ASHBURTON CALEDONIAN SOCIETY.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 2314, 26 December 1889, Page 2

ASHBURTON CALEDONIAN SOCIETY.

I ANNUAL SPORTS.

The annual sports of the Aahburton , Caledonian Society wera held ia the Domain fco-day. This is the first occasion on whioh an athletic gathering haa been held there, bat the natural advantagea of the ground, with the Improvements that have baen effected by the Borough Oounoil, B ioo9 it took over the control of the Domain, render It moot auitable foe the purpose. That portion of the ground whloh haa been selected aa the plaoe for holding apocts is of ample extent. On three aldea ft ia bounded by the ornamental ntream rmmlng through the Domain and on the fourth by a bait of pine tress. A wide track haa been laid off, oomprlalng a (| straight" of oonalderable length, whloh la called off to keep the apeotatora from eooroaohlnf? on the oourae when the sports are In progress. The visitors were obarmed with the pretty appaaranoe of the groonda, and the works . now being carried out, suoh ar the swimrniag batho, were the snbjeota o£ Inspection by a great many persons during the day, A3 the present was the first oooaalon on which the Domain had been uaed aa a sporta ground, slnoe the Oounoil assumed the control, the latter aaranged with the Oaledonlan Society for a formal ceremony to commemorate the occasion. A protesßion was deolded upon, and this* started from the offioa of the Secretary i of the Soolety, Me J. Scaly, m East ! street, and prooeeded to the Domain by way of Bast atreet, Weat street and Wllla street. About a dozan highlandere In national dress, with Messrs A. MoKay and G, Robinson, playing tbe plpea, led the van. Next oame the Ashbarton ! band, then a vehiole with members of the Boroogn Council on board, then the Aahburton Rifles, and the Ashburton Fire Brigade with their sham, manual and cuirlole engine whloh had been deoorated for the oooaslon. On arriving at the ground, thoae present assembled at the swimming baths where the Mayor formally declared the grounds open. He said that doubtless all who were present were acquainted with the history of the Domain. A number of years ago It was Jala oat and piaoed under the oontrol of a Board, whloh fortunately for the district was comprised of men of energy. If they looked round tbey would see trees planted by those men of which they oould hardly have had room for hops would crow, but fortunately the confidence they had shown had been amptiy justified. That Hoard however was restricted In Its finances, having only an annual income of L £4s. whloh was not sufficient to ma ntaln the ground as It should ba maintained. Under these olroumstsnoes the Doauln Board deolded to approach the Council as the body tuvfne the moat direct Interest, and It had been arranged that the latter should assume the oontrol. That happened a year ago, and they were there that day to see what had been accomplished by the Oounoil dnrlng the term of its stewardship. Some twoytarsago, when the "hard times" were at their height, and people wanted work, the sum of £100 granted by the Government for relief works for the unemploye,! had been expended In the Domain, voder the aupervlalon of their Engineer, and all wquld admit that that money had been expended well. They would dow see what had since been done. In the first plaoe they had a awinamlng bath, with daap waleP f Or thoee-wio ooold swim, and shallow water for those who oould not. It W aa 150 yarda In length and was a bath which ahoa.d atand for ever and aye. Then an athletic sports ground had been prepared. The track was not la such good oonditlon aa It would be twelve montha hence, owing to the diffioulty the Oounoil had I' 0 , ob*«lt»t"B oiuder 9 , but wnen finished It ahoald be one of the beat tracka In Canterbury. The Mayor then prooeeded to pay a high compliment to the skill and ability of the Engineer, Mr Fooka, under whose direction the works had been carried out, and who had had tbe devising of the whole of the Improvements. A somewhat lengthened reference **a *? ei L made t0 * he "oensW question and the M.yor said that though his action had baen much oritlolaed, if the same circumstances arose next week he would again act In the same way, There waa no doubt that the temperanoe people had "hold of the right end of the atlok," but florae of them by their Injndlolomnesß did their oftaae more harm than good. If they dismayed a little more of the suariter m modo and a little loss of the fortiter m n it would be better. It was no use oatchlng a man by the throat and saying to him " You shan't drink," such behavior on'y defeated its Intention, The Mayor then formally declared the ground open, and after wishmg the Caledonian Sooiety every Bucoeas, oiled for three cheers for the Engineer, Mr 0. E. Fooka, which waa betrnly responded to. Cheers wore also B™ for ' h ,e M^or, the trough Council, and tbe Caledonian Society. A Bt§rt was' then made with the Athletic programme. Following are results up to the time we went to press ; Open Handicap Hubdle Race j 440yda. Su hurdles. Prizes, £l 10s ; 15a. Running High Jump. Prizes £1 and 10a. John Jamlenoo 6ft 3£ln 1 ; W. Kldd 5f t l£!n 2. W MoTegue also competed. Pipe Musio, (Pibrooha and marches.) * ,? P t5 0B £l 103 « £1 i and 10^A MoKay lj G. Robertson 2: D. Ross 3, 100 Yards Flat R«oe. Prfzaa £1 10 i; 15a. E. Hamphrlea 1 ; Rankln 2. Eight at art eus, Sooxoh RsßJi, Highland costame. Prizes £1 10s ; £1 and 10s. A. MoKiy 1; G. Morrison 2: W. DavidHon 3— J, m, Lookaeaa oJflo oempeted. Gkand Handicap Flat Race of 100»da, 220 yds and 440fds. Prizea £2, £1 and 10a. 0. Dejoux 2yds, 1 ; E. Humphrleg cor, 2; F. Tasker T^ds, 3. W. Baxter scr. W . Bastian ecr, H, Bankin sor, F. Close 2yda, J. Groves 6yds, and A. Pilbrow 7yds, also competed. Pipe Musio (reels and strathspeys). Prlz s £1 10a, £1 and 10s. A. McKay 1, G, KoWrtson 2, D. Boss 3. fcwosp Danoe ; £1 10a, £1, and 10s A. McKay 1, G. Morrison 2, J. Lochead 3. W. Davidson also competed, Gband Handicap ; 220yda beat E. Humphries cor., 1 ; F. Oloae 4ydu, 2; 0 Dejoux 6jds, 3. Tossing th« Caber ; prfzje, £1 and 10s : T. H. Dalton, 33ft. 6ln 1 ; H. But' toriok, g. J. Otas also competed. Quoits, pr'zes, £110a and 15a ; W. B, " OoroptoD, 1 ; G. Taylor, 2. Four entrleß. Irish Rbel, prfzw, £1 10a and £1 Is : W. Davldßon, 1;W Fi zgerald, 2. HALy Milk Hajidioap.Fiat Race lat D. McFarlane'a prize silver watoh and chain, valoe 42a, 2nd H. Davla prlza 21*, 3rd A. J. Kelly's prfz ) 10a 6d — r, J Txr a f°o e rt al0pdB « *'> F - O-ose7ydß, 2; R. Wiila 30yda, 3. Pont other starters. Fiee Brigade Competition, 5 men manual drill, Mr D. MoLean's apeoial prza £2 2s, second £1. --Foreman Nokee' team 56 2 sth sees, 1 : Fireman Heff>rd'steam 2, Pole Vaulting. Prizes £1; seooDd, Mr W. Anderson's 10s 6d. J. H. Dent Bft 9m, 1; W. Kldd 2. Price, N» Price n and G, Lyons also competed, ' Handicap. BicyCLß Race ; 3 miles. First priaoMrD. Thomas' cup value £3 3a: second, Mr W, H. Oollinß's prize. A. Jones 100 yds, 1 ; B. Low 130 yds, 3, E.EtoaleofltertaafromiQratoh,