Rainbow Fair.

Huntly Press and District Gazette, Volume 3, Issue 6, 12 June 1914, Page 2

Rainbow Fair.

A HUGE SUCCESS. The result of many months of strenuous work on the part of the ladies of the Presbyterian Church Guild was tastefully displayed on the prettily decorated stalls that at the beginning of the week adorned the King’s Flail preparatory to their disposal, the proceeds to go towards the augmentation of the church funds. The tempting variety of articles spoke volumes for the artistic a id culinary skill of those concerned, all of whom , must have felt amply repaid for their labour of love by the praise bestowed on the fine array, the prettily aesthetic decorations, and the diligence that had trans- : formed the crude canvas into ; meritorious and beautiful couni terfeits of natural scenes, the . ordinary “ materials ” of the , draper’s shop into articles for ' use or ornament, and the “ stock lines ” of the ordinary grocery into condiments that fairly i wiled the nimble shilling or the ; more elusive “ thripenny ” bit , out of pockets that opened of j themselves at sight of the amateur saleswomen, or of the bevy : of young ladies whose efforts to - dispose of their various wares f were most praiseworthy, if someb times somewhat embarrassing to the bachelor whose wants are few and whose pockets are not 5 inimitably deep, i The insinuating raffle, as was 1 only to be expected from the e followers of John Knox, was - rigidly eschewed, and in the 1 disposal of the higher priced V articles there was distinctly - apparent the effort to elliminate - chance by the substitution of that skill, which either at skittles or at the shooting gall- • ery, decided the fate of many 1 c mipetitors. From the start to the finish all was hustle, and the arrangements were so good that the fair proceeded without confusion or any sign of hitch 3 until the stalls had been de--3 pleted, and the tired stall-holders *- sighed for the end. The various competitions were as mirth provoking as they were popular and novel, while the liberal refreshments and the lollies that could L be procured ad. lib. added to the ’ completeness of the fair which I in every way and from every point of view proved most j successful. MONDAY. Punctually at 2 30. p.m. the ’ Rev. Mr Richards, in a few well chosen sentences, asked Miss Ralph to declare the fair open. He paid a graceful tribute to the generosity that had ever been displayed by her and the members of her family, to the interest she took in the various institutions connected with the place, and thanked her for making a special trip to the mining town, thus adding another to 5 the many kindnesses which ought at all times to be remembered ‘ and* appreciated. ; Miss Ralph after thanking Mr Richetrds for his kindly welcome, expressed her pleasure at being present. The sight of the stalls not only formed evidence of the • skill and devotedness .of the ladies of the church but was a proof of that hard work without 1 ■ which no lasting success could |be achieved. She hoped the fail ! would more than realise their most ardent expectations, and that at the close tho ob- 1 ject. of those who had worked so hard and so well would be attained. Having formally declared the fair open, Miss Ralph with her niece, Miss Rose Ralph visitthe various stalls and showed her practical sympathy by making extensive purchases not only for herself and her friends, but also for tho body guard of litle ones who benefited largely from her presence. Miss Ralph’s example was well followed; for by 10 p.m. the treasurer was able to announce that with donations and sales a total of £BS had been realised, an amount that surpassed tho most sanguine expectations of the many workers. From the opening business was brisk, and very soon the stallholders were busily employed in j supplying the eager demands of customers who were as anxious to show their interest in a good cause as the stall-holders were to meet them. The stalls and stall-holders were as follow : Paintings: Mesdames Richards and Black ; Fancy Work : Misses Massey and J. Brownlie ; Plain Work: Mesdames Burt, Starr, and Holden ; Doll and Toy: Mesdames G. Shaw and Massey; Stencilled Work : Mrs Gardner and Miss Mathews ; Afternoon Tea and? Refreshments : Mesdames and Smith. To the list should he added the names of the indefatigable assistants who vied with each other in disposing of their wares to the best advantage, and who reaped a bountiful harvest, as the result duly showed ; viz. Mrs Mathews, Mrs Fergy, Misses Starr, Holden, Johnson, Comins, Burt, Brownlie, J. Brown, Berry, Robinson, Briton, Gribble and Douglas. Various competitions were held during the evening, and were provocative of much fun, while Mr Me.Caiman was kept busy at the telegraph, the sending of messages, humorous in the main, proving highly popular. Outside the Band under Bandmaster G. Millar played some very choice selections, while, i inside, tho music of the Huntly j orchestra was greatly enjoyed, j both band and orchestra being • important factors in rounding off j the whole.

TUESDAY. The fair was resumed on Tuesday afternoon when business was steady. As night came on the attendance grew until the hall became as crowded as it had been on the previous evening. Good humour and jollity reigned supreme, and evoked that sympathy which showed itself in the expenditure by the very numerous patrons whose hands were in their pockets as often as they were out; for it was very difficult to refuse requests preferred in the half shy, but seductive tones characteristic of those who run bazaars for a good cause. With music by the Brass Band and the Orchestra, with competition of an amu; ing nature, and with a company that was “ out for the night, ” things went as merry as the orthodox wedding tell, and it was with reluctance that patrons “ tore themselves away ” from the scene of much good natured fun and merriment — not too soon, however, for che workers whose features began to wear the tense look that followed strenuous and sustained effort. Mr Wm- Evans who was in charge of the telpgraph, did capital business. The sucess achieved will more than compensate the ladies for the trouble they have taken, and to them the honours are due, the “mere man” who is a necessary, but eclipsed detail in an affair of the kind, except where, his spending powers come into operation, st ndifig humbly aside and admiring the labours which augmented the Church funds by something like £l2O in all. The following are the names of the winners of the more important competition3:DOLL DRESSING. Class A., 1. Miss Eileen Mathews „ 2. Miss Agnes Massey ; „ 8., 1. Miss May Johnston „ 2. Miss Agnes Holden ; „ C., 1. Miss Eva Russell; „ 2. Miss Dora Clinch. Miss Eva Russell was also awarded a special prize for her doll. BED MAKING. Monday night—MrH. G. Williams, 3 % minutes. Tuesday night—Mr Stewart Dixon, 3 min. 10 secs. NAIL DRIVING. (Men) Mr C. C. Porter. LADIES. Mrs J, Darby and Mrs J. Clout. WOOL WINDING. Mr T. Black. HAT TRIMMING. (Men) Mr Stewart.