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Hokitika Guardian, 27 December 1919, Page 2

The Kokatahi races will be held on Tuesday next. Mr Eldon Coates has been appointed a trustee of the Greymouth Racecourse Reserve, vice Air Al. Hannan, deceased. An old resident of Hokitika, Air William Dey, passed away at Kumara yesterday. He was a native of Scotland, and 79 years of age.

* Mr C. W. Tringham, of Wellington, is the stipendiary steward for the local race-meeting on this occasion. Air C. £L. Gorton, who has officiated of late years, is attending some North Island meetings in his official capacity this season.

The “ Guardian ” weekly supplement issued to-day is a Christmas number, and contains a number of Christmas stories of decided interest and other reading, specially selected for the festive season, with a number of clever wood-cuts.

The next meeting of the "Westland Racing Club is set down for Wednesday, April 7th, 1920, when a one day’s meeting will be held in Easter week. The programme will be issued early in January, and the stakes will be about £550. Trotting events will be included in the programme.

The death has occurred at Riwaka, as the result of an accident, of Air Peter Askew, a well-known farmer of the district. While crossing the Riwaka bridge with a companion, the horse Mr Askew was driving got one of his feet either through a hole in the bridge or ji plank gave away, and both the occupants of the vehicle were thrown out. As a result of the accident, Air Askew subsequently succumbed.

The deatli of Air Judah Alyers, head of the firm of J, Alyers and Co., of Wellington, which took place on Wednesday of last week, removes a very old resident of New Zealand, The deceased was in bis 89th year, and the end was not unexpected. Deceased leaves a widow (a sister of Airs AI. Pollock, of Sydney and formerly of Hokitika), and a large grown-up family, one of the sons being Mr John Aryers, the well-known commercial traveller.

The Westland Trotting Gvb has had to postpone its meeting originally fixed for Tuesday next, for one week. The meeting will therefore he held on the Hokitika racecourse on Tuesday, January 6. The champion trotter, Cathedral Chimes, will make an appearance on the local track on the same day. In view of this change forced on the local trotting club by the postponement of the Westport trots, the hospital gyinkana will ,be postponed to some other date to be determined later.

The weather on Christmas morning broke fine, but -about mid-day a heavy slipwpr fell, lasting for over an hour. It then cleared, and the remainder of the afterppon was fine. As night approached a heavy north-wester set in, a gale blowing, accompanied by very heavy rain. This continued all night and in the .early morning. There was not much improvement till about 10 o’clock, whey the weather began to lift and grpcluflHy improving, with t' e wind changing fo flic sputh-west, the afterneon was fine, the sun eomwig out about three o’clock.

There was a busy scone in Revell and adjoining streets all day*on Wednesday, and in the evening the town bore its busiest appearance for some time. Tin shops appeared to be doing a thriving trade and business people s generally spoke in a satisfied tone of the turnover of tlm Christmas trade. The young people were greatly in evidence, and the toy shops all were kept very busy for hours. As the night wore on the crowd gradually wended its v.ay homeward. About midnight the Town Band made its appearance, playing carols in all parts of the town, their music being heard till long after daylight.

In the course of a long list of battle honors, the London Gazette announces the following award for gallantry in the field in the closing days of the war to Captain Henry Seddon Hills of the 2nd Battalion, ' Otago Regiment, who is a native of Kanieri, and a brother of Mr Lance Hills of the Ppst Office staff. “On 23rd October in the operations pear Salesches, Captain 11, S. Hills (commanded a company When diming the advance the right wing was held up, he manoeuvred his company so that' the enemy was outflanked, and this had file effect of breaking down the defence. Going on, he rushed a line of enemy posts, | pushing straight on to his objective. His excellent leadership, and c ool daring enabled the' whole battalion to go 0n..” Captain Hills is now on the water en route for New Zealand, and is due at Wellington, where his mother resides, about January 23rd. While on active service he did yather more jthan win the Military Cross, for he is bringing back with him also a bride from England.,