THE CHAMPION JUMPER OF THE COLONIES.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume X, Issue 1029, 28 January 1882, Page 2

THE CHAMPION JUMPER OF THE COLONIES.

Jonx Callaghan, a shoemaker, at Reefton, on the 21st January, on the metalled road, jumped four feet ten and a-half inches in a standing jump, for a wager of £3O. This is the champion standing jump of the Australasian Colonies, being half an inch over every other reorded performance. The measurement is indisputable.

Volunteer Intelligence. The J Battery Volunteers and Band paraded on Thursday last at 7 p.m., under the command of Captain Winter and Lieutenants U’Ren and Boylan. The members did not muster as might have been expected, only about 45, including the Band, answering to roll call. At half-past 7 Captain Porter, the officer commanding the district, inspected the corps, and with one or two exceptions, expressed himself pleased with the general appearance of the men. He noticed that some of , the accoutrements required cleaning, and he informed the parade that in j future he should be very strict in this I matter and inflict fines whenever such cases again occurred. The corps, as a whole, compared favorably with those he had seen in Napier and Wellington, both for efficiency as Volunteers and for discipline. Captain Porter spoke in high terms of the Band, and stated that they deserved great kudos for their untiring perseverance. They could, he said, hold their own with any down south. With reference to obtaining a field piece for the Battery Captain Porter stated that while in Wellington he had endeavored to obtain one for Gisborne. He had interviewed Colonel Pierce and the Under Secretary for Defence, but could not get a definite answer from either of those gentlemen. There are three field pieces in Nelson lying idle—two 10-pounders and 1 6-poundcr —and he was in correspondence wi’h Major Pitt with the view of obtaining one. While in Napier he had an interview with Captain Garner of the F Battery, and obtained his consent to the loan of a G-pound Armstrong for a month or G weeks on the condition that all expenses of carriage, &e., be paid. The Government had also instructed Sergt. Nelson, the Napier Drill Instructor, to come with the gun and remain here for a month under Captain Winter’s command, to instruct the Battery in the use of the field piece. He (Captain Porter) intended to be present at these drills and go through the same himself. He hoped that all the officers, non-commissioned officers, and gunners would do the same. It was left to Captain Winter to arrange the number and nights of drill. Capt. Porter further informed those present that in future he would have more time at his disposal than he had lately, and would devote more attention to volunteer matters. He would be very strict himself, and should expect the officers to be the same, and see that strict discipline was maintained in the cosps, and if he had just reasons for finding fault and correcting either officers or men, he would unhesitatingly do so, as he was sure it would conduce to the benefit of the corps generally. The Battery was then put through the skirmishing drill by Capt. Wimer and marched into the Drill Shed. The following Battery Orders were then read by Sergt.-M.njor Featon :—

The following appointments and promotions hare been approved of by the Captain Commanding : 1. Bombardier Steele to be Corporal. 2. Bombardier Rosie to be Corporal. 3. Gunner W. O'Meara to be Bombardier’ vice Steele promoted. 4. Gunner J. C. Cresswell to be Bombarbardier, vice Rosie promoted. Tlie following appointments have been confirmed by the Captain Commanding the Ormond Detachment of the Battery : 1. Mr M. Boland to be Senior Sergt. 2. Mr S. C. Caulton to be Sergeant. 3. Mr Seeats to be Corporal. 4. Corporal Thompson has been transferred for duty with the Ormond Detachment. The result of the District Prize Firing competition is as follows : Ist. prize, Bandsman Tay10r,.....65 points 2nd prize. Gunner Hansen 63 „ 3rd prize, Bomb. Ballantyne...,63 „ 4t.h prize, Capt. Winter 61 „ The officer commanding desires to point out to members the necessity for their proper attendances to drill, and intimates to them that in future he intends to enforce the fines for non-attendance, as empowered by the Volunteer Act Amendment, 1881. The fines will be inflicted as follows :—For absence without leave from more than two company parades Jn month, Is; for absence from Inspection parades, 2s 6d. Leave will in all cases be considered, and must be obtained to avoid the infliction of the above fines. Before dismissing the parade Capt. Winter addressed the men with reference to the last Battery Order, and said that he would adhere strictly to the order laid down, and intended in future to sue all the members of the corps who were in arrears with their subscriptions. He also would like to say a few words regarding Sunday parades. Both the officers of the Battery and himself had always done their best to forward the interests of the corps in every possible way. When he placed an order on the Order Book calling a church parade, he expected it to be obeyed. There was no compulsion about the matter; men were not asked to go into Church unless they liked. He spoke very warmly on the matter, as he considered such a poor muster as took place on the last Sunday parade was a slight to himself, the officers of the Corps, and the Band, who always had a full muster at these parades, very often numbering more than the Company itself. If those members who only attended a certain number of parades to make themselves “efficient,” and took no more interest in the Corps than putting in a certain ■ number, it would be far better to leave I the Corps, and not humbug the few j that attended weekly parades who I really were efficient in every sense of the word. For the future Capt. Winter

intended to be stricter than he had been in the past, and enforce the full penalty for non-attendance at parades, or any other breach of the Volunteer rules. During the parade the Band played a few’ selections in a creditable manner. Their first quickstep, “ Bonjour,” showed want of practice, the basses not being well up in their parts—in fact, scarcely heard. Bandmaster Faram should have them well in band before attempting a new piece. The fantasia “Le Vai d’Amour ” (played for the first time) was fairly rendered, and the time well marked. A little more practice is needed. The Country Detachment will parade in the Ormond Hall this evening, at seven o,clock, and will be inspected at 7.30 by Capt. Porter.