;.^ going 1 to experience some difficulty in getting ri Doan's guarantee of =€1000 from the Victoria' ln^l surance Co. At the last meeting of our. City : j Fathers a letter was read from the Auckland^ agents of the company, 1 asking- why the Gounoil:^ had failed to fulfil its contract to carry out checks'; on Dean? Councillors didn't appear to care to •; answer the question there and then, as I see by vj the papers that the matter was referred to the • Borough Solicitor, in order that a reply might be x drawn up. But the thing is easily explained.,& The Council allowed Dean to do just as he pleased.- ;|. the majority following Mm blindly in everything',^ like a lot of cowards who were afraid of opposing^ him, a,nd thus he had ample opportunity for rob^ bing 1 the ratepayers whenever he wanted afe^| fi'.ties. ■:;*

— Semi- Tontine Life Assurance : The Equity able Life Assurance Society of the United Sfcates. ; | The manager, Mr Thompson, has just received"! notica from New York that the new business'! transacted by the Society for the year lߧ9 ;is| thirty-five million pounds (£35,000,000) ; „th;e| assests, twenty-one millions (£21,000,000) ;th'e| profit or surplus, four million live hundred th'ou&g?. and pounds. The assurances in force, one| hundred twenty-five million pounds! ThesJ| figures include the whole business of the Society! throughout the world, and is evidence" of high esteem in which this system of life -.as.sn.Ep auoe is held by the educated and moniedjcla^p| The Equitable, U.S., first, introduced' th'e:^e^| tontine system,- ;" , ■- • . \ '.;, : -v^ '^ti