THE BONFIRE.

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Volume II, Issue 157, 2 June 1900, Page 3

THE BONFIRE.

The Bonfire Committee having been given permission by Mr O'Leary to ha\e the bonfire in. Ins paddock at the back of the dairy factory, 3ent materials of all sorts there on Friday. The school children had a whole holiday, and they used it to gather materials from all sources. The youngsters were not at all particular about asking leave to take combustibles, but they had b?an culd to com mandeer everyting and they obeyed their orders to the letter. Mr E. C. Studhclme sent over several loads of firewood, tar and more wood were procured elbewhere, and piles of bushwood, etc., added made up an enormous pile. At 7.30 p.m., the tkno notified for lighting the pile, from 700 to 1000 people were assembled. Standing on a platform. His Worship tb ) Mayo addressed theassemb y. lie apologised for appearing so often before the public, bui those occasions warranted it. It wk.s a very pleasing duty he had to perform that evening. They all knew the reason of -their assembling theie; to see a bonfire in honour of British victories. To prove that the Bdti&h. nation is as good as ever, he neod only say that Colonel Mahon's march to Mafekiug was faster than that march to Kandahar by which Lord Roberts made his great reputation. The taking of Pretoria was the crowning point of the war. There, at least, the Boers were expected to make a stand, and the fact of their leaving such a well provisioned, well fortified stronghold proved their utter deuaoral isation. The victory after victory won by the British were inosfc gratifying, but one of the most gratifying features of the war was the conduct of the New Zealand Contingents. It was perhaps regrettable that four of these had seen very little fighting, but the first had made a name which would be remembered always. They had particularly distinguished themselves as scouts, and ho wonld read them a piece of poetry entitled "The Scout." (The poetry in question appeared iv our issue of May 22nd). The speaker, continuing, said they were there to let themselves loose ; they could see three figures at tha top of the bonfire i Kruger, the pious old fraud, who thought he, could lick the British nation ; Steyn, the fool, who thought with Kruger that the Boers were better man than the British, and that arch-intriguer, Lsyds. Ho said we are very apt to worship the leaders in the ipresent fight, but we must not rforget tthat without the men the leaders would b9 of no use. He would wai-n thorn to keep clear of Kruger that night, as he wouid probxbly do a little scattering" whan thi fire reached him. He called ior choers for the oificer-s and men in thb Transvaal, and for the New Zjalaad Contingents.

Needless to say, the cheeis were given lustily, and after a verse of the National Anthem, Mr Akhurat ht the pile. The flames leapt up at once, md very soon caught the effigies which contained a conple of pounds of, powder each. The fire lasted about an hour and a half, the explosion of the powder in the figures causing a good deal of amusement. All day flags .wore fljingat almost evpry place in the town, and it is cai ciliated that if an enemy were to taki Woimate. they would secure enough flags 10 be able to boast of capturing t , couple of hundred Biiibh regiments.