THE HOSPITAL BAZAAR.

Cromwell Argus, Volume 2, Issue 90, 1 August 1871, Page 5

THE HOSPITAL BAZAAR.

To the Editor of the. Cromwell Arcus.

Sir, —I was fortunate enough to be present at one of the most interesting events that has taken place within 50 miles of Cromwell for many a long year. lam not aware whether you or any of your representatives ha.l also the good fortune to lie present ; but in case that none of you were there, I purpose giving you a short account of what it was, why it was, where it was, and when it was ; and E sh;ill take the liberty of adding, thereto a few of my own reflections thereupon. A very amusing and comical old friend of to the Australian public by the-name of Thatcher—used to sing a very good .song (which I hive no doubt most of your read--ershave heard), commencing something in this 'Way/ "There are lots of little swindles got up in all colonial towns ;'" and then he proceeded to show that the greatest swindle of the "lots" was a bazaar. But Thatcher was nob present at the happening of the event I ant going to tell you about: if he had been, he would have been forced to write a new song, either contradicting Jlis first entirely, or making an exception. That .'invent, was an auction bazaar, and it was far—very far—from being a swindle. The reason why | this bazaar was held was because so many aecii*d6iris'had occurred in the Dunstan district that "the Ordinary funds at the disposal of the Dunstan Hospital Committee had become exhausted, and therefore fchis extraordinary remedy was adopted to IrLI up the vacuum caused in the coffers of the Committee by the great effusion of funds that had taken place. The Hospital being in Clyde, it was most proper that the first bazaar ! should be held there also ; and there it accordingly was held, on the 2oth day of this month.

', 'Great was the number and beautiful was the ■quality of the goods sent to the disposal of the hanamer by the philanthropists of the district ; but I believe their beauties would have remained to a great extent latent, had it not been for the talent of the auctioneers (or, at all events, one of the auctioneers) who had kindly placed their services at the disposal of the Committee. The first auctioneer, a resident of Clyde, soon gave in ; and then the hammer was seized by our worthy friend and fellow-townsman, Mr William Jackson Barry. Then, indeed, the real quality of the goods was soon made patent to all present. Some of the good people who had sent things to the bazaar were, I believe, themselves astonished when they heard the full value of them, and bid up to a high figure (hut not more than the things j were worth) in order to become once more pos-1 sessed of what they found they had valued at | too low a figure. Others, again, in order to hear i once more the witty remarks of our townsman, j resigned their ncwly-ac [uired possessions into j his hands to be disposed of for tho second or third time. The affair was a great success, aiid realised over £101). Sir, I should like to know why our fellowtownsmen do not get up a bazaar here for the I same object as the one I have boon writing about, j It cannot be that as many patients are not sent from the Cromwell district ns from Clyde, for [ tho fact tha<> there are as many is indispntable. Surely we shall not be content to hear it said that we are having our sick clothed and fed at the expense of the dwellers in the Dnnstan district? It certainly ia not because we have no auctioneer, for our friend Mr Barry is not only willing, but anxious, to do as Hindi or more bore than he did at Clyde. Let us, then, come forward unanimouslv, and show the people of Clvde that we will not be behind them in contributing towards any good object, and certainly not in contributing towards such a capital institution as the Dnnstan Hospital.—l am, &c, A CkojiwisMi CrrxzEK.