Pars About People.

Observer, Volume XXIII, Issue 28, 28 March 1903, Page 4

Pars About People.

IT was an ancient (but not very ancient) mariner on the tug-boat Awarua that fixed an Observer man with his glittering eye the other day, and held forth with glib tongue upon the marvels to be met with in fishing round about the Hauraki Gulf. The Awarua olten has spare hours when waiting for the vessels which it is her business to tow, and fishing seems to be the favourite means of her crew for whiling them away. But now for some of the yarns.

"One f>f our best fishing grounds, sir, is alongside a rock off Arid Island, over Coromandel way. A great place, that, sir, for barracouta. Not long ago, when we were off the island, we took a boat and went up close to the rock, and in no time we had got 24 'cootas aboard — and such whoppers ! We took two of them with us to a place where we had to call, and left them with the fellows there. The Test we moored up to a big rock, to keep fresh till we came back. Well, next day we got back to the fishingplace, and went to get our barracoutas. Bnt — would you believe it, sir ? — the -whole lot had disappeared, rock and all. Fact is the fish were alive when we left 'em, and they had swum away and pulled the rock with them!"

Then came &n eel story. " Ever see ■one of those big greeny-yellow eels "with the parrot beaks ?" asked the anariner. "No ? Well, we caught

one of them a little while ago, and got it up on deck. Gosh, but it was a fierce one ! It started jumping about the deck, barking like a dog and biting junks out of everything it could get hold of, and all hands had to take to the rigging. I don't know what we'd 'a done only that one of the fellows got hold of a loose block, and dropped it down on the eel's head and knocked it overboard."

Yarn No. 3 related to an adventure of one Smith, of Southern Wairoa. Smith, it appears, was out fishing in his cutter a short time ago, and hooked one of the big blue sharks. But Smith is an ingenious fellow, and instead of taking it on board he managed to harness it, with strong lines round its body and nose, and, lifting his anchor, let it go ahead of the cutter. These sharks, according to the veracious narrator, are very sensitive about the mouth, and Smith had a line through there that served as a rein. Well, his shaTkship went aw.iy at a terrific bat, and, steered by Smith, actually towed the cutter into Wairoa, a distance of 4-J miles, in something like ten minutes. After such an excellent, performance, Smith hadn't the heart to kill his prey, but cut it free, partly in the hope of being able 1 to secure its services again some day.

And so the mariner wandered on with tough stories about a giant crawfish that filled the steamer's dingey, and had to be hauled aboard by the steam winch, having swallowed the bait ; and hapuka that towed boats for miles before they were exhausted, etc., etc. But his romancing was capped by a quiet-looking bystander, who told of his experience on Cheltenham beach last Sunday. He had driven a stake into the sand, when suddenly a mysterious arm over two feet long reached from below anil disappeared with the- stick. He and a friend got spades and dug hastily in the direction where the ami had gone, when they found that there was an underground

stream two or three feet down. And as they opened it out they saw the tentacles of a big cuttle-fish being withdrawn out of sight. After that the marine Munchausen owned himself beaten, and tish yarns were declared off for the day.

Albert Edward Glover says that David Goldie and his fellow-conspira-tors have not heard the last of that star chamber meeting to appoint a Mayor. But what is Albert Edward going to do ? He cannot well make common cause with William Richardson, and, for all he knows, the choice of David and his friends might fall on himself. Certainly, they are not meeting with much success in their quest, and there is no guessing what may happen yet. Stranger things have happened, as Alfred Kidd knows, than a requisition to Albert Edward Glover headed by David Goldie.

Birkenhead residents arc congratulating each other upon having acquired in Dr Cnrolan, who has lately made his home amongst them, a gentleman of musical enthusiasm. At Matakohe, where he has lived for the past four years, Dr Carolan's abilities in this direction were mnch in request, and on the eve of his departure he was entertained by the settlers at a social. It may or may not be considered an addition to the doctor's distinctions that he has been appointed to the Commission of the Peace.

Mr Guinness's election to the chair of the House of Kepresentatives now seems to be a certainty. His rival for the office, Mr McNab, was in Wellington last week, and in conference with Ministers ; and immediately upon his return to Dunedin it was wired from there that he was no longer to be considered a candidate. After which it will be interesting to discover what is to be the reward of Mr McNab's selfabnegation. Perhaps, however. Mr McNab is making a virtue of necessity, having discovered that his chances were small compared with those of Mr Guinness, who will make an excellent Speaker.

John Patterson is certainly our most retiring public man. Several months ago, when his chances for Parliament were excellent, he insisted upon retiring in the interests of the great Liberal party. This week, with practically a certainty of election to the licensing committee, he retired so that the city might not be put to the expense of an election. By-anrl-hye, we shall have John standing for the Mayoralty and retiring once more, in order that Billy Richardson's chances may not be prejudiced.

Mr H. E. Partridge, who has been described as the "daddy" of the tobacco trade in New Zealand, is now well on his way to Cuba, even if he is not already there. HE., who has the antipathy of a connoisseur to " inaile in Germany" cigars, has been appointed sole agent in these colonies for a renowned Havana manufacturing house, and on li is return will open a distributing agency for the new brand in Sydney, besides supplying the whole of New Zealand.

Premier Seddon tells with gusto an incident of the great reception given to him at the Imperial Institute when at Home. There were some six thousand people present, and amongst them he met a West Coaster. In moving about, this gentleman came across the Agent-General, who asked him what he thought of the gathering. "Oh, it's all right," he replied, "only I'm surprised to see so few people here from Grey mouth." Greymouth was to him the hub of the universe !

••• •«. ••• There is some secret jealousy amongst the City Council staff because the faithful Lovell was photographed the other day in a group comprising the Mayor and Councillors. Some of the other officials want to know where they come in. They don't come in at all. That is where Lovell and His Worship score. One councillor who was button -holed on the question speculated the opinion that Lovell was favoured because of his good looks — it was necessary to give some artistic style to the picture — but it is more than likely that his winning ways scored the distinction for him.

The return &Mr Andrew Holden to business in Queen-street has been warmly welcomed, and he has been congratulated on all hands upon the tasteful and artistic jewellery establishment he has opened opposite Fortstreet. Also, his show window hag within the last few days been an object of considerable interest and some pardonable covetousness amongst the ladies, because he has displayed there a £275 single diamond bangle Diamonds of this value are not often seen in 7 Auckland. Mr Holden's stock is a beautiful and well-chosen one, comprising chiefly the articles most in demand for presents, all of which are of the newest aud most desirable designs.

It goes without Baying that Mr Hoiden's venture will be attended with success. He has been engaged in the jewellery trade in Auckland for the last eighteen years, during which time lie was mainly instrumental in building up the large business of Messrs Stewart Dawson and Co. He understands the local requirements to a nicety, and besides being able to buy most advantageously, can be depended upon to furnish exactly what the purchaser requires, from a lady's brooch to a reliable gold watch. He intends, we may add, to devote special attention to the wants of country customers, and orders by post will be tilled as carefully and satisfactorily as if the purchasers came to town and chose for themselves.

An old Aucklander, Mr J. W. Nolan, is putting his shoulder to the wlieel as President of the Poverty Bay Cricket Association, and endeavouring to wake up the young Gisbornites to the possibilities ot the game in their midst. In the old days Mr Nolan was one of those whose energy helped to transform the Auckland Domain from a quagmire into one of the best cricket grounds in the colony. He has also been reminiscing to the Gisborne players as to the way in which he and Mr W. L. ltees pushed the formation of the North Shore ground. " VV r e had none of your labour-saving appliances in those days," says President Nolan ; "if we wanted water for the pitch we carried it in buckets." Since he went to Gisborne, Mr Nolan has kept up his enthusiasm for playingground formation, and he is still at it.

Mr A. ,H. M!ason, formerly the county chairman of Whangarei, and more recently editor of the Chronicle and Advocate newspapers in that town, was in Auckland this week en route for Warkworth, where he intends to galvanize new life into the Rodney Times. Things have not been too pleasant for journalism in Warkworth lately, probably owing to a too enthusiastic interest in the concerns of the rival steamship companies, and it is said that -Mr Mason's predecessor has retired from the business with some pain,.. We wish Mr Mason long life and prosperity in his venture.

De Rougemont had a rival down Tararmki way the other day. He was one falter Mansfield, and a Crown Prosecutor who didn't appreciate origirmlity indicted him fora commonplace'burglary arfd theft of jewellers' goods. Mansfield kept the Court entertained for ten minutes with a lecture on his past career. He had been a detective in America and Australia^ and he told of feats in the way of clever investigation that would have outdone even Sherlock Holmes. It was only this professional cuteness, and not any criminal deed, that had got him into trouble. He heard of the robbery with which he was now charged, and brought his ability to bear upon the case : and it was when he discovered the plant of stolen goods, and took it to his home with the intention of returning it, that the suspicion of having stolen it fell upon his innocent head. But an incredulous jury took only ten minutes to decide that the clever story was too thin, and the judge made his time three years.

John King has been having a lively time of it with the Prohibitionists this week, but the enquiry so far hasn't amounted to very much, and John himself hasn't turned a hair. It is quite an interesting spectacle to see him each morning driving to the court with all the. nonchalant dignity of Dick Setldon, smoking his fragrant cigar, and attended by his faithful Kevin. The Prohibitionists object to John putting on style, and thegrievance of one of them is that he " puts on all the airs of a blooming prince." And why not, seeing that he is actually a King ■'.

There is, as far as we know, only one successful cultivator of the shamrock in Auckland. That is Labour Inspector Ferguson. On St. Patrick's Day, he sported a pretty bouquet of the emblematic leaves, and so also did a few of his favoured friends. The Observer editorial button-hole 1 was amongst those considerately adorned, and the Observer editorial heart throbbed correspondingly with pride of nationality. By the way, Mr Ferguson is as successful as a horticulturist as he is tactful as a Labour Inspector.

••• ••• .«. William Henry Matthews has made a revelation as to the easy-going ways of Auckland business men. William Henry had not a penny of capital, and yet since August last he has been able to start two drapery businesses and run up liabilities to the tune of £2,624, trading upon the credit given him by the Auckland warehousemen. When accounts fell due, he squared them with goods supplied by other creditors, and so the thing went on till he got properly cornered and had to hie. Meantime, William Henry lived comfortably upon £20 a month drawn out of a business into which he had put nothing. It would be interesting to know what the wholesale dealers themselves think of their system of loose credit, now that they see how it can be utilised.

William Richardson has been telling sultry tales in his paper about a local publican, and the publican is angry, and there is likely to be a prosecution for criminal libel. It was bound to come, sooner or later. We expressed the opinion when the paper was first published that William would find it safer to spout libels at street corners than to print tnem in a newspaper, and he would have been wise to have taken the hint. You can't take liberties with the N.Z. law of libel.

A Newmarket humourist got his deserts the other night. He met a man he knew in an off-side street, and said : " Say, did you hear that sfcory to-day about .288 ?" " No," answered the other, excitedly, "what is it?" " Oh, it's too gross, too gross entirely," replied his companion, in a mournful voice. " Tell away," resumed the other, "and I will try and stand it. If I must hear such dreadful things I must." " Well," exclaimed the friend, " 144 is one gross, and 288 is two gross, isn't it ?" A meteor shot across the sky like a flash of lightning~a thud— a moan — a chuckle— a dark form stealing away in the darkness — and all was silent.

Ernest Hoben, the energetic pressman who engineered the New Zealand Kugby Union into existence some twelve years ago, is at present on a visit to the colony. Hoben spent his childhood and youth in Auckland and lauranga, and afterwards did press work at Napier and Wellington. For the last ten years or so he has been connected with Sydney papers, mostly as assistant editor of the Sydney Mail the weekly of the Morning Herald office, which position he still holds It was while at Napier that he took iii hand the secretaryship and organisation of the New Zealand Union, as against the provincialism in football that then existed throughout the colony, and the ability with which he steered the movement to success S oul 2 n , ot be readi| y by New Zealand footballers.

Also, Hoben was responsible* for one of the biggest press sensations that have taken place in New Zealand. It was he who, as reporter for the Wellington Post, discovered and published the fact of Colonel Fox's quarrel with the Ballance Ministry, and his resignation of the command of the colony's forces, when it was jealously hugged by Ministers to their breasts as a State secret. Where or how he got the information has never leaked out. The Government was furious, and set up a Royal Commission to endeavour to ascertain, but though it sat for weeks in various parts of the colony its labours were thrown away. Hoben and the late E. T.Gillon, then editor of the Post, were summoned to give evidence before the Commissioner, but declined to go, and how they penetrated the secret* of the Cabinet remains as great a mystery to-day as •ver. ...•'■