N.Z. RIFLE ASSOCIATION.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XIV, Issue 59, 10 March 1879, Page 2

N.Z. RIFLE ASSOCIATION.

THE CHAMPIONSHIPS. Considerable interest appeared to be taken in the closing match for the Championship, and before the last range was fired there must have been 700 or 800 spectators on the ground, tbe two o'clock train from town bringing a large number. Hutchinson, who was two points ahead of Paynter when they came to thia range, was unfortunate enough to make two misses, and W. Ballinger, who was level with the ex-champion, scored only 19, so that when Paynter, who was one of the last squad of four to fire, came to his moond he had only 20 to get to win, and if anyone had said that Paynter could not average centres at 600 yards he would have been laughed at. But whether it was owing to the excitement or having to wait so long for his turn, or whatever may have been the cause, Paynter was not in form, and when he fired his sighting shot and missed there were many gloomy faces among his backers, but none were more gloomy than his own. for he evidently felt that he was not fit. Then he commenced his seven shots with the following unfortunate result :— 2, 0, 0, 2, 2, 0, 3. Instead then of his making the top score, there were at the close of the contest no less tban eighteen above the ex-champion, as will be seen by the list of aggregates published below, while the Belt was claimed by W. Ballinger, a lad of only 19 years of age, the son of a plumber in Wellington, who, together with bis two brothers, had been shooting very steadily throughout. Hutchinson, of Otago, was second, and Smith and Okey having tied for third place, fired off five shots each at 600 yards with the following result:— Smith 3, 3, 3, 4, 0 ... 13 Okey 3,2,2,3,3 ... 13 This being another tie, they fired off again, when the result was: — Smith 4,4,3,3,4 ... 18 9key 3,4,2,4.0 ... 13 The tbird prize, therefore, was awarded to Smith, of Otago. In the meantime the firing for the Carbine Ch%mpionship had concluded, and resulted in Mapp, of Christchurch, and Gordon, of the Thames, making a tie at 192. On their firing off at 500 yards the following was the result: — Gordon 4, 3, 4, 3, 2 ... 16 Mapp 3,2,3,2,3 ... 13 Major Baillie then announoed the result of the firing for the Champion Belts, where-

( opon Bailitfgef was _t___erfra.ely seized by bis comrades from Wellitig.otf,- atd Gordon hjrhis from the Thames, and they #'ere cafrrieo: off, shoulder high, to the Camp, amid loud cheers from the representatives and spectators. After the excftemeut of the day, it was not deemed ptudCnt fo commence another match, so the crowd amvised themselves for an hour in inspecting ihe Camp, and then walked to the station, the platforrri of which by half-past six wos thronged. All, however, contrived to find room, and ultimately arrived in town after, aa a matter of of course, sticking on the hill, up which the train had to be taken in two detachments. The following are the aggregate scores for the Belts :— Rifle Championship. First Prize : The champion belt, (o r/c held for one year; a gold medai, and £20— W. Ballinger, Wellington City Rifles. Second Prize: Silver medal and £ 10— Hutchinson, North Dunedin Rifles. Third Pr.j{e : £s— Smith, Dunedin City Guards. The following made aggregate .cores of 180 and upwards : — W. Ballinger Ml. Hutchinson 190, Smith 189, Okey 189, Monk 187, Marshall 187, Keller 186, Richardson 186, Harding 186, A. Ballinger 186, Skinner 186, Coventry 184, John Ltaidge 184, King 183, Kennedy 183, Willocks 182, Purfiell 192, Millar 182, Paynter 181, Cooper 181, Mills 181, Best 180. Carbine Championship. First Prize: The Champion Belt, to be held for one year, a gold medal, and £10— Gordon, Thames Naval Brigade. Second Prize : A silver medal and £5— Mapp, Christchurch Artillery. The following are the aggregate scores above 180 :— Gordon 192, Mapp 192. ArmI strong 191, Bowden 186, Coleman (who was | firing with a carbine four inches shorter than I the other competitors) 185, Judge 185, Cropp 183, Thomas 181, Ross 181. TO-DAY. The weather has been beautiful and the firing commeuced with two matches which are always regarded with a good deal of interest, namely, between ten men a side of the Rifles of the North and South Island, and five men a side of the Carbines. This was followed by the 12th match, for which there were only eight entries. After dinner tbe 17th match commenced. For this the first prize is a Cup, valued at £10 10s, presented by the brewers of Nelson, and a number of other money prizes, amounting iv the aggregate to £45. The following are the scores in matches Nos. 13, 14, and 12: — MATCH NO. 14.— NORTH V. SOUTH. 2CO, 400, and 500 yards; seven shots at each distance. Open only to the five highest aggregate scorers belonging to each Island in matches 3, 6, and 10. The Carbine Challenge Cup to be held by the highest scorer in the winning team for 12 months. A money prize of £5 will be given with the Cup; and the highest scorer on the losing side will receive a prize of £5.

MATCH No. 13 —NORTH V. SOUTH. 200, 500, and 600 yards. Seven shots at each distance. Open only to the 10 highest aggregate scorers belonging to each Island, in matches 2, 5 , and 9. The Rifle Challenge Cup to be held by the highest scorer in the winning team for 12 months. A money prize of £5 will be given with the Cup ; and the highest scorer on the losing side will receive a prize of £5. North.

MATCH No. 12. 200 and 300 yards. Seven shots at each distance. Open to any member of the Association not being a Volunteer. Prizes : — £6, £5, £4, 2 of £3, 2 of £2.

A Timaru telegram says :— A number of the male immigrants by the Boyne refused to work in the harvest field at wages varying from 12s to 15s per day, and tbe immigration officer consequently turned them out of the barracks. Mr Reeves, M.H.R., has told us (Chronicle) a atory in connection with the murder of the man Costello, near Reefton, in 1872, which borders on the supernatural. Years ago, Mr Reeves and Warden Broad were in the habit of riding over a culvert at Boatman's Creek, hard by the scene of the murder. Every time (subsequently to the date of the murder), that they approached this culvert, their horses began to shy, though there was no apparent cause for the alarm. The riders had invariably to dismount and lead the terrified animals across the mysterious culvert. Mr Broad said to his companion tbat if Costello's body was discovered, it would be under this culvert. Strange to relate, now that the murderer Libree's wife has " peached " upon him, she says that Costello's body was buried under this very culvert. This sounds like one of the tales related to gaping children by tbe winter fireside, bnt it is perfectly true nevertheless. Leo XIII. is gradually removing the restrictions to study in the art galleries of the Vatican which were imposed at the end of 1870. From the beginning of December the ;Stanz and Loggie of Raphael, in the Sixtine Chapel, will be open to visitors and students from nine in the morning till three in the afternoon, excepting fete days and Saturdays.

The G. R. Argus thus describes the little episode wbich occurred* 1 at Cobden -he other night •; — The inhabitants of Cbbdec held a meeting last night to express their opinion of the action of il. R. Guinness, Esq., County Chairman of Grey, in his efforts to divert the mosey voted by the General Government for the purpose of building a bridge between Greymouth and Cobden to other purposes. Jt was resolved that the County Chairman should be tried by a jury of his countrymen, and twelve jurymen were sworn in, the accused appearing by proxy, in the shape of rib- effigy stuffed with straw, having the face of a Chinese, and well saturated with' kerosene. The learned counsel who appeared for the prosecution having stated the case for the Cobdenites, called sete.al witnesses to prove that the accused had been guilty of the offence charged, viz., trying to- murder the Cobden bridge, and on defendant (who was not represented hy counsel) being called to plead he retflained; silent. The jury then brought in a verdict of guilty, and his lordship, having put on the black cap, condemned the culprit Co be taken to the Cobden quarry, there to be hanged and bis remains to be btirUed. The Cobdenites then formed, in pro.e__ioff, and escorted the effigy to a scaffold whicu had been erected there, and the sentence was carried out in full integrity, amid the groans of the beholders, and much to the amusement of the spectators ou the Greymouth side of the river. Referring to the recent election in Auckland, the Herald says : — " On the subject, of education the country has been thoroughly roused, although we believe nofc hastily, or without a cause, and probably it will now. be settled for a generation at least. In what constituency can Denominationalists expect a victory, now that Auckland City West has given forth no uncertain sound, preceeded by the loss of another stronghold of the antieducationists, Nelson city. The gage of battle has been thrown down long ago to the defeuders of the present system. They did not hastily or willingly snatch it up. They did not seek the battle, but tbey will not shun it now that it has come. Yesterday's decision is therefore, to all those who voted in favor of Mr Curtis's bill, a very emphatic notice to quit. Every constituency for which a Dcnominationalist now sits will be contested, and those in favor of the present system will say, " Under this banner we shall conquer." We are informed, indeed, that ifc is not improbable that means will be taken authoratatively to call upou all those who have attempted to alter the Act to resign their seats. Thu3 far have we been brought by the denominational " block vote." The Prairie Farmer states that Greafc Britain bas one sheep to each two acres of land ; Germany, France, and Spain one to each five acres ; and the United States has one to each 56 acres. The value of silk ribbons annually exported here from Switzerland has fallen from £8,000.000 to £200,000 since 1873. Paterson silk mills are running full time, and employs from 8000 to 10,000 hands, and tbe greatest demand is for ribbons and scarves. The Emperor of Brazil is a sensible man, who cares nothing for pomp and show. His summer residence in Brazil is called a " yellow barn," being a long, low building, painted and hung with vines.

200 300 Tlb. Prowse, senior 25 22 47 Howell 23 20 43 Prowse, junior 21 18 39 Powell 21 18 36 Hall 20 16 39 Stevens 22 14 36 Blundell 18 16 34 Kent 20 14 34

200 500 600 Tls. Okey 24 25 21 70 Reid 22 26 22 70 Weir 23 24 21 68 \V. Ballinger 23 25 20 68 Sergt. Ballinger 2j 18 22 65 Monk 24 19 20 63 Cooper 20 2:} 17 60 Skinner 21 20 17 58 Keller 23 20 11 54 Purnell 21 J5 12 48 624 South. Smith 23 26 21 70 Richardson 25 23 21 69 Willocks 23 25 20 68 King 22 27 17 66 Coventry 25 17 23 65 Kennedy 22 24 18 64 Harding 25 23 14 62 JobnDoidge 24 22 14 60 Hutchinson 22 24 11 57 Marshall 22 16 16 54 635

North. 200 -100 500 Tls. Gordon 24 25 25 74 Bowden 23 27 22 72 Armstrong 25 23 22 70 Colecaan 21 24 22 67 Cropp 18 20 20 58 341 South. Judge 24 23 24 71 Houston 21 24 24 69 Hood 22 22 23 67 Jack 20 21 23 64 Mapp 20 20 23 63 334