THE GARDEN FETE.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 765, 14 March 1910, Page 3

THE GARDEN FETE.

. /■'/.' ''•Iα :BBIIiLiANT? StrCCESS.' ),=";".. i'--. -'The .fete held:,in■ tie; Botanical Garden! tm-- .Saturday :came; , 'as'-a..very , pleasatt! rajiation': of theywell-worn.- devices, foi Inrujg' money- from:tlie, pockets ; . of ;th< public into deserving. philanthropic., changels, and--probahly an Saturday .night fch( ; Bfcre'taries' of; a'-dozeii different. socie'tia - .were saying : ■ to;themselves' : . regretfully; - rWhy 'didi't ; wa 'think ■ of-;;that?".'. ■. ;* ,-' Eot the fete -was a. brilliant, .W.alinasl . finexpectedly bomplete .'success. : vThe- daj • .was ■ an-ideal one," warm," *'sunny; -and calm,'•and the .gardens, wore their/meet attractive, -aspect,. find.: during. tlie. ■ affer-edon-five thousand people made',theiT.waj M : a t' .the■; gaies,'.. to.' wander; .'along. the ■paihs,Histfening';to:ihe. : baji4',- seeking 6u( . tbfl.'.yai : ipus...'side ; shWsV ; ;and -thprbughlj .■ enjoying-, themselyfs'.' .At , , times ■ the. niaia path'was ;so.crowded that'if;,fras difficult : to maie,one's;way;along; but, of.course, .- it-'-was-'-only for-■a-ishortidistaince'.that the traffic. oould;-be 'so .The liree'hostesses' oi ; ther'day, Miidy-;Ward, jirs.'.:Newman,.and' Mrs.iKhodes, /each'-pi .whom, had beei preseniad by.the bcimmit- , tee ...with,.a'- handsome'bouquet, stood. ;foi : the-.first hour'by :the. TinakoriEoad entrance to ;receive the guests, "and -during the •• whole afternoon', they." remained on Aity.■-■•,,•■-'- a >'-r : , Tae ladies in charge.of; the .three; tea inarqpees .-were K kept. ,very..busy, >all. the time,' and tea Ead ■to. be served to. hosts .of..■people'outside .the .tenfe' as,well..as .withim; '.'So , great was the 'demandj' 2500 ' people :.had''afteniooin tea.: in' Uttlß imore ■than- two • hours, but so.-well did .the ladies ;organise -and. carry-'out their'work ■ that, thiere -lias pracHcally-.' no; conf usioi. : :'- .The/i.motor-oar.;.railway; was,, a very ■ popular ; feature'of : the! : Nine':cars .were- in.loommiesioii, ! and al- . ways,.when,pite car. came b'ack\fioin.the .-,, Ssplanade-'with .its_load; .'there; was'-"a crowd ,of" excited stnalll cniMren7waitipg ;tb-.embar£. : . They packed themselves-"Into the"cars" m : the most inarvelioWway,,the children who. were, sat on by two biher ":■ rows looking quite" as rapturous as those irho -bad' dres3 circle seats, '-merry"souls vnd- all' agog to dasli throngh ;hin.".' :: The chauffeurs must; have had, a . rather, anxious ■ time, for ■ just-.'by those -gates, "Tvhere &>. many cars, werecoming and 'gbingVall'ithe afternoon, 7 .there was not much room for- a motor-car,to turn, but' somehow. tthey'. managed -it .without ' mishap;. and .Three;.bands, the Salvation : Ariny. aiiil . Siission.-Bands : . and " Highlalnd' fOPipers, roarched to the-gairdaßS ;and up 'to ;the Ewing ground,"where',they, kept- the^ people - enlivened with !'aa' excellent. selection" of music. They, .were accompanied by the cadets of the Boys'. Institute,-#nd 200. boy Bcouts pnder tKe direction 6f : , Mr. .M'leod and the .various scoutmasters. ,'"'■•." ■'.'!'. It wis;a'happy .idea to: enlist, the -services'- of 'these soonis,.' for..- .they made themselves' invaluable • during the afternoon: :'.'They , sold tickets for 'the-.ya'rioua side 'they carried, ines-, sapes to different'piitsl'df the'gardens-^a . description' of some-official : wbuld be given '~ to ■ a ecout, :with ■a> message; for liim, and the : message;-would- surely ; be ;deliveredi ■'.They were willing'aiml capable, aaid-these visitors-who had'tb: apply to- them' for information : had , reason to be ..pleased '.. with''the way it was given. , -There:was one.smajt scout of. the—but there-is' no ' need -to" mention' 'any particular . patrol, doubtless all patrols; distinguished them.selves in : 'some, special way. :\/ J :'"•',- ■—!■• The swings' ground::was- specially' set apart for,:the children, and there were swings and ' Eee-3aws :.for their ..amusement, while a Punch, and Judy show, .which'was:' kindly, lent •■. and -worked b , : a Mr. Densen,' enjoyment for -a of -small well ■ as ' for. grown-up -spectators.■■'- Four- children—by name -. Sha:w,' - M'Whirter, -Walsh,: »anil. Donaldson,' dressed in"--' Highland; costume "■■' —gave a very clever .exhibition of Highland- danoing, reel,' and sword ; dances, ■which were-very .much appreciated, 'ami the skirl of : the bagpipes for .once; had an appropriate setting among ;the wooded hills:' ;..; 1 /v : ■■•'■■'"V-"; --'''i , -' Down on the : main -path were gaily-de-corated - stalls for the -sale'., of' flowers, sweets,, postcards, ice creams,,'and cool dfinks, c and, these were thronged with ' purchasers. ■ Half a dozen- members "of . the -pia Ora branch • of; the,, Girls' Bealni' Guild, were'in;chai'ge-of these last. two. Girls; '■ .wearing .pictuTesijyie .floppy, hats •of crinkled- -papßr' in various'•..colburs served :at tho stalls or wandered, about the grounds "urging' people^to -buy postcards,. or sweets, or tea-tickets,-and'for . their saies one-, was ;espeoialiy; glad .that .;the ■ weather : ■ was ■so • • mild-ri ' paper hat ./in'a'Weltirigfcn gale.would:'indeed keep ■ one'sz-hainds- occupied: ';' •:.■,■' '■;• .-:■. ■■' There'-was ; a post office the ■ground, '- where '-the enthusiast jnight post-his pui'cßases.' • 'The - whole \ idea '.'-proved \s6 . -at: ' tractive. L that -'3000' post-cards ■were 'sold,and ,£ls',was taken/- ; .".;..• K'..J.\:-:■-■>.'■ Further' a! o'ug,- • arid' off, ; thejmain-- -. track, was'a .hunting ground- for'.hidden -'frees- • ure,-a-long wooden T)oi filled with■ Sawdust,' where" twenty earnest.-.seekers- a't-a ,timedtfg-for. a 'prize, and -near jjy-.quite : a 'number of: people -found .-pleasure; in-, a • naiWriving-.competitioni ■' It* is ;curio'us how pleasing an: occupation '■_ that- is fatiguing in a- home may. prove •to'-be'at-a ■■ieti;' ■■':■■-:■■■: .'",:"... ■■ ■■■ ■■:: -, ,;, ; -,- ; . , . -A*-concert,, arranged -by-: /Mr':-, Newton uid •' Mr. Clarke ■• Johristoi'/;. assisfce'd'- by . , Miss''. ; ' arid; others,' was given in. the open air,.\audj under the most, distracting .conditions, but,fhe;perfo'rmers'did their part "nobly, and their 'items.;were- much- . enjoyed.-.-. At-- times the paths were, so/crowded that'it seeine'd," almost, impossible that.some. of-.the very.iiny, childreri .'should-''not. be. lost, aha. indeed, ; after ■■. the. , ' 'crowd -had .gone home, the caretaker 'was "rung up, bv who 'had " their .-'small'children*:-but-'-ib seems., tliivt the'.'strayings'.occuired beyond 'the gates and not in. the and at : an hour in the evening' the' inquiries; ceased, bo probably, the'children-had: been found, . :The-fete was essentially:a. woman's undertaking, for'while there.yere.men help- . ers,'. the', great majority ; of workers- were 'women,;.-and , they; must .be.' congratulated on,the. Way .they!'qrganised;.the;wh"ole,affair and carried it .through'.. The comriiitfee.bf the'lnstitute; is deeply grateful to the women of Wellingtoii • for all they; did to make the- fete a success! . ..'Jt.is'satisfactory-'to Warn that the -riel result of. the -'fete .is,at least.Jß3so, per- ; .hap3,:.more. This is' sum' at which ' the "comniittee was aiming,' and' .flow . everything the Institute required will be provideii. The, :tca marquees brought in over>. ,£7o;"post-cards over £15; sweet; stall,- d£ls;-.flower'stall, ;'.EI2; and- motoi railway, .£lo.' • Mention .should' be.made of. the.'way in which the. women' whe hadbeen appealed to; stmt provisions' foi the tea tents. The. most delicious cakes and. scones were sent in; in; great •'quan '. titles, r and n'ot'a'thing had to bo bought, ' The. winner of the .post-card stall-com petition- was Mr. Glifton Osmond,- whe euessed''Bso beans, the'correct', numbei hnvz'-m. ■ ■■-./!' /■;■■■'"■ ' \.' '. '.'"