RAILWAY PICNIC.

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 1857, 5 February 1880, Page 3

RAILWAY PICNIC.

The annual picnic in connection with the railway department came off yesterday, and was in all respects an unqualified success. The fine weather added materially to that success. A start was made at eight o'clock in the morning, when the first train took away a large number of holiday makers. But the second train conveyed the greater number of visitors to the ground. There were no less than twenty-seven carriages and fifteen trucks, making forty-two in all, and these were literally crammed. The racecourse, where the picnic took place, was a sight worth seeing, there being quite 3000 persons present, the majority of whom were ladies. Sports of all kinds were there, affording amusement to almost every variety of taste. The programme of events prepared for the occasion by the committee of management went off very well indeed. The committee, who performed their duties moat creditably, consisted of the following gentlemen.- — Messrs F. Back, chairman; J. Lowe, A. D. Smith, T. D. Edmunds, Ockford, Turner, Knight, Spencer, Crosbie, Shaw, E. R, Shaw, Gibson, McFarlane, Pilkington, McGarva, Pope, Innes, lanson, Ingram, Ashley, McWilliams, Stansfield, Lawson, R. Smith, R Ohataway, Hannon, Ellis ; auditors, Qaw and Williams; treasurer, W. M. Ollivier. It should also be stated specially that Mr A. M. Cole, the secretary, discharged the duties pertaining t# his office with great credit. The events on the programme comprised men’s and boys’ races, married women’s and girls' races, and a baby show, in addition to miscellaneous sports. All the events were well entered for, and contested with a degree of spirit not often witnessed in gatherings of the kind, and still less often surpassed. But, as stated, the management was excellent, and the prizes were well worth winning. The married women’s race in particular gave considerable satisfaction, and created no little diversion, the ladies entering into the contest with an ardor that was quite surprising and delightful. One of the greatest spectacles of the day, however, was the baby show, there being a tremendous gathering of infantine New Zealanders entered as competitors for the prize awarded—a perambulator. As not unfrequently happens, some little difficulty was experienced in getting judges, the task not being one easily carried out to the satisfaction of the ladies ; but volunteers were eventually found, and as indicating the difficulty of the situation, it may be stated that on their decision being given, three mothers (who had been unsuccessful) picked out the youngest of the judges and informed him that he “ knew nothing about it.” The prize was awarded to Mrs Jarrard. In addition to the above-men-tioned sports, there were on the ground a Punch and Judy Show, very excellently worked, and the usual impromptu games, together with a dancing saloon, which was largely patronised by the young people. The prizes awarded amounted in the aggregate to £125, and the committee provided buns and milk for the children, given away at 11 a.m., and toys were distributed to the little ones at an appointed hour, occasioning a great scramble, as may be easily imagined. The booths were held by Mr Burnip and Mr Bashford, and both gentlemen drove a thriving trade. The people returned by trains leaving at 4.20 p.m. and 7 p.m., the majority going by the latter. As stated in the introduction to this notice, the picnic was a great success, all appearing to heartily enjoy themselves ; and the committee may be complimented on the affair passing off without a single hitch. _______