YESTERDAY'S HOLIDAY.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume VI, Issue 266, 10 November 1871, Page 2

YESTERDAY'S HOLIDAY.

The beautiful weather of yesterday proved a great boon to the number of holiday makers who, had made arrangements for enjoying themselves, some in one way, and. some in another. Besides private picnic parties into various parts of the country, there was a picnic oq a large scale given by the Artizans of Nelson in a paddock kindly lent by Mr.- T. Brunner for the occasion. Here, about 100 assembled and spent the whole day in games and amusements of every description," finishing up their holiday with a dance in the Drill Shed, which, for the first time, was converted into on impromptu ballroom. A Sunday School feast was. given in a paddock belonging to Mr. Rodgerson, in the Maitai Valley, where numbers of little ones met and disposed of the good things set before them, and romped and played about until sundown was welcomed as the signal for retiring home and resting their weary little limbs in bed. All these attractions; in other directions tended to diminish the numbers that were expected to assemble in the field in which the sports were to take place, . under, the superintendence of Messrs. Austin and Edwards, and, during thewhqle day; there could not have been more than 600 visitorß at the out-; side. Those, however, * who 'were not present, have no very great cause for reget,

as the want of a sufficient number of anything like evenly-matched competitors, the races did not furnish that excitement which the lookers-ou would have liked to experience. Indeed,there was only one event during the whole day, the result of which was for a moment doubtful, all the others being foregone conclusions. The Nelson band was in attendance, and its cheerful strains induced many to join in a dance on the green, but besides this there was no amusement of any description whatever. Below will be found the various events with their results: —

100 yards Flat Race. Fell 1 Blundell 2 1 mile Walking Eace. Simson ... ... ... 1 Four started but none but Simson reached the winning post. 200 yards Flat Race. • Fell 1 Blundell 2 Cressvvell ... ... ... "3 This was the only really well contested race of the day, Blundell taking the lead and keeping it until wifchiu three or fo u yards of the .post where he was tackled and passed by his more practised opponent. 1 mile Flat Race. Burton ... ... ... 1 Norgate ... ... ... 2 Four started. 300 yards Flat Race. Barnicoat ... ... ... 1 F. Norgate 2 Quarter-mile Flat Race. C. Norgate 1 Arnold ' 2 6 mile Handicap Running'Race. Austin ... ... ... 1 Simson ... ... ... 2 4 mile Handicap Walking Race. Edwards ... ... ... 1 Simson ... ... ... 2 i The day's sports were brought to a close by a dramatic entertainment given at the Oddfellows' Hall by the Bijou Company, when the prizes were presented to the successful competitors by Mr. Maclaren in the presence of a large audience. The entertainment itself proved very sucessful commencing with the amusing little piece entitled " Two Gentlemen in a Fix," which was followed by a clever caricature by Mr. Leech under the name of <f Major Windbags, a character sketch of the colonial army." The whole was brought to a close by the laughable farce " Whitebait, at Greenwich" which was played in such a manner as to send the audience home in a thoroughly good humor.