SILVER WEDDING CELEBRATION

Mataura Ensign, Volume 7, Issue 365, 13 June 1884, Page 2

SILVER WEDDING CELEBRATION

Tuesday last .was an important day i.n the history of Gore. It witnessed the practical completion of the Town Hall,of which we sha^l haf c something more to say anon, and the twentyfifth anniversary of the marriage of t\ro of Gore's best known" residents, Mr and Mrs F: S. Cauning" It was natural that they should seek to -fitly celebrate such an important epoch in their history, .and consequently young and old of both sexes from far and near were invited to meet in the Town Hall on Tuesday evening.: No fewer than 200 could have responded to the invitation, and amongst the company ..were residents of Invcrcargiil, '- Dunedin,. Mataura, Wyndham, Riversdale, Chatton, and ! other centres, so that on the score of representativeness there was nothing to complain of. Neither was there anything else : about the gathering to which exception could be taken, and f rom'first to last the proceedings passed off with the greatest, eclat. Dancing wag commenced nt.9p.ni, and Qon#ii u ed with vigor until 5 a/mi an Wednesday, when 'the company left for thei* homes with the "full satisfaction, of having done their duty. : The music for the occasion was supplied by Mr Brett '(piano), Mr J. $maill (fiofin), and Mr H. Mansford (cornet), and really good nmtic it was. Mr Canning had aJsq.hees forfcnnate in securing the service's of : two ; excellent M.C.'a, Messrs: Q. Low and Bbwiell,; who discharged their duties in such a capable manner that we imagine their services will be frequently in request at future dancing assemblies at Gore. The hall is -a $s,pital one for dancing in, being of \\&' proportions required for a very larga company ; and its acQustiq properties were shown ijo be good by the ease' with which the several vocalists made themselves heard during the evening. The representative character of the audience \ has * t^een alluded to ;* but on an bcoas^oflJi^a tljis'we may go a little f urthpr* and singly out for special metjan. the members pf a family the fteads of which have attained such/a distinguished honor as their silver wedding. A noticeable feature of the proceedings was the presence of four generations of Cannings, jthe oldest being solitarily represented by a venerable lady who had' a.tfained h, er 78th ; year. This was, Mrs Anna Mar^a Canning, who w,as h,orft p.n, January 14, I.BOG. It is a matter for regret that the excitement "of! the evening proved too much for the old lady, who bad to leave the building! long before the proceedings terminated ; biit her condition is now satisfactory, and no serious results are anticipated, as was one time the case. Next in order comes Mr Canning, who was born on June sth, 1841; His partner in joys and sorrows followed him into the ; w<srld in the next [year, June 21, being, the day upon which she was bonh June seen^s to have been a favorite monthjwith Mr.Canning, for we f|n4 him b,o,tl} arriving in. tl^e. world and getting married in ' that month. The ceremony— the marriage we ' mean— tpqk place at Isfarracoorte, S.A., on 10th June; 1859, and in the following month Mrs and Mrs 'Canning left' fOr New Zealand', arriving in. the colony on Ist August, \lßs9; j Here the head of the house — if Mrs Canning will allow us to call Mmlby that name—has had

an active business life principally if not wholly in Otago, and to-day we find him happily settled in Gore, and surrounded by a family that does him infinite credit. It comprises a dozen, and if other colonists had only followed the example of our friend of whom we are now speaking there would hare been little need for nominated or any other sort of immigration. The names of the various members of th>j f-imilv and their dates of birth are appended : — Emma, May 23, 1860; Bertha Catherine, December 16, 1861; Mary, September 27, 1 80;} : Anna Maria, August 14. iy«o : William, March 16, 1867 ; Jane, May 8, 180!) : Frank Stephen, August 22, 1871 ; Uobort Wiulo Donald, November 22 ; 1873 ; Alexander John, October 6, 1875 • .Jrtissie .Juli;^ Aug. -li) t i<d77-; LiliiUKEvau^eline Ap). 12, 1880; Violet Victoria, Feb. 26, 1882. Thus three generations >;jre.; shown ; the 'fourth was represented on .Tuesday. by Me Can ning's children's'" 'chiWfgn7'"*Ts'eTus hope the hobt aud hottess of Tuesday may live to sec generations yet unborn. There certainly seems every prospect of their doing so. Reverting to Tuesday's demonstration, we tint! we omitted to mention that Mr and Mrs Canning were the recipients of;, oE handsome silver presents'- fro^fch : |irf friends. During the evening supper was .pr^fded for the^humerous gueßtspthestage~6f*"the hall being provided with tables, which were loaded with delicacies that would have ielighted the heart of the most confirmed epicure. , Shortly before, the proceedings terminated,'the Rev. 3. Hobbs ' called! 6n those present, and took on himself to^speak for those who had, left, to express their warmest thanks to' .vj'r' arid 'Mrs Canning for their hospitality on the occasion. The evening had been spent" in the most enjoyable and harmonious manner. The occasion itself was a-' very interesting/one,; for inrcelebratjug the silver wedding ' their worthy hostess had proved that the marriage vows taken 25 years b-..-fore had been faithfully kept. However beautiful a sight a biide might be, the good wife of 2» years was a much more beautiful sight in the eyes of the speaker. This happy occasion." ehouhl'. be »;g?eat> ince^tiM to the young men to make a start and be in a position in the p#9j*er time to celebrate their silver weddings. Mr Hobbs wound up a very appropriate speech , by, w^shijig success and happiness to all Mr Canning's family, and the company sang most heartily "For he's a jolly good fellow." JVlr Canning, who was received with loud applause, stated that he felt delighted to rsee so a&any friends around him that evening to do honor to himself and Mrs Canning upon the 25th anniversary of their wedding day. He stated that circamstmces over which he had no control had slightly altered] his 'plans (he referred to hii aged mother's indisposition tha£ evening). Had* nothing unforseen -.arisen, jhlaMaiention was to hare 'illustrated Hh person the genealogical tree, of C e annings, from the great-grand-ma •tb the "great-grand-child. The whole of his family had been present during the eyening, but owing to his mother's illneia : adme <jf /tKefn.EaTii.tblMaY^a^g^^se who were still present he called upon to rally round him. He was very soon surrounded by ;t serea daughters and , three^ sodj^lso by three grandchildren. "Sr'tJanningithen, on behalf of himself • arid ; - family,- • thanked Mr Hobbs for hifl enc9mjyim i 8 i ,.and s tfae assemblage for their . presence. . "He fibped all had enjoyed : fhemselv& tlkot dtfghlyv*and if tnat they nfeould be spared, ito meet again, upon some future occasion. -, , :>nn '-.». v .,.,^- s