CHRISTCHURCH.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XIII, Issue 30, 20 November 1885, Page 16

CHRISTCHURCH.

(Prom our own correspondent.)

The public here is talking as hard as it cm about two things in con* nection with the Gamine and Lotteries Act of last season, which, as you are aware i 3 a somewhat severe amendment on the previous statute. These things are — Ist, that the new lr»w has just come into force, and, 2nd, that it is a great pity it ever was passed at all. Tue second criticism is suggested by the contemplation of the good fortune of two worthy peop c. These gentlemen inhabited neighbouring shops, small but respectable, their shops were in this like their purses. But in both purses there wan fouud enough to buy a lottery ticket—in the great •• consultation " . f one Robin Hoori. When the great day of drawing came our friends were there like all the leviathang who had invested with prodigality in tickets. They drew a horse with a hopeful nam^— Sheet Anchor. But '• wbats in a nam« ? " A name is nothing in raatteis of horsefl sh to gentlemen anxious to make a modest profit Our two friends wanted a ihnd to buy their Bheet Anchor for £10. Bat he also said " what's in a name 1 " In the cour>e of the day a number of gentleman wh > knew better had a considerable amount of business to do at. the little shops. They all inquired if a Sheet Anchor could be bought for the sum of £10, money d >wn— and so eager were they that they ev>n b ggdd for information as to whether £20 would not buy thit m%2ic ticket right out. A ll this made our m )dest friends very suspicious. So they Dut their ticket into on' of tneir slender purses— pi-rh ips the/ divided it and put it into both. This is really a most interesting inquiry, touching the best and deepest feelings of hunun nature, — and having thus disposed of their ticket, they closed the purse or purses with the snap of defiance an I waitd for tbe day. Tbe owner of the noble quadruped ca'led '' Sheet Anchor " not being Dearer than fifteen hundred miles off, the army of gentlemen who wer<i thus repulsid in the little shop bad no further employment for their valuable time. Wtien tbe wire* announc d that the horse bad won, our mends slept in the plea^i ig consciousn-ss of having won the magnificent sum of £1,800. It was too late to visit them that m^bt, and 1 was very much disappointed. I h-ive a gnat desne to hear the opinions of all sorts a-id ondi'ions of men on that exhius'less subject, the depression. The opinion of these two winners would have been invaluable. I have an idea they would have sud that the depression had been replaced by "a boom," There is more in this there then appears at first to be. You see every man's answer about the depression depends in the state of bis health, or of his bank account, or of bis wife's tongue, or of something personal and pamcular. Thus while many talk of being depressed, we have thousands of pounds ttuown into consultations, rac^p, shows, theatres, public houses, and the rest, Taking of races and shows, we are on tbe brink of the annual b vine and t-p t ing carnival. Every horse in the world that can run, and every horse that can't ; every mac line that ever was made t iat is useful, and cvi ry machine that is use.ehs ; every cattle beast that ever lowed in tbe midst of a deafened wot Id, and every sheep that e^er said "bo" to » goose (orpotnetbing equivalent) all these and nim<roiiß other animals and dogs and men ar<", as far as I can judge pouring into our cry. If Ido not want to be trampled under hoof, I must leave off writing.