The Otago Guardian of 14 July 1877 reports a dinner in honour of James McKerrow, prior to his departure for Wellington, at the City Club Rooms. The spacious dining room of the club was tasefully decorated with flags, and a company of between 70 to 80 Gentlemen
Mr. Robert Gillies, vice President of the club, made mention to poetry and surveying not mixing. He said, "Surveyors are not poets. He only knew one subaltern who attempted it. He caught him one day reciting poetry at a trig station and told him, "it would never do."
His reply was -
Blow, blow thou winter wind
Thou art not so unkind
As man's ingratitude
Mr Gillies went on to mention that "the subaltern only lasted a few weeks."
No comments:
Post a Comment