Country News

Southern Cross, Volume 2, Issue 8, 26 May 1894, Page 9

Country News

W I N T 0 N. (From our own correspondent). A concert to wipe off a debt of about £lO on the Presbyterian Church organ fund took place in the Exchange Hall on Friday, IBth inst., and judging from the attendance there ought to be a surplus equivalent to tuning the organ after it is paid for. The following ladies and gentlemen took part in the entertainment: * Misses Twemlow, Gilmour, Thomson, McWilliam,. Lea, Cowie, Lindsay, Wilson and Hill, and Mrs Wil--430n; Dr Riley, and Messrs Wilson, Hayes, Coop, McWilliam (2), Donald and Tarlton. The Glee Party (18 powerful voices) appeared twice. The Misses Tarlton and Lee officiated at the piano. The concert would have gone even much better than it did bad a litlle more of the humourous element been thrown into it. It is .not at all necessary that church concerts should consist solely of sacred items. The Winton A. and P. Association deserves the thanks of the people of Hew Zealand for taking the initiative as regards the introduction of the liome wood pigeon by protesting most emphatically against it. I notice by ihe papers that sensible people from

Winton to Wellington are strongly and justly opposed to their admission. Of course it would have made the Invercargill Acclimatisation Society very, small if they had told the Hon. J. G. Ward at the interview held with that gentleman lately that the matter emanated from the Winton A. and P. Association. Oh, dear, no ! This' would never do. The Limehills Caledonian sports, which took place lately at Centre Bush, were a brilliant success from every standpoint, much to the credit of the office-bearers and more particularly the indefatigable secretary (Mr J. A. McDonald). The Society got so many special prizes that it was difficult to allocate them. However, after the repast at the ball in the evening, one was reserved and given to the bell of the ball. The Queen’s Birthday was celebrated here by football matches. In the first go-off (Britannia first v. Winton first) the visitors got a manly defeat by 17 points to nil. Tries were obtained by Messrs Wilson, Hill, Campbell, and Hurst, who crossed the line twice. Of the forwards, Messrs Kidd, McKay, and Murphy played well, and of the backs Messrs Le Cren and Jack, especially, when the former is a forward in his proper place. In the second set-to (Winton second v. Britannia second) the local boys were beaten by 4 points to nil. Messrs Purdue, Pratt, and Hill played the principal game for the visitors. Messrs Crawford and Jones acted as referees and Messrs Wilson and Watts as line umpires. All gave general satisfaction. The ground was very slippery and there were not a fev tumbles. A keenly contested pigeon match took place on the 24th May at Limehills. Twenty-five nominated and accepted. Messrs J. Henderson, D. Taylor, and J. Brey (be it to their credit or otherwise) divided the first, £10; 2nd, £3; and 3rd £2, equally among them. Five birds were allowed to each contestant, each popping over four. A number of glass ball scratch matches took place after and were keenly contested. The Winton school children drove to Otautau on the 24th to play the school children there, and scored a success, beating the local boys by six points. A concert in aid of the accident fund in connection with the local branch of the Labourers’ Union took place in the Exchange Hall on Wednesday night. The hall was pretty well filled, and the fund should be considerably augmented. The following contributed items Messrs McCormack, Hartley, McLeod, J, Wilson, Small, and Hurst ; Miss Lindsay and Mrs Wilson. The Brass Band gave a number of selections in front of the hall, and opened with the first item on the programme. A most laughable farce was put on by the Hokonui miners’ troupe, which fairly brought down the house. One aud all of the performers excelled themselves.