WAIPAWA.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 2990, 25 January 1881, Page 2

WAIPAWA.

(fhom oob own correspondent.) Monday evening.

Affairs here at present are quiet. The excitement of the holidays has passed, and pleasure seekers have mostly all returned to their usual occupations, to, perhaps, lay by a small sura for Easter. I notice my friend Archie has returned ; but whatever is the matter with him ? He does not look so rosy as he did. He tells me fee's been poieoned (accidentally, of course), but that's rather a hard one to swallow, Some say that blighted affection has something to do with it, others a severe attack of sea-sickness. I rather incline to the latter opinion, but am el ad to welcome him back.

While on the holiday subject, I may remark en passant that our jovial friend, the chief scribe of the local " buster," took his departure from here on Friday afternoon last, bound for Auckland. I'm told, but will not vouch for the truth of it, that he intends while there to pay a visit to the shrine of Hymen. Certainly, if one is to judge by the number of household goods to be eeen io, at prepent, an unoccupied house not far behind the English Church, appearances are very like a double occupation shortly. He has my best wishes for his future happiness, and on his return toWaipawal guarantee him a musical reception. Some of the members of our Road Board bave been indulging lately in a little squabble, wbicb ended in the chairman, Mr B. Bibby, sending in his resignation. It appears that Mr Bibby, who is erecting a large etore and dwelling-house, which will be an ornament and credit to the township, put up a breastwork at the side of his building to prevent the earth falling away. One of the wardens, officious like, considered it hie* duty to interfere aod stop the work, because he thought the breastwork was on the road, although in a line with the pathway opposite, and made some very unpleasant insinuations to Mr Bibby, which reflected severely on him as chairman of the Board. Mr Bibby at ouce tendered bis resignation, which, at a special meeting at once convened, was accepted. I'm told that the newly elected chairman, Mr Phillips, intends settling this road question at once —a Herculean task, lam afraid. Meanwhile, the breastwork remains.

Surely Waipawa must be developing a number of Bradlaughir.es. Sunday appears to be the general day for amusement, all sorts of sporting parties being made up, and nearly every game known indulged in. Last week I beard of four young men meeting after breakfast on a recent Sunday, and taking part in a quiet game of " Nap," and did not leave off playing (except slight adjournments for refreshments) till the small hours of Monday morning, when some of the party could be beard bewailing their bad luck in anything but Scriptural language. As this is the first instance brought before me I conclude it is not general. Other residents here develop a passion for piano playing (?). I'm sure the regular attendants of St. Peter's must be quite conversant with the popular airs from "Pinafore," &c, by this time, as rendered by a devoted student living not a hundred miles from the church. To my knowledge they have been regularly dished up Sunday morning and evening for the past two months. But then this is a quiet place, and one mast have amusement.

The Waipukurau Caledonian Sports Committee were so successful at their New Year's Day meeting that they intend holding another at Easter, when some very good prizes will be competed for, the largest being an open scratch race for £15, and a number of hurdle racep. I saw by newspaper reports that the sum of £3 had been given to the County Hospital, and £40 placed to the credit of the commttee in the bank. This surely was not the original intention of the committee when they sent out their subscription lists. The whole proceeds of tbe sports, so I was informed at the time, after paying expenses, &c, were to have been given to the County Hospital, Again, the profits from the Aunt Sally erected on the ground, which amounted to over £11, was to have gone to the same institution, and yet only the paltry sum of £3 found its way there. Perhaps the sports committee didn't anticipate such a large profit from the meeting, and became so overjoyed at tbeir success that they decided ~to have a meeting twice a year, and so kept 'the surplus funds for that purpose. The Waipawa Junior Cricket Club tried conclusions with tbe boys of Waipukurau on Saturday last at Waipawa, and after an exciting game the match was won by the Waipukuran team by three runs. Out of seven matches played between these clubs, Waipawa has been successful iv five. This fact seemed to give the Waipawa boys as much satisfaction as if they had won the present match. The Waipawa Town (Jlub play a return match with tbe Hawke's Bay County Club next Saturday at Hastings, when I expect, as usual, they will suffer defeat. Waipawa seems to be particularly unfortunate this year in cricket, having only won one match against several played. They have a tower of strength in Fred Newton, the bowler, but he is badly knocked up. Some of his friends here are very wroth that he is not included in the twenty-two chosen to play against the Australians, as he is considered by judges here quite as good a bowler ac either Liddle or Luke, a splendid field, and very often knocks up a large score with bis big bits.