The Late Mr james dickey.

Observer, Volume XVIII, Issue 1023, 6 August 1898, Page 7

The Late Mr james dickey.

The three Bons of Steve Hughes went into the box at the Supreme Court last week and deposed with many a. smirking grin how they had gone on the land in dispute in Hackett-street, Ponsonby, and had been forcibly ejected by Boak and Hanna. Mr Justice Conoily was evidently taking their measure as they went on. At last His Honor interrupted Mr Campbell somewhat testily to know what was the purpose of all this evidence. 'It Beems to me,' he said, ' that these three young men had no business on the property ; they were there without the authority of their father, they went there to create a row, and they got thrown off.' His Honor sized up the situation very well. But, all the same, did the young men not go there with the concurrence of the father — though the father did not put in an appearance himself ?

In Editor Lukin, of the Wellington Post, the stage has lost a brilliant ornament. It isn't often that he gives play to his histrionic gifts, but he broke loose at the re-union of Wellington pressmen the other day in a highly dramatic recital of a class seldom heard now-a-days. His power of declamation made one picture the dismay there will be in the Post office one of these days if ever the ' boys ' stir their chief out of his accustomed geniality. It doeßn't do to disturb the slumbering lion.

They had just succeeded iv shipping aboard the steamer as it was leaving the Wellington wharf, and the vessel had cast off her lines without their purpose being exposed. So far, their little scheme had answered admirably. They were just shaking hands with themselves over their success, when an innocent-looking parcel shot into the air from among the crowd on the wharf. It descended on the head of the woman conspirator, and broke into fragments, disclosing her in her true colours— as a rice-besprinkled bride just starting on her honeymoon. It was a cruel ' give way,' and the crowd laughed heartlessly.

' Samoa ' Hunt, always a man of resource, has broken out in a fresh place. He has bought the plant of a defunct Wellington paper, and is busy incubating a big scheme for a co-operative paper to be run for shareholders throughout the colony, with life insurance for itß subscribers, and such like. ' Samoa,' of course, expects big things fr&pi it.

The pert daughter of a well-known member of one of the Australian Parliaments is said by Adelaide Critic to have left for England not long ago against parental wisheß, and on the wharf confided to a male acquaintance, ' When I land in London I won't have a shilling. But I don't care. I'm young and I'm good looking, so I'll worry along all right.' It was the same damsel who about a year back is said to have taken a trip to the ' pater's ' station ' on her own,' scandalising a staid friend of the family she met on the way by introducing him to all casual strangers as her husband. This young lady is believed to be the original of Ada Reeves's ' What do I care?'

Mr Charleß Mbuat, one of Dnnedin's most promising lawyers, who died last week, was one of the youngest city councillors in the colony. Of Auckland he once said : ' A city of marvellous beauty disfigured beyond recognition — a mudencrusted diamond.'

Claude Gibbons, son of the proprietor of tbe Kopu sawmill, is now on his way to Klondyke, and has aa one of his travelling companions a nephew of Archbishop Redwood. The young adventurers are sending back interesting accounts of their journey, and in particular an appalling description of the mortality among horses that is taking place by the roadside, and which may yet be responsible for a plague among the pilgrims. Another New Zealander who is writing readable accounts from the road to the El Dorado is Dr Archer Hosking, of Masterton. Writing from Lake Bennett on May 20th, he mentioned Captain Robertson, the two Snells, McLeod, George-Baird, George Elers, and Cowan as being among the Maorilanders who were camped close to him at the time of writing, waiting for the break-up of the ice to allow them to get ahead. Also, there was a ' Bob the Maori ' braving the Arctic suows in the race for wealth.

Arthur Lascelles, a well-known ex resi dent of Napier, was proceeded against at Sydney the other day by the Water and Sewage Board for using water for garden purposes without having a meter on his premises. Lascelles is as deaf as a post, and when the magistrate imposed the usual fine he turned to one of the legal gentleman present and asked : ' What is it ?' ' Six months' hard labour,' bawled the legal gentleman. ' Six montha 1' exclaimed the defendant, struck all of a heap. 'Oh Burely, surely ' — and right there a bobby, taking pity on hia distress, called in his ear : ' Twenty shillings and costs.' The Court enjoyed the joke, but it was a long time ere Lascelles recovered from the shock.

New Zealand's second woman lawyer, Miss Stella Henderson, is settling in Wellington, and intends to practice her profession there ; also, it is stated, acting as correspondent for a Southern paper. What a nice time the Johnnies of the junior Bar will have in pleading in opposition to their ' learned sister !' Our other petticoated barrister (Miss Benjamin), by-the-way, seems to be holding her own in argument in big cases in tbe Dunedin Supreme Court.