AN UNPAID LEG.

Inangahua Times, Volume II, Issue II, 24 November 1880, Page 2

AN UNPAID LEG.

The Ashbur oa Guardian of Nov. 8 says :— For some tim? past a one "'eg* ged man might have been seen *tum;> .!.!» the township with a.m>9t fXtra'' ordinary work ofartasnn siriißeial lej, and many a her.d was turned to 1 »ok after the man who, instead of usiDg h : 8 leg to aid locomotion carried it on his back. But ihere is a reason for every'bids, and there was a reason for the peculiar conduct of (he one-egged man ' How he l<>st bis leg really we don't know, but we do know that be 8 fond of a boi 7e and he nukes this artificial leg of bis th.c means of raising the srind. Ha tells the good people whom he vis.ts a plausible story like thiy — that be got the leg made and paid £10 of the price ; that at the time, be entered iata a boad vith the maker not to use tbs leg for walking uaiil the other £lo'iwi»g was paid ; thit he ia begging euoseriptious towards 1 quidating the £10. and ha produces a list of ufiinrg with sums given opposite, amounting within a pound or tyro t!»e requirei amou it. Kind-hearted peoipie give shillings and half-crowns ; but however rnueii money is givei, the one-legged ra.in uever seems to get any nearer the happy time v.hen he will cast naide bis primitive timber toe, and put on the triu nph of leg* making art. He gets drunk, too. aud into debt rs well. Po.-ei ;le nobody would interfere with his litlie begtzini; gntn^ if he behaved himself; but, nn Saturday he had taken too heavy a whwisy dianer and ibe landlord of the boiirdin?houss at which be puB up found him to be a nuisance, ho that tue ouelegged man was taken away to q mrters where be had to ' wictle free ' at the colony's expen-e. To-day he mide his bow to Mr Nugent Wood, X.M , before *vh<m Mr Cuorles Larouehe**

motfe of raising the wuH was described, a-nd the cue-i'gged Frenchman wa* given to understand that thft-e da_V6 grace would be £iv*m liira in which to depart from confines of this city, or be sent, leg and leggage, to goal as a vagrant. Mr C. Lsrouche used to trot rouod with an organ and monkey, but these niJs to fortune ijave been iosf siah'u of. and the fancy le^ taken Llie'fpt :ic^. V, r e sliuuid :i>lveri>e the aVi'ipaihetic to be o-»re l 'u: mi giviisg him the p money, a.-; iUU \--g ' f.-.ke ' of 'm is ouiy a mearn foi 1 fiiidiu^ ihs I'Veiioh" man's ' wittles au'l dritik ' — mostly driok.