Return of Waimate Troopers.

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Volume III, Issue 148, 11 May 1901, Page 3

Return of Waimate Troopers.

AN ENTHUSIASTIC RECEPTION.

Yesterday .was a busy one in town, for preparations were in fail swing to welcome the Waimate troopers returning from ’ South Africa. Little businesswas clone in the morning, for the, shops were being gaily decker] witli flags and barinereU.es'. It was not definitely known till about 10.30 tb?t the'mpu were, ooniing from Christchurch, when a wire that was received from Farrier-Sergeant Ward stated that he had misspd the'train, but that’ Corporals W. Butcher and Munro , and Troopers Cooper aud T. Kelchhr were on the train. A good number travelled 1 to Studhobne, Irnt'.tlie great majority waited the arrival of the express, which steamed into Trie station , cohered: with; flags, greenery and streamers in patriotic colours. The troopers' were carried sh o'ulder h igh th rough the cheering crowd to a long Torn ” of local manufacture. This was gaily decorated with the .national' •colours and had seats for' the returning quartette. The gun, which was- fired Sfeveral times during the course of the. march,) was-then limbered up aud drawn by a tedm of eight meihibeES ’of" the Waimate Rifles,' preceded ~by the .right division of the Studbolme Mounted Rifles under - Hfwf* • o (*■ . v i “i >* ’ &"■ 1 b *'

Captain* Garland as advance, guard ami followed by His Worship the Mayor and the Waimate Ejo.es, forty strong. ' under Lieutenants Hurst and Jackson, with the left division tof the Stud hoi me Mounted as rearguard. Captain W. Coltmau, of the Honorary Beserve, acted as Marshal. ' Followed by a large crowd, the procession drew up at a platform erected in front of the Borough Council chambers, and on this seats were placed for the returned troopers and their relatives to the right and left of that of the J Mayor. The Mayoress and Miss Manchester and a number of members of the Reception Committee, besides thg speakers of the day and others, were also on the platform. o As a prelude to the welcome, the Rev. A. S. Morrison offered i up thanks for the preservation of ( the men from the dangers they had undergone. i

His Worship the Mayor (Mr J. Manchester) than shook bauds with ami cordially welcomed back the troopers. .It was impossible, ho said, for him to do justice to the subject he was to spo ilt on, especially as liis orders from- the committee, the com-mander-in-chief of the reception, were to “ be' brief.” He fait.it would be out of place to make a long speech, but he did not wish to he in apy way stinted of his appreciation on such an occasion as this. Those, heroes were worthy of their heartiest congratulations, and ha was voicing the feelings of every!))dy—every lady, every gentleman, every boy and every girl in the pi me—when he spike of the honour that was due to those who had faced the daiumrs and trials of a foreign country with little chance of fern mi oration and with g:eat risk to life by shot and shell and by diseise. They could a or. forget (he work these men had done and that they had materially assisted to bring the war to its present stag© of termination an-1 to uplnld the honour of the British arms and rule. By their sacrilic-es au-1 activity those men and those who had been with them and those who had returned before them would be men of mark for all time to copae, And he had no doubt they had made their' mark on the Boers itiso, mark?, not easily rubbed out. When lie saw the train load of troop?) at Htu ili'duio on Thursday he wondered how all these frm young fellows coaid he dispensed with. lie would like to have seen them wait a little longer and come hack when victory ha 1 been conclusively won, bat it was not to be. However, their deeds would be written on the scroll of fame by the Empire's hisfo dans an-1 bo read by thousands of generations to come.

Mr Douglas (chairman of I bo U r alunto County Council), at the ivcju.'vit of iho Maj - ...! - , then heaitily wolcoiiiofl (he troopers kick on boha-lf of t;ir) coun'y- They Iml not boon away at a picnic, but had faced flmth in, ail its 'forms, particularly by tikeas?, which had carried o(E so many thousands. They had read of the appreciation of th eir da.HtJs from the Com-matuicr-in-Olairf down, and in no ciiae had the colonial troops hewn wanting 1 in their duly." though they had been marched from’ north to south and from east to West of South Africa, with scarcely ever a tent over their heads or a satisfying meal. Kven General Erench said ho never wished to be in the field with bet ter soldiers. There was no doubt that, should a great war arise, the colonials in tens of thousands would flock to uphold the honour and glory' of the flig they loved so well. We were told the race \yas degenerating, but the evidence of the present war was a direct contradiction, for in the battles of the Empire we still came out in front. The . wan Started in the reign of our late beloved Queen. She heard the call to the colonies for assistance, saw the chain of kinship forged, saw it tested and that* it'was not found wanting. Volunteering had long ’been looked on as a pastime in New Zealand, hut the proof of its efficiency had been shown them. Those-before them and their comrades had covered themselves, New Zealand, theircounty and their ' town with honour, and all must' unite in honouring them in their turn. Captain Garland, of the Studholme Mounted Rifle?,' said tlie New Zealand soldiers had not only done their duty bravely, hut had brought the little color! y of New Zealand before (lie ej:es of the Empire. The district and town of 'V’aimate had, on' a population basis, sent a very large number away. They were pleased that everyone was still alive. Irt future, when the Empire called, New Zealand -Would be the more ready to respond because they bad among them some men seasoned in war. V : Lieut. Hurst, on behalf' of the Wal mate Rifles, said all had anxiously followed the .fortunes of the war and of our boys, and were now glad to see them safe home. However, the world’s outlook was anything but bright, and he was sure that if necessary they would respomias readily the second time as thfey had the first. Hf& Worship said ihejjeproceedings which whip qo’w closed, were quite formal, bill, there 'Wjds more to follow. .‘On'the tbe - Goldstone “ brothers there ( would be another reception, and -then at night a social for all the returned J G-Gy- it * V.sl * -u j

troopers. The proceedings terminated with the singing of “ God §tve the lying,” and three cheprq-. for the* returned troopers.

The men look"exceedingly well, none the worse for their hard campaigning.