A DISAPPOINTED NEGRO.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume VI, Issue 1870, 20 December 1884, Page 2

A DISAPPOINTED NEGRO.

Shortly after a fire the other day a coloured gentleman called on the insurance agent and said—- " What's my money, cap'n," " I don't owe yon any money." " Aint yesself de 'shurance agent," " Yes,.l am an insurance agent," " Den yer owes me money, for my sto' burned up endurin 1 de late fire sab." " You were not insnred in my company." "Iwa'n't." " Come, get out of here." " Hole on boss, and lemme 'aplane, Wuz Mr Jones 'shored in yer company." " Yes,,' "Wuz Mr Jackson 1" "Yes," • " Wall an' good. Now my sto' wuz jes' betwixt Mr Jones and Mr Jackson. De walls o' dar sto' made de walls o' my sto', Ef you'd a took dar sto's away, my sto' woulder be gone. De inshom' of dar own sto's insho'ed mine, doan yer see f "flo, I don't see." '• Den I ain't goin' to get nothin,' is If ...I'Na" ■•'■ - " I'll recolleck dis, sah, and see whut de court hous'll hab ter say," and turning away he muttered, "Ef I'der knowed de company wuz so tricky, I wouldn't ler set terjtp' on fire."

PRESENTATION OF PRIZES. I Masterton School. The annual ceremony of presenting , prizes to the pupils of the Masterton Public School took place yesterday at , Xhe .Theatre Royal.. Tjbeam'ple'-floor ; fas densely packed with bright look-' , ing -juveniles, the gallery';' was'..well : ; •filled with parents and friends' who" : came to see the proceedings, while on , the stage were Mr J. 0; Boddington the school Chairman, (the Committee •being also .represented by. Messrs Johnston, Sellar, and Payton),' Mr Caselberg the. Mayor of Masterton, the.Rev. W. E. Paige, L. M, Isitt, and D. Fulton, Mr Grundy the Head master, and Mr Waitte, first assistant.. master who presided at the Piano, and... accompanied ■ the children on the various pieces which they sang. A large table on the stage' was covered with sixty..odd volumes, the sewing machine, work boxes etc., which constituted the, awards, Mr- J. C, Boddington, in opening the proceedings/expressed his gratification at seeing so large an audience. He regretted'.that Mr 6. Beetham, the Member. for their 'district and their representative at the Board, had been unable tb. accept an invitation which he had .sent to him to present the' prizes, MrG, Beetham had written to him, speuking in very high terms of commendation of the success of the' school, and regretting that it was im possible, for him.;, to-, be pre- , sent. He would remind those present that twelve months ago they inaugurated the high class in connection with the school. There were then some, who had doubts whether it would not be premature to introduce higher education, and whether the higher class might.not impair the instruction given in the ordinary, standards.. .They had doubtless seen that the "'school, had made 93 per cent, of passes in the ordinary, standards this year, ..which,was seven per cent more than theirprevious return,.and Mr lee said rhe never found, the ..school better or stronger than on the occasion of his last visit. These facts he regarded as a complete answer to the doubts which had beenraised as to the result of the higher class. He would also add (hat Mr Lee said that when he examined this . class he would have been satisfied with 50 per cent of marks, but instead of this 75 per cent had been obtained. . He firmly believed that the high class had been a success and that it would continue to be a success. It would be invidious for him to refer to the individual members of the staff, but they all know how much thoy owed to the headmaster and his assistants. Their thanks were.due also to the Revs, W. E, Paige, L,;M, IsiH, and D. Fulton, who had examined the school for | prizes, and also to Mesdamcs Paige, Morison, Boddington, and Miss Beard, who had examined the sewing. These ladies had expressed themselves highly pleased with the work presented, and ' this was all the more commendable 1 as there was no special sewing mistress in the school. By the examination conducted by the Revs. Paige, Isitt, and Fulton, they obtained the advan--1 tage of an independent adjudication of prizes, in which all the competitors ' stood on their own merits. He had also to thank their worthy Mayor, Mr Caselberg, for his very handsome prize i of a sewing machine. The Committee had experienced a difficulty iu deter- . mining the manner in which this prize i should be awarded, but by a ballot among sixty-six girls, a satisfactory conclusion had been arrived at. I Thirty-three of the girls had voted for Minnie D'Arcy, the next on the list receiving eleven votes, and there was i no doubt that the selection made in , favor of Minnie D'Arcy was a right one, A silver medal had been pre-. , seated for the best essay, which, before they separated, would be read to them. He wished in conclusion to express his sense of the support that had been given to the Masterton School by the Education Board which, during the past year, had complied with all the requests they bad made to it for assistance. Tenders i were now about to be called for large > additions to the building and plans j had also been prepared of a further < extension which would be undertaken \, at some future period, and which : would finally complete the Bohool j. block. He would also add that Mr 1; -Paige's report on the high- school, was , extremely satisfactory. In.Euclid some j of the pupils had obtained 90 and 98 j per cent of passes, and 86 per cent in > algebra.. He felt satisfied that children' ■ could now obtain as good an education i in Masterton as in Wellington, an i education which was not a privilege ) for wealthy settlers-these would • still continue to.send their ohildrento 1 the Wellington College—but a privi- ■ lege for poorer men- who could not b afford tho - expense ■ of sending their I ehildreu to be educated in Wellington, f (Applause,) The children then sang "Try Again." ..The prizes were then distributed by the Chairman, the children loudly applauding the successful competitors t . as their names were announced, At intervals the monotony of tho distribution was broken by a song | from the children, and an occasional recitation, The Rev. W. E. Paige read the prize essay for which the silver medal was awarded. The subject was "the i Wairarapa "Valley," and the writer of it, Miss Jessie Galloway, depicted the. various townships of the district and the character of the surrounding country. The essay was received with oheers, The same pupil carried off the i prize in the high class for mathematics, somewhat to tho surprise of the visitors, who anticipated that a boy would carry off this award. , Minnie D'Arcy received quite an ovation when called on to the stage to 1 receive Mr Caselberg's sewing machine i prize, the Chairman accompanying the i presentation with some very appropriate remarks, the children cheering the donor of this handsome prize; His Worship the Mayor, in acknow--1 ledging this compliment, said he felt proud of the school as a whole, He was glad his prize had fallen iuto such ; good hands, He advised parents to. . train their daughters to sewing and . other household accomplisbments in- ; stead of trying to make fine ladies of them, Such accomplishments were

the beat foundations for a higher culti-1 vatioti could be established, He would as far as he could afford continue to present similar prizes (applause.) Hearty cheers were then given for the examiners,; :and the Rev W. E, Paige inVresponse told the 1 to throw jtheir books away, enjoy their 'hgiifali'andjßQ.gd back- to.sqhool afcef tho vaoatiph fii'for work." (tumultuous applause.) The Rev L. M. Isitt followed in a similar strain "and his remarks wero also vociferously applauded.

' The Chairman then called for. cheers for the Headmaster and teaching staff,'; the response being a combination of hearts voices and feet-which shook the building.

Mr Grundy briefly replied with some kindly words to the children, paying, also a high compliment to his staff. The proceedings .then terminated (after the Committee and the ladies who examined the sewing had been cheered). with the National anthem. The part singing, throughout was much admired. PRIZE LIST.

Infant School.—Boys': Percy Corbett,'James Wickens, Wm. Truscott, Claud Corbett, James Frederikson, Karl Kopki, Lloyd Jones, Fred Harcombe, Fred Daniell John Betty. Girls: Emily Johnston, Anna Komstedt, Annie Donald, Ella Stellin, Mary MacKenzie, Harriet Harvey, Sarah Peacock, Annie Truscott. Standard.l.—Qirls.: Ist prize,;A-lice Rooksj 2nd, Elizabeth-Barnes'; 3rd,' Minnie Hansen. Boys: Ist, Thomas Jenkins; 2nd, Phillip 'Payne; 3rd,' Arthur Bennett. .'Attendant:. Alfred • McEwen, Mary KvingstOnej'Charles King. : Standard ll.—lst, Harry Wrigley; 2nd,'Arthur'Pickering;- 3rd, Joseph Bennington; .4th, Elizabeth Barkwith. 'Attendance; Mabel Walton, Isaac Mawhinay, Robert Vile. ? Standard 111.-lst prize, John King; 2nd, Arthur .King; 3rd, Harry ■Perry;-4th, Adeline Martin.; Recitation :" Sarah'' Green, Attendance: Bertram Bennett, John Barnes, Samuel Mawhinay.'' ■ Standard IV,—lst prize, Jane Donald ; 2nd, Lawrence Donald; 3rd, John Johnson; 4th, Eose Wilton;. slh, Edward Yates. Recitation: Florence Smith. Attendance: David King, John Morrison, Alexander Morrison.

Standard V.—lst. prize, Annie Walton ; 2nd, James Payno; 3rd, Ellen Wrigley. Attendance: Joseph Boddington, Edith Payne, Richard Short, Standard Vl.-rlsfc prize, Axel Komstedt; 2nd, Arthur .Richards, Recitation: Minnie Holdaway. Attendance: Sarah Wrigley. Educational Department's prize: Albeit Hosking. High School.—Latin, • Alexander McKouzie; French, William Collotte; Mathematics, Jessie Galloway. Special prize, medal for essay.— Jessie Galloway, Mr Caselberg's prize (sewing machine), Minnie D'Arcy. Standard ll—Sewing : Ist, Eliza Barkwith; 2nd, Mjldred Burkenshaw j 3rd, Annie Hales j 4th, Mabel Walton; sth, Mary Johnston; 6th, Bertha Robins.

Standard lll.—Sewing: Ist C. Hoffeins; 2nd, Minnie Goodheir; 3rd, Annie Barkwith; 4th, Kobina Colway. Knitting: Ist Edith Mills; 2nd, Lilly Day.

Standard IV,—Sewing: Ist, Mary Boddington; 2nd, Jane Donald; 3rd, Christina Munro; 4th, Mary Donald, stb, Minnie Perry. Knitting :..Ut Sophia Carman ; 2nd, Florence Smith j 3rd, Agnes Allen. Standard Y-—Sewing; Ist, Alice Galloway; 2nd, Edith Owon. Knitting, Ist, Edith Payne; 2nd Ellen Wrigley,

Standard 6.—Sewing, Annie Yates, Darning, Minnie D'Arcy. Knitting, Ist Minnie Holdaway; 2nd, Sarali Wrigley,

GREYTOWN. Yesterday afternoon will be long remembered by not only,the young ones of Grey town but the old onqs too, it being the day appointed for the distribution of prizes. The afternoon being beautifully fine a great number of people took advantage. -of the occasion and attended the.sohool,.and expressed themselves well pleased with the afternoon's amusements, which was opened by the children in the higher standard singing very nicely "Work 'for the'' night is coming."'.. Then the young ones followed with a vorv nice littlo Bong "Laughing at the fountain," Mr A. Gray Chairman of the Com: L mitteejin a few short and appropriate words introduced Mr W. C. Buchanan, M.H.R., who, before prcsentiug the prizes, addressed the children and those present on the satisfactory result of the-examination. He also urged, parents to see that their ohildren attended school regularly as it was impossible for teachers to show good results if the children were not regular in their attendance, He also complimented the school on their cadet corps and from the interest the Government had taken in the matter he hoped next year they would be benefited. He then presented the following children with prizes. The infant class each received a prize and of course were highly delighted!— j Standard I—H. Webster 1, Edward Sayer 2, Kate McPhee 3, Frank Cole 4,

Standard ll.—Harold Porritt 1, Annie Fall 2, Leo Wakelin 3, Sydney Cole 4.

Standard lll.—Ellen Player .1, Marion Hiller 2, John Cotter 3, Joseph Jiudd 4 Standard IV,—Henry Wood 1, Ellen Gallagher 2, Ethelwyn Knell 3, Amelia Brookß 4, Lillian Morris 5. Standard V.—fierce Cotter 1, drawing instruments j Herbert Wilkie 2, Boys' Own Annual j Annie Judd 3, Girls' Own Annual.--.,.

Standard VI.-Qneen Handcock; 1* work-box; Arthur Brookß 2, Chambers 1 Dictionary; Julia Smith 3, album, Special,—Best' needlework, Julia Smith I j needlework in Standard VI, Cissy Jackson I,;.needlework, in Standard Y,Yiotoria Fuller 1; needlework in Standard IV, Kate Wilkie; needlework in Standard'lll Edith Ticehurst 1. Best arithmetic in school, Pierce Cotter, Standard V, 1. Best attendance, maximum 410Lillian Morris, Standard IV, 1 j Henry Webster, Standard I, 2, Roth made tlie maximum, Miss jHaigh .gave three prizes to pupil

teachers in Standard II for general progress. They fell as follows r—Alice Cottor, Georgo Bishop, and James Mills, Miss York gave a number of pripes to children in Standard T aHd the infant classP,. After the distribution of the prizes the children sang "Try, try again," but with the exception of. those-who-had obtained prizes it :was.no>Bung'iith the same fervc#as the first-had-been. Mr Nation thea addressed-a few'-fords to, the children asking them to jry hard for next year's prizes.- The Chairman,, Mr A. Gray .then : announced- that Mr Buchanan intended "to. give prizes to the fltoils who had made the most attendances during theypust; year and that they would be presented on there-assembling of the school.; He also announced that ■the annual picnic would jftheld next month. .The singing of "God save the Queen"-;theif closed the proceedings. We sho#:lißve mentioned that the school -was very atatefully decorated by the teachers and, children and reflects .great credit io their tastes.'