PALMERSTON NORTH.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5236, 4 January 1878, Page 5

PALMERSTON NORTH.

(from oor own correspondent.] December 31. The whole of the inhabitants of the Manawatu District having determined to thoroughly enjoy their holidays, there was no lack of excitement at the several athletic meetings that have been crowded into this last week. To commence with, the usual Christmas Day sports took place at Messrs. Douglas and Co.’s station, Oroua Downs, and, thanks to the efforts. of Messrs. Beid, Whyte, Cook, aud others, passed off very successfully. As many as nine horses started for the Hurdle Eace, which was won by Mi". Robinson’s Banjo ; aud in the Pony Eace Mr. Purcell’s Totara won in a field of ten. After dinner the foot races and games brought the day’s enjoyment to a close. Boxing Day, however, was our great day, and as the weather was magnificent, everybody turned out in holiday attire, determined on a good outing ; aud as train after train brought fresh arrivals from Foxton, while the several roads leading into the town were alive with country settlers hurrying to th* scene of gaiety, the place soon presented an aspect it had seldom if ever presented before. Those familiar with Loudon will remember that the “ place to spend a happy day” is advertised as Bosherville ; but here we had the choice of no less than four places, with their several amusements, and it is a matter of wonder that four such numerously attended and .successful meetings should have been held simultaneously in a district hardly known to white folks ten years ago. To the Feilfling sporty must be given the palm as being the greatest success, while the Sandon people held a monster picnic at the Manamvatu Gorge. The success of the sports in Palmerston was somewhat jeopardised by want of xmauimity in the management, as (to quote from our local newspaper) “ The pleasure-seekers within the town focussed at the two ends, for each end'had its own sports.”- However all went off well under the enthusiastic management of our worthy Mayor, Mr. Snelson, and Mr, Owen, on the Square, and of Mr. Deards and a numerous committee at the Terrace end. Next year I hope our racecourse will he completed, and that sports will be held there under the auspices of a Caledonian Society, when one of the events should be a race for which each can focus himself best at both ends of the town. One great want was felt, which was music, our really good brass band not having put in an appeax-ance, and all the harmony we got was the dismal squeak of a concertina, which however set the lads and lasses dancing most vi-'oronsly on the platform ex-eeted by Mr. Deards in the Princess Hotel grounds. Some of the events in Palmerston were most keenly contested, notably the Champion 200 yards race, won by a local man by an inch or two only, Yule (well known in Wellington) being second, and the 100 yards race, wliich was so close as to puzzle the judge to decide. The threw of the cricket ball by Mr. Charles would not have disgraced one of the All England Eleven. The Maori dance was a source of surprise and amusement to many new chums.

The railway, through the week, has been doing a great business at excursion fares, which however would have been considerably increased had the authorities had more consideration for children. It seems very hard to make parents pay for little things of three or four years of age full adult fares. . Our holiday amusements are not yet over, as on New Year’s Day we have the Rangitikei races, and on the 4th the Foxton regatta will be held, but as far as we have goue we have thoroughly enjoyed our Christmas, unaccompanied with rowdyism, though some fe\v quenched their thirst iu something stronger than tea, but they were principally outsiders. One event has since Friday cast a gloom over our community, viz., the death of Mrs. Gilbert, the wife of our worthy host of the Royal Hotel. She had been seriously ill for some time, but till very lately hopes were entertained of her recovery. In the' midst of all our excitement our Borough Council is not unmindful of our interest, and they propose to borrow £IO,OOO, to be spent on town improvements, and it is quite likely our little town may yet have its municipal buildings before the Empire City. Our newly-formed Acclimatisation Society is in a flourishing condition, and has already liberated trout in the Manawatu, and altogether, with the prospect at no distant date of direct railway communication with Wellington, and of facilities for grinding our locally grown corn, we look forward with considerable confidence to the fast approaching New Year.