JUBILEE CELEBRATION.
Yesterday was a gala day m Ashburton. The inhabitants of the town tamed oat en masse on the oooasion of the local celebration of the Queen's Jubilee. All the places of business were shut up, the day being recognised as a close holiday, and people from the country began to pour m from an early hoar up to the middle of the day. Perhaps never m the history of the town has such a crowd been gathered together here. Even the " oldeßt inhabitant " oannot remember a throng approa.ob.irjg m magnitude that of yesterday, being m the streets even m the palmiest period of those good old times, when wonders, we are told, were of daily occurrence. Fortunately, the weather, yesterday— in spite of that whioh we have experienced for some considerable time past— was, when the season of the year is taken into consideration, of the most favorable oharaoter, though unfortunately the streets were thiokly coated with mud, and this to some excent militated i against the enjoyment of the processionists who happened to be on foot. Probably all our readers are aware of the oircumatanoea under whioh a local oelebration was agreed upon. Although the matter had been spoken of outside for some little time previously, the first aotive steps, we believe, were taken by the Borough Oounoil some two months ago. The matter was brought up at one of the meetings of that body, and it deoided that the event should be oelebrated by the district as a whole, and not merely by the Borough. It, therefore, invited the co-operation of the County Council, and this was oordially extended. A public meeting was called, and it was there resolved that it was desirable that the Jubilee should be oelebrated m two ways, viz , by festivities and by a permanent memorial. A large and influential Committee was appointed, to oarry into effeot the opinions expressed at the meeting, and they promptly and energetically .eat to work to fulfil their duties. The first of the means of celebration deoided npon is that which we chronicle to-day. With regard to the latter we understand that before any. thing definite is decided upon, a meeting of subscribers will be oalled. The Committee are certainly entitled to the greatest oredit for the success whioh attended their efforts to make yesterday's proceedings enjoyable to all ; the affair being one whioh but few would suppose was capable of accomplishment m the district, when the disadvantages whioh had to be contended with are taken into consideration. The proceedings were divided into two parts, the first being a procession of the Volunteers, Fire Brigades, various Societies, and Trades m the morning, and, the seoond, a torohlight prooession and a display of fireworks m the evening. Many of the townspeople had their places of business decorated with flags, Mr Patching, m particular, having a fine display extending right aoross East street. At night, most of the shops were illuminated, and m many parts of the town Chinese lanterns were a noticeable feature. Below will be found details of the prooeedings. THE MORNING. From an early hour, people began to muster m the vicinity of the Templar Hall, from which the procession was announced to start, and the members of the societies and trades whioh were to take part, also began to collect at the spot. All the school children m the County were invited, and a large number availed themselves of the invitation. Those m the country came mby various means of conveyance, a considerable , number arriving by tr,ain. These latter were met at the station by members of the Committee, and all were taken to the- Borough School grounds, where they fell m, ready to take their appointed place m the procession. Shortly after eleven o'olock, a start was made, the prooession being headed by the Ashburton Band. Next came the Volunteers, who mustered m fairly strong force. They were followed by the various Societies, the order of these latter having been 'fixed by ballot, The Orangemen, who turned out m goodly numbers, were first, they being succeeded by the Druids, whose number was somewhat small, but who by reason of their white flowing robes and patriarchal beards, were a feature m the prooession. The Caledonian Sooiety were set for the next place, but very few of the members turned up. Those who did come, however, made up m spirit what they lacked m numbers, ana, headed by two. Btalwart pipers, they worthily fulfilled their part. After the Caledonian Sooiety oame the Oddfellows, who mustered m very strong force, their number being very much larger than that of any of the other Sooieties. The Borough and County Councillors and members of other local bodies came next, they, of course, riding m vehicles. The Fire Brigades, with their engines succeeded next m the order of route. The butohers were represented by two blueaproned knights of the cleaver. Then there were some individuals m queer H rig-outs." A Japanese, or Chinese, warrior m the armour that was once used m that part of the world, a man m a peculiar looking military get-up, and two sailors on horseback composed this part of the line. The most prominent and most interesting feature of the whole prooession was what followed. This was th» representations of the various trades carried on here. A large number of vehioles had been requisitioned, and m most of them workmen m some particular line of industry were busily plying their craft. First oame a vehicle bearing specimens of the work turned out at the Woollen Faotory— tartans, rugs, etc., the whole being surmounted by the representation of a sheep. Then oame a large waggon m whioh Mr Steele, of the Viotoria Shoeing Forge, and a number of his workmen were hard at work blaoksmitbing. The oarriors oooupied the next plaoe, and they were followed by the brioklayers who built up structures m their cart and then pulled them down again. After the brioklayers came a cart bearing the paddle boat constructed by Mr Steele, and which we noticed m these columns some time ago. Tbe printers occupied, the ne^t vehicle, The two individuals who represented the craft had, why we do not know, deoked themselves out {as Ethiopians m the orthodox fashion. Anyhow the costume quite took the fanoy of the crowd. The printers were engaged distributing a. Jubilee poem composed by Mr W. J. Steward, and this, we may state, accompanies this edition as a supplement, The fishmongers were represented by Mr Gates, whose cart was deoked with the finny denizens of the deep. The Canterbury Flour Mills oontributed two waggons. In the first the process of roller milling was shown, the motive power for the maohine being supplied by a small steam engine whioh had been bodily placed m the cart. Small bags of the flour wete thrown out to the onlookers, who had an opportunity of testing the quality of the artiole manufactured. The Bread Company's vehiole came next, and after it Mr Hartley's steam washer, which m turn was followed by some specimens of Mr Davis' skill as a cabinet maker. Mr Murray, watchmaker, brought up the rear dl the trades part of the procession, and his display wae a very interesting one. In his vehidli ha had a quantity of the machinery used m his business, and ho intonded to have had much more, but the unsettled Btato of the weather till just before the day of the procession precluded his making the necessary arrangements. The Hunt Club, with the hounds, followed. The members were present m goodly force. The Salvation Army Band headed the sohool children, of whom there must have been present nearly a thousand, and the youngsters, who were m most cases deoked with rosettes and plentifully supplied with various colored flags, seemed to enjoy thomselveß immensely. The traotion engines brought ap the rear. Of these there were at first only two present— Messrs N. Eden's and W. Sutherland's— but another arrived on the ground later m the day. The prooession having started from the Templar Hall marob.ee! down West Street to Havelook Street. There the school children and traotion engines prooeeded along East Street, but the main body went to Cass Street, and thence to Moore Street, along that Street to East Street, and thence to the Ashburton Saleyarda Company's grounds. From the Post-office, the traotion engines assumed the lead, the Salvation Army band and the school children following. With this exception, the order of procession from the Post-oilice to the grounds was the same as above enumerated. Arrived at the grounds, the processionists were formed m a square, and the National Anthem was Bung, Mr Kneen acting as conductor. The Volunteers were then put through a variety of evolutions, and a feu da jolo wav fired. Messrs G, V. Scott and J. Tuoker acted as marshalla, and they arc entitled to credit tor the manner m which they acquitted thornselves of duties whioh were by no means light. The Mayor, Mr T. Scaly, was most energetio m his endeavors to promote the general enjojtueat, wd he w« ably eegQugfO, by a 4 t
number of members of the Committee The ohildren, having been dismissed, were taken to the produoe shed, where there waa an abundant supply of excellent eatables, and here the wants of the little ones were looked after by Messrs D. H. Brown and E. J. Paul, assisted by a number of members ol the Committee. We had almoßt forgotten to mention the roasting of the bollook. This was an important feature of the day's pro* oeedings, and was viewed with interest by the youngsters, the majority of whom had never beheld suoh a display m the culinary line, before. It ia to be re. gretted thatthe Committee were unable. to carry tout their intention of having sports daring the afternoon, but m spite of this drawback the large number of persons present Mimed to have thoroughly enjoyed themselves, and that the whole proceedings were a great sue* oess cannot be gainsaid. THE EVENING. A torohlight procession and display of fire* works had been arranged for the evening, and a very large orowd, almost, if not Quite, equal to that of the morning gathered m the prinoipal streets to witness the proceedings. The management of these had been entrusted to the Fire Brigades, who performed the task allotted them m a thoroughly efficient manmer. A start was made from the Fire Brigade Station m Burnett Street, the Band taking the lead. The firemen marched through the prinoipal parts of the town, and the scene was a very pretty one» the colored fires, etc., being very efleotive. A representation of a • certain "evily-dis* posed personage, who was arrayed m the costume generally aooreditod to him, oo« oupied a place on one of the engines, and created muoh amusement among the juvenile portion of the onlookers. The procession having arrived m West street, between Havelook and Cameron streets, a halt. wail made, and here an extremely effective display of fireworks took place. Eookets, roman candles, Catherine wheels, oto M were dig. oharged m abundahoe, and a fountain was manipulated by the Fire Brigade so as to look exceedingly pretty when lit up by colored fires. The townspeople were. equal to the oooasion and most of the places of business were illuminated. The hotels were nicely decorated, and Messrs Steele, Hardley and Orr and Aloorn, had some effeotive displays. The library buildings were illuminated, gas jets arranged as a star having a brilliant .effect. After the display of fireworks, a bon. fire was lit, and this brought the proceedings of the day to a olose. Every person enjoyed him or herself, as the case may be, or if not, it was no fault of those m whose hands had been the work of organising matters. The proceedings all through wer.e a very great sucoess, and when the brief time that has been at the Committee's disposal is taken into consideration, it must be' admitted that that body is deserving of the very highest commendation.
To-day was generally observed as a holiday. Large numbers of people went to Christ* ohuroh to witneßs the celebration there, and during the day Ashburton Btreetswore a very deserted appearance.
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https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/AG18870621.2.8
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Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1589, 21 June 1887, Page 2
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2,049JUBILEE CELEBRATION. Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1589, 21 June 1887, Page 2
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