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Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume II, Issue 263, 21 February 1889, Page 3

At the Wellington races the other day a wellknown local citizen, whose colonial life has not obliterated from his manner of speaking the “ burr ” of his native soil, approached the totalisator and asked for a ticket, mentioning the number he wished to speculate upon. What he said was “Twa” pronounced “ Twore,” but the totalisator man understood him to say “ Four,” and meted him out a ticket accordingly. Then there was a was a lot of sulphurous language on the part of the speculator, and, as Alf Lawton would say, there was a coolness between him and the totalisator man, who wanted to know why in thunder he could not speak English. However, our speculator had to stick to his No 4 ticket, which presently landed him in the winner of a £2O dividend. After that, the strange thing was that not a single growl more was heard with reference to the totalisator man’s mistake, and no report was made to the stewards about any wrongful issue of a ticket, or any thing of that kind. It was one of those instances where a fellow’s failing makes us wondrous kind.