HAMILTON.—Dec. 29, 1869.

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume I, Issue 49, 7 January 1870, Page 3

HAMILTON.—Dec. 29, 1869.

(Prom our own Correspondent.)

"We,are now ; 'fairly in the niiddle of our holiday (or driiikiug v I should call ic) days v they having commenced on Saturday —t h e event of which was a cricket match between the married and single,; captained "by Bremner and Burris respectively. The-afternoon was all r.:tnat could be desired, and in consequence there "was; a large attendance to -witness the game—many, I believe, from the; very novelty of the thing, as it was reported to be rather a re-union of perhaps otherwise connoting; interests,; than; an exhibition of talent or proficiency in ; the manly game. The single men were sent to the wickets first, and were soon disposed of for thirty runs, the majority of the wickets falling to the bowling of Mr. Sutherland. 'Cunningham was the only one on the side of the bachelors who attained'double figures, and they were easily beaten- by the benedicts. Early in their first innings the married men had their.captain placed hors de combat by an unfortunate accident—which was at first thought to be very severe, if -not ; by > throw of the ball by Cunningham, ; and re-

TeivedHn: 'tVe eye. full force seems to have been under the eye, where a very deep cut testified to the severity of the Fow, and it is feared he will uot lose the mark, for years. Turner, by a well got twenty-three and three, and Bremnor's substitute with fourteen, m airily• contributed to the success of their side ; and although the bachelors were beaten, and "wroth accordingly, a very pleasant and agreeable afternoon was spent. And while °.n the subject of manly sports, I am very much surprised" and disappointed to find that the foregoing is the onlvcricket match played on Hamilton for' several years ; and that, although they have all the appliances at command, no effort is made to encourage' a game which, I maintain, conduces.so much to health and manly rivalry amongst" and old, and I haye -no sympathy with the doringly sentimental wretches who prefer hob-nobbing at the bar of a public-house to a game of cricket, or any other out-door English sport. • 1 hate the universal t: Yf hat are you going to drink?" system, which, 1 think, ought to be discountenanced by every sensible man. It- is something frightful, the quantity of rubbish (pardon the word) that*a man drinks in these holiday times, just in order to be sociable, or agreeable, or to patronise his friend the publican, or to encourage trade, or to please the barmaid, or twenty other reasons, a never-failing one being, " not to take a shingle - off," —meaning the landlord—while they, in reality, persist in taking shingles off their own heads, where, in many cases, there are few to spare. Why should not a different system of shouting be introduced ? Por instance, let the heavy shouting man stand a lbnii- , handled shovel, and pick to ail his friends, thereby answering two purposes—giving to the willing a really necessary implement, and tcTthe lazy a broad hint lo go to work. Let the medium shouter stand a tin dish to each of hi.3 friends, and so follow on for every time he feels exuberant with some necessary article of use or comfort. Let the careful shouting man call his friends into the grocer's, and stand a quarter-pound of tea, or two pounds; of sugar, or any other article in the victualling department which his taste or .inclination may suggest. I own that it would be rather a comical sight to see a party, after a hard" day's shouting, wending their , way "home, laden with the miscellaneous spoils, but we would soon get. accustomed to it; and surely it is better to load the frame, than the brain—rather employ a friend jwho inay not have been so fortunate as yourself in a day's carousal, to help you to carry the proceeds homo, than! that the police should be required to i lock you up. These are my sentiments j at present.

But, to return to my subject. Monday and Tuesday were given to sports? on our old cricket ground, and were a success. The stewards deserve great praise for their endeavors to give satisfaction. Games of all sorts were introduced, and the difficulty was to get all the funds off, and on Tuesday til-fat it was found that there was still sufficient on hand to have sports on Saturday (New Tears' Day). In Quoit?, the prize takers were Bailey, Burris, and Bremner; in wrestling (Cornish), B. Hore and-J. Alien took the first and second prizes ; in running, Broderick, Grady, Hore, and Stevens were the most successful; in jumping, Ross and Broderick ; in throwing ■ heavy hammer, Maitland and Sullivan. Aunt Sally, wheelbarrow races, sack races, bell races, and cock fights added to the amusement of the spectators. There seems no disposition to start work this week, and to many the attraction- of your -Oddfellows* Pic-nic seems . irresistible, and some have already left to be present at it, while others are grievously disappointed at the rain falling to-day, thinking it will have to be postponed" or that they will be unable to attend in consequence of the wet weather.

Sain has been very plentiful lately and there has been "little scarcity 'of water felt, »vhile the gardens are looking: well, and had the rain been a fewweeks sooner the crops would have been very heavy; as it is, there will be no to coin plain.

There, has been another fatal accident time, at the Sowburn—whereby a man named T. H. ilorrein. lost his life by being thrown from his horse on Tuesday, lie lived for two hours, and it is believed that he was fatally injured internally.