OUR LETTER BOX

Observer, Volume XI, Issue 751, 20 May 1893, Page 20

OUR LETTER BOX

F.O. — Your ' counter-attraction ' (meaning a .barmaid) joke was old before you were born.

Guv Fawkes. — High treason ! And what execrable verse. Set's one's teeth on edge to read it.

Theosophy. — No room, but we quite agree with you that the Bey. Mao. ought to be sorry he Bpoke.. H.A.P. — A useful man, we grant you, but rather puffed up with a sense of his own enormous importance. J.J., Stratford. —Cannot take up the matter you discuss in your letter without some strong corroborative evidence of the accuracy of the statements. E.O. — The fellow is a rank fraud who baa for years been imposing on the credulity of the public with his pretended phrenological lectures. " Fancy he has left the colony now.

Devonport. — You would like .to know what we mean by cute old Oliver and the public hall? Well, probably you will have the whole story illustrated one of these days.

Elector.— Mr Adam Porter deserves all the good things you say of him. This is not the only movement in the interest of the people by a good many that he has concerned himself in. Huntly. — Take our advice, have nothing to do with him. He may be a prominent lawyer, but we don't think ' you would do well to trust him too much, especially if be can make money out of you.

P.J.D., Hokitika. — Yes, always glad to hear from Hokitika. Lots of friends there. The West Coasters are, proverbially, good fellows. Here's to them ! Glad of a few notes as often as you can send them.

E.B. — We do not admire either the taste . of the papers that publish intelligence of a condemned man's movements, actions and words during bis last hours on earth, or the conduct of those people who being allowed to converse with the man, convey such information to theße papers.

Utu. — Fourpenny-bits are worth from 9d to one shilling each in London at the present time. A shipment Home might pay you. ' Lion ' shillings are not worth very much. Those in the very best state of preservation may fetch eighteenpence apiece.

Gold Fan. — ' For Bmart people,' is it ? Oh, but that phrase is stolen, you know. It was invented, to the best of our belief, by Augustus Moore, late editor of the London Hawk, aud the Hawlt was smart. But the phrase cannot be applied to the ' weakly ' you mention. So palpably a misfit 1

Christchurch. — Pleased to get your letter and to hear you w.ere getting on bo well. And so the Observer is ' thought a lot of ' down there, eh ? Same story everywhere, we are glad to say. Sale has never been anything like so good as at present. Any notes you care to send along we shall be glad to bave. Colonial.— Why, of course ! The average colonial is just as good as the average Britisher, and perhaps a great deal better 1. The. long-standing belief in the Old Country that colonials live a la blackfellow and walk about the streets of the cities in moleskin pants, digger shirts, and wide-a-wake hats, is beginning to fade out, thanks to such writers as Boldrewood and Murray. But the ignorance prevailing in England respecting these colonies is Btill appalling. Growing Evil. —Your attack is unwarranted, and we decline to print it. You are mistaken in assuming that we referred to tbe Auckland Working Men's Club. Notwithstanding what you say, we consider this club to be a notable exception. It has always seemed to us to be an excellently-managed and wellconducted institution, and if all clubs, working men's or otherwise, were as free from reproach we would have no objection to urge to the proposed club at Newton. Your vehemence suggests spite against some one of the officers of the club.