Smoke Concert and Presentation.

Huntly Press and District Gazette, Volume 3, Issue 6, 12 June 1914, Page 3

Smoke Concert and Presentation.

A pleasant function which took the form of a smoko concert was held in the King’s Hall on Wednesday night when the friends of Mr D. Caklerwood met to congratulate him on bringing to Huntly the Draughts Championship of New Zealand, and the cup which accompanies the [ title, Mr L. B. Harris, junr., i who presided, apologised for the unavoidable absence of Mr J. P. Bailey, chairman of the Town Board, who had been prevented from being present by important business in Auckland. After the usual loyal and patriotic toasts, the chairman I stated ! that the guest of the evening had attended the competitions for the Draughts Championship of New Zealand for four y ears in succession. On one occasion he had been brocketed with the winner; on another, he had come second; on a third, he had occupied the third 'place?; and this year, as a result of assiduous practice, study and perseverance, ho had brought the honour to Huntly whose residents had met together that evening to congratulate him upon, and to show their interest in, his well earned victory. As a visible token of their interest he asked Mr Caklerwood to accept an inlaid draughts table on which he hoped future generations of Caldei woods would practise, and thus uphold and the honours won by their father. He had heard that Mr Cahlerwood was about to “take on” a responsibility more important than a draughts championship, and could assure him the future Mrs Caklerwood as well as the guest of the evening had the best wishes of those present, and of those who were unable to be with them. The table as supplied by Messrs Green a fid Colebrook, is a handsome specimen of the cabinet-maker’s art, is beauti fully mlaid and bears a massive silver plate onwhichaTe engraved the words: —“Presented to Mr Caklerwood by his many Huntly friends to commemorate his winning the Draughts Championship of New Zealand, at Auckland, 1914”. In acknowledging the gift Mr Caklerwood said that the magnificent reception tendered came as a surprise. Draughts was his hobby, and in the pursuit of that hobby some measure of success had come his way.* He was prepared to defend the cup, and would attend next year’s contest at Invercargill, if the result of that contest were favourable, the sa ti Auction of his friends would piwve a more enduring memory than the cup or the title, even even though he was immensely proud Qf both. He thanked the chairman for his more than kind remarks, and the subscribers for the table which he would hold as an heirloom to be InuYded down to those who come after him. With speeches, songs, and recitations a very pleasant evening was spent, the contributors to the programme being. Messrs D. Allen (who was also responsible for the accompaniments), T Briton, Tlios. Cochrane, J. Douglas, S. Dixon, J. Pobertson, G. Shaw, H. Railsome, Stewart, and J. Wilson, the function concluding with “God Save the King” and “Auld Lang Syne.”